It’s a hot summer yard game. It’s the ultimate lawn game.

Whether you’re grilling the kids in the backyard, grilling burgers at a local park, or floating around on a pontoon boat laden with lovely vintage wines from Michigan wine country, there’s nothing like some yard games. So who wants to play another hundred rounds? I mean… right. That sounds really good.

But before we finish the bag game and head off to where Dale saw the old frisbee golf course, I’d like to try a few new yard games. So I asked around Polygon Slack for recommendations. Here’s what came back:

ladder ball

If you want to enjoy an easy throwing game with friends and family Not like that Do you need good goals? I got you. Ladderball is a simple and silly throwing game, but rather than individual balls or bean bags, it involves two balls connected by a rope of about 6 inches. So when you throw a ball, it cartwheels in the air in unpredictable ways (at least that’s what happens when I throw a ball, because I’m terrible at throwing things in the direction I want to throw).

To play the game, set up vertical ladders a few feet apart and then split into two teams. Our family usually plays one-on-one for a quick game with plenty of time to snack between rounds. One person from each team stands next to one ladder and the team takes turns throwing three balls to the other ladder, aiming for the highest rung. The string between the balls often wraps around one rung, but the game becomes fun when you realize how easy it is to knock your piece (or your opponent’s piece) off the rung. When that round is over, switch to the other ladder.

The top gets 3 points, the middle gets 2 points, and the bottom gets 1 point. Most people play ladderball to see who can reach 10 points the fastest. In addition to being family-friendly fun, I love this game because the ball is relatively soft, making it easy to play barefoot by the pool without worrying about getting lobbed. It’s also sober friendly, if that’s your thing. —joey hannah

block it

Photo: Jens Büttner and dpa/Getty Images

Kubb’s nickname, “Viking Chess,” is also used as an elevator pitch. The lawn game, in which players stand on opposite sides of a rectangle and hurl batons at wooden pylons, mixes the strategy (though not the depth) of die-hard board game companions with the Scandinavian joy of smashing difficult things together. Like many great yard games, the rules are tedious to explain, but are easy to understand simply by watching people play them.

With that in mind, think of starting a kubb match like starting a dance party. The hardest part is getting the first person to join. But once two people start playing, expect your friends and neighbors to ask for their turns. Throw one stick at another stick. As these newcomers snack and dive into the game, they discover tactics like where to place skulls on the field. Or whether to gamble on a long shot or take on an easier short range target. A match can last minutes or hours and the force can change with just a few throws of the baton.

Here’s another detail that helps kubb get his Viking chess shorthand: It’s completely playable with one hand, making it perfect for adults who enjoy the game most with a mead in hand. —chris plant

block it

Prices at the time of publication.

Round Net, also known as Spike Ball

Photo: Adam Davy and PA Images/Getty Images

While some beloved yard games date back hundreds, if not thousands, of years, there are others that originated much more recently, around 1989. I’m not talking about pickleball. Actually, I’m not talking about pickleball. Instead, we’re talking about Spikeball, also known as Roundnet.

Jeff Knurek is credited with creating Roundnet in 1989. In this game, players gather near a round, trampoline-style net and spike the ball between two teams. Games are usually played 2v2 or 3v3. Either way, the action is fast and furious. Can I sit down and play a game with a beer in my hand? Sure. But it’s a lot more fun to shred barefoot on the beach and be as slightly silly as possible.

Spikeball’s entrepreneurs ran with this idea in the 2000s and found success in 2015. shark tank. (Then Daymond John got excited and asked for a 50 percent stake in the company. The deal ultimately fell through.) Still, the marketing boost indirectly helped spark interest on the professional circuit, and we’re seeing a few games this summer. Will be. Played on ESPN. —charlie hall

spike ball

Prices at the time of publication.

trackball

Photo: Wham-Oh

Wham-O, the first brand to sell hula hoops, scored another win in 1976 with my personal favorite backyard game, Trac-Ball. The problem is… it’s not really a game. Although it is technically a simple toy, we turned it into a game through trial and error. Let’s enter the rules of the game for the first time today.

Trac-Ball is loosely based on jai alai, a sport in which players use a ladle-shaped sesta to throw a ball at speeds approaching 200 miles per hour on an indoor court. The Trac-Ball uses similar biomechanics, but the wicker cesta is replaced by a lightweight plastic racket with a toothed track on the inside. The balls are also much lighter and hollower. Getting your arm action right will create a truly incredible amount of spin on the little ball, causing its flight to rise and curve as you see fit.

My version of semi-organized Trac-Ball is very similar to Great Catch, a game that will be familiar to anyone who has played youth baseball. Basically, two players line up opposite each other and try to make each other look as good as possible while catching the ball. Maybe you’re lifting the ball over your opponent’s head. far enough away The thing is, you can barely get there before you hit the ground. Or maybe it’s curved enough that you have to crane your head to the right or left to intercept it before it passes them. Or you can throw it right at its chest and force it to intercept the missile like a laser blast aimed at a Jedi. Like the short game of volleyball, it is played over 15 matches, but uses scoring like tennis. It keeps you tense until the last few throws.

The only secret is that the scores are all based on an honor system. It’s up to you and your opponent to call out bad throws and score accordingly. Or recording when you missed a catch you should have made, no matter how graceful you thought you were while attempting it. —CH

trackball

Prices at the time of publication.