Tennis courts aren’t only suitable for playing tennis — they are a smart investment that can be used to play plenty of other games, as well. With a little creativity, you can use your court for a wide range of activities that are sure to entertain kids and adults alike.
#1. Pickleball and Badminton
In recent years, pickleball has definitely taken the world by storm; however, there are not necessarily easily accessible pickleball courts in all communities. The same goes for badminton — these courts are not nearly as common. Luckily, with a few modifications, you can play pickleball or badminton on a tennis court! You just need some chalk, measuring tape, and masking tape.
Using a diagram of the standard pickleball or badminton court dimensions, measure where the boundaries should be, then use some masking tape or painter’s tape to create the lines. Tennis nets are higher than pickleball nets and lower than badminton nets, but if your net is adjustable, you can easily adapt its height to suit any game.
#2. Target Practice
If you want to improve your accuracy, you can set up a target on one side of the court, then hit tennis balls over the net, aiming for the target. You can purchase many different types of targets, or if you want to save money, simply use chalk to draw them on. To make it a fun group activity, you can keep score — the closer to the bullseye, the more points a player receives.
For a bit of extra fun, you can also use buckets instead of targets. Points are scored by hitting the ball into some sort of container, whether it’s a bucket, bowl, or box. You can use multiple different-sized buckets placed around the court for an additional challenge. Use your imagination to come up with creative scoring systems — maybe the player who gets the most balls into a bucket within a minute wins, or maybe players score more points the farther away the bucket is. The possibilities are endless!
#3. Dodgeball
If you have four or more players, another game you can play on a tennis court is dodgeball. You don’t even need any rackets — the only equipment you need is a ball or two. You may want to opt for a softer ball to prevent injuries.
Just split the players into two teams, one on each side of the net. The goal is to throw the ball so that it strikes one of the players on the opposing team, who then leaves the court.
If a player catches a ball thrown toward them, the player who threw the ball is out. The game ends when there is only one person left on the court.
There are lots of fun rules and twists you can add to the game. If you have a lot of players, you can play with multiple balls at once. You can also let players who previously got out rejoin the game when someone from their team catches the ball. Additionally, you could use the lines on the tennis court to establish “safe zones” or boundaries. With a little imagination, you can make the game your own!
#4. Foot-Tennis
If you love both soccer and tennis, try combining them into foot-tennis! Instead of using a tennis ball and racket, grab a soccer ball or other similarly-sized ball. The rules are pretty much the same as regular tennis, except you use your feet, torso, or head to hit the ball and send it over the net. Just like in tennis, the ball is only allowed to hit the court once before it’s returned.
#5. Line Tag
Believe it or not, there are other games you can play on a tennis court that don’t require any special equipment. All you need is a group of people who are ready to have fun.
One of these games is line tag. It’s simple — just like in a normal game of tag, the person who is “it” tries to tag someone, who then takes over their role. However, in line tag, players must stay on the court’s lines instead of moving freely. This is an especially fun game for a group of children.
For an exciting variation, you can combine this game with dodgeball. Players must dodge balls thrown at them by the others while maintaining contact with the lines on the court.
Play Tennis and Other Games on Courts from Pickle Court Surfacing
Pickle Court Surfacing is Utah’s premier source for all your outdoor court needs. Whether your old court needs resurfacing or you’d like to install a new one, we can do it all. Contact us with questions or request a free estimate today!
