Kubb, an Outdoor Tossing Game Invented by Vikings

I was quite intrigued the first time I saw a family playing a game of Kubb on the beach. They were standing on opposite sides, trying to knock over their opponent’s wooden blocks, which were neatly lined up in a row. After a bit of research back home, I found out they were playing Kubb, an ancient Scandinavian game which is rumored to be played in the Viking age as a way to pass time during the Northern summer evenings.

What is Kubb?

Kubb is a lawn game. It’s preferably played outdoors on grass or sand.

The purpose of the Kubb game is quite simple. There are two teams with up to 6 people each. Each team has 5 wooden blocks lined up evenly in a horizontal baseline.

There’s a king block in the middle of the playing field.

The purpose is to knock over your opponent’s baseline of blocks with six throwing batons you’re able to throw each round from your baseline.

When your opponent’s playing field has no blocks left standing you try to knock over the king to win the game. If you happen to knock over the king before downing all of your opponent’s blocks, the opposing team wins the game.

Now, there’s a couple of more details you need to know, but we think a video will explain it better than we can.

Now, there’s all these official dimensions for the playing field if you’re playing serious matches, but we’ve found that the distances can be adjusted to your preference. You might want to shorten the length of the pitch if you’re playing with kids for example.

Who is Kubb recommended for?

There’s no real recommended age for Kubb. As soon as you can aim and throw a baton at something, you should be fine getting started.

This is an outdoor game, so it’s perfect to bring on holiday if you like to be on the beach or in the park. It’s also a great activity if you’re out drinking with friends in nice weather.

Where can I buy Kubb?

For Kubb you need nothing more than a set of wooden blocks. If you’d like a custom set you can even get some hardwood from a builder’s merchant or DIY store and paint the blocks yourself.

Luckily, durable Kubb sets are also available to buy at Amazon, via the link below.