Giant Lawn Games Toolbox
/Life’s not all fun and games, and communities aren’t either. But adding some supersized fun and games to your town or public space will certainly give people a lift — and your local economy too. Check out these free designs and instructions for giant versions of lawn games like checkers, kerplunk, twister, scrabble and more.
We love lawn games, board games, activities, play streets, secret missions, and pretty much any opportunity to make communities more fun. Pretty much any game you love playing at home with family and friends can be adapted and transformed for your community. Supersizing them is one of the easiest ways to do it. And the best part is, most adaptations are quick, easy, cheap, and family-friendly projects. Here’s a sampling of our favorite giant lawn games and some easy instructions for building them.
Giant Lawn Games
Take a peek at some fo these super-sized versions of favorite games, and ways to build them in your favorite park or streetscape.
Checkers & Chess
Build a giant checkerboard and checkers/chess pieces
Checkers and chess are one of the most versatile options for giant games. You can create a board out of pavers or just paint it on the ground. Create a movable option with a mat. Anything round works for checkers, and you can either create giant chess pieces or just put a decal on your checkers. Check out our instructions in the DIY Community Cookbook.
Jenga
Create a portable Jenga set for all ages
Jenga is one of the easiest games you can make in supersize, and it’s even portable! All you need is some 2x4” lumber and a saw. Sand and paint or finish it for a more polished look. Here’s a good tutorial.
Twister
All you need is paint to create a Twister board on your nearest lawn or sidewalk
Twister is nothing more than brightly colored circles on the ground. Make a cardboard circle template and use spray paint, chalk paint, or even spot markers to create a board anywhere you want one. Create a spinner if you want to get fancy, or else just call out crazy combinations and get people twisting. You probably don’t even need instructions, but in case you like to follow along, here’s a good set.
Kerplunk
Set up this fun family game with some simply supplies and basic construction skills
You may never have played kerplunk in its standard sized version, but you won’t want to miss the giant size. This one takes a little more construction work and supplies, but it’s worth it. This set involves building a wire cage on a stand, with a laundry basket at the bottom. Place dowels through the wire and play balls on top of the dowels. Take turns pulling out a dowel, but don’t let the balls drop! Here’s one set of plans.
Scrabble
Create a giant version of scrabble for outdoor word play
Scrabble is a complex game, but your lawn version doesn’t have to be. You can create a full replica of the traditional game board with painted landscape pavers. Alternatively, you can just create letter squares using cardboard, plywood, or 1x4 boards (cut into 4” squares). This one’s not quick, but sturdy pieces will last a long time. Flip pieces over on the grass to hide them, or repurpose an old shelf or board to create a rack. Here’s a set of instructions using plywood.
Pick-Up Sticks
It’s as simple as it sounds: get sticks. Pick them up.
This old-fashioned favorite is another winner when it comes to easy and adaptable outdoor games. The traditional version is just a can of sticks that you dump out, and then pick up (trying not to move any others in the pile). To make a giant version, just get some big sticks, paint them, and go play. Dowels or PVC pipe work great for a polished look (and give you lots of flexibility on size). If you have lots of saplings around, just cut some branches for a free version. If you want to be official about it, check out the rules and paint your sticks specific colors.
Croquet
“Kick Croquet” is a giant, hands-free version of the outdoor standard
Love croquet, but looking for a hands-free or kid-friendly alternative? Create wickets by cutting hula hoops in half or putting pool noodles over PVC pipes. Kids can simply kick rubber balls through the hoops, or use brooms as giant mallets. Here’s a set of simple instructions.
Human Foosball
Feeling ambitious? Build your own life-size version of foosball.
Ok, this one take commitment! Human foosball requires some serious materials (and safety checks), but it’s a great addition to festivals or beer gardens. Here’s one quick(er) and easi(er) version. And yes, there are even official rules.
Tips & Resources
Google “lawn games” “giant games” or any similar variations and you’ll come up with dozens and dozens of ideas and plans. Here are a few resources that can help you design one meant for communities and public spaces.
Get tips and best practices in the DIY Community Cookbook
If you plan to put giant games into a public space, then take a little time to learn and think about what it takes to do any placemaking project successfully. Whether you’re building a parklet or a checkers set, you still need to think about safety, permissions, durability, accessibility and more. The DIY Community Cookbook has you covered. Take a look at the best practices section, and then read the checkerboard recipe. Even if you don’t want to make checkers, it will help you think through the factors in designing a public space game.
Check out Team Better Block’s Recipes and Wikiblock Library
Our friends at Team Better Block have done some of the most fun and creative oversized games around. These are often designed for a weekend demonstration, but there’s no reason you can’t make them longer-term installations. Check out some recipes for games here, including bocce and ping pong. If you have access to a CNC router, Better Block’s Wikiblock library also includes lovely, free designs to cut your own giant chess pieces and cornhole boards.When in doubt…. surf Pinterest!
Oh, the games you will find! There are endless versions, photos, plans and instructions for cool outdoor games and projects. We like to bookmark some of our favorites. You can check out our Play and Games board for inspiration here.
