{"id":17346,"date":"2017-06-29T10:41:26","date_gmt":"2017-06-29T17:41:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=17346"},"modified":"2018-11-11T22:06:04","modified_gmt":"2018-11-12T06:06:04","slug":"diy-use-everyday-objects-to-make-three-outdoor-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/camp\/diy-use-everyday-objects-to-make-three-outdoor-games","title":{"rendered":"DIY: Use Everyday Objects to Make Three Outdoor Games"},"content":{"rendered":"

What sounds better than playing games with friends and family under the sun or a starry sky? Here\u2019s what: Playing games you make yourself with recycled objects and things you find around your house. We\u2019ve got instructions for making three outdoor games below. Just be sure to play them in places like picnic areas and car-camping sites so that you don\u2019t stomp all over the nature<\/a>. Oh, and remember, have fun out there!<\/p>\n

1. Midnight Bowling<\/h4>\n

Object of the game: Knock down the most pins.<\/p>\n

What you\u2019ll need:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  • 10 or more glow sticks<\/li>\n
  • 10 clear plastic water bottles from the campground recycling bin (about 16\u201320 fl. oz. in size)<\/li>\n
  • A small- to medium-size ball (bigger than a baseball, smaller than a soccer ball)<\/li>\n
  • Water<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    \"Soccer<\/p>\n

    \"Glow<\/p>\n

    Step 1: Assemble the pins<\/strong><\/p>\n

    First, fill all the bottles with water. Then crack your glow sticks and drop them in. Screw on the lids and you\u2019re done.<\/p>\n

    \"Putting<\/p>\n

    Step 2: Set up your bowling lane<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Line up your pins in the classic triangle formation. You can use more glow sticks to create a bowling lane if you want to take it to the next level.<\/p>\n

    \"Midnight<\/p>\n

    Hints:<\/strong><\/p>\n

      \n
    • Use a ball that\u2019s heavy enough to knock over the pins. Or use less water in the bottles so they will tip over more easily.<\/li>\n
    • Be mindful of where you\u2019re rolling\u2014you don\u2019t want to roll the ball into a stream or off a cliff.<\/li>\n
    • You can put some reflective tape on the ball to make it easier to find.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

       <\/p>\n

      2. Washers 2.0<\/h4>\n

      Object of the game: Toss the most washers in the cup, or get them as close as possible.<\/p>\n

      What you\u2019ll need:<\/strong><\/p>\n

        \n
      • Plastic bin (about the size of a shoebox)<\/li>\n
      • PVC coupling<\/li>\n
      • PVC end cap<\/li>\n
      • Adhesive hook-and-loop tape<\/li>\n
      • Six large metal washers (but not so large that they won\u2019t fit into the PVC cup)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        Step 1: Assemble the cup<\/strong><\/p>\n

        Put the end cap on the end of the PVC joint.<\/p>\n

        \"Plastic<\/p>\n

        Step 2: Attach the cup to the bin<\/strong><\/p>\n

        Stick a few pieces of the hook-and-loop tape onto the bottom of the end cap. Trim to fit. Put the other side of the hook-and-loop pieces in the center of the plastic bin. Last, stick them together, and you\u2019re done.<\/p>\n

        \"Attach<\/p>\n

        Hints:<\/strong><\/p>\n

          \n
        • The same plastic bin can be used to hold other camping items, such as cooking utensils, when you\u2019re not playing the game. Just make sure to clean it when you\u2019re done playing.<\/li>\n
        • It can be helpful to mark three of the washers with one color and the other three with another color to help keep track of points. Spray paint or tape can do the trick.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          \"DIY<\/p>\n

          Rules:<\/strong><\/p>\n

          Since playing washers may not be as familiar to everyone as bowling and golf, we thought we\u2019d include some rules. There are lots of variations, but here\u2019s a simple, fun way to play:<\/p>\n

            \n
          1. Play with two people or two teams.<\/li>\n
          2. Players take turns trying to toss the washers into the cup.<\/li>\n
          3. A washer in the cup is worth five points. Washers in the bin are worth three. Washers touching the outside edge of the bin are worth two. The closest washer outside the bin is worth one. There are many methods of scoring. Make up your own or check out some of the variations online.<\/li>\n
          4. The first person or team to get to 21 wins.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

             <\/p>\n

            3. Campground Golf<\/h4>\n

            <\/u>Object of the game: Get the ball in the hole with the least amount of strokes.<\/p>\n

            What you\u2019ll need:<\/strong><\/p>\n

              \n
            • Golf putter(s)<\/li>\n
            • Your choice of balls. Tennis balls work great. Wiffle balls, too. Or you could go with traditional golf balls.<\/li>\n
            • Drinking cup or other form of \u201chole\u201d large enough to fit whatever balls you\u2019re using<\/li>\n
            • Found objects to create obstacles, e.g., sticks, rocks, camp gear, etc.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

              \"Golf<\/p>\n

              Step 1: Set up the course<\/strong><\/p>\n

              Use found objects or camp gear to create your own mini golf course. To make a \u201chole,\u201d just lay your cup on its side. Set the course up however you want. The sky\u2019s the limit (or maybe the edge of the campground).<\/p>\n

              \"DIY<\/p>\n

              Hint:<\/strong><\/p>\n

              Tennis balls are an excellent choice because you can find them more easily when they roll away. Plus, the bounce makes the game a little more challenging. Just be careful where you play so that you don\u2019t stomp on the nearby plants.<\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

              What sounds better than playing games with friends and family under the sun or a starry sky? Here\u2019s what: Playing games you make yourself with recycled objects and things you find around your house. We\u2019ve got instructions for making three outdoor games below. Just be sure to play them in places like picnic areas and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":17348,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[588,28,587,727],"internal-tag":[1672,1677,1442],"class_list":["post-17346","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-camp","tag-camping","tag-diy","tag-games","tag-latest-posts","internal-tag-pre-redirect-camp","internal-tag-pre-redirect-camping","internal-tag-seo"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/camp\/diy-use-everyday-objects-to-make-three-outdoor-games","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"DIY: Use Everyday Objects to Make Three Outdoor Games","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/camp\/diy-use-everyday-objects-to-make-three-outdoor-games","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/camp\/diy-use-everyday-objects-to-make-three-outdoor-games"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/06\/HeaderImage.jpg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/06\/HeaderImage.jpg?fit=6720%2C4480"},"articleSection":"Camp","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Michelle Flandreau"}],"creator":["Michelle Flandreau"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["camping","diy","games","latest posts"],"dateCreated":"2017-06-29T17:41:26Z","datePublished":"2017-06-29T17:41:26Z","dateModified":"2018-11-12T06:06:04Z"},"rendered":"