Outdoor games, including safer versions of old faves, are simply good, green fun

In today's Wii-filled electronic game age, the hottest-selling summer pastimes are true throwbacks. No batteries or power cord necessary.

Beanbags, ladder golf and similar toss-type games are all the rage as kids and adults rediscover family playtime, often outdoors on the lawn.

"They're fun, simple, portable and light," explained John Erlandson, vice president of marketing and product development for game maker Sportcraft. "What we've seen industrywide is the whole category of toss games has all of a sudden exploded. Beanbags have become almost as big as such traditional lawn games as volleyball and horseshoes."

Even lawn darts are making a comeback — minus the pointy tip. Called Sky Darts, the new version comes with a soft tip that sticks.

And a Chico inventor is introducing a new beanbag ball— the WaterRipper — that can skip and roll over water (even in a kiddie pool) and never sinks, making it the ultimate water-friendly ball.

Portable, durable and safe, beanbags appeal to children, who are developing their coordination and aim, and adults, who like anything competitive. Teens and 20-somethings particularly gravitate to these updates of old-fashioned favorites.

Experts attribute the trend in part to the recession.

"We've seen an explosion in tailgating," Erlandson said. "Instead of going on a vacation, people are looking for things to do close to home or on their own lawn."

Tailgaters at football games and NASCAR races can toss the bags, darts or balls around. They can also take them to the park, the beach and campgrounds.

"Tailgating has become the new arcade," he added. "These are games that you can take anywhere."

This has brought out a wave of family and regional favorites such as cornhole. Also known as corn toss or bean bag toss, cornhole challenges players to toss dried corn- or bean-filled canvas bags through a board with a hole. Believed to trace back to 14th century Germany, the game became beloved in Kentucky and spread through the Midwest.

This game even has its own American Cornhole Association (www.playcornhole.org) with more than 30,000 members nationwide.

Why cornhole? The game is great fun for all ages and can be played anywhere, said association president Michael Whitton. "In the U.S., the game is spreading to every state."

Sportcraft makes about 350 outdoor and lawn games.