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How to build bucketball in your backyard

Backyard with two sets of buckets lined up opposite each other.

Overview

Add a new game to your family’s collection with bucketball! This family-friendly activity is the ultimate outdoor pong game. Portable and convenient, it’s also a great game to take to the beach, on a camping holiday or to friends’ places.

There are multiple ways to play bucketball, depending on the age of the participants and the space. We’ve explained three of the most popular ways below, but feel free to get creative.

You can play one-on-one or in teams, although we suggest no more than three people per team to ensure things move quickly and everyone gets a fair go.

The best part about bucketball is its convenience. It requires just three elements to play, meaning after a quick visit to Bunnings, you can be playing in the garden within minutes. All you’ll need is 20 buckets, some rope and a tennis ball or beanbag.

Game one

1Set up your buckets

You need 10 buckets per end.

Set them up in a pyramid shape, with the point facing the other team – a row of four, then a row of three, row of two and one at the tip.

Person lining up green buckets into a triangle.

2Mark out the throw zone

To make sure the thrower doesn’t creep closer, add a line of rope behind the buckets to indicate the throw zone.
Person lining up blue buckets along a line.

3The rules

Standing behind the rope throw line, the person or team at the opposite end has to throw the ball and land it in the bucket. It has to stay in the bucket – if it bounces out, it doesn’t count.

Once the team has landed their ball in the bucket, remove that bucket from the pyramid. The first team to land the ball in all the buckets and has no buckets left WINS!

Game two

1Introduce the points system

Label the buckets starting from 1, making your way to 10. You can choose which bucket has which sticker, based on difficulty. You can either stick a number sticker on the outside of the bucket or spray paint the number directly on. If you’re using spray paint, don’t forget to don your safety equipment first – mask, gloves and glasses.
Person writing the number 2 on a bucket.

2Set up your buckets

You need 10 buckets per end.

Set them up in a pyramid shape, with the point facing the other team – a row of four, then a row of three, row of two and one at the tip.

Buckets with numbers on them.

3Mark out the throw zone

To make sure the thrower doesn’t creep closer, we’re adding a line of rope behind the buckets to indicate the throw zone.
Person lining up blue buckets along a line.

4The rules

Standing behind the rope throw line, the person or team at the opposite end has to throw the ball and land it in the bucket. It has to stay in the bucket, if it bounces out it doesn’t count. Keep a tally of how many points they get with each throw – first to 15 points wins!
Buckets with numbers on them.

Game three

1Set up your buckets

You need 10 buckets per end.

Spread them out so it’s harder for your opponent to score.

Buckets spread out and a bucket full of tennis balls.

2Mark out the throw zone

To make sure the thrower doesn’t creep closer, we’re adding a line of rope behind the buckets to indicate the throw zone.
Person lining up string on the grass.

3The rules

Standing behind the rope throw line, the person or team at the opposite end has to throw the ball and land it in the bucket – it has to stay in the bucket, if it bounces out it doesn’t count. Remove a bucket from the playing field every time your opponent lands a ball in your bucket. First one to get all the buckets wins!

4Time to play

Need to stock up on supplies? Check out the range of buckets  from Bunnings. 
Health & Safety

Please make sure you use all equipment appropriately and safely when following the advice in these D.I.Y. videos. You need to be familiar with how to use equipment safely and follow the instructions that came with the equipment. If you are unsure, you may feel it is safest to consult an expert, such as the manufacturer or an expert Bunnings Team Member.

Grave health hazards are linked to asbestos, which may be in homes built up to 1990. Health hazards may result from exposure to lead-based paints in older materials and copper chromium arsenic (CCA) treated timber. For information on the dangers of asbestos, lead-based paint and CCA treated timber and tips for dealing with these materials contact your local council's Environmental Health Officer.