With the sun shining (most days) and the warm weather (some days), my kids are dying to be outside at all times. So I was thrilled to see that one of Gamewright’s new games, Boochie, is perfectly suited for outdoor family play.

If you’ve every played Bocce, you’re well on your way to knowing what Boochie is all about. And if you haven’t…don’t worry, you can be up and playing Boochie in just a few minutes.

Boochie arrives in a handy plastic storage bag and comes with everything you need for 2-4 players to play this “Whole New Ball Game.”

Before you get started, give each player a bean ball, a tossing ring, and a wrist score-tracker, all in the same color. Everyone should put their wrist score-trackers on, and set their score to zero. Now establish an invisible line in your yard as the “don’t step past this line when you throw” line, and pick a starting player (the rules say the player with the cleanest shoes starts, but in our house, that could be difficult to determine).

Here’s how the game works. The starting player takes the orange 12-sided Boochie Ball (shown in the picture above) and tosses it out into the yard. The rules suggest throwing it about 12 feet, but you can modify that based on who’s playing, or eliminate the restriction altogether and just toss it. Now, players take turns standing at the throwing line and tossing one of their items toward the Boochie Ball, trying to get as close to it as possible. After all players have tossed their first item (either ball or ring), they then take turns tossing their second item. You can throw either one first, but as you’ll see, it might be beneficial to save your ring for last.

After everyone has thrown both of their items, it’s time to take score.

• The player with the object closest to the Boochie Ball scores 2 points.
• The player with the second-closest object scores 1 point.

But wait, there’s more! Each side of the Boochie Ball has special instructions which can result in one or more player scoring additional points. For example, one of the sides says “+2 ball furthest away.” In this case, the player whose ball is furthest from the Boochie Ball scores 2 points. The key is, you are not allowed to read the Boochie Ball before you toss your items, so the bonus scoring is always a surprise.

A few more opportunities for scoring are:

• Score 1 bonus point if your ring lands around another player’s ball.
• Score 3 bonus points if your ring lands around the Boochie Ball.

[Note: In all the tossing and throwing we did, we never had a ring land around a ball, so I'm thinking these bonus points, while certainly possible, will be rare.]

Finally, all players advance their wrist trackers by the number of points they scored that round. And here’s where things get even more interesting.

Each score on the wrist tracker includes special instructions for how you must play as long as you are on that score. You might have to throw backward, toss your items under one leg, or even lie on your back while you throw. Though each wrist tracker has different challenges, one thing remains the same: the closer you get to winning, the more challenging your instructions become.

Continue the game, taking turns tossing the Boochie Ball to begin each round. The first person to 11 points wins!

We had a great time playing Boochie, and I’m sure it’ll get a fair amount of play-time this summer. Granted, it’s difficult to play with a one-year-old who wants to abscond with the Boochie Ball, but we just got creative (in other words, we took “his” color items and threw them as far as we could, then quick played a round while he chased them).

One other bonus of Boochie is that the items are soft, so it can be played indoors as well, as long as your kids can be trusted not to hurl the Boochie Ball into a window or TV. So rain or shine, you can break out Boochie and have some fun with your family.

In summary:

Boochie

Number of Players: 2-4
Time required: 15-30 minutes
Ages: recommended for 8 and up (though in my opinion, younger kids could definitely play along)
Where to buy: Boochie is brand new, and stores are still getting ready to stock it. It will eventually be available online at places such as FunAgain Games and AreYouGame

Callapidder recommends it: For families who want to get outside and do something together. Great to take to picnics and get-togethers, too!

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