Classic Outdoor Lawn Games

No Memorial Day BBQ is complete without classic lawn games. These backyard staples are easy to set up and perfect for all skill levels.

1. Cornhole (Bean Bag Toss)

The undisputed king of backyard games. Set up two boards 27 feet apart and take turns tossing bean bags. Three points for bags that go through the hole, one point for bags that stay on the board. First team to 21 wins!

Drinking twist: Losers drink for each point difference in the final score. Miss the board entirely? Take a shot.

2. Horseshoes

A Memorial Day classic since forever. Toss horseshoes at stakes 40 feet apart. Ringers score 3 points, leaners score 2, and closest shoe scores 1. Play to 21.

Pro tip: Set up a cooler of beer right next to each stake for easy access between throws.

3. Ladder Golf (Ladder Toss)

Toss bolas (two balls connected by a rope) at a three-rung ladder. Top rung = 3 points, middle = 2, bottom = 1. First to exactly 21 wins.

Drinking twist: If your bola wraps around another player’s bola, they drink. If you go over 21, you drink and reset to 15.

4. Bocce Ball

Roll your bocce balls as close to the pallino (small target ball) as possible. The team with the closest ball scores one point for each ball closer than the opponent’s nearest ball. First to 12 wins.

5. KanJam

Partner frisbee game where you try to hit or jam the disc into a can. Instant win for a direct shot through the slot. Perfect for showing off your throwing skills.

6. Spikeball

Fast-paced 2v2 game that’s like volleyball meets trampolines. Bounce the ball off the net and try to make the other team miss. Great for competitive groups.

7. Giant Jenga

Take the classic block-stacking game and supersized it for outdoor play. Each block removal gets more intense as the tower grows taller. When it falls, everyone nearby drinks.

8. Croquet

Old-school lawn game with a touch of class. Navigate your ball through wickets using a mallet. Bonus: you can hold your drink in one hand while playing.

BBQ & Cookout Drinking Games

These drinking games are specifically designed for the backyard BBQ atmosphere. Play while the grill master works their magic!

9. Grill Master Roulette

Write different drinking challenges on slips of paper and hide them under burger buns or in napkin holders. When someone finds one, they complete the challenge.

Challenge ideas: Finish your drink, do a silly dance, tell an embarrassing story, compliment three people, or switch drinks with someone.

10. Flip Cup Tournament

The quintessential backyard drinking game. Teams line up on opposite sides of a table, chug their drinks, then flip the cup from the edge. First team to flip all cups wins!

Check out our complete Flip Cup guide for advanced rules and variations.

11. Beer Die

Two teams of two sit at a table and toss a die high in the air, trying to bounce it off the table. If the opposing team doesn’t catch it, you score. Sink it in their cup? That’s 2 points plus they drink.

12. Drunk Waiter

Race to carry a tray with drinks from point A to point B without spilling. The catch? You have to stop at “stations” and take a sip from your own drink. Whoever finishes with the most liquid intact wins.

13. Cooler Pong

Like Beer Pong but using a cooler as the table and larger cups or buckets. Scale up the classic for outdoor play!

14. BBQ Bingo

Create bingo cards with common BBQ occurrences: “Someone burns a burger,” “Uncle tells the same story,” “Kid runs through sprinklers,” “Someone says ‘hold my beer.’” Mark them off as they happen. Five in a row? Everyone else drinks.

15. The Condiment Challenge

Blindfolded players try to identify different BBQ sauces and condiments by taste alone. Wrong guess = drink. This gets hilarious (and messy) fast.

16. Hot Dog Eating Contest (Drinking Edition)

Classic eating contest with a twist: between each hot dog, you take a swig of beer. First to finish 3 hot dogs and 3 beers wins. Warning: pace yourself!

Patriotic Party Games

Honor the holiday with some red, white, and blue themed games that celebrate the occasion.

