Best Skittles Sets UK 2026: What to Buy

Skittles is one of the oldest games still played on a British lawn. You set up nine wooden pins in a tight diamond, step back, and roll or throw a single ball to knock them down. It is the traditional British nine-pin game that crossed the Atlantic and became ten-pin bowling, but the original garden version has never really left.

The trouble is that "skittles set" covers everything from a flimsy hollow-plastic toy that blows over in a breeze to a proper turned-wood set that lasts your children right through childhood. This guide tells you exactly which wooden skittles set to buy for your family, indoor or in the garden, with real prices and honest use-cases for 2026.

One note before the recommendations. Every wooden set we make at Jaques of London is built from FSC-certified timber, finished with non-toxic water-based paints, and independently tested to UKCA and CE standards. We have made fine games since 1795, so the advice below is the same advice we would give a friend.

What is skittles and what makes a good set

Skittles is a target game. Nine pins stand in a diamond formation, and players take turns rolling or throwing a wooden ball from an agreed line to knock down as many as possible. Knock all nine and you have a full house. It is the traditional British nine-pin game and the direct ancestor of ten-pin bowling, which simply added a tenth pin and a polished indoor lane.

Four things separate a good wooden set from a frustrating one. The first is pin size and weight, matched to who is playing. Chunky, well-balanced pins stand firm and are satisfying to topple, while flimsy hollow-plastic pins fall over on their own and ruin the game.

The second is wood quality and finish: solid timber with a sound, child-safe finish, not raw softwood that splits or hollow plastic that cracks. The third is portability and storage, usually a bag or box so the nine pins and ball travel together. The fourth is who it is for: a toddler taking a first roll, a younger child learning to aim, or a whole family playing together all want a slightly different set.

If you want the wider context, our overview of garden skittles as a traditional outdoor game walks through the history and the rules in more depth.

Best all-round family set: Wooden Number Skittles

For most families, the set to buy is the Skittles Game – Wooden Number Skittles at £25.13. Each of the nine pins is numbered, so the set does two jobs at once: it plays as a proper nine-pin skittles game, and it gives younger children gentle early numeracy as they count their score and match the numbers.

It is the classic diamond layout in a size that suits the whole family. The pins are substantial enough to stand firm for a real game, light enough for a child to set up, and the set works just as well on the kitchen floor on a rainy day as it does out on the lawn. Indoor or in the garden, it is the one set that keeps everyone playing.

It is the set we recommend first because it does the most jobs well. A family game after tea, a back-garden tournament, a present for a household with mixed ages. The Wooden Number Skittles sit naturally alongside our other traditional games and are the easiest skittles purchase to feel good about.

Who it is for: families wanting one dependable wooden set for play plus early numeracy, indoor or garden, suitable from around age 3. Best all-round choice at £25.13.

Best for younger children: Wooden Animal Skittles

If you are buying for younger children, the Wooden Animal Skittles at £18.60 are the set to reach for. Instead of plain pins, each one is a friendly animal character, which turns a simple knock-down game into something a small child genuinely wants to come back to.

The characters do real work. A toddler who is not yet bothered about scoring will happily line the animals up, name them, and roll the ball just to watch them tumble, so the set teaches aim, turn-taking and hand-eye coordination almost by accident. The pins are nicely sized for little hands to grip and stand back up without help.

It is the obvious choice for ages where the fun matters more than the rules, and it grows with the child into proper nine-pin play. Lovely on the lounge floor and just as good outside on a dry day, it sits happily in our wider range of traditional games.

Who it is for: younger children who love characters, roughly age 2 and up. £18.60 buys friendly animal pins that make the game irresistible.

Best first set for toddlers: Colourful Baby Skittles

For the very youngest, the Colourful Baby Skittles at £14.44 are the ideal first set. The pins are soft to the touch, bright in colour and chunky enough for a toddler to grab in one fist, so a baby can take part long before they understand anything about scoring.

This is a set designed around small hands and short attention spans. The bold colours pull a toddler in, the chunky shape is easy to grip and stack, and there is nothing sharp or heavy to worry about as they wobble around setting the pins up and knocking them straight back down. It is play and gentle early learning rolled into one.

Think of it as the entry point to a lifetime of skittles. Start a child here, then move them up to the animal characters and on to the numbered set as they grow. It belongs with the gentler end of our wooden toys and games.

Who it is for: babies and toddlers taking their first roll, roughly age 1 and up. £14.44 for a soft, bright, chunky first skittles set.

Skittles vs other games, and what to avoid

Skittles earns its place against other family games because it is genuinely simple. There is no net to put up and no complicated scoring, just nine pins and a ball, so a game starts in seconds and anyone from a toddler to a grandparent can join. Compared with most board games it is more active, and it works just as well on the floor indoors as it does out on the grass.

If you are weighing it against the wider field, our complete guide to the best garden games for 2026 puts skittles in context with the rest of the range.

What to avoid matters just as much. Steer clear of flimsy hollow-plastic pins. They are light, they blow over in any wind outdoors, and they cheapen a game that is meant to feel solid. A well-made wooden pin is the whole point.

