I love a good backyard lawn game. My collection is starting to get a little out of hand, but I couldn’t resist adding another to the roster this year. My most recent addition? A ring toss! This super-simple backyard ring toss game can be easily assembled with supplies from your local hardware store. Plus, the shiny rings are sure to be a hit with the kids.
Supplies:
- 10 feet of 1/2 inch plastic tubing
- 6 1/2 inch copper couplers
- pipe cleaners
- scissors
- 1 10 foot long 3/4 inch PVC pipe
- 4 3/4 inch PVC pipe elbows
- 5 3/4 inch PVC pipe end caps
- 1 3/4 inch PVC cross
- 1 3/4 inch PVC pipe nipple
- 1 3/4 inch PVC pipe coupler
- Spray paint
- PVC Pipe cutter
- Drill
- Machine screw and nut
Instructions:
Step 1: Cut your PVC pipe down into the following lengths:
- 1 piece 16 inches long
- 4 pieces 12 inches long
- 4 pieces 10 inches long
Step 2: Attach your PVC pipe nipple to the top of your PVC pipe cross. Drill a hole through the middle of the nipple and also through the top of the cross. Then attach them using a machine screw and a nut. (I made the mistake of trying to attach them using a wood screw at first, but you need something sturdier to hold them together.)
Step 3: Connect your PVC pipe together to form your ring toss rack. Start with your newly joined cross and nipple in the center. Attach the coupler and the 16″ piece to the nipple. Then attach the 4 10″ pieces to each hole in the cross. Attach an elbow to the end of each of those pieces, and then connect your 4 12″ pieces to the elbows. Complete the rack by placing the end caps on each pipe.
Step 4: Spray paint your rack. Make the middle post one color, and the four outer posts another color. After you have painted all of your pipe, you can glue all of the pieces together for a more permanent ring toss rack.
Step 5: Cut your plastic tubing into 6 pieces that are 20 inches long each. Attach a brass coupler to the end of each piece.
Step 6: Join two pieces of pipe cleaner together by twisting the ends and insert it into your plastic tubing.
Step 7: Once your pipe cleaner is inserted all the way into the tubing, you can trim the remaining amount off of the end.
Step 8: Connect the other end of the tubing to the brass coupler to complete your ring. Make 3 rings of one color pipe cleaner, and 3 of another. If you want, you can glue them together, but I found that the coupler does a great job of holding the ring together by itself.
Step 9: You are ready to play some ring toss!
Ring toss game rules:
- Each player chooses a color of rings, then stands 10-15 feet away from the rack.
- Players take turns throwing all three of their rings at the rack with the goal of hooking the rings on the posts.
- The middle post is worth three points, and the outer posts are worth 1 point each.
- The first player to 21 points wins!
More games for families:
