Bright lights and the sound of carnival music are gone, but you can still step into the midst of fun at home. Rig the game the way you want and treat your family to some backyard games. Choose your own gift to give, such as a pile of stuffed animals that you never donated to Goodwill, or play for housework.
Settings for dropping coins. Different sizes and shapes of glasses are ideal for more challenging games. Mark the specifics for the prize winner or see who gets the most hits.
The coin falls
My personal favorite carnival game is coin drop. With your nickels in hand and various glasses, vases, jars and anything not filled with water, take your shot and flip a coin into the jar.
Prizes are awarded on a scale of how many jars where the coins enter. The more jars, the bigger the prize.
Or choose some random glasses that are the only ones that will pay for additional frustration and difficulties.
This is best played on a large table outside with various levels to add to the difficulty.
Ring Toss
This classic game is probably the easiest to get from this list. All you need is a few bottles of different sizes and rings that can fit around the neck (or not).
Shower curtain rings can increase the level of difficulty given its size and lighter weight, bangle bracelets that you can use to hoard youth can also be used. Really any ring is at least a little bigger than a bottle.
Put the bottles in a container of milk or soda to keep them grouped or stick tape around it and place it on the table.
Stand at least 6 feet (we all know this distance well now) and start throwing your ring.
There are several ways to “win” the game.
The first, and the classic version directly from the exhibition, is to choose some of the most difficult bottles to throw on the ring to present the biggest prize.
Or try the race element. Two players have 60 seconds to throw the ring into as many bottles as possible. The one who wins the most.
Settings for lottery bean bag stairs. The steps marked on the stairs indicate the score. Get the bag through the steps and the player collects points.
Bean Bag Ladder Toss
This is similar to ball-skiing in the way it is played. Take the stairs, whatever their length, and stick a paper with a different score for each rung with the lowest score below.
Each player has four bags of beans that they will throw to the stairs. If their bag passes the stairs with a score on it, they get points.
Exchange trade offs between players and note where each person stands during the game.
The player with the most points wins.
Fired RaceLike a family reunion or your parents’ work picnic, pick up some pillowcases that you don’t care about, or a few burlap sacks if you are lucky enough to have them. Set the starting and ending lines on the grassy stretch of your lawn or garden and ask drivers to take their mark.
One person screams away or blows the whistle, and the racer jumps to the finish line.
With very few settings and mature competition, the sack race is always the winner.
(Secure COVID-19: Only people who live in the same house should be in pillowcases or burlap sacks together.)
Jeannie Whittle throws a water balloon at an opponent in her backyard.
Stir Water Balloon
For the hot August days to come, this can really cool you down.
With two people standing about 3 feet from each other, take one filled water balloon and start tossing it back and forth with each other.
After each successful throw, each person takes one step further than the other, increasing the distance with each throw.
When a balloon is thrown, it becomes softer and harder to hang which can cause falls, bad throws, or even a very desirable explosion in the next catch, soaking one player with water.
Whoever doesn’t get the balloon appears wins, although I will argue on a hot day, the person who is soaking wet is the real winner.
