Since we’re all going to be spending way more time in our own backyards this summer than we might’ve planned, the best (and most fun) thing you can do for yourself and your family is to be ready for an epic at-home summer! We put together this list of backyard summer essentials that will keep you, the kids, and your spouse entertained and outside all summer-long.
Backyard Summer Essentials:
Go big or go home, as they say. We LOVE our waterslide! If you have the space and want to really get the party started in your backyard this summer, consider investing in a giant “water park”! It’s a safe, fun activity that will keep the kids busy all day while you work on your tan.
There’s nothing wrong with a little friendly family competition. This low-energy yard game is a great option for some focused wind time down, either before or after family dinner.
If you don’t have room for a mini water park, Slip N Slides have never failed us. They’ve been around for years and never get old! As long as you can arrange them on a flat, smooth surface (that is, a substantial patch of smooth grass with no rocks, sticks, or other objects that your child could hit on the way down), it’s a safe and often hilarious way to spend the afternoon!
Who doesn’t love s’mores?! These extra long roasting sticks make it easy and safe for the kids to get their ‘mallow on and learn some hard-won lessons on what makes the perfect s’more. Don’t be surprised if a game of Chubby Bunny breaks out, too!
You want to give your littles somewhere safe and shaded to sit outside, so why not a cute kids picnic table! This one even comes with a built-in umbrella, protecting your babies from harsh sun rays while they sit and play.
If you’ve been debating whether or not to get the kids a playhouse, this summer is definitely the time to do it! It’s a little place of their own that encourages them to use their imaginations as they play house.
One of the cheapest, fastest, and best ways to have fun and stay cool with the kids during the summer are water balloons! This mega pack has 420 multi-color, self-seal water balloons. All you have to do is fill them with water, hand them off, and watch them fly! Plus, it helps them with agility, hand/eye coordination, and healthy competition! These are one of our most used items on the Backyard Summer Essentials list.
Sidewalk chalk is a quiet, relaxing activity to take up when the water activities need a break. This particular pack from Amazon has 144 pieces of chalk in 18 different colors, and they’re all jumbo-sized! This is a fun and easy way to get their artwork skills and imaginations flowing and let the neighborhood see their creations.
Another wildly fun (and low effort) activity for the backyard are bubbles! Create a little bit of magic with this automatic, professional bubble maker to keep them happy and entertained!
Super safe, super fun, and a great way from them to practice their future, real-life bowling skills! They’ll be hitting strikes before you know it.
Teach them dice and also perfect their stacking skills with these massive, life-size dice! Bonus: you can practice counting and basic math, too!
Twinkly Lights:
What backyard is complete without the magic that are twinkly lights?! If you’ve been meaning to hang some, add these to cart now without a second thought. There’s no better time than this summer!
We all know what cornhole is and how much fun it can be. This is a great game for the whole family (dad + daughter vs. mom + son, kids vs. parents, etc.) and takes serious concentration—AKA, it will keep everyone distracted for hours!
An oldie but goodie! This classic game takes up barely any space and is easy to take out, step up, and play.
JENGA! We love the original wood block game so much. You can play alone or with as many people as possible, which makes it so versatile, and this GIANT Jenga is too fun! When fully assembled, the tower stands at 2 feet tall. Just play extra carefully as the blocks are still made of wood.
Encourage them to learn this game of serious skill and strategy right in your backyard! Who knows—you may have the next chess champion on your hands.
Another classic game from France that takes up little space and is more than easy to set up to play. We love these steel Bocce balls, too—they’re so sleek and easy to see shining in the grass!
If horseshoes are a little too heavy for your liking, consider getting a ring toss set for the family this summer! Same idea, but way lighter and less dangerous if a ring happens to hit someone’s leg or foot (ouch!).
If you don’t have a pool or an area of space you approve of for a Slip N Slide, consider a splash pad! These are so easy to set up, and this particular one is nearly 6 feet wide, so multiple kids can splash and play. Plus, the bottom is a fun biology lesson featuring fun characters like a starfish, octopus, seahorse, and submarine!
Regular old sprinklers are great, but you can really up the ante this summer by surprising the kids with this amazing unicorn, blow up sprinkler! How fun is this? We may even get it just for ourselves…
When all else fails, look to the bounce house. Get out what little energy they have left after a full day in the sun with a bounce house where they can jump, slide, and scream about summertime!
