3 backyard drinking games you'll want to try

Back in 1773, some of his guests at Mount Vernon were tossing an iron bar on the lawn. Washington approached, picked up the bar, and hurled it farther than anyone. "When you beat my pitch, young gentlemen," he said, "I'll try again."

Men have played backyard games for centuries. While our backyards and games have changed, the reasons we play them haven't. First, it's fun, says Penn State anthropologist Garry Chick, Ph.D. Next, it's evolutionarily advantageous.

"Our shoulders, arms, and spatial ability evolved from throwing things for self-defense and food," he says. The final reason, of course, is sex. "We like to dominate other males and show off for females," Chick says. "But it's not about aggression; it's about playfulness."

According to Chick's research, women rank that quality above good looks and money when evaluating potential mates. "Playful males tend to be less aggressive toward females and offspring," he says.

Today we play any game that goes with sunshine and cold drinks. So get out there. GW said so.

FRISBEENER

(A) Plant 4-foot stakes about 20 feet apart and place an empty bottle atop each one. Split into teams of two and grab a frisbee. (B) Scoring: Hit the bottle with the disc (1 point); knock it to the ground (2 points); hit the bottle and knock it to the ground (3 points); knock the bottle off but the other team catches it (1 point for them, 2 for you). By the way, the defending team must catch the disc each time; if they miss, that's 1 point for the offense. First team to 11 (or 21) points wins.

STUMP

(A) Find a stump about knee height. Each player taps in a 4- to 5-inch nail. Taking turns, try to hammer an opponent's nail into the stump after-flipping the hammer 360 degrees and catching it. (B) The-flip-to-hit must be seamless; plus, you have to swing from where it's caught. (C) Hit a player's nail (D) and that player drinks. If you drop the hammer or miss, you guzzle. When a player's nail is totally embedded, he's out. Last nail standing wins. Oh, and it's okay to straighten bent nails.

FROZEN T-SHIRT RACE

Play this with your kids on a really hot day. Grab some T-shirts and big zip-top bags. (A) Soak the shirts in water and wring them out so they're damp. Seal the crumpled shirts in the bags and freeze them overnight. (B) For game time: Distribute the bags among the players. (C) On "go," each person removes the shirt from the bag and tries to put it on. (No blow dryers allowed!) (D) First person to get the shirt on wins. It's also fun as a relay. Give the XS to your portly brother-in-law.

MASTER THE CLASSICS: HORSESHOES

Accuracy is about balance. If you lean to one side, you miss, says Alan Francis, 21-time U.S. horseshoes champ.

MASTER THE CLASSICS: WIFFLE BALL

Your secret weapon: the riser pitch. Be sure to bend your knees to lower the release, says Dave Mullany, president of Wiffle Ball Inc.

MASTER THE CLASSICS: CORNHOLE

The bag should fly flat with a little spin. Your arm is a pendulum, says Frank Geers, president of the American Cornhole Organization.