Backyard Game Night (with Crazy Croquet!)

Simple homemade backyard games are the best.

I recently organized a "Backyard Game Night" for families in the town where I live. The whole point of the activity was to get people out of the house to show them some simple, fun, non-traditional games that they can put together themselves for not much money.

For this activity, I built various backyard games--most of which many people may already be familiar with.

Using some donated materials, and plenty of scrap materials from my own garage, I made a washers set, ladder golf set, cornhole set, and a great croquet game similar to Crazy Croquet! that was posted by user depotdevoid.

The Crazy Croquet game was by far the biggest hit of the night.

There are plenty of instructions for how to build and play these games all over the internet (some right here on this site). I figured this was worth posting, specifically to show some of the new ideas I came up with for Crazy Croquet.

I hope this inspires people to build some of their own simple games, and take them out to share with their friends and neighbors!

Step 1 Cornhole, Ladder golf, and Washers

Cornhole--terrible name, awesome game. If you've never played it, it's much more fun than it appears. (We called it "Corn Toss," just to be family-friendly.)

Washers--there are many variations of washers. I made a set of of the 3-hole style. The actual washers for the game were donated by a local welding shop, and the pieces of carpet on top came out of a carpet/furniture store garbage bin. Both of the washer game boards were made to fit snugly together and can be carried like a suitcase.

Ladder golf--everyone knows about ladder golf. If you don't know about it, do a search, and build yourself a set. It's great fun.

Comments

[slothman]

very creative and fun.

[yourmom5250]

I saw this this morning and decided to make a "crazy Croquet" for my grandkids that were coming over this evening. I used what I could find and put it together very simply, and the kids, (and adults) had a great time. We had no rules and the object was to get the ball around the course and that's it. The younger kids played all evening, sometimes they used the mallets and sometimes they didn't. (no rules). Some of them will be coming back tomorrow. Thank you so much for the idea, it was great and everyone had a a lot of fun.

[seamster]

Thank you very much. That makes my day! Did you see the original Crazy Croquet instructable? There's a link in the first step. I imagine a lot of people have probably come up with this same idea in some form or another, but the guy that took the initiative and posted it first deserves most of the credit here. I just added a few new ideas, and hoped they would inspire someone. (It looks like they did!) I'm glad you're family enjoyed it. It sure is a lot of fun. Thank you for your comments!

[verbatin01]

very cool to give kudos to the originator

[yourmom5250]

I have pictures, but not sure how to post them, if you'd like me to, and can tell me how to do it, I'd be happy to. Yourmom.

[seamster]

You can add photos to a comment by clicking the "add images" button above the comment box. When you click it, a window will open up and you should see a "browse" button. Click this button, and it will open another window where you can find the photos you want on your own computer, and "upload" them into your own personal library on this website. (Your can access your library and add photos to it through your profile page as well.) You can then add photos from your library to comments you make, or to make your own instructables. You should make one, and show off something you know how to do or make. It's a lot of fun! Hope that helps.

[yourmom5250]

the first picture is called the up, down, and through. the second picture is the "needle in the haystack", which the ball goes through from the the first picture. The next one is the pig pen. then to the loop de loop. then to the barn. Then to the "wicket" and on to the "potty break". and then do it all over again, and again, and again.

[depotdevoid]

Hey, nice croquet course, yourmom! I particularly like the loop de loop.

[yourmom5250]

I just got home from camp for the handicapped. They want me to come up with a crazy croquet game for next year. If anyone has any ideas please let me know. These have to be portable and durable and put out in such a way that people in wheelchairs can play. I'd like to put it up for the kids at kid's camp too. I'll be going to that the week after next. I think I will leave it at the camp, because it is the same camp where handicap camp is held. HELP!! Thanks. Yourmom.

[verbatin01]

First of all, I'm impressed by the seamsters use of extra materials, creativity, and energy to get the family together and have fun! yourmom5250, your course additions are also very creative and look like they'd be a lot of fun. Looks like I may be too late on this, but when you say handicapped, it would make sense take into consideration the level of "handicapped-ness". You could try to modify the game a bit and use some kickballs (heavy enough to get some distance from a wheelchair, but easy enough to manage to lob from one) and have them throw it into trash cans laid on their side, etc. You could also try looking at the lay of the land to make the course more interesting... like setting up one of the obstacles on the side of a small hill. It actually makes me think that it might make sense to put together as a handicapped crazy bocce or handicapped crazy golf course.

[seamster]

This is GREAT! I love it--very clever use of the things you had available. I can see why eveyone had so much fun! This shows (much like the original crazy croquet) that you don't really need to build stuff--just use what you have lying around. (I just had a lot of scrap wood, so that's what I used.) Good work!

[LiMiT-L3sS]

Im only Eleven but i have a cool dad that will love to do this project.LOL

[depotdevoid]

Very awesome instructable, and I'm glad you found mine helpful! You definitely put a lot more work into your course than I did too, I'm quite impressed.

[yourmom5250]

I have been trying to upload the pictures to my library with no success, I might try again tomorrow. Sorry. Goodnight.

[wilcurt]

Wow! Everything you do is always well done!

[Focker]

I am jealous! I wish my neighborhood would do something like this. . . great ible and awsome ideas!

[seamster]

Thank you! I think you just volunteered to set this up for your neighborhood. Get on it!

[scoochmaroo]

Perfect for the Memorial Day weekend!