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All that beautiful campus landscape—might as well use it. Whether you’re soaking up the sun on Carnegie Green, unwinding on the lawn outside the Community Commons, or hanging out near Nelson Hall, there’s no shortage of open space on the Â鶹Çø campus. And with summer sessions and fall quarter just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to break out your favorite lawn games.

Here’s a rundown of the best games to bring outside—rules, tips, and a little background included.

Cornhole

Call it cornhole, call it bags—either way, this game is a campus classic. The premise is simple: teams take turns tossing bean bags at angled wooden boards with a hole cut near the top. Each team has four bags, and the first to 21 points wins.

A bag that lands and stays on the board earns one point. A bag that goes through the hole—either directly or after being knocked in—earns three points. Bags that miss the board earn zero points.

The game is broken into innings, with each team throwing four bags per inning, with one team scoring points per inning (the higher-scoring team’s points cancel out the lower-scoring team’s points).

Want to get competitive? .

Spikeball

Originally called Roundnet, Spikeball is the company that popularized this high-energy game. Think volleyball, but rather than serving the ball over a net, you bounce it towards the ground to score.

Played in teams of two, one team serves the ball onto the net. The opposing team has up to three touches to return the ball by bouncing it back off the net. A point is scored if the ball hits the rim, touches the ground, or is hit more than once in a row by the same player. The first team to 11 (or sometimes 21) wins, but they must lead by at least two points.

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Frisbee

Technically, Frisbee is a brand name. But whether you’re tossing a Wham-O disc or a Discraft Ultrastar (preferred by Ultimate players), it’s hard to beat a casual game of catch or a full-on match of Ultimate Frisbee between classes.

You don’t need much to get started—just a disc, open space, and someone to throw to.

The basics include forehand and backhand throws, but the hammer, push pass, elevator pass, and chicken wing are great ways to mix up your throws. If you are more of a long-distance thrower, be sure to read the wind before your huck—you don’t want your disc floating halfway across campus and beaming someone on their way to class.

DU’s Ultimate team can show you how it’s done, but even a quick toss near the library lawn can be a great way to unwind.

KanJam

Love throwing a disc but hate catching it? KanJam might be perfect for you. The game combines throwing with precision aiming, using two plastic cans as targets.

Teams of two take turns—one throws, the other deflects. One point is earned if the deflector knocks the disc and it hits the can, two points if the disc hits the can on its own, three points if the deflector hits the disc into the top of the can, and an instant win if the thrower gets the disc through the narrow slot on the front of the can.

You must score exactly 21 points to win. .

Whether you’re going for friendly competition or just looking for a reason to hang out in the sun, these lawn games bring energy, fun, and a bit of chaos to DU’s green spaces. Just remember to hydrate, respect the turf, and maybe keep an eye out for unsuspecting pedestrians.