What's inside
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A plywood target is a useful backyard game for tossing beanbags, soft balls, or other light projectiles. This version is a 24-by-36-inch board with a cutout, folding rear leg, and simple finish. It stands on grass or a patio, folds flat for storage, and uses materials available at most home centers.
Contents
Design and materials
The target face is a rectangle of ½-inch exterior-grade plywood. A 6-inch opening, centered 8 inches below the top edge, gives players a clear scoring target. The folding leg is a 1-by-2-inch board attached with a bolt so it can swing out for play and fold behind the face for carrying. This is a light-duty design for backyard games, not a target for hard-thrown balls or heavy equipment.
For the face, choose plywood with exterior glue, such as exterior-rated sheathing or sanded exterior plywood. Sanded plywood costs more but makes a smoother painted surface; ordinary exterior sheathing is fine if you don’t mind filling a few rough spots. Avoid interior plywood, which can delaminate after repeated damp weather. A sheet of exterior-grade plywood is the main purchase.
| Face material | Advantages | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|
| ½-inch exterior plywood | Light enough to carry; cuts with common tools | Can flex if the leg is poorly placed or the board is hit hard |
| ¾-inch exterior plywood | Stiffer and more resistant to edge damage | Heavier and more awkward to transport |
| Interior plywood | Usually inexpensive and smooth | Glue layers may fail outdoors; use only for dry, indoor storage |
Tools and cut list
You’ll need a circular saw or jigsaw, drill, 6-inch hole saw or jigsaw, tape measure, square, clamps, and sandpaper. Wear eye and hearing protection when cutting. If you don’t own a saw, many lumberyards or hardware stores can cut the rectangular panel for you, but ask before relying on them to cut the opening.
Cut one face panel to 24 by 36 inches. Cut a rear leg 1 by 2 inches by about 30 inches, then trim its feet to sit flat when opened. A 1-by-2 is nominally smaller than those measurements; check the actual stock before laying out the pivot. Gather a ¼-inch bolt about 2½ inches long, two washers, a locknut, and a short length of 1-by-2 for a lower stop block. For a cleaner, less splinter-prone opening, use a 6-inch hole saw; a jigsaw works just as well if you make a starter hole.
Cut and smooth the face
Mark the opening’s center 12 inches from either side and 8 inches down from the top. Draw a 6-inch circle. Drill a starter hole just inside the line if using a jigsaw, then cut slowly and keep the shoe flat on the plywood. With a hole saw, clamp the panel securely and drill partway through from the front, then finish from the back to reduce tear-out.
Cut the outside edges square and sand the face and opening until no sharp splinters remain. A rough cutout can snag bags and quickly chew up fabric. Round the outside corners slightly with sandpaper, especially if children will carry the board.
Fit the folding leg
On the back, mark a horizontal pivot line about 5 inches below the top. Center the 30-inch leg on that line and drill through the leg and panel for the bolt. Use a washer on each side of the leg and tighten the locknut until the leg moves with firm hand pressure; overtightening can crush the wood and stop it folding.
Open the leg so the board leans back roughly 10 to 15 degrees from vertical. Position a short stop block against the leg to keep it from swinging farther open, then attach the block to the panel with two screws. Test the angle on the ground before fastening the block. The leg must touch the ground well behind the face, or a miss can tip the target forward. If the leg slips on a smooth patio, add a strip of nonslip rubber to its foot.
Finish and weather protection
Brush away dust and apply exterior primer to the face, edges, and cutout. Seal the plywood edges especially well: they absorb water faster than the broad faces and are the most likely place for swelling or delamination to start. After the primer dries, apply two coats of exterior paint, allowing the first coat to dry as directed. Mark a scoring ring with a contrasting color if desired.
Paint is adequate for a board stored under cover between games. For more exposure to rain, use a compatible exterior clear sealer over the paint only if the paint manufacturer allows it; incompatible coatings can peel. A water-based exterior primer is easy to clean up, while oil-based primer can be useful on especially rough or thirsty edges but takes longer to dry. Neither coating makes plywood safe to leave outdoors indefinitely.
Test, adjust, and store
Set the target on level ground and toss a beanbag from a short distance before starting a game. Push gently on the top and sides. If it rocks, trim the leg feet or move the stop block; don’t compensate by tightening the pivot until it binds. If the panel flexes noticeably, add a horizontal brace across the back, screwed into the face near the lower third. Predrill screw holes to reduce splitting, and use screws short enough not to pierce the playing surface.
Common failures have simple fixes. A wobbly leg usually means the pivot hole is oversized or the locknut has loosened; replace a badly worn bolt and washer, or fit a small fender washer to spread the load. Peeling paint often starts at unsealed edges, so sand loose paint, let the wood dry completely, reprime, and repaint. If the board tips when a bag hits near an edge, widen the stance by fitting a longer leg rather than adding weight to the front.
Fold the leg flat and store the target upright in a dry shed or garage. Don’t leave it standing in wet grass overnight. Check the bolt, stop block, and coating at the start of each season; tightening a loose fastener and touching up bare edges takes minutes and helps the board last longer.