The best outdoor games you can play at home

This backyard tossing game is very similar to bowling but doesn't require heavy balls or polished lanes. To play, you set up the twelve numbered wooden pins and take turns tossing a log. If you knock over a single pin you earn the number of points that are on that pin and if you knock over multiple, your points are the same as the number of pins you knocked down. Sounds simple enough, except that your goal is to be the first player to get exactly 50 points. If you exceed 50, your score is dropped back down to 25. You can buy a Finska set here. 

Throw Throw Burrito is what you get when you combine dodgeball with a card game. Collect and play matching sets of cards and keep your eyes peeled for burrito war or burrito duel cards which require players to grab the silicone burritos and pelt each other with them. You can play this indoors, but it can get pretty hectic so make sure you clear some space and put away any breakables. Best played outdoors where there's heaps of space to run and dodge flying burritos.

Many board games rely on strategy, but the fun thing about dice games is that the results are largely random. Sure, there's a bit of strategy involved, but your success or failure will largely depend on how lucky you are with the numbers you roll. There are so many dice games out there, but one of our favourites is Perudo or 'liar's dice.' This bluffing game is like poker but with dice where you take turns guessing about the die on the table. If your guess is wrong or you wrongly accuse someone, you lose a die. The winner is the last man standing. 

You probably haven't picked up a piece of chalk since primary school, but if you have some lying around in the garage dust them off and head to your backyard. Whether you have kids that you want to entertain or you just want to relive some fond childhood memories, there are heaps of chalk games you can play. Play some hopscotch or draw your own Twister mat and see how tangled up you and your household can get. For a full list of games that you can play with chalk, click here.

Most board games are pretty hard to play outside when it's windy because you'll end up spending more time chasing after cards than actually playing the game. If you love board games but don't want that stress, try a tile-based game where the pieces are too heavy to fly away. One of our favourites is Hive, where each player has a queen bee and the goal is to move hexagonal insect tiles to surround the opponent's queen while protecting your own. 

Take Jenga to the next level by getting one of these giant sets from Yellow Octopus where your wooden tower can grow to more than 1.5m tall. Clear out a space in your yard or take the set to your local park and get ready for some life-sized toppling fun. If you want to take it to the next level, you can write funny dares or questions on each piece. This can easily be turned into a fun drinking game, if that's more your style. 

This beloved American lawn game is super fun and very easy to learn. Players take turns throwing bags filled with corn kernels at a raised wooden platform that has a hole in it. If you make it into the hole you win three points and if you land on the board you win one. The first team or player to reach 21 points wins. You can pick up a cornhole set from Yellow Octopus or you can make one yourself using some plywood, fabric and a few pounds of dry corn.