4th of July games can genuinely make or break a party.
I’ve been to ones where the food was great, the weather was perfect, and everyone was still just standing around on their phones by 7pm.
And I’ve been to ones where nothing was fancy but there was a cornhole bracket going and people stayed until midnight.
Games do that. They give people something to rally around.
So here’s everything — backyard classics, water stuff, drinking games, kids activities, night games, and indoor backup options if it rains or gets too brutal outside.
More than 55 total. Pick what works for your crowd and don’t overthink it.
Classic Backyard Games
You know these. And before you skip this section thinking it’s boring — don’t. The classics are classics because they actually work, every single time, for every kind of crowd.
Cornhole Two boards, eight bags, first to 21. If you don’t own a set yet, just get one. You will use it every summer for the rest of your life.
Ladder Toss Three bolas, try to wrap them around the rungs. Sounds simple. Gets surprisingly unhinged once people start keeping score.
Bocce Ball Honestly my personal favorite for a backyard party. Chill enough that people can drink and talk while playing, but there’s actual strategy involved. Works on grass, gravel, dirt — doesn’t matter.
Horseshoes Old school but so satisfying when you land a ringer. Metal or rubber both work fine.
Kan Jam Frisbee-based, pairs game, you’re trying to get the disc into a goal. People who’ve never played get obsessed with it immediately. I’ve seen this take over an entire party.
Spikeball Small net on the ground, four players, controlled chaos. People who aren’t even playing end up standing around watching. That’s how you know it’s good.
Badminton Nobody needs to be coordinated. That’s the whole appeal. Easy setup, works for every age, somehow always ends up being fun even when everyone’s bad at it.
Croquet Takes more space but if you’ve got the yard — set it up. People act extremely fancy while playing croquet and it’s hilarious every time.
Washer Toss Like cornhole but with washers and buckets. Easy to DIY the night before if you want to.
Frisbee No teams. No rules if you don’t want them. Sometimes that’s exactly the vibe.
Kids Games
Have a plan for the kids. I cannot stress this enough. Bored kids at a party become everyone’s problem within about fifteen minutes.
Sack Race Burlap sacks or pillowcases both work. Kids absolutely lose it for this — something about hopping around in a bag is just universally exciting to them.
Three-Legged Race Tie two kids together at the ankle. Watch them fall immediately. Repeat. It’s funny every single round without exception.
Egg and Spoon Race Hard boiled eggs if you want zero mess. Plastic Easter eggs if you want zero stress. Either way it works.
Hula Hoop Contest Who keeps it going the longest. No setup, no explanation needed, and kids will do this in rounds for way longer than you’d expect.
Freeze Tag One person is it, you freeze when tagged, someone unfreezes you. I’ve watched kids play this for a solid hour at a party while the adults completely forgot they existed. Which is kind of the whole goal.
Duck Duck Goose Little ones only. Classic.
Simon Says Works for a wider age range than you’d think — good filler between bigger activities.
Musical Chairs Chairs and music. Simple. Gets surprisingly cutthroat by the final round, even with six-year-olds.
Capture the Flag Best for older kids, 7 and up. Two teams, two flags, steal the other team’s without getting tagged. Needs a bigger yard but it’s genuinely one of the best group games ever invented. Adults will want to play too.
Scavenger Hunt Prep this one the night before. Hide clues around the yard with a 4th of July theme and give each kid a list. It buys you 45 uninterrupted minutes and the kids feel like they’re on a mission. Worth every minute of prep.
Water Games
It’s July. It is hot. This is not optional.
Water Balloon Toss Partners toss a balloon back and forth, stepping further apart each round. Fill them the night before and keep in a bucket. Last unpopped balloon wins.
Super Soaker Battle Buy a bunch of cheap water guns or tell people to bring their own. Set loose teams or just let it be every man for himself. Things will escalate quickly — that’s kind of the whole fun of it.
Slip N Slide If you have kids at your party — or honestly just fun adults — this is a guaranteed hit. Set it up on a slight slope. Flat doesn’t work as well and people will be disappointed.
Sponge Relay Race Two buckets, one wet sponge per team, pass it overhead down the line to transfer water. Gets messy so fast. People take it way more seriously than they should.
Water Bucket Relay Teams race to fill a bucket using cups carried from a source bucket across the yard. More chaotic than it sounds and somehow more competitive too.
Water Balloon Piñata Hang balloons from a tree or rope, blindfold people, hand them something to swing. Kids love it. Adults watching love it more.
Drinking Games
No 4th of July party is complete without at least one drinking game going somewhere. I’m not going to lecture anyone about responsibility — just have non-alcoholic options so people can play without drinking if they want.
Beer Pong Ten cups, ping pong ball. You know this one.
Flip Cup Two teams on opposite sides of a table. Drink, flip your cup right-side up with one finger, next person goes. First team done wins. Loud, fast, and perfect for big groups — this is the one that gets the whole party watching.
Civil War Beer pong but three balls going at once with no turns. Pure chaos. Look up the rules ahead of time because nobody can explain this game in the moment coherently.
Quarters Bounce a quarter off the table into a cup. Works anywhere with a hard surface. No setup required beyond finding a quarter.
Kings Cup Deck of cards, every card has a rule, someone always ends up with something terrible in the king’s cup at the end. Print out a rule sheet before the party. You will spend twenty minutes arguing about what a seven means if you don’t.
Cornhole Drinking Version Just assign drinks to scoring outcomes during regular cornhole. Zero extra setup, adds stakes to a game people are already playing.
Indoor Games
Backup plan for when it rains or gets too hot — and if you’re in the South, you know July 4th heat is no joke. Having a few indoor options ready saves the party.
4th of July Trivia American history, fun facts, pop culture mix. Easy to make your own or find a free printable. Works well for a big mixed-age group.
Bingo Patriotic bingo cards are easy to find online. Good for older guests or little kids who need something quieter and slower-paced.
Charades No supplies, no setup, just people guessing. Theme it — 4th of July movies, summer things, patriotic phrases. Gets funny fast, especially later in the night when everyone’s a little looser.
Pictionary Drawing version of charades. Use whatever surface you have — whiteboard, big paper, back of a paper plate. Teams make it better.
Giant Jenga People get so invested in Jenga. Write dares or trivia questions on the blocks if you want to add another layer. Or just play it straight — it doesn’t need help being fun.
Cards Sometimes people just want to sit down. Poker, Uno, Rummy, whatever your group knows. Low key, genuinely good, especially once the energy outside has settled.
That’s 55+ games and I’ll stop there.
Real talk — you don’t need all of this. Pick three or four that feel right for your crowd, set them up before people arrive, and let it flow from there. The goal isn’t to run a carnival. It’s just to make sure nobody’s standing around wondering what to do.
That’s it. Happy 4th.
