By Chloe Cramutola
Families have enjoyed outdoor and beach games for hundreds of years, across all different cultures. Nowadays, families and friends still play these games, as leisurely competition is an enjoyable and timeless pastime.
Whether they are classic or new games, these outdoor activities have been easily translated into beach entertainment, spanning from volleyball to ring toss to Spikeball. Beach volleyball originated in the early 1900s, while beach tennis was born in Italy, Brazil and Spain in the early ‘70s. Spikeball, a fairly recent and popular game, was not invented until the late ‘80s.
Here’s a list of fun games, both classic and new, to try at the beach this summer.
Beach Volleyball
A classic game of volleyball is sure to get the entire family in an engaged and competitive mode. This is also a great way to entertain both kids and adults alike. While there are portable volleyball nets available for purchase, beachgoers can create a makeshift net using beach towels tied between poles or held up by other family members.
Players can divide themselves up into teams and use a beach ball or an actual volleyball to launch over the net. This is also a fun bonding exercise that will require players to communicate and work together.
Frisbee
Of course, the first thing needed is a frisbee. Pick a preferred disc and then decide with family and friends — will this be a free-for-all, a serious game or an organized game of ultimate?
Regardless of the kind of game chosen, there are a few techniques that are good to know. The backhand is gripped with the rim in the palm of the hand, while the forehand has the middle finger against the inside rim of the disc, and the arm is extended out to the side with a slightly bent elbow. There are also catching methods like the pancake catch and the crab catch.
Ring Toss
This is a game where players throw rings at a target to score points. There are portable ring toss games beachgoers can order online or in stores.
To play, each player starts with five rings at the starting line and throws all five in a single turn. The goal is to get the rings to land over the pins on the other side. Each pin has a different score written down, and the middle pin is worth the most points — 25. After playing for eight rounds, all players tally their total game score and the player with the most points wins.
Beach Tennis
A match can be played to the best of three sets, as singles or doubles. Unlike normal tennis, there is no advantage to scoring, no service let and no second serves. Score can be kept as follows: 15 (first point), 30 (second point), 40 (third point), and then the fourth winning point.
Unlike regular tennis, the ball does not bounce — if it touches the sand, the point is over. There are also no advantages in beach tennis.
Sandcastle Competition
This one is a classic — just sit on the sand, use shovels and buckets and build! Sand and water are usually the only materials allowed, but some contests may also allow items found on the beach, such as shells, seaweed or sticks.
Have as many family members and friends participate, with a few standing to watch and judge each castle. Have players build freely or based on a theme, and create a judging system out of 10 points.
Horseshoes
This classic outdoor game can be brought to the beach with a plastic portable set found online or in stores.
A horseshoe must lie within 6 feet of the stake. If each team throws a toss that lands exactly the same distance within the 6 feet, the throws cancel each other out and no one gets the point. Whoever gets closer to the stake and is within the 6 feet will receive the point.
Spikeball
Since its rebirth as a company in 2007, Spikeball has grown into a popular game that can be played anywhere outside — the beach is no exception! An exciting blend of volleyball and foursquare, this game is played 2 on 2.
The Spikeball net should be placed at the center of the two teams. A player starts a point by serving the ball down onto the net so it bounces up at a team’s opponents. The returning team has up to three hits between them to return the ball back onto the net. This will continue until a team cannot return a ball onto the net within those three touches.
TidalBall
TidalBall, a game born in South Carolina and one meant for the beach, combines elements of cornhole and bocce ball. Here, the ball is lighter and it is thrown into either a small hole for three points or the long trench for one point.
With one teammate on the starting side and another teammate at the end, tosses are alternated. This game can be bought online or in stores for $30, and it is waterproof, sandproof and fits easily into a beach tote.
Bask in the sun with family and friends
Even if the family simply wants to lounge on beach towels, chat under umbrellas or get a nice tan, there is plenty to enjoy a day at the beach with loved ones!
Chloe is a multimedia editor and journalism major at Boston University, where she is Editor at The Daily Free Press. She will be graduating Spring ’25. Connect with her on LinkedIn @chloecramutola
