A garden party without a game is just a gathering of people standing around with drinks wondering when it is acceptable to leave. The right game changes that completely. It gives people something to do with their hands, a reason to talk to someone they have never met, and a story to tell on the way home. The wrong game gets set up once and ignored for the rest of the afternoon.
This guide covers the garden party games that actually work for adults in the UK: the ones that tolerate mixed skill levels, hold attention across a few hours, travel easily to different settings, and do not require a referee to run properly. Every game listed is currently in stock at Jaques of London, which has been making outdoor games since 1795.
What Makes a Good Garden Party Game for Adults?
The criteria for a good adult garden party game are quite specific, and most cheap sets fail several of them. The game needs to work for people who have never played it before, without requiring a lengthy explanation. It needs to be competitive enough to be interesting but forgiving enough that skill difference does not make the game one-sided. It needs to work in a domestic garden, not just a sports field. And it needs to hold up to repeated afternoon play across the summer, not fall apart after three sessions.
The games that consistently pass this test are almost always the traditional British ones: croquet, boules, quoits, kubb, and tumble tower in various formats. They have survived as social games precisely because they work. They reward skill without requiring it, they produce the kind of close results that keep everyone watching, and they generate the specific mix of concentration and conversation that makes a garden party afternoon feel effortless.
The best garden party game is the one still being played two hours after you expected everyone to leave.
Jaques of London, 230 years of outdoor gamesThe Best Garden Party Games for Adults UK: Our Picks
Croquet is the definitive British garden party game, and the one most likely to still be generating competitive heat at seven in the evening when the barbecue has been cleared away. The combination of skill, tactics, and the satisfaction of sending an opponent's ball to the far corner of the lawn produces exactly the kind of engagement that holds a gathering together.
Jaques of London invented croquet in 1851. We are the recommended supplier of the Croquet Association. The Jaques of London croquet sets are made to competition specification, with solid hardwood mallets, correctly weighted solid balls, and steel hoops with proper tolerances. The difference in playing experience between a quality set and a cheap garden version is very significant, and this is a game where that difference matters.
Best for: Groups of four to six who want a genuinely tactical game that rewards an afternoon's play. Works particularly well for mixed-age groups where the adults want something properly competitive.
Shop Croquet SetsBoules is one of the most sociable garden games ever made, and one of the most underrated in the UK. The French have been playing it on village squares for centuries for a reason: it is easy enough to play with a drink in one hand, competitive enough to generate genuine tension on the last throw, and structured enough that everyone understands what is happening even if they have never played before.
The rules are simple. Throw your steel balls as close to the small target ball (the jack, or cochonnet) as possible. The player or team with the closest ball wins the round. First to thirteen points wins. Everything else is tactics and argument, and both improve with the afternoon. The Jaques of London Garden Boule Set comes with everything needed: six steel boules, one jack, and a carry case. Add to Bag.
Best for: Any group size from two to eight. Works on grass, gravel, hard standing, and park paths. The most portable game on this list and one of the most reliably enjoyed by guests who have never played it before.
Giant tumble tower is the single most reliable garden party game for a mixed group where not everyone wants to commit to a full competitive game. It requires no setup beyond stacking the blocks, no explanation beyond "pull a block out without knocking it over", and produces a finish that gets a reaction from everyone within earshot every single time.
The Jaques of London Giant Tumble Tower stands at around 90cm when built and collapses spectacularly when it goes. It comes in a carry bag and is robust enough for years of regular outdoor use. For larger gatherings, the Jaques of London Magnum Tumble Tower builds to over 150cm, which generates proportionally more drama. Add to Bag.
Best for: Any gathering where you want a game that is always in use, always drawing a crowd, and always producing a moment that everyone watches. Particularly good for garden parties where guests are arriving at different times and you need a game that people can join and leave naturally.
Kubb is a Swedish lawn game that has been growing steadily in UK popularity over the past decade, and deserves to be far better known than it is. The premise: knock over your opponent's wooden blocks (kubbs) by throwing wooden batons. The team that knocks over all their opponent's kubbs and then topples the central King wins. First time players pick it up in minutes. By the second game, there is genuine tactical depth to how and where you throw.
The Jaques of London Kubb Large Set is the premium version, made from solid wood with a carrying bag. The Kubb Outdoor Game is the entry-level option at a lower price point, still solid and well-made, appropriate for regular garden use. Add to Bag.
Best for: Larger groups, since two teams of up to six can play simultaneously. Works best on a lawn with a reasonable flat run of about eight metres. One of the few garden games where a twelve-person group can all be playing at the same time.
Quoits is one of Britain's oldest garden games, and one of the most satisfying once you have the throwing technique. The aim is to toss rope or rubber rings over a central peg from a set distance. Closer rings score higher; a ringer over the peg is the best possible score. The appeal is the same as darts: a compact skill challenge that produces clear results and natural conversation in equal measure.
The Jaques of London Original Quoits Set is solid wood with high-quality rope rings. The Garden Quoits Set with bag is the premium version with a carry case for easy transport to parks, picnics, and family gatherings. Add to Bag.
Best for: Smaller groups or pairs who want a focused skill game rather than a team game. Works well as a secondary game alongside a larger one, two people can play quoits while four play croquet, and both groups stay in the same space.
