The short answer
Quick picks
Ranked on published specs, not on play we have not done. Tap any row to jump to the full write-up further down this page.
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | No photo St. Pierre Sports Professional Bocce Set, 107 mm 107 mm thermo-set composition resin balls built to international bocce specifications and named an official ball of the United States Bocce Federation. | Best overall | 8.8/10 | |
| 2 | No photo GoSports 4 ft x 2 ft Solid Wood Premium Cornhole Set Regulation 4 x 2 ft boards on solid pine frames with a 1/2 in cabinet-grade plywood top, eight 16 oz all-weather bags and a case — the complete tournament-legal setup in one box. | Best overall | 8.6/10 | |
| 3 | No photo Yard Games Giant Tumbling Timbers 56 sustainably sourced New Zealand pine blocks at 1.5 x 2.5 x 7.5 in, starting at 2.5 ft over 19 rows and reaching 5 ft, in a nylon case. | Best overall | 8.5/10 | |
| 4 | No photo Wham-O Slip 'N Slide Triple Wave Rider Three sliding lanes side by side at a published 82.5 in wide, with three inflatable boogie boards and water streams down the sides and at the end — the only slide here that runs a race rather than a queue. | Best for three children at once | 6.6/10 | |
| 5 | No photo GoSports Giant 3.5 in Wooden Playing Dice Set Six 3.5 in hand-sanded pine dice with heat-stamped numbers that will not rub off, plus a dry-erase scoreboard and a canvas bag. | Best overall | 7.9/10 |
Labor Day weekend is the last time most yards get used properly, and it is genuinely a different party from the one in July. Two things have changed: the air is cooler and the light goes earlier.
Both of those change which games are the right call — and this is the one occasion where what happens on the Tuesday morning matters as much as the afternoon.
The afternoon
Cooler air unlocks the physical games
Everything this site says about heat in July inverts here. The games that were genuinely unwise in the hottest part of the summer are the ones to get out now:
- Kan Jam — goals a published 50 feet apart, which is a lot of running in 95-degree air and a pleasure in 70.
- Spikeball — the most physically demanding game we cover, with diving as normal play. It needs about 30 feet in every direction and a group willing to move.
- Kubb — a published 2 to 12 players over a 20-to-40-minute game on a 5 by 8 metre pitch. Long games are a burden in high summer and fine now.
- Flag football — a published 8 players and the most space-hungry thing here. This is its weekend.
The counterpoint to yard games in hot weather, which argues the exact opposite for the exact opposite conditions.
The evening
The light goes an hour early
The other change catches people out. A party that ran comfortably until nine in July is in the dark by eight at the end of August, and the games that fail at dusk fail sooner than anyone planned for.
The rule is unchanged: games where you have to track something through the air stop working, and games where you only need to see where an object came to rest keep going with modest lighting. So Kan Jam, Spikeball and badminton are afternoon games this weekend, and bocce, cornhole, the giant games and yard dice carry the evening.
Plan the order rather than the list: the physical games early while the light holds, the ground games as it drops. Full detail: playing yard games after dark.
Do it now, not in October
The morning after is the point of this page
Everything that comes off the lawn this weekend is likely to be the last time it is handled until spring. Twenty minutes now is the difference between a working set in April and buying a replacement.
- Dry everything, out of direct sun. Damp into a closed nylon case is how wooden pieces come out grey and bag fabric comes out mildewed.
- Brush, do not wash. Water is what you are trying to remove.
- Check cornhole hardware. The GoSports set publishes 3/8 inch galvanized steel bolts with wing nuts; one that has worked loose over a season lets a board rack out of square in storage.
- Get all of it off the concrete. A slab wicks moisture upward all winter into whatever sits on it.
- Count the small parts. Pallinos, bolas, discs, shuttlecocks and dice go missing over a summer. Finding out now leaves five months to replace them — see replacing lost yard game parts.
The full routine, material by material, is in winterizing yard games.
One last job
And the lawn
A season of a fixed-position game leaves two worn patches where people stood — the pitcher's boxes at either end of a cornhole court, the throwing line at a ladder toss frame. Autumn is when grass recovers, and the single most useful thing you can do is simply stop playing on those spots.
Lift anything that has been standing on the grass for weeks. A game left in place blocks light and kills the patch beneath it — the same mechanism as a paddling pool leaving a yellow circle. Detail: yard games and your lawn.
The picks in full
Every pick, with its published specs
Best overall
St. Pierre Sports Professional Bocce Set, 107 mm
St. Pierre
Our spec score
8.8/10
- Spec completeness
- 9/10
- Footprint clarity
- 9/10
- Durability
- 9/10
- Pack-down
- 6/10
Scored on published specifications only. We have not played this set.
107 mm thermo-set composition resin balls built to international bocce specifications and named an official ball of the United States Bocce Federation.
Skip this if
Skip this if the set is mainly for kids or a beach bag. Full-size 107 mm balls are heavy enough that a small player cannot roll one accurately.
