Family Oriented Games to Play at Your 4th of July Barbeque

It's that time of year again, time for pools and parties, sunburns and aloe. Parties require games and entertainment so below you will find a breakdown of some of the favorite outside games to play at your Fourth of July barbeque.

1) No outside party in the south is complete without a game of horse shoes. In order to play this game you will need an inexpensive game set from your local retailer, here that is Wal-Mart. You can even shop online for them if you do not have a store near you. The price range is 9.98 for this awesome looking neon lighted set to 75.00 for a combination set. The rules will be included in the set but in case you found yours at a local yard sale and don't have yours I found excellent instruction on this web site: http://www.alphahorse.com/horseshoes-rules.html.

2) Continuing in the vein of classic outside games is the three legged race. This game is especially

fun way for parents and children to join in together. The basic of the game is for each person to put on leg in a potato sack, one persons left to the others right. They then must run in cooperation to the finish line. First one across the finish line is the winner! You can make this race as long or as short as needed for the age and ability of your guests. If you do not have potato sacks or the equivalent you can always use strips of cloth to tie the contestants legs together. Want to make it really interesting? Blindfold one of the runners so that they must trust their partner.

3) A sister game to the three legged race is the potato sack race and is a family favorite for all

generations. Easy to set up and hilarious to watch. Each contestant is given a potato sack into

which they place both legs and hop their way to the finish line.

4) The following game has no name that I am aware of a friend of ours set it up a few years ago at

a Fourth of July picnic. You get everyone together in a circle, all link arms and face in. Some on not in the circle then places a ball in motion in the air. The object of the game is to keep the ball in motion without touching it with your hands or arms. The circle will have to move and flow together to make this possible. If you touch the ball with your arms or hands you must leave the circle. The game is meant to be fun and inspire cooperation between contestants therefore there is no winner or loser. It is great fun I admit not only to play but to watch.

5) Last but not least is the piñata. Most would think this was a child only game! Not so it can be

loads of fun with any age. You can make your own piñata or purchase one already made. If you like the idea of having your own design here is a simple instruction on how to do it: http://www.chevroncars.com/learn/fun-games/how-to-make-pinata. This was the best site I found for making a piñata. Remember this game can be child friendly or adult oriented based soley on the "prize" inside your piñata. If your part consists of mainly older family members for fun add some over the hill toys or a tube of ben-gay, it will be a real hoot!