Ball Games for the Garden this Summer

The Great British Summer is upon us for another fun-filled and (hopefully) sun-soaked year. Well, the sun might be fickle, but at least we can guarantee the fun! Here at SkateHut, we’ve got some brand-new outdoor ball games which are perfect for the garden as well as some classic favourites. Getting the family out to stay active and entertained will be a doddle this year, so put those game controllers on charge, turn off the wi-fi, sign out of Netflix and check out our range of outdoor toys for Summer 2024!

Outdoor Ball Games

It’s amazing how much fun you can have from a bunch of round objects and Petangue is exactly that. This is a classic ball game which is perfect not only for your garden, but also the park and even holidays because you can take it anywhere! Here’s how you play…and also a quick lesson on a few French words:

1. Setup: You'll need a flat, open area with gravel or sand (known as a piste or terrain) and a set of metal balls (boules). Typically, there are two teams, each with one to three players.

2. Tossing the Cochonnet: The game starts with one player tossing the cochonnet (a small wooden ball, also called a jack or a pallino) onto the playing area. This serves as the target for the game.

3. Taking Turns: Players take turns throwing their boules, aiming to get them as close to the cochonnet as possible. The team that threw the cochonnet plays their boules first, followed by the opposing team.

4. Scoring: After all the boules have been thrown, the team with the boule closest to the cochonnet scores points. They earn one point for each boule that is closer to the cochonnet than their opponent's closest boule. The game is typically played until one team reaches a set number of points, often 13 or 15. It’s kinda like bowls…but better.

5. Strategy: Players can employ various strategies, such as throwing to knock opponents' boules away from the cochonnet or placing their boules strategically to block opponents' shots.

6. Winning: The game continues in rounds until one team reaches the predetermined number of points and is declared the winner.

7. Etiquette: Petanque is a social game, so it's important to be a good sport and observe proper etiquette. This includes not distracting opponents during their throws, not stepping onto the playing area while others are playing and other naughty shenanigans, but we don’t make the rules.

You can check out our range of Petangue kits from our outdoor games range right now, so get ready to prove your skills at throwing balls…at other balls…for points. It’s a sport, people! 

Croquet is back in Fashion!

Is Croquet another French word? I kinda feel like it is. Anyway, this blog post is turning into a fantastic little French lesson as we look at another outdoor game involving multiple balls, but with the addition of a mallet!  If you don’t feel like throwing balls, you can always hit them. Also, you can pretend to be high society from a period drama while you play this game on the green…aka lawn. Just don’t forget the cucumber sandwiches and Earl Grey tea. Anyway, jut in case you’re curious, here’s how you play Croquet:

1.      Setup: Set up the croquet course on a flat lawn or grassy area. You'll need a set of croquet mallets, balls, hoops (wickets), and a peg (stake) at the center of the course.

2.      Teams: Croquet can be played with two to six players, either individually or in teams. Each player or team is assigned a different colored ball.

3.      Starting Order: Determine the starting order of players or teams. This can be decided by a coin toss or any other fair method.

4.      Objective: The objective of croquet is to complete the course by hitting your ball through all of the hoops in the correct sequence and then striking the peg at the center of the course.

5.      Gameplay:

• Players take turns hitting their balls with the mallet, starting from a designated starting point.
• Each turn consists of one stroke, where the player hits their ball with the mallet to advance it through the course.
• Players must navigate their ball through the hoops in the correct order, starting with hoop 1 and ending with the finishing peg.
• Players can use their ball to "roquet" (hit) their opponent's ball, which allows them to take an additional shot from where their ball landed.
• If a player's ball goes out of bounds or hits another ball out of bounds, they must place their ball one mallet head's distance back into the field of play.
• The game continues until a player successfully completes the course by striking the finishing peg.

6.      Scoring: The player or team who completes the course first and strikes the finishing peg wins the game. In some variations, additional points may be awarded for various achievements during the game.

7.      Etiquette: I already talked about this for Petangue. It’s pretty much the same for Croquet.

Yep, you’ve guessed it. You can get Croquet sets from SkateHut too! Get Summer ready and make sure you get your practice in before going head-to-head with family and friends. Just don’t tell them you’ve bought it until after you’ve mastered it. Don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone. We should probably qualify this post for “The Best Outdoor Games for 2024”, so check out our outdoor games range...

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