What works
- Official ball of the United States Bocce Federation — the strongest sourcing claim of any set here
- Striped for 2, 3 or 4 players, which is the format most backyard games actually use
- Thermo-set resin holds its shape on gravel where softer resins scar
What does not
- Full 107 mm weight is a lot of ball for a mixed-age game
- No published set weight for the carry
Published specifications
- Court footprint
- 86.92 ft x 13.12 ft (about 1,140 sq ft)
- Backyard footprint
- About 60 ft x 12 ft
- Ball diameter
- 107 mm
- Ball material
- Thermo-set composition resin
- Balls
- 8 (4 dark red, 4 dark green), striped for 2 to 4 players
- Pallino
- 57 mm yellow
- Players
- 2 to 4
- Age floor
- —
- Surface
- Grass, sand, gravel, dirt
Source: United States Bocce Federation regulation court
Source: Commonly published recreational court size
Source: St. Pierre product listing
Source: St. Pierre product listing
Source: St. Pierre product listing
Source: St. Pierre product listing
Source: St. Pierre product listing
Not published by the manufacturer.
Source: United States Bocce Federation — bocce is played on prepared or natural surfaces
Manufacturer listing: St. Pierre product listing
Best overall
GoSports 4 ft x 2 ft Solid Wood Premium Cornhole Set
GoSports
Our spec score
8.6/10
- Spec completeness
- 9/10
- Footprint clarity
- 8/10
- Durability
- 8/10
- Pack-down
- 7/10
Scored on published specifications only. We have not played this set.
Regulation 4 x 2 ft boards on solid pine frames with a 1/2 in cabinet-grade plywood top, eight 16 oz all-weather bags and a case — the complete tournament-legal setup in one box.
Skip this if
Skip this if your yard is under 30 ft long. A regulation court is 27 ft board-front to board-front plus throwing room behind each board, and there is no shortening it without changing the game.
What works
- Regulation 4 x 2 ft, so the game you practice on is the game you would play in a league
- Plastic-pellet bags do not rot if they get rained on — the biggest failure point in cheap sets
- 38 lb for the whole set is genuinely two-trips-to-the-car territory, not four
- Retractable legs on steel bolts rather than a folding hinge that racks over a season
What does not
- Pine frame plus plywood top means the set does not want to live outdoors uncovered
- Varnished surface, not the painted-and-clear-coated finish tournament players prefer
Published specifications
- Court footprint
- 33 ft x 10 ft (about 330 sq ft)
- Board size
- 4 ft x 2 ft (ACA regulation)
- Playing surface
- 1/2 in varnished cabinet-grade plywood
- Frame
- Solid pine, mitered corners
- Leg hardware
- 3/8 in galvanized steel bolts with wing nuts
- Set weight
- 38 lb
- Bags
- 8 x 16 oz, recycled plastic pellet fill
- Players
- 2 or 4
- Age floor
- —
- Surface
- Grass, hard, sand
Source: American Cornhole League published rules — boards 27 ft apart front-to-front, plus a 4 ft board and a 3 x 4 ft pitcher's box at each end
Source: GoSports product listing
Source: GoSports product listing
Source: GoSports product listing
Source: GoSports product listing
Source: GoSports product listing
Source: GoSports product listing
Source: American Cornhole League published rules
Not published by the manufacturer.
Source: American Cornhole League published rules
Manufacturer listing: GoSports product listing
Best overall
Yard Games Giant Tumbling Timbers
Yard Games
Our spec score
8.5/10
- Spec completeness
- 9/10
- Footprint clarity
- 7/10
- Durability
- 7/10
- Pack-down
- 7/10
Scored on published specifications only. We have not played this set.
56 sustainably sourced New Zealand pine blocks at 1.5 x 2.5 x 7.5 in, starting at 2.5 ft over 19 rows and reaching 5 ft, in a nylon case.
Skip this if
Skip this if the only flat ground you have is a lawn. A 19-row tower needs a hard, level base — grass tips it before anybody pulls a block.
What works
- Publishes block dimensions, row count, start height and max height — nobody else in this category publishes all four
- Named wood species and sourcing, which tells you how it will behave when it gets damp
- 56 blocks over 19 rows means the tower is genuinely tall before anyone touches it
What does not
- No published set weight, and 56 pine blocks is not a light bag
- Pine dents where a dropped block lands on a block
Published specifications
- Footprint
- About 10 ft x 10 ft of clear space
- Blocks
- 56 pieces, 1.5 in x 2.5 in x 7.5 in
- Rows
- 19
- Start height
- 2.5 ft
- Max height
- 5 ft
- Wood
- Sustainably sourced New Zealand pine
- Case
- High-strength nylon carrying case
- Players
- 2 or more
- Age floor
- 8+
- Set weight
- —
Source: Derived from the published 5 ft maximum tower height — the fall radius is the constraint, not the base
Source: Yard Games product listing
Source: Yard Games product listing
Source: Yard Games product listing
Source: Yard Games product listing
Source: Yard Games product listing
Source: Yard Games product listing
Source: Yard Games product listing
Source: Yard Games product listing
Not published by the manufacturer.
Manufacturer listing: Yard Games product listing
Best for three children at once
Wham-O Slip 'N Slide Triple Wave Rider
Wham-O
Our spec score
6.6/10
- Spec completeness
- 6/10
- Footprint clarity
- 7/10
- Durability
- 5/10
- Pack-down
- 8/10
Scored on published specifications only. We have not played this set.
Three sliding lanes side by side at a published 82.5 in wide, with three inflatable boogie boards and water streams down the sides and at the end — the only slide here that runs a race rather than a queue.
Skip this if
Skip this if your clear run is under about 30 ft. The mat is 16 or 18 ft and nobody stops on the plastic; the length that matters is what is beyond the end of it, and Wham-O does not publish a run-off figure.
What works
- Three lanes at a published 82.5 in wide is the only way to stop a slide becoming a queue
- Wham-O publishes the full inflated dimensions for both lengths, which almost nobody in this category does
- Boards are published at 21 in with handles, so you know what a child is actually holding
- Side and end water streams mean the mat re-wets itself rather than needing a hose walked up it
What does not
- The published age range stops at 12, and adult weight on a product engineered for children is the main way people get hurt on these
- No published material, run-off distance or required hose pressure — three of the figures that most decide whether a slide works in your yard
Published specifications
- Sliding lanes
- 3
- Length options
- 16 ft or 18 ft
- Inflated size (16 ft)
- 192 in L x 82.5 in W x 4 in H
- Inflated size (18 ft)
- 216 in L x 82.5 in W x 4 in H
- Boogie boards
- 3 inflatable, 21 in (53 cm) long, with handles
- Water features
- Streams of water on the end and sides
- Published age range
- 5 to 12
- Material
- —
- Run-off space required
- —
- Hose pressure required
- —
Source: Wham-O product listing
Source: Wham-O product listing
Source: Wham-O product listing
Source: Wham-O product listing
Source: Wham-O product listing
Source: Wham-O product listing
Source: Wham-O product listing
Not published by the manufacturer.
Not published by the manufacturer.
Not published by the manufacturer.
Manufacturer listing: Wham-O product listing
Best overall
GoSports Giant 3.5 in Wooden Playing Dice Set
GoSports
Our spec score
7.9/10
- Spec completeness
- 7/10
- Footprint clarity
- 7/10
- Durability
- 8/10
- Pack-down
- 9/10
Scored on published specifications only. We have not played this set.
Six 3.5 in hand-sanded pine dice with heat-stamped numbers that will not rub off, plus a dry-erase scoreboard and a canvas bag.
Skip this if
Skip this if your lawn slopes. Giant dice roll further than you expect and a slope turns every throw into a search.
What works
- Heat-stamped numbers instead of printed ones is the difference between two seasons and ten
- The scoreboard turns a bag of dice into an actual game with rules
- Also offered at 2.5 in if the yard is small
What does not
- No published set weight
- Pine soaks up dew if the dice are left out overnight
Published specifications
- Footprint
- About 8 ft x 8 ft of clear rolling space
- Die size
- 3.5 in
- Dice
- 6
- Material
- Hand-sanded pine, heat-stamped numbers
- Included
- Dry-erase scoreboard and canvas carrying bag
- Players
- 2 or more
- Set weight
- —
Source: Derived from the published 3.5 in die size and the throw-and-roll format
Source: GoSports product listing
Source: GoSports product listing
Source: GoSports product listing
Source: GoSports product listing
Source: GoSports product listing
Not published by the manufacturer.
Manufacturer listing: GoSports product listing
FAQ
Questions people actually ask
What is different about an end-of-summer party?
Should you put a slip and slide out at the end of summer?
What should you do the day after?
Which game is best for a cooler afternoon?
Why you can check our work
We have not played these. Every figure above is copied from a manufacturer's published listing or a governing body's published rules, and named so you can verify it. Where a maker publishes nothing, the field is blank rather than filled in. How we pick explains the whole method, including what would change a recommendation.
Read next
Related pages
Picks
Yard games by occasion
Fifteen occasion guides — what each event actually demands of a game, and the picks that meet it.
Picks
Best yard games for a backyard cookout
Five games that survive a cookout — fast setup, one-handed play, easy to abandon and rejoin.
Guide
Winterizing yard games
End-of-season storage by published material, and the two mistakes that ruin most sets.
Guide
Playing yard games after dark
Which games survive losing the light, and why you light the target rather than the yard.
Guide
Yard games and your lawn
Which games wear turf, where the damage always appears, and how to keep a lawn playable.
Guide
Replacing lost yard game parts
Which single missing components kill a whole set, and what to keep a spare of.
Sources
- American Cornhole League — rules and regulations
- United States Bocce Federation — open rules
- Yard Games — Giant Tumbling Timbers
- Wham-O — Slip 'N Slide Triple Wave Rider
Every figure on this page is copied from one of these sources. If you find one that is wrong or out of date, tell us and we will fix it.