Take the Party Outside With Backyard Games

From old-fashioned yard games like bocce ball, sack races and horseshoes to brand new options like Spikeball and Rollors, outdoor games make a great addition to a tailgating and outdoor recreation department. Some retailers have even had luck locally sourcing their yard game offerings.

Taylor’s Do It Center, with 11 locations in Virginia and North Carolina, developed a cornhole niche in response to the development of local leagues and tournaments. Deciding to source the game boards locally, Taylor’s turned to the organizer of the tournaments, who handmade boards to tournament regulations. In turn, Taylor’s sponsored the tournaments, helping to get their name out as a source for replacement bags and scoreboards in addition to game boards and other cornhole supplies. Read more about their success here.

If you’re interested in developing your own locally sourced game niche or just interested in games that fit well into your outdoor recreation department, you may want to consider washer toss. This fun hardware-themed game, similar to cornhole, uses washers instead of bags for tossing into opposing boards. Washer toss boards can be easily handmade by skilled DIYers for local sourcing or, for more ambitious retailers, made in-house. Watch this instruction video to learn how to make one.