Lawn darts (also known as carts or yard darts) were banned from sale in 1988 after a series of serious injuries. However, some manufacturers have been able to create legal lawn darts with blunted tips.
Bring a little competition to your backyard with this fun and active game. Stand at a distance and throw the dart to get points for hitting a hoop.
Game
Lawn darts are heavy metal projectiles with pointed tips that were popular in previous decades. Controversies and accidents eventually led to their banning, as these sharp, heavy metal objects could pierce the skin. Injuries occurred frequently, particularly among children who were playing the game. A similar game known as Jarts was also banned for the same reasons.
The game’s rules vary but usually involve a ring as the scoring area. Players throw the lawn dart underhanded toward the ring, earning points for landing it in it or within a certain distance. Generally, the first player or team to score 21 points wins.
Even though the original lawn darts were banned in 1988, some people still have found ways to play this backyard favorite. Today, manufacturers produce special lawn darts with blunt tips that are safe to use without fear of injury. The darts are also smaller than their predecessors, which makes them safer for young children to handle.
Consider other outdoor games if you want a fun alternative to traditional lawn darts. Ladderball is an excellent choice, and it’s easy to set up in the yard. Another option is tetherball, which involves balls on strings thrown at standing gates to earn points.
Safety
Sometimes danger goes hand in hand with excellence, and most of us enjoy teetering on that edge now and then. But there is an excellent line between enjoyable hazards and utter stupidity. Lawn darts, the super fun game your drunk uncles used to play from the 1980s, are a perfect example of this. They’re a lot of fun, but they can be deadly if someone throws them in reckless ways.
After numerous severe injuries, lawn darts were banned in the United States in 1988. While the ban did not outlaw possession, it did bar future sales. Some manufacturers have since attempted to bring back this backyard classic by producing original lawn darts for sale that comply with the law. These new darts are made of plastic and have blunted tips.
Another popular backyard game is tetherball, an approx 8-foot pole with a ball at the end that people compete to hit back and forth. It’s great for family or friends and is a great way to exercise while having fun.
The darts were so dangerous that they were banned and ordered to be destroyed after a series of skull-piercing injuries. Now the Consumer Product Safety Commission is stepping in to ban them again and order that all existing ones be destroyed.
The original lawn darts, also known as Jarts (Jarts Missile Game), were sold in sporting goods and department stores in the 1950s or 1960s and became very popular by the late 1970s. They were heavy metal tips (with decorative plastic fins on the end) about 12 inches long, and you had to be very accurate with them to hit your target.
A compromise was reached, allowing them to be made and sold with a warning label, but they couldn’t be merchandised in toy departments or available at department stores. There are safe alternatives to the game, such as foam-tipped or wooden darts with thick round plastic ends.
Materials
Lawn darts, or jars or javelin darts, are a classic backyard game. These metal darts are thrown at plastic rings placed on the ground. Whoever scores the most points, an individual or a team will ultimately be declared the winner. They are often made of heavy metal or plastic with decorative fins on the ends. They are also commonly used in the game of croquet.
In the past, these lawn darts were available in stores and sold as toys. But they were eventually banned after several severe injuries.
Despite being banned in the United States, these darts are still played by a small subculture. A few manufacturers have recently created legally compliant yard darts that are safe to play. But these new versions are different from the old metal-tipped originals.
The game must be legally sold in the U.S., though some sellers have found a loophole. Some retailers sell the parts of the darts separately, while others sell the completed darts.
Legality
The game of lawn darts is a fun way to get the whole family active and competitive. The game can take multiple forms but typically involves players or teams throwing a dart at a target area for points. The player or team with the most points wins. Despite the name, these games are not considered weapons and cannot be sold legally in the United States. The legality of a yard dart depends on the type of point and the amount of force it exerts. For example, the maximum force allowed for a dart is one joule, less than the energy needed to penetrate an eyeball and cause serious injury.
