1. A giant tower game set to help round out your outdoor game selection. People love to take this on the go for camping and beach trips, too.
Promising review: "Really fun game. We have a crew that gets together regularly to play different games. This summer, we focused on outdoor games.
The Giant Tower was a huge hit for our last get-together. The individual blocks are sturdy, finished well for this purpose, and actually pretty. The storage crate was easy to put together and works well not only for compact and organized storage but, also for a firm base to set up for play on the grass outdoors.
I highly recommend this game!" — Yosemite_Sam Get it from Amazon for $129.99 . 2.
A giant bubble kit can create some beautiful, enchanting fun when all the other toys get a bit tired. (Adults will love this too!) The kit comes with the giant bubble wand, two pouches of bubble concentrate, and a booklet to help you become a skilled bubble creator! Promising review: "I planned a play date for my 7-year-old granddaughter and a classmate. Even little children can make gigantic bubbles larger than themselves.
This is a must-have for inexpensive, family outdoor hilarity. If they weren't trying to circle themselves in a bubble belt or seeing just how long of a giant bubble tube they could make, they were body-slamming someone else's. And then the grown-ups gave it a try.
Really, really fun. And one packet of the bubble solution really does make hundreds of giant bubbles." — Purchaser Get it from Amazon for $15.
19+ (available in six styles). 3. A trampoline sprinkler that won't let the sweats keep you and your fam from enjoying the best thing about your backyard.
Promising review : "We really love this product. You get wet almost immediately all over, and it’s so fun. Also had the area to warm up.
" — marsha johnson Get it from Amazon $14.99+ (available in five styles). 4.
A watermelon pool ball that'll easily move through the water in your pool and stand up to all kinds of punishment (ahem, fun) thanks to its PVC construction. If you're lucky enough to have a backyard pool, you should be taking advantage with this and all kinds of other toys and games! Note: Because the watermelon ball is full of water, it's heavier than other types of balls, so many reviewers warn against throwing it at people's heads! Promising review : "I bought this as a replacement to the one my mom bought my kids years ago. It's really fun, goes a long distance underwater, and is very durable.
Easy to fill with the needle it comes with and haven't needed to add more water all summer." — Rebecca Butcher Get it from Amazon for $17.54 (available in two sizes, two colors, and a glow-in-the-dark version).
5. A 24-piece croquet set to help you cosplay as Heathers — just without all the backstabbing and murdering. This is also low-key enough to where you can be pretty leisurely while sipping on your pal's famous lavender lemonade.
For all ages (but honestly, probably 3+ to start)! Promising reviews: "Great fun for the whole family! This croquet set is well-made! It was easy to set up, and the mallets are sturdy. This set is super lightweight but very durable. My whole family has been enjoying it since we got it.
" — Paige Hemmings "After reviewing some of the super expensive ones and the cheap ones, I opted for this set. I think the quality is on par for the price. The plastic end caps are a must-have to protect the mallets when letting younger kids play ;) It was easy to screw the mallet head and shaft together.
Being able to throw them in a bag fully assembled makes life easy. I did have one mallet that was missing a plastic endcap. Instead of returning the whole thing knowing it was likely going to get thrown out over something so minor, I contacted the seller, who was able to help.
So extra points for the seller’s customer service!" — Austin Get it from Amazon for $41.99 (available in two wood grains). 6.
A Twister Splash water game because this summer's weather means that anytime you can incorporate anything vaguely sprinkler-like, it's a great idea. For ages 6+. Promising reviews: "Such a fun twist on an already loved game! This kept my 4- and 7-year-old's attention for a while! Each spot you put your hand on sprays water; whoever stays up the longest wins! Even the adults had to try it out.
I was a little nervous with the quality of the plastic, but it withheld adults and kids moving all around it without any holes." — Deborah Gaffney Get it from Amazon for $16.99+ (available in two styles).
7. A birdfeeder rigged with a camera so you'll enjoy the feasting birds, even when you're stuck indoors. Promising review: "I put this on our shed facing the yard, kind of a dial-watching camera and wildlife viewing.
It’s really fun to see the different birds come by. It was easy to set up, use, and connect. It is in part shade, but so far, there is no issue with the charging.
Will see about that in winter. Really fun device. Will like to get another for my dad as a Father’s Day present in the future.
" — SS Get it from Amazon for $129 . 8. A hook-and-ring game can work in even tiny outdoor spaces.
You may not be able to sign up for a one-hour surf lesson at a White Lotus resort in Hawaii this summer, but you can play with this surfboard-shaped game! Tiki Toss is a small business that took a classic hook and ring game to the next level by creating several unique ways to play it. Promising review: "Love the compactness without taking a lot of room. Super hard and really fun having everybody trying different strategies.
I wish the telescoping pole was a little sturdier, but I’ll deal with that if it becomes a problem. I recommend this to anyone who loves playing games outside." — Mark A.
