Playing horseshoes while camping is a tradition of our families that we grew up playing. We were lucky enough to have a nice pit at our favorite camping spot. It was at this campground we would hosted our annual tournaments, with bragging rights. Keep reading for the rules of horseshoe and 7 games like horseshoes but offer more portability.
I love the game of horseshoes and would love to play it more than once a year. Plus I could gain a competitive advantage by bringing this to my backyard. Not all of us have the luxury of a huge backyard to entertain the idea of building a horseshoe pit. Enter portable horseshoes. Disclaimer, this isn’t for serious players, but as a fun not-so-serious game or for kids, you will probably like this set.
For those of us that have a place with a proper pit, heavy shoes, portable rubber horseshoes is one of the best backyard games for kids. The soft rubber horseshoes games have come a long way, and although not as strong for competition level horseshoe players, are still fun for kids or a fun game of horseshoes. The rubber pads are good for playing indoors or on cement to keep them in place. Get the price.
How to Play Horseshoes
Horseshoes is a game played with either two or four players (2 teams) in a larger outdoor area. Team mates sit on opposite sides and take turns throwing into a sand pit trying to get closets or around a metal stake, about 40 feet apart. The horseshoes you throw resemble a U shape and are about twice the size of an actual horseshoe used for a horse.
Only one team can be awarded a point for each round, with different points for landing your shoe around the ringer or getting 2 closer. If you are skillful enough for the horseshoes to land around the middle pole it counts as 3 points. First team to get 21 points win!
That’s the basics, here’s more detailed rules for how to play horseshoes.
7 Fun and Portable Games Like Horseshoes
We like to call horseshoes for kids because it is safer, easier with simple fling a ring rules, and can setup in a matter of minutes. In fact, the best way to explain it would be a mix between horseshoes and frisbee golf. It is meant to be played with 2 or 4 players of all ages. Instead of using a heavy metal horseshoes, you throw with an almost ninja star. The pocket on the disc wrap around the flags much easier and give you more scoring opportunity, just like a getting a ringer in horseshoes. No sandbox or pit is required to be the hit of your next family event. Get the price.
For many of us growing up your probable have played lawn darts at some point. Well the new Jarts is more of a mix between horseshoes and bocce ball, but of course safer then the original darts. They have soft rounded tips that land standing upright. It is something that works on most softer surfaces such as the beach, lawn, or backyard. It is not ideal for hard surfaces (no concrete), but would you really throw a horseshoe on cement as well. Get the price.
The rules of Ladderball are all so similar to horseshoes except for instead of landing a horseshoe on a ring you are throwing a string around a bar. There are 3 different levels with varying points for trying to throw your bola around one of the 3 bars. Partners throw at opposite ends while trying to beat the other teams to be the first ones to 21. Get the price or build your own DIY ladder ball game.
Washers is one of the closets games to horseshoes, just a miniature version. Instead of throwing horseshoes, you throw smaller washers. Instead of throwing into a large sand bit, you throw into a little wooden or plastic enclosure. Instead of throwing from 40 feet you throw from about 8 feet. Washers even comes as a part of many backyard games combo sets that makes it even more affordable. Get the price.
The classic bean bag toss game, is very similar to horseshoes in that you are aiming at a target with a similar way to score. Also a 2 or 4 player game, instead of playing with pits or horseshoes, you are playing with a wooden board with holes in it and bean bags. The boards are heavy and not as portable as the other games, but still more portable then horseshoes. Three points is awarded (like a ringer) for landing it into one of the holes in the platform. Get the price.
Bulzibucket is another game very similar to horseshoes, with a mix of beer pong. Instead of using pits you use portable and compact buckets. And instead of heavy metal shoes are playing with balls. The rest of the Bulzibucket rules are pretty and point structure are very similar. However, the biggest benefit of this game is that it floats and patent pending buckets fold up very small. After playing and seeing it you will see why we rated this one of the best beach games for adults. Get the price.
A mix between horseshoes, bocce and lawn bowling is the game of Rollers. The rules are simple, similar to horseshoes you stand approx 25 feet away from the target and roll the wooden disc towards the target. Instead of a ringer, you earn more points by your piece getting closest to the target and standing on it side, instead of falling over. This takes rolling of throwing technique, just like getting practice for throwing a horseshoe. The rollers are definitely not as heavy so it’s a game accessible to more ages, without having to adjust the throwing line. Here are the rules for rollers or get the price.
One of our 68 Ultimate Outdoor Games list, read more:
