What Are the Best Outdoor Wooden Games to Play as a Family?

Choosing a game for a family is a different problem from choosing one for adults, and the constraint that decides it is not fun. It is whether the game survives contact with a four-year-old and a seventy-year-old in the same afternoon.

Four things decide that: the smallest piece in the set, whether anyone gets eliminated, how long setup takes, and how heavy the thing is to carry back to the shed.

What “Family” Actually Changes

The smallest part. Pieces below 31.7 mm in diameter fall inside the small-parts cylinder used in EN 71-1 and the US 16 CFR 1501 test. If there is a child under three in the house, that is a hard line rather than a guideline.

Elimination. A game where players are knocked out leaves children watching, and a child watching is a child who has stopped playing. Games without elimination are worth more to a family than games with better rules.

Turn length. In a turn-based game each player waits for everyone else. With four players and a one-minute turn, a child waits three minutes between goes, which is about two minutes longer than a child will wait.

Setup and weight. If a parent has to spend fifteen minutes setting up and then carry 20 kg back to the shed, the game gets played at weekends only. Games that live by the back door get played.

The Five That Work

Ring toss. One action, one target, one score. It works from age four with a short throw line and it never eliminates anyone. It also needs the least space of anything here.

Cornhole. The best game in the category for mixed ages, because the distance can be changed between rounds. Move the boards in for children and out for adults and the same equipment serves everyone.

Giant tumble tower. No scoring at all, which removes the last thing anyone has to learn. It also has the property of being interesting to watch, so the people waiting are not waiting.

Giant tic tac toe. Two players at a time, which is its limitation, but the pieces are large enough to be safe for small children and the rules take ten seconds.

Numbered pin game. The best of the throwing games for a mixed group, because the scoring rewards rhythm rather than strength, and a child who can throw straight will beat an adult who cannot.

The Comparison

The Age Question, Properly

Age labels on games are usually optimistic. These are the thresholds that actually hold.

Under three. Nothing with a part that fits in the choke cylinder, and nothing that is thrown. That rules out most of this list. A tumble tower with large blocks is the realistic option, supervised.

Three to five. Can take turns and can follow one rule, but cannot lose gracefully and cannot wait more than about a minute. Ring toss, tic tac toe, and a tumble tower.

Five to eight. Can play a game with two rules and can lose without it ending the afternoon. Cornhole and a numbered pin game come in here.

Eight and up. Can handle strategy, scoring and a game that takes twenty minutes. Croquet, kubb and anything with a scorecard.

The practical consequence: a set bought for a family with a four-year-old and a twelve-year-old needs to work at both ends, which is why cornhole and ring toss are the two most reliable answers.

What Breaks With Children

Not what you would expect. The wood is rarely the problem.

• Corners. A sharp 90 degree edge on a thrown piece chips on the first drop and the chip is permanent. A 1 to 1.5 mm chamfer costs almost nothing and prevents it.
• Paint and print. Printed colour on pieces wears at the corners first, and children handle pieces more than adults do. Engraved or stained pieces last.
• The bag. The carry bag is the first component to fail on almost every product in this category. Specify the fabric weight and the stitching, or expect to replace it within a year.
• Small parts. A set that includes a scorecard, a pencil or a rules leaflet has components that will be lost. Print the scorecard on the box lid.

What We Do Not Claim

Wooden games do not withstand the elements. They survive a season outdoors and need storing under cover through winter. UV greys the surface, water causes the swell and shrink cycle that opens joints, and freeze-thaw does more damage in one winter than a summer of rain.

They are not biodegradable. A finished, glued, coated wooden game does not break down in a garden. What is true is that the timber is renewable, that it stores carbon for as long as the product exists, and that it can be repaired rather than replaced, which is the strongest environmental argument available.

Buying Notes

• Specify dimensions and tolerances in millimetres.
• Specify the species and the moisture content at machining.
• Specify the edge treatment, because it removes most of the complaints in this category.
• Specify the bag fabric and stitching.
• Ask for packed carton dimensions and gross weight before committing, because these products are dense and freight is a real line item.

Minimum order 500 sets, samples 5 to 10 days, bulk production 30 to 45 days, quotation within 24 hours.

FAQs

What is the best outdoor wooden game for a family?
Cornhole, because the distance can be adjusted for whoever is playing, and nobody is eliminated.

What is best for a small garden?
Ring toss or a numbered pin game. Both need about six metres of length and very little width.

What age can children start playing?
Four for ring toss and tic tac toe, five to six for cornhole, eight for anything with a scoring system and a long setup.

How do I store them?
Dry and under cover. Bring mallets, bats and bags indoors through winter. Do not store in a sealed plastic bag, which traps condensation.

What is the minimum order?
500 sets, with volume pricing at 500, 1,000 and 5,000 units.