Desanto Get it from Amazon for $11.99+ (available in two sizes). 9.
A Chuckit! ball launcher to help you throw your dog's ball like you're a Marvel superhero. And also tire them out a bit more without tiring *yourself* out. This is especially great for days when the backyard's gotta be the dog park.
Talk about an efficient session of catch! Promising review: "Really fun for fetchers! We've got a golden retriever and a pug russel mix, and both of them love playing fetch. Unfortunately, I have a pretty pathetic pitch. I have to give it everything I've got to get any distance, so after just a few throws, my shoulder hurts, my hands are slimy, and the dogs are still rearing to go.
Which is why I LOVE THIS TOY!! I can send it so much farther without having to put in so much effort. My favorite part is having clean hands and tired dogs! The product comes with one "Chuckit" ball but also works with standard tennis balls (which I recommend). The Chuckit balls aren't very durable, and it seemed like the dogs were having a harder time seeing the darker colors in the grass and water.
" — Carolyn Get it from Amazon for $5.79+ (available in five lengths). 10.
Plus, a 2-in-1 baseball and tennis pitching machine when you're too tired to pitch yourself. Its auto mode tosses a ball every five seconds *or* you can use a remote control mode (via the bat, but not the racket). For ages 5+.
Promising reviews: "I bought this product for my son for his birthday. We love playing with this 2-in-1 pitching machine. Once we started, we didn't want to stop.
Fun inside and out. Probably the best toy we've purchased in a long time. Love it! Has provided our whole family with boundless happiness during the year.
There was a little problem with the product, and the seller patiently helped me to solve it. It was a perfect shopping experience." — Dawn T.
Spaur "We have had this toy for more than three months, which has brought us a lot of fun; this machine is attractive for every child, even adults, but needs a lot of batteries. I will recommend buying a battery that can be charged; it is more economical for you..
.I was very satisfied and bought it again as a birthday gift for my nephew's sixth birthday party." — scot k.
paulson Get it from Amazon for $38.49 . 11.
A TikTok-popular inflatable hot tub that'll be a great addition to your backyard whether you have a pool or not! You're about to clock sooo many hours in this. It sports 120 air jets and heats up quickly to a soothing 104 degrees — just imagine this on a clear night with a glass of your favorite chilled drink. Reviewers say about 2–3 people is the max for the most comfortable fit.
Check it out in this TikTok . Promising review: " This hot tub has provided our family of four endless fun this spring/summer. Great alternative to getting a pool when you don’t have a very big space.
We love using it on cool days and evenings. The best part is, even on very hot days, you can keep the heat off, and the water stays cool! Kids are able to use it to cool off and play during hot days." — Kimberly Chambert Get it from Amazon for $445.
75+ (available in two colors). 12. A pouch of Magical Flames you drop onto your wood fire to create a colorful, magical effect in your firepit you've been saying you need to use more often.
This is a great excuse! Promising review: "These are really fun! Hard to find in stores, so a box of them from Amazon is perfect to have on hand." — Lisa Powell Get a 25-pack from Amazon for $19.99 .
13. Rapid-fill water balloons that'll cut down on prep time and get to the backyard fun so much faster. Now if you can just invent a "cleanup" game to play after.
Promising review: "Remember when we had to blow up every balloon by hand as a kid? Not anymore!! These are a dream come true...
. 30 in all and fill quite easily..
.. if it doesn't fit your hose or sink component, you can just hold the filler end firmly against a stream of water, and they will fill.
Once almost filled, you can give them a shake and they fall off to the ground like ripe fruit!!! They are really fun to play with...
not too oversized that they become dangerous to throw. The only downside is they do leave shreads of little plastic when they pop that you have to clean up..
.. but part of the deal!" — baby momma knows Get 350 balloons from Amazon for $24.
99 . 14. A supersize version of Connect Four can provide all kinds of fun whether you're child-free adults sipping on margaritas outside or a family chock full of kids who can't sit still.
Promising review: "This is really fun. We all have a great time playing this." — Wil Hadt Get it from Amazon for $77.
99+ (available in two sizes). 15. A Laser Tag game so you can actually say out loud, "We have laser tag at home," the next time your kids want to venture out for it.
Or just anytime you and your thirtysomethings pals want to do something besides axe-throwing or going to a brewery. This system has rechargeable batteries and LCD screens to help you keep score. For ages 8+.
Includes four rechargeable guns, four rechargeable vests, and one charging station. You can play about eight games per charge. The LCD screens keep track of your "lives," and the vests vibrate when you're "tagged.
" This set allows for up to four players, but you can expand that by adding other sets — they will all work together! Promising review: "This is one of the best birthday presents for my daughter's 14th birthday! Fun for the whole family!!! We have all enjoyed this gift which gets everyone outside and running, something we adults don't do very often!! It took some coaxing to