Top 5 Vintage Outdoor Games

1. Pétanque - best for fashionistas

Back in May, one of our favourite fashion bloggers Garance Doré reported from the frontline of Karl Lagerfeld's Chanel cruise showcase on a pavement cafe lined street of St Tropez. But aside from the spectacle of Georgia May Jagger rocking up on a motorbike with Sebastien Jondeau to close the show, the pictures that got everyone talking were the ones taken later in the evening, depicting Chanel muse Vanessa Paradis and Diane Kruger partaking in that quintessentially Gallic of pastimes: Pétanque.

Pétanque is a form of boules that can be played just about anywhere. Simply stand in a starting circle with both feet on the ground, then throw metal balls as close as possible to a small wooden ball called a cochonnet or jack.

Of course fashionista Pétanque demands that you do all this whilst wearing something suitably fabulous. And so Kruger enjoyed her twilight Pétanque tournament dressed head to toe in Chanel, accessorising with a carefully considered white Panama hat. A special Pétanque set was also commissioned by Chanel for the occasion - the precious balls were housed in an old fashioned wicker basket with the iconic Chanel logo branded on the cover. It's on sale now as a limited edition piece, but us mere mortals can pick up a much cheaper version at John Lewis.


2. Croquet - best for posh outdoor dos

The ultimate garden party pursuit, Croquet is perfect for those occasions when you are in formal dress as it's gentle enough not to cause you to work up an unbecoming sweat. The aim of the game is simply to hit your ball with the wooden mallet through several arches or gateways. It's a relaxed game, and the large gaps in between turns allow plentiful opportunities to sip your gin and tonic or reapply your lipstick.

If you are looking for the perfect wedding gift or want to spoil yourself with a Croquet set that will last for years then we recommend paying a visit to Jaques of London. They're the oldest sports and Games Company in the world and boast a wide selection of beautifully made kits. If your budget is a little less, you can always hire one for the day at ubergames.co.uk


3. Rounders - best for picnics

We’ve been lucky enough to enjoy a fair few picnics this summer. But how does one keep entertained? Forget frisbee, to work off that Somerset Brie you're going to need to something a little bit more active and we reckon we’ve come up with just the thing… Rounders.

Yes, I kid you not. Once the preserve of girl guides and Games lessons at school, Rounders is currently enjoying a renaissance. I recently enjoyed a game as part of a freind's 'Wild and Wonderful Hen Do Picnic' in Richmond Park and I can tell you my calves were aching the next day from all the running.

Rounders originated in England and dates right back to Tudor times. It's simple to play, even when you're a little tipsy on warm rosé, making it just perfect for boozy summer picnics. Simply divide your gang into two teams, Strikers and Fielders. One fielder bowls, another remains behind the striker as a backstop and the others dot themselves around the field alongside 4 strategically placed cones. Each striker then takes their turn to hit the ball and then run around the four bases in order to score, providing a fielder does not get their hands on the ball and knock them out first! Pick up a kit for £25 at John Lewis


4 Skittles - best for bowling alley enthusiasts


A few years ago, it seemed as though everyone in London was booking Lindy Hop classes and spending their Saturdays recapturing the mood of the 1950s at Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes. And it’s safe to say that come winter, this will be high on our agenda for nights out.

But on fairweather days, we prefer to ditch the cavernous blowling alley for the garden where we can indlulge in a spot of skittles. Okay so it's not quite bowling, but it's the next best thing.

We found a lovely vintage style wooden skittles game over at cloth-ears.co.uk. Get a full size set complete with a gift box, 1 x wooden ball and 10 x wooden skittles, carry bag and playing instructions for just £36.99



5. Parlour Games - Best for Rainy Days

Yes we know this is supposed to be a top 5 Outdoor Games list but we cannot exclude the possibility of rain spoiling our plans; this is England after all.

In bygone days, inclement weather was just another excuse to indulge in a spot of 'Parlour Games' such as card games and chess. In fact, it was during the Victorian era that classic games such as Happy Families, Tiddley-Winks, Ludo, Snakes and Ladders came into existence.

Now you can recreate those cosy evenings of long ago with a Jaques of London hand built polished Mahogany Indoor Games Compendium. At £149 this is a real investment piece but it’s packed with all sorts of goodies including a Maple and Walnut Chess board, Backgammon board, Boxwood Jaques Staunton chess men, Backgammon playing pieces, Draughts playing pieces, Specially made Dominoes, Poker Dice, rules and cards for Bridge, a beautiful inlaid Jaques Cribbage board, two packs of Jaques playing cards, Jaques' original Happy Families and Jaques original reintroduction Snap.