The other mistake is buying the wrong set for the age. A numbered family set is wonderful for a school-age child but fiddly for a one-year-old, while a chunky baby set will quickly bore an older child, so match the set to the player. For the youngest hands, the soft Colourful Baby Skittles are the safe call; for a child ready to count their score, the Wooden Number Skittles from our traditional games range are the one.

How much should you spend on a skittles set?

There are three sensible price points, and they map cleanly to three ages. Around £14 buys a toddler's first set: the Colourful Baby Skittles at £14.44 are soft, bright and chunky, perfect for a baby's first roll and nothing more than you need.

Around £18 buys a set younger children adore. The Wooden Animal Skittles at £18.60 are the choice when you want friendly characters that pull a small child into the game and grow with them.

Around £25 buys the best all-round family set. The Wooden Number Skittles at £25.13 give you a proper nine-pin game plus early numeracy, the set most households will be happiest with for years. The whole wooden range sits in the £14 to £25 band, so there is no need to overspend, just match the set to the age.

Frequently Asked Questions About Skittles Sets

What is the best skittles set to buy?

For most families the best skittles set to buy is a classic wooden nine-pin set in a family size, such as the Jaques Wooden Number Skittles at £25.13. The numbered pins give you a proper skittles game plus gentle early numeracy, and they play well for both adults and school-age children indoors or in the garden. For younger children, the Wooden Animal Skittles at £18.60 use friendly characters to pull a small child into the game, and for a toddler's very first set the soft Colourful Baby Skittles at £14.44 are the place to start.

How do you play garden skittles?

To play garden skittles, set up the nine pins in a tight diamond formation on flat ground. Players take turns standing behind an agreed throwing line and roll or underarm-throw a single wooden ball at the pins. You score one point for every pin you knock down, and knocking down all nine in one go is a full house. Reset the pins between turns, agree a number of rounds, and the player or team with the highest total wins. It is simple enough for children and competitive enough for adults, and it plays just as well on the floor indoors.

How many pins are in a skittles set?

A full traditional skittles set has nine pins, set up in a diamond formation, plus one ball used to knock them down. Nine is the standard British skittles count and is what distinguishes the game from ten-pin bowling, which added a tenth pin for the indoor American version. When you buy a skittles set, check that it includes all nine pins and at least one ball, ideally with a storage bag so the pieces stay together between games.

What wood are skittles made of?

Good skittles are made from solid wood, which is sturdy enough to stand firm and durable enough to last through childhood. Cheaper sets sometimes use light softwood or hollow plastic, both of which blow over too easily outdoors and wear out faster. Jaques wooden skittles are made from FSC-certified timber and finished with non-toxic, water-based paints, and the sets are independently tested to UKCA and CE standards. Solid wood is what gives a pin the weight and the satisfying topple that make the game feel right.

Are wooden skittles better than plastic?

Yes, wooden skittles are better than plastic for almost every family. Wooden pins are sturdier, so they stand firm and only fall when the ball actually hits them, which makes the game feel deliberate and satisfying. Hollow-plastic pins are light, tip over on their own outdoors, feel cheap and tend to crack or fade. Wood also feels nicer in a child's hands and lasts long enough to pass down to a younger sibling, which is exactly why every Jaques skittles set is made from solid wood.

What is a good skittles set for children?

A good skittles set for children uses wooden pins sized for little hands to lift, set up and knock down without help. For toddlers, the soft and chunky Colourful Baby Skittles at £14.44 are ideal from around age one. For younger children who love characters, the Wooden Animal Skittles at £18.60 turn the game into something they want to come back to from around age two. Once a child reaches school age and wants to count their score, the Jaques Wooden Number Skittles at £25.13 are the best all-round family set for mixed-age play with adults joining in.

Can skittles be left outside?

These are wooden sets, so they are best stored indoors, though they are perfectly happy for garden play. A solid wooden set will handle dew, sun and the odd shower during an afternoon's play, yet constant rain and damp will eventually dull any timber. The sensible routine is to play indoors or out, then dry the pins and store them somewhere sheltered in their bag or box. Treated that way, a Jaques wooden skittles set will last through childhood and beyond.

How much should I spend on a skittles set?

Spend around £14 for a toddler's first set, around £18 for a younger child's set, and around £25 for the best all-round family set. The Jaques range maps directly to these tiers: the Colourful Baby Skittles at £14.44 for a baby's first roll, the Wooden Animal Skittles at £18.60 for younger children who love characters, and the Wooden Number Skittles at £25.13 for family play plus early numeracy. The whole wooden range sits in the £14 to £25 band, so most buyers simply pick by the child's age.

Is skittles the same as bowling?

Skittles is the direct ancestor of ten-pin bowling, but it is not quite the same game. Traditional skittles uses nine pins set in a diamond and is played outdoors on grass or in pubs, with players rolling or throwing a single wooden ball. Ten-pin bowling added a tenth pin, arranged the pins in a triangle, and moved indoors onto a polished lane with a heavy drilled ball. The original nine-pin game is older, simpler and far more portable, which is exactly why it has survived for centuries.

How many players can play skittles?

Skittles works with two or more players and scales happily up to a large group. With two people you simply take turns and compare scores; with more, you can play in teams, run a knockout, or set a target like first to fifty. There is no maximum, which is why it suits family gatherings so well. Each player needs only a fair turn at the line, so even a big group keeps moving and nobody waits long between throws.