Setting up an outdoor games area in your garden
A petanque strip, a molkky zone or a croquet course at home: here is how to set up a games area that lasts and feels good in your garden.
Choose the right spot
The ideal games area is flat, open and slightly away from windows and the terrace to avoid breakages. Track the path of the sun: a corner shaded in the late afternoon makes summer games far more pleasant.
- A flat space of at least 4 by 10 metres for a petanque or palet strip.
- An open zone with no overhead obstacles (branches, wires) for molkky and kubb.
- Enough clearance behind the throwing zones for safety.
Match the ground to the game
The surface changes everything. On a lawn, croquet and kubb are right at home. For petanque, a stabilised path (compacted sand, fine gravel) gives you a real court without turning the whole garden over.
- Short-mown lawn: croquet, kubb, molkky.
- Stabilised sand or gravel: petanque, palet on packed earth.
- Hard, level surface (paving, terrace): cornhole, freestanding darts.
Think about storing the kit
A games area that lasts is one that is easy to pack away. Boules, skittles, palets and mallets do not like damp: plan a watertight garden chest or a dry shelf in the shed. Kit that is stored and dry comes out more often.
Safety and neighbours
- Keep throwing zones away from walkways and running children.
- For darts, fix the board on a wall panel and clear the area in front.
- Warn the neighbours if your throwing zones sit close to a shared fence.
Which games for which garden
Small garden: lean on compact games like cornhole, molkky or a dartboard. Big garden: treat yourself to a proper petanque strip or a permanent croquet course.
Whatever you set up, Pelouzz is with you when it is time to play: score counter, team draw and rules at hand, straight from the browser.
Frequently asked questions
What surface do you need for a garden petanque court?
Allow a flat space of about 4 by 10 metres as a minimum. A ground of compacted sand or fine, stabilised gravel gives a good court, more even than plain lawn.
Which games suit a small garden?
Cornhole, molkky and darts need little space. Cornhole and darts even work on a terrace or a hard surface.
How do you store outdoor games kit?
Keep boules, skittles, palets and mallets dry, in a watertight garden chest or on a sheltered shelf. Damp ruins wood and metal: well-stored kit lasts for years.
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