Garden skittles is a traditional British game that translates perfectly to a garden party setting. The premise is exactly as simple as bowling: knock down as many of the nine numbered skittles as possible with a ball, in two throws. The numbered pins mean scoring is easy to follow even for guests who have never played before.
The Jaques of London Wooden Number Skittles are turned from solid wood, heavy enough to stand firmly on a lawn, and numbered clearly so scoring is unambiguous. This is one of the more compact garden games on this list and works well on a smaller garden or patio. Add to Bag.
Best for: Mixed-age groups where children and adults are both present. The simple premise means children can play properly alongside adults, which makes it one of the most genuinely inclusive games on this list.
How to Choose the Right Game for Your Garden Party
The right game depends on four things: the size of your group, the size of your garden, the mix of ages present, and how competitive you want the afternoon to feel.
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Small groups (2-4 people)Croquet, quoits, or boules. All three work well with smaller numbers and produce genuinely competitive head-to-head play. Boules in particular is at its most tactical with two players per side.
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Medium groups (4-8 people)Giant tumble tower, kubb, or croquet with a larger set. Tumble tower is the most flexible, as people can play simultaneously while others watch and wait for their turn.
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Large gatherings (8+ people)Kubb is the best option for large groups since two full teams play at once. Tumble tower alongside boules gives enough going on to keep everyone engaged without everyone needing to be in the same game.
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Small gardens or patiosQuoits, skittles, and boules all work in compact spaces. Croquet and kubb both need a reasonable run of flat lawn, though a reduced court is always an option for croquet in a smaller space.
Garden Party Games That Travel Well
Not every garden party happens in your own garden. Parks, hired spaces, country house weekends, and summer weddings all create the same need: a game that fits in the boot of a car, sets up in under five minutes, and requires no electricity or specialist surface.
Boules is the clear winner on portability. The Jaques of London Garden Boule Set comes in a compact carry case and plays on almost any surface including gravel, hard standing, and rough grass. It is the game most likely to be allowed in a park or public space without generating any objection.
Quoits travels equally well. The Garden Quoits Set comes in a carry bag and requires only a small flat area to play properly. Both the Giant Tumble Tower and the Magnum Tumble Tower come in carry bags too, and while they are heavier than boules or quoits, both fit in a standard car boot alongside the other party supplies.
The game that fits in the boot and sets up in five minutes will be played every weekend. The one that needs a full afternoon to prepare will gather dust in the shed.
How to Run a Garden Party Tournament
If you want to structure the afternoon more formally, a simple tournament format works well for most of these games. The easiest to run is a round-robin for boules or quoits: every pair plays every other pair once, with points accumulated across rounds. The final is played between the top two pairs once everyone has eaten.
Croquet lends itself to a knockout format over a full afternoon: two games in the first round, a semi-final after lunch, and a final in the late afternoon when the competitive energy is highest. This structure gives the game a narrative arc that keeps non-playing guests invested in the result even when they are not at the hoop.
For tumble tower and kubb, a simple knock-out tournament works well. For kubb specifically, the team format, up to six per side, means a large gathering can run a full tournament with everyone playing simultaneously in the group stage.
A 2024 survey found that outdoor social activity has become one of the most valued leisure categories among UK adults following several years of disrupted social calendars. Garden parties, outdoor gatherings, and park social events all saw significant growth in frequency, with outdoor games cited as one of the key features that distinguish a "good" garden gathering from an average one.
Garden Party Games from Jaques of London
Britain's oldest outdoor games maker. Every game in our range is made to last, tested for durability, and designed for proper competitive play.
Browse All Outdoor GamesFrequently Asked Questions About Garden Party Games for Adults
What is the best garden party game for adults in the UK?
Croquet is the most complete garden party game for adults: genuinely tactical, competitive across a wide skill range, and capable of sustaining interest across an entire afternoon. For groups that want something simpler to pick up immediately, boules is the most reliable option. Giant tumble tower is the best choice if you want a game that everyone can dip in and out of throughout the afternoon.
What garden games work for large groups?
Kubb is designed for large groups, with up to twelve players across two teams playing simultaneously. Giant tumble tower is also well-suited to large gatherings because multiple people can play each turn and watching the tower fall is entertaining regardless of whether you are currently playing. Boules works well for larger groups if you run a simple round-robin tournament format.
What garden party games work in a small garden?
Quoits, boules, skittles, and tumble tower all work comfortably in a compact garden or patio. Croquet and kubb both benefit from more space, though croquet can be adapted to a shorter court with fewer hoops in a smaller garden.
What garden games can you play on a hard surface?
Boules is the most versatile surface-wise and plays well on gravel, concrete, hard standing, and rough grass. Quoits works on any flat surface. Tumble tower works on any level surface. Croquet and kubb both require grass.
What are the easiest garden party games to learn?
Tumble tower requires no explanation at all. Boules takes about sixty seconds to explain. Quoits and skittles are both immediately intuitive. Kubb takes five minutes to explain properly but most people have a good grasp of it within one round of play. Croquet has the steepest learning curve of the games on this list, though a simplified version with one shot per turn is easy to explain and play within minutes.
Are garden party games suitable for all ages?
Most traditional British garden games work well across a wide age range. Tumble tower, quoits, boules, and skittles are all genuinely competitive for adults while remaining accessible for children from around six or seven. Croquet works well from age six with simplified rules. Kubb works from around eight or nine. The cross-generational quality of these games is part of what makes them particularly suitable for summer gatherings where the group spans multiple age groups.
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