I don't know about other people, but spending time with my family is one of the highest items on my list of priorities--always has and always will be. Whether it is having people over around the holidays or going to watch a sporting event or even just going to the movies, family time is crucial, but one of the greatest things that I like to do with my family is to play lawn games. Nothing brings out the spirit of family more than a little healthy competition. Whether it is a straight up death match between father and son for the final point in badminton or a ten person game of wiffle ball, lawn games are a great way to get the entire family outside for some summer fun in the sun.

1. A crazy game of croquet

Now, when it comes to lawn games, croquet isn't one that a lot of families are familiar with. My family has always enjoyed playing croquet because it is a nice, slow paced game that gets you outside and moving around. One of the great things about croquet is the versatility; with a simple premise of hitting the ball through the hoops, there are a ton of different ways that you can set up the course and traverse through the course that can make every round of this game feel brand new. Another great thing about croquet is that it doesn't require a ton of space. The croquet course can be as small or as large as you would like depending on the size of your yard or the length of the game you want to play. It may not seem like much, but croquet can actually become quite competitive. You can play with any amount of people (depending on how many mallets/ balls that you have) and it is a great game for people of all ages.

2. A blazing badminton match

The go-to yard game in my house has got to be badminton. Even saying the word badminton in my house is like the initiation of a challenge. Now, because I don't have any siblings, our badminton matches are usually unbalanced; typically, it is my mom and my dad versus myself, but I don't let that stop me. Sometimes we change up the teams and sometimes we play matches in a bracket style so that we rotate out during one on one competitions, but we play badminton like it nobody's business. We we have more family over, the teams get bigger and the games get far more intense, but there is always one thing that's certain--there will always be an argument about who scored a point. We don't have a net and that can create some serious discussions on whether or not a point was scored so we typically have to have a referee who has the final words in all arguments. Like corquet, badminton is a very versitile game and it can be played thousands of different ways, but I say that if you find style that you and your family like--stick with it. the goal is to have fun, not to follow every single rule in badminton guidebook (and yes, there is a badminto guidebook). Again, like croquet, badminton can be played in a large backyard or a small backyard or for any number of players so it is great for families of all sizes.

3. A friendly game of frisbee

Frisbee is definitely a classic backyard game due to its versatility and its simplicitiy. Like many other games, frisbee can be played many different ways and it can be played with any number of people. Whether it is just a game of pass, a match of ultimate frisbee, or even a game of disc golf, frisbee has the potential to provide hours of full for the whole family. Frisbee lends itself to people of all ages and all activity levels.

4. A tiring round of tag

Never underestimate a good game tag. With plenty of different varieties (toilet tag, tv tag, flashlight tag, etc...) tag has to be, at least in my opinion, the original backyard game. This is a great game for when there a lot of children around because it is something that it very easy to understand and it is a great way to get out a lot of energy. I remember playing tag every day after school with the kids that lived on my street and we were constantly making up new rules and different ways to play. If I had to try to describe my childhood with a single game, it would be tag. Just thinking about it brings back memories of being a kid and playing in the back yard. Tag isn't just for kids though; just like how children can create their own rules, adults can as well. There are many variations that can keep this game exciting for both kids and adults. Tag is a great, cross-generational game to play with the whole family.

5. A wild game of wiffle ball

Some of the best memories that I have are of the entire family in the back yard after our fourth of July cookout; Grandpa is on the mound, mom's up to bat, my cousins have the bases loaded, and my grandma is there cheering everyone on. We are a big baseball/ softball family and when we were all together, this was one of the games that we would always play. Whether it was my grandpa throwing the ball for us to practice batting, or the entire family out for a full-on game, very seldom was there a family gathering that didn't involve a wiffle ball bat. Wiffle ball is a great game because the entire family can play and it a great way to get the whole family to be active.