The Iconic 60s Lawn Game We'll Probably Never See Again

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While many of the cultural and social changes that defined the 1960s in America were, unfortunately, brought forth through tumult and violence, one often overlooked shift was just the opposite: Backyards became major social spaces for both kids and adults, with everything from neighborhood barbecues to boisterous lawn games taking over. Though it set the stage for our modern outdoor living spaces and many elements remain popular, there's one lawn game in particular that was ubiquitous at the time that you just won't see these days: lawn darts. First known as Jarts, it was an iconic '60s backyard game that, for very good reasons, we'll probably never see again — at least not in its original form.

By the beginning of the 1960s, Americans were building backyard patios, buying barbecue grills, and playing lawn games — including lawn darts — more than ever before. While it may seem natural in our electronic age to blame technology for the demise of lawn darts, that's really not the case. In fact, a number of lawn games contemporaneous with lawn darts, such as cornhole and Frisbee, are still popular today. Even older lawn games like croquet and badminton have remained relevant to some degree, and modern activities like spikeball are on the rise in backyards and on beaches. Alas, lawn darts as it was played from the 1950s through the 1980s — essentially tossing giant, pointed missiles across the lawn towards your opponent's target — is no more. In fact, the game has actually been banned in the United States and other countries for almost 40 years due to very real safety concerns.

Given that lawn darts were banned first in the early '70s and for a second and final time in 1988, it's likely that many Americans today are unfamiliar with the game. Additionally, since the ban later included directives to destroy any existing game sets, it's probable that people under 30 or 40 years old have never seen an actual lawn dart. To paint the picture, lawn darts was essentially an upsized version of traditional darts — the popular bar game. A typical lawn dart was just over a foot long and weighed as much as half a pound, with a metal tip sharp enough to penetrate turf and soil.

The object was to toss the large dart high enough in the air so it landed inside a small plastic hoop placed on the ground some distance away. The problem was the darts often ended up hitting people, sometimes badly injuring them. This was such a frequent issue that the game was initially banned in 1970. That ban was later lifted following appeals by various manufacturers, and the game quickly became popular again in the 1980s. But, before the decade was out, over 6,000 people — mostly children — were reported injured and one young child had been killed in lawn dart accidents. This led to a permanent ban of the game in the U.S. on December 19, 1988.

The fact that original lawn darts are no longer legal may be a downer if you're trying to go retro with your yard and garden. However, if you're looking for the perfect lawn game to accompany your retro-style planters or vintage 1980s garden arbor, you can still buy soft-tip lawn darts. This allows you to play this once popular lawn game, sans the danger.