You don’t have to travel far to get into sports. In fact, there are many sports that you can play in your backyard! Not only is this a fun, home exercise but because you don’t have to go anywhere, you can train easily (and in your free time). Here are a few sports that you can play in your backyard:
Basketball
Buy yourself a basketball hoop and you can play in your yard or concrete outdoor area! Basketball is a great workout and involves others, so there’s a lot of socialization and opportunities for communication.
Basketball is best played on a hard surface, so if you have a large yard, you may be able to lay down some asphalt and create a full court or a half court.
Darts
Darts won’t provide you with much exercise, but it’s still a fun and challenging sport that you can play with friends (or practice alone). You don’t need a lot of space to play darts, either, making it ideal for small yards.
You can also buy a dartboard and dart set online for pretty cheap! Just make sure to buy a dartboard that’s suitable for outdoor use if you’re going to keep it there permanently.
Table Tennis
Table tennis (or ping pong) is another great game to consider. This fast-paced game can help improve hand-eye coordination and reflexes. It doesn’t put any strain on the joints, while also burning some calories.
Just make sure that you have enough space to add a ping pong table. There are fold-away options and tables that can double up as dining tables that could be worth looking into.
Badminton
Badminton is a great racket sport for playing in your backyard. It requires less space than tennis and isn’t as physically intensive, making it possible for a greater variety of people to play it. Rackets and shuttlecocks don’t cost much to buy and you can also buy cheap badminton nets. Shuttlecocks can get easily carried off by the wind, so consider only playing this game in a non-windy backyard.
Cornhole
Cornhole (or ‘bags’) is a lawn game that involves trying to throw bean bags through a hole in a board. It’s not particularly physically active, but does require a level of skill. People of all ages can play it, plus it doesn’t cost much to buy all the necessary equipment. You may even be able to make your own cornhole board and beanbags!
Bocce/Lawn Bowls
Bocce is another lawn game that can be played by people of all ages. It involves trying to throw balls at a jack – the aim is to get your ball closer to the jack than other players. Lawn bowls is similar but involves rolling the balls rather than throwing them.
Soccer
Not many people can fit a full-sized soccer pitch into their backyard. However, most people have room for a single small net. Having a net in your backyard could allow you to practice your penalty shootout skills. It’s a sport that can be played with kids or adults. It’s worth buying a few balls as some of them will likely go over the fence.
Featured Image Credit: Hannah Smith
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