Top 5 Outdoor Games to Gift This Christmas (That Don’t Require Batteries)
There’s something magical about the simplicity of outdoor games, especially around the holidays. They remind us of a time when fun didn’t involve glowing screens, endless app updates, or battery packs that always seemed to run out at the worst moment. Instead, the joy came from being together — outside, laughing, moving, and sharing the moment.
When you give a battery-free outdoor game, you’re not just giving an object — you’re giving the invitation to play. To step out into the fresh air. To forget the couch, the scrolling, and the background noise. These games encourage friendly competition, healthy movement, and real connection. And they do it without requiring anyone to plug something in or wait for a download.
Imagine the feeling: it’s Christmas morning. Everyone’s still in pajamas. The coffee is brewing. Wrapping paper is everywhere. Someone opens a box, looks up with a smile, and says, “Let’s go outside and play.” That moment — that shift from indoors to fresh air, from passive entertainment to shared play — is where memories start.
From the satisfying clang of a perfect horseshoe ringer, to the soft arc of a cornhole toss, to the rolling calm of bocce — these games blend skill, luck, and laughter in a way that pulls everyone in. Kids, parents, grandparents — all ages can join in, and no one is left sitting on the sidelines waiting for “their level” or “their turn.”
This guide will help you choose five timeless outdoor games that make excellent Christmas gifts — no batteries, no Wi-Fi, no instructions longer than a grocery list. Just real play and real memories.
Horseshoes: A Classic That Never Left
Let’s start with a game that has stood the test of centuries. Horseshoes traces its origins back to ancient Greece, where soldiers pitched metal rings toward stakes in the ground. Over time, farmers, ranch hands, and families brought the game into backyards and barnyards across America. And it stuck — not because it was flashy, but because it was good.
The setup couldn’t be simpler. All you need are two stakes in the ground and two pairs of horseshoes. Players stand at one stake and toss toward the other, trying to land closest — or even better — wrap the horseshoe around the stake. The rules are simple enough to explain in under twenty seconds, yet the challenge keeps everyone coming back throw after throw.
But the real magic of horseshoes is in the feel. The pause before the swing. The smooth rotation of the shoe in the air. The way everyone holds their breath as it drops. And, if you’re lucky, the unmistakable ring when it connects just right.
It’s focus. It’s finesse. It’s personal style. And it’s social — horseshoes practically requires a little friendly commentary, the kind that turns strangers into friends and kids into competitors.
This Christmas, horseshoes is the gift that:
- Encourages kids to play alongside elders
- Lets beginners have fun immediately
- Rewards practice and patience
- Brings people outside in any season (yes — even winter)
Recommended Gift Set:
Franklin Sports Horseshoe Sets
Forged steel, weighty in the hand, and built to last for decades.
Horseshoes isn’t just a game — it’s a tradition. And Christmas is the perfect time to start one.
Top 5 Outdoor Games to Gift This Christmas
1. Horseshoes
Horseshoes is a game with staying power. You don’t age out of it. You don’t outgrow it. You don’t replace it with something newer. It’s always there — waiting for the next player to step up and take a throw.
Where Horseshoes Shines:
- Family gatherings where everyone needs something to do
- Holiday afternoons before dinner
- Campgrounds, cabins, and lake houses
- Quiet Sunday afternoons in the yard
When you gift horseshoes, you’re giving more than a pastime. You’re giving a reason for people to go outside together.
Horseshoe Game Set
2. Cornhole
Cornhole has become America’s unofficial backyard pastime. You can find it at tailgates, cookouts, family reunions, neighborhood parties — it’s everywhere because anyone can play and everyone understands the goal.
Toss the bag. Try to land it on the board, or better yet, in the hole.
Simple. Addictive. Endless.
Why It Works for Christmas:
- Zero learning curve
- Works in small spaces
- Perfect for mixed ages and abilities
- Encourages talking, joking, and cheering
Look For:
A regulation-size wooden cornhole set — avoid thin or plastic boards. You want a solid build, sanded edges, and bags filled with real corn or consistent resin pellets.
Cornhole turns any backyard into a gathering spot.
3. Bocce Ball
Bocce is calm, strategic, and perfect for unhurried afternoons. You don’t need speed or strength — just touch and patience. That makes it a great game for grandparents, grandkids, and everyone in between.
Roll your ball. Get close to the small “pallino.” Block, bump, or finesse your way in.
It’s conversation-friendly — the game happens around the stories.
Best Bocce Set:
A full-weight composite or resin set in a carry bag.
(Hollow sets feel flimsy — skip those.)
Bocce works well on:
- Back lawns
- Parks
- Sand or gravel paths
- Beaches
It’s the perfect “sit, talk, roll, repeat” game.
4. Croquet
Don’t let croquet’s country club reputation fool you — this game gets competitive fast. Strategy is half the fun. The other half is pretending you didn’t mean to knock your cousin’s ball halfway across the yard.
Croquet rewards patience, planning, and a touch of mischief.
Look For:
A solid wood croquet set with metal wickets.
Avoid plastic. It won’t last one good holiday match.
Croquet is perfect when:
- You want a slower-paced game that lasts longer
- Your group enjoys playful strategy
- You have a bit of lawn space
It feels old-fashioned in the best possible way.
5. Ladder Toss
Sometimes called Hillbilly Golf, Ladder Toss is pure fun. Two ladders. Several sets of weighted bolas. Throw with just the right spin and stick the landing.
Kids love it. Adults get intensely competitive. It fills the backyard with laughter almost immediately.
Choose:
A wooden ladder toss set with rope bolas
The feel matters in this game.
Great for:
- Short winter games between meals
- Backyard summer evenings
- Groups that love joking and cheering
It’s low-friction, high-laughter fun.
Give the Gift That Lasts
A lot of Christmas gifts don’t make it to February.
But outdoor games — real games — have a way of sticking around.
They get pulled out year after year.
They show up in family stories.
They become part of how your family spends time together.
If you want to give something meaningful this year:
Give a game that brings people outside.
Wrap it.
Place it under the tree.
And when someone says, “Let’s go play,” follow them.
Traditions don’t start on their own.
Someone has to throw the first horseshoe.
