Great outdoor living spaces should be enjoyed by the whole family.  During the last year many of you have started using your outdoor living spaces more often.  You may have run out of fun ideas for spending time outside.  Here are some suggestions for fun family activities to try. 

Cornhole 

This is a game where two people alternate tossing corn bags into a hole in the board across from where they are standing.  Cornhole has its own standards and tournaments.  I will summarize the rules but for the minutia check out the rules on the American Cornhole Association website. 

• Take two cornhole boards and place them 27 feet apart on a level surface 
• Stand no closer than the front edge of your board when you toss 
• Toss the corn bag into the hole 
• Alternate tosses between the competitors 
• Each player must pitch all four bags to close an inning 
• Players then swap boards and score themselves 
• A bag in the hole is 3 points 
• A bag on top of the board gets 1 point 
• The first player or team that receives 21 points by the bottom of a given inning wins 

You can buy cornhole boards from the American Cornhole Association or from someone near you.  Another option is a family project to make the boards and the corn bags.  You will have to go to the American Cornhole Association website for the exact dimensions of everything.  You can paint the boards any way you want after sanding the tops very smooth. 

Bocce Ball 

You will need a set of eight large balls and a smaller target ball called the pallina.  Each set of four balls has a different pattern or color from the other set of four balls so you can distinguish them by team.  You can play on any surface provided there are no obstructions on the court in any direction.  Variations in grade or terrain features are considered okay.  Competition courts are 91 feet long and 13 feet long.  Backyard courts can be any size.  A good size is 60 feet by 12 feet.  The foul line is 10 feet from each end line and the center court is 30 feet from the end line.   

• Each team has one, two, or four people and four balls   
• A coin toss picks the first team up 

• They can choose either their team’s color or pattern or to toss the pallina  
• Balls are thrown, rolled, or bounced underhanded 
• One team rolls or tosses the pallina into play 
• The toss must cross the center line and stay on the court to count 
• If it fails to stay on the court, the other team gets to toss it 

• The team that tosses the pallina gets the first throw of the balls 
• The goal is to get as close to the pallina as possible 
• The ball must stay on the court 
• After the first ball is thrown, the other team throws their ball to get their first ball toward the pallina 
• Their first ball must stay on court 

• If a team fails to get their first ball on court, they must continue to try until they get it or run out of balls 
• Each team gets one throw and then the other team throws 
• Once both teams have gotten their first ball, the team with the ball closest to the pallina is the “in” team 
• The other team is the “out” team 
• The “in” team steps aside and lets the “out” team throw until they get to be the “in” team or run out of balls 

• This continues until all balls are thrown 
• That concludes a “frame” and points are awarded 
• The teams switch sides and do it again  
• The person throwing the ball must stay behind the foul line for their team 
• Balls that land off the court are dead until the next frame 

• If the pallina is thrown or hit out of bounds, the frame ends with no points awarded 
• One point is awarded to the team for each ball closer to the pallina than the other team’s closest ball 
• Only one team scores per frame 
• First team to reach 16 points wins 

It is a good idea to read the complete rules at Backyardbocce.com for the subtle nuances that we may not have inadvertently left out. 

Scavenger Hunt 

This is a fun activity for any age.  Basically, you give each team a list of things to find in the outdoor space and the team that finds the most items in the time limit wins.  Try this at a local park for more space to spread out. 

• Teams can be any number from one to about five.   
• Designate a time limit from an hour for a relatively easy list for younger kids to a longer time for a tough list for adults. 
• Include some easy-to-find items even if the participants are adults to build confidence. 
• Once an item is located, it should be photographed for proof it has been found. 
• Make sure you do not award the prize until you have verified each item was found by looking at the photographs. 
• Decide if the winning team gets a prize that all members can share or individual prizes for each member of the team, or simply bragging rights. 

Make Some Food 

After all that running around, your family is going to be hungry.  Let each person cook their own hot dog around the firepit.  Then for dessert, make some smore’s.  Most people know how to make this desert –graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows grilled on a stick.  There are some “fancy” ways to make smore’s that are a bit different.   

• Use another candy bar in place of the plain chocolate bar.   It is easier to cut the candy bar into individual pieces if you freeze it then slice it cold.   
• You can add fruit to the sandwich, especially sliced strawberries or berries.   
• Add caramel sauce or chocolate sauce to the smore’s 
• Replace the graham cracker with a cookie or flat ice cream cone wafers 
• Use Nutella instead of chocolate 
• You can make Elvis S’mores – graham cracker with peanut butter, banana, bacon, and marshmallow 
• Put candied bacon on top of the marshmallow for a salty-tangy taste 

Host a Sports Watching Party 

If you have an outdoor television, you can host outside sports watching parties.  The Royals will look great on a large television this spring.  Every seat will be a good seat at your house.  With an outdoor audio system, the game will sound great, too. 

Set Your Outdoor Living Space Up for Success 

Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping can install a large screen television and outdoor audio system so you can enjoy your outdoor living space while you enjoy the game.  Our trained Blue Crew knows how to install and tune the audio system for the television as well as listening to music outdoors.  We can design a customized system to fit your outdoor living space and enhance your outdoor experience. 

Need your outdoor living space fluffed up before a big event?  We can come out and make sure everything is as close to perfect as is humanly possible.  We typically come out the day before the event, so it still looks stunning at showtime. 

Don’t have an outdoor living space?  We can design one with your landscape and wishes in mind.  Once we have worked through the design, our Blue Crew will install it for you, and can even maintain it if you like.   

Contact Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping today to help you get your landscape and outdoor living space just the way you want it so your family can get the most out of your outdoor experience.