by Stephanie Chandler

Created on: May 30, 2009   Last Updated: June 09, 2009

Whatever happened to the days when children played outside until the setting sun warned them that mom was about to call them home. Advancements in technology; that is what happened. Today instead of swimming in the pool, kids are surfing online. Instead of kicking the ball, they are kicking back letting their fingers do all the exercise. With their iPods, laptop computers, handheld video games and portable DVD players, kids have constant entertainment. Although technology is positive and these devices have their time and place they should not replace good old outdoor fun. Kids need to get outside, play with their friends and soak up the sunshine and what better way than to play some good old fashion lawn games.

There are many games to choose from including popular team games like soccer and baseball or competition games like badminton and croquet. The following games are less popular, but provide hours of fun in their set up as well as their play and are great for all ages of kids.

Cornhole, also called The Beanbag Toss or Soft Horseshoes, is a game played using wooden boxes called cornhole platforms and corn bags. The game is similar to horseshoes, but cornhole is actually better because it can be played by all ages (the corn bags are much easier to toss than a horseshoe) and it can be played anywhere (lawn, driveway, even indoors). Although an official set of equipment can be purchased, play can be improvised using household items. The official cornhole platform can be replaced with a simple cardboard box with a hole. Corn bags, traditionally 6x6 bags made of soft duck canvas and filled with corn feed, can be made using a material pouch (or Ziploc) filled with dry beans, rice or even popcorn seeds.

The game can be played with either single, double or tournament play. In normal play, the boxes are placed with the holes 33 feet apart, however smaller children can get closer to their target to make play easier for them. Each player takes turn tossing their corn bags (4 per turn) toward their box trying to get the bag in the hole, which scores 3 points. The first player to 21 wins. For more information about the history or how to play cornhole check out www.playcornhole.org.

Washers is another favorite for children. Although this is traditionally a lawn game, it can also be played indoors on a rainy day. Played as singles, doubles or teams, each player tosses washers into a box with a center pit. An official washer box can be purchased,

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