Who said that all indoor games had to remain indoors?
In fact, Twister is a fantastic example of a traditionally indoor game that has played a role in family games and fun since it was invented in 1966.
Not only that, it’s almost tailor-made to play outside but, how to play Lawn Twister?
You play Lawn Twister the same way that you play Twister indoors, with the major exception being that you can really get creative outdoors. The rules remain the same, even if the playing field goes from carpet to grass.
The outdoors brings a new level of play to games like Twister, mostly because the playing surface is more customizable.
Why use the traditional Twister mat when you can use grass-friendly paints to mark and color your circles?
How Do You Set Up Lawn Twister?
There are a few ways you can do this.
You can:
- use the original mat that everyone is familiar with
- purchase another mat that includes an expanded grid of circles
- or you can use lawn-safe paints to create your own circles
Whichever way you decide to go, you’ll also need a spinner.
If you add colors for larger quadrants, you can create your own spinner with:
- cardboard
- glue
- scissors
- and string
Just make sure that you don’t put together a mat so large that there are colored circles a person couldn’t stretch out and touch.
The standard grid mat is 4 x 6 with four colors:
- red
- green
- yellow
- and red
There are six circles of each color and they are laid out in four rows.
Each row is the same color from top to bottom.
Taking Action 🙂 All you need is enough people to play and have an additional person to serve as the referee, who will spin the spinner and call out directions.
What are the Rules of Lawn Twister?
The rules are relatively simple and we will go with a three-player example to get you started on how the game is played.
Two people will be on the mat in this instance, with the third person serving as the referee.
The spinner—which is only used by the referee—includes four quadrants in the standard game, with each quadrant containing a color and the hand or foot that goes with it:
- First Quadrant: Left-hand and Blue
- Second Quadrant: Left-foot and Green
- Third Quadrant: Right-hand and Yellow
- Fourth Quadrant: Right-foot and Red
The two players on the mat will face each other, as far apart as possible on the mat, with one foot on a yellow circle and the other foot on a blue circle.
The Referee stays with the spinner and will call out the quadrant each time the hand swings around and comes to a stop.
The referee spins and when the hand comes to a stop, calls out the quadrant, such as “Right-hand/Yellow.
The player—at the same time—will reach down and place their right hand on a yellow circle and will remain in that position.
There is never a point where you are allowed to place a foot or hand in a circle that is already occupied by a foot or hand.
You always have to follow the instructions of the referee by placing your foot or hand on an unoccupied circle of the color that is called out.
If your right hand is on yellow and the referee calls out “right hand/yellow,” you will have to move your right hand off of the current yellow circle that it occupies and place it on a new yellow circle.
If both players reach for the same circle, it’s first come first serve.
Remember This: If there is a case where neither player is sure of who reached the circle first, the referee decides the tie-breaker.
How Are Players Eliminated?
Players who fall over or touch either their knee or elbow to the mat are automatically eliminated.
A player can bow out if they feel that reaching for a circle will cause them to fall or if they think that falling is inevitable.
The last player on the mat is the winner. You can also play with four players on the mat, divided into two teams.
In this version, the players on the same team have to place their hands or feet on the same circle as their partner.
If a single player falls or touches a knee or elbow to the mat, the entire team forfeits and the other team is declared the winner.
Are the Rules Any Different in Lawn Twister?
The rules remain the same as indoor Twister, however, they can be tweaked.
One of the best parts about playing Lawn Twister is the extra space and freedom of movement.
For instance, you can add double rows of colors so that you have 8 rows of 4 colors with two rows per color.
This will also allow you to add more players to the game with additional space. The more players you add, the crazier the game can get.
This is especially true if you decide to lay out your grid with lawn safe paints instead of using a traditional mat.
Feel free to spread the circles out as much as you can get away with.
Remember, since each player has to start of on opposite ends of the mat, it wouldn’t make sense to spread the circles out so far that the first color the referee calls out cannot be reached by one or more players.
So it’s important to find a happy medium and layout your grid with the understanding that not every player is more than 6’ tall.
There are also much larger, outdoor Twister mats available, so feel free to go with that or embrace your own creativity.
How to Add Challenges to Twister
Twister is challenging sometimes and pretty simple other times.
It all just depends on where the spinner lands.
If you’re looking for a way to make sure that it’s always a bit challenging and add a fun twist, we’ve got a few ways that you can do so.
The Challenge Twister
Adding challenges within any game can be a fun way to change things up.
However, when it comes to Twister, the challenges can get a bit more interesting, as players may have limited movements.
Consider getting a bucket or bowl that’s full of challenges.
Add a few “Challenge” sections to your spinner and, when a player spins “Challenge,” draw one and tell them what they will need to do to stay in the game.
It could be pushups, playing one-handed, or even keeping quiet the whole game until the other player is challenged.
Change Up Body Parts
Another thing you can do to add some fun is change up the body parts that you add to the spinner.
For example, in addition to hands and feet, you can add things like elbows and knees, and heads.
This will surely get everyone into some awkward positions and make gameplay much more interesting.
Dance Party Anyone?
Instead of using your Twister board in the usual way, why not change it up completely and have a bit of a dance party?
You can use the dots to choreograph, turning on some fun tunes, and having everybody dance along.
This can be fun and challenging, all while producing smiles on all those who are playing.
Final Thoughts
How to play Lawn Twister is more a matter of how you want to set it up than a matter of fundamental rule changes.
The rules stay the same, with only the scenario remaining for your creative endeavors.
Feel free to let everyone chime in on the mat layout as well, that way everyone is a part of the game.