17. Red, White & Blue Flip Cup

Set up three rounds of Flip Cup with different colored drinks: red (cranberry vodka), white (white wine), blue (blue curacao). Teams must complete all three colors. Most patriotic drinking game ever.

18. American History Trivia

Test your knowledge of American history, presidents, and patriotic facts. Wrong answers = drink. Bonus points for anyone who can recite the Preamble.

Sample questions:

• How many stars are on the American flag? (50)
• What year did Memorial Day become a federal holiday? (1971)
• Who was the youngest president? (JFK at 43)
• What do the stripes on the flag represent? (Original 13 colonies)

19. Flag Relay Race

Teams race to assemble a flag puzzle while holding a drink. Spill your drink? Go back to start. First team to complete their flag wins.

20. Stars & Stripes Cornhole

Patriotic twist on cornhole: use red, white, and blue bean bags. Red bags on the board = 1 point, white = 2 points, blue (through the hole only) = 5 points.

21. USA Chant Challenge

Whenever someone starts a “USA! USA!” chant, everyone must join in or drink. The last person to join the chant takes an extra sip.

22. Presidential Drinking Game

Everyone picks a president at the start of the party. Whenever someone mentions your president (or someone who looks like them walks by), you drink. George Washington = drink for every first of something.

Pool Party Games

If your Memorial Day includes pool access, these water games will cool everyone down while heating up the competition.

23. Pool Noodle Jousting

Two players on floaties try to knock each other off using pool noodles. Last one floating wins. Loser chugs their (waterproof) drink.

24. Floatie Flip Cup

Play Flip Cup while floating on pool rafts. Way harder than it sounds, way more hilarious than regular Flip Cup.

25. Marco Polo (Adult Edition)

Classic Marco Polo but when you’re tagged, you drink. If Marco tags someone, that person becomes Marco AND takes a shot.

26. Belly Flop Contest

Judges rate belly flops on a 1-10 scale. Lowest score drinks. Most dramatic entry wins bragging rights (and probably a red stomach).

27. Cannonball Splash Zone

Set up cups around the pool edge. Anyone whose cup gets splashed by a cannonball has to drink it. The cannonballer aims to splash as many cups as possible.

28. Pool Basketball Drinking Rules

Regular pool basketball but: miss a shot = sip, get dunked on = finish your drink, make a behind-the-back shot = give out 3 drinks.

29. Diving for Drinks

Throw waterproof tokens in the pool (or use coins). Each color/token type represents a different drinking assignment: give a drink, take a drink, make a rule, etc.

For more pool party ideas, check out our Pool Party Drinking Games guide!

Team Competitions & Tournaments

Memorial Day is the perfect time for epic team battles. Set up a tournament and crown the ultimate champion.

30. Backyard Olympics

Create a multi-event competition with all your lawn games. Assign point values to each event. Track scores on a whiteboard. Award medals (or just bragging rights) at the end.

Event ideas: Cornhole, horseshoes, egg toss, three-legged race, water balloon toss, hula hoop contest.

31. Tug of War

Classic team competition. Add a sprinkler in the middle for extra motivation. Losing team drinks.

32. Water Balloon Volleyball

Partners hold a towel and use it to catch and launch water balloons over a net. The team that breaks the balloon loses the point and takes a drink.

33. Egg Toss Championship

Partners toss an egg back and forth, taking a step back after each successful catch. When your egg breaks, you’re out (and covered in egg). Drinking rule: if you drop it, you drink.

34. Three-Legged Beer Run

Tie your leg to a partner’s and race to a cooler, grab two beers, race back, and chug them. First team to finish both beers wins.

35. Relay Races

Create relay stations with different challenges: flip a cup, make a cornhole shot, chug a drink, spin around a bat 5 times, then sprint to the next person. Pure chaos.

36. Capture the Flag (Adult Edition)

Classic capture the flag but each team has a “jail” where tagged players must drink before being freed. The flag? A bottle of the good stuff.

Chill Games for Hot Days

When it’s too hot to move much, these low-energy games keep the party going without overheating anyone.

37. Never Have I Ever

Perfect for lounging in lawn chairs. Take turns saying things you’ve never done. Anyone who HAS done it drinks. Great for learning surprising things about your friends.

38. Most Likely To

Point at who’s most likely to do something ridiculous. Whoever gets the most fingers pointed at them drinks. “Most likely to set the grill on fire” is always a hit.

39. Would You Rather

Present two scenarios and everyone picks a side. Minority group drinks. “Would you rather eat only hot dogs for a year or never eat BBQ again?”

40. Two Truths and a Lie

Share two true statements and one lie about yourself. If people can’t guess the lie, they drink. If they guess correctly, you drink.

41. Story Time

One person starts a story with one sentence. Go around the circle, each person adding a sentence. Whoever hesitates, repeats something, or makes no sense drinks.

42. Name That Tune (BBQ Edition)

Play 5 seconds of summer hits and patriotic songs. First to name it gets to give out a drink. Wrong guess = take a drink.

After Dark Games

When the sun goes down and the fireworks come out, keep the party going with these nighttime games.

43. Glow Stick Ring Toss

Activate glow sticks and use them as rings to toss onto bottles or stakes. Play in the dark for a neon party vibe.

44. Fireworks Bingo

Create bingo cards with firework descriptions: “red explosion,” “whistler,” “finale,” “someone says ‘ooooh.’” First to complete a row wins.

45. Firefly (Flashlight Tag)

One person is “it” with a flashlight. When they spot someone, they shine the light on them. Tagged players join the “it” team. Last one untagged wins.

46. Truth or Dare by the Fire Pit

Classic truth or dare hits different around a campfire. Keep it spicy, keep it fun, and always have a drink ready.

47. Ghost Stories

Take turns telling scary stories around the fire. If someone screams or jumps, they drink. If you crack up during your own story, you drink.

48. Stargazing Drinking Game

Try to spot constellations, shooting stars, and satellites. First to spot something gets to assign a drink. Make up a constellation? That’s a drink for you.

Memorial Day Party Hosting Tips

Setup Essentials

• Shade: Set up tents, umbrellas, or canopies. Hot guests are cranky guests.
• Hydration station: Have plenty of water alongside the booze. Dehydration is real.
• Cooler strategy: Multiple coolers—one for beer, one for non-alcoholic drinks, one for food.
• Game zones: Set up different areas for active games vs. chill games.
• Bug spray: Nothing ruins a party like mosquitoes. Stock up.

Food & Drink Tips

• Start grilling before guests arrive so early birds have something to munch on
• Have easy grab-and-go foods that don’t need plates (sliders, skewers, finger foods)
• Pre-batch cocktails in pitchers or dispensers for easy self-serve
• Label anything spicy—guests will thank you
• Don’t forget vegetarian/vegan options for those who don’t eat meat

Safety First

• Have a designated sober driver system or plan for rideshares
• Keep an eye on alcohol consumption—it’s a marathon, not a sprint
• Apply (and reapply) sunscreen throughout the day
• Stay hydrated—alternate alcoholic drinks with water
• Keep a first aid kit handy for minor injuries

Frequently Asked Questions

Make Your Memorial Day Unforgettable

Memorial Day is about honoring those who served, celebrating with friends and family, and kicking off summer in style. With these 50+ games in your arsenal, you’re ready to host the party everyone will be talking about all summer long.

Mix and match games based on your crowd, space, and energy levels. Start with active games when everyone’s fresh, transition to chill games during peak heat, and bring out the after-dark options when the sun goes down.

Most importantly, stay safe, stay hydrated, and make some memories worth remembering!

Related guides:

• Outdoor Drinking Games
• Pool Party Drinking Games
• Party Games for Large Groups
• Drinking Game Rules Compendium
• Spring Break Party Games