The Best Outdoor Games for Seniors
Is it skill or luck? Could it be a blend of both? That’s a question that gamers have often struggled with, and the answer can depend on the game, the day, or even the mood of the gamer. To make your own determination, you’ll need to join the fun. Fortunately, there are plenty of excellent games that are perfect for older adults. What are some of the best outdoor games for seniors?
Bocce Ball
If you’re looking for a sport with some seniority, bocce ball is worth considering. According to the World Bocce League, it was first documented in a 5200 B.C. painting, so it’s clearly been around for a while. Today, it’s played in backyards, parks, tournaments, and the Special Olympics. There have also been proposals to add it to the roster of Olympic events. To play bocce, score points by rolling your bocce balls closer to the target than your opponents. It’s a game where strategy, luck, and skill collide with good fun.
Cornhole
Sometimes called bean bag toss or sack toss, corn hole is a familiar tossing game commonly played in teams. It requires at least two players, a few bean bags, and two boards that have holes either cut in them or drawn on them to serve as targets. The board may have one large hole or a series of staggered holes. Players divide into two roughly even teams and take turns throwing bean bags at their target. The goal is to earn as many points as possible by sinking the bean bag into the cornhole.
Croquet
Do you love the thought of pursuing a ball through a series of hoops? Croquet may be the perfect afternoon quest for you. As the Croquet Association explains, the way to win is to use a mallet to direct your balls through the hoops in the proper direction in the correct order. With multiple balls, six hoops, and the choice to play in singles or teams, there are plenty of possibilities to keep things interesting.
Horseshoes
Equestrians aren’t the only ones to appreciate horseshoes. There’s also a large segment of the population that enjoys pitching these metal objects. In fact, there’s a National Horseshoe Pitchers Association, which will be hosting its annual world tournament in July 2023. While you may not want to compete at that level, there’s still a lot of fun to be had in your own backyard or local park. For horseshoes, players normally stand in the pitching box and toss horseshoes toward a metal stake situated in a sand pit. The way the horseshoe lands determines the score.
Ladder Toss
With a three-dimensional gameboard that looks like a ladder, it’s no surprise that this outdoor game ended up with the name ladder toss. To play, players throw bolas, or a pair of balls connected by a string, at the ladder, which has point values assigned to each rung. Their goal is to score a total of exactly 21 points by snagging the bolas on the right combination of rungs.
Golf
Golf is an excellent way to fit in some pleasure and exercise while spending time outside. Golfing can help build strength, bolster balance, work out the cardiovascular system, enhance flexibility, and refresh coordination. It’s also a great chance to socialize and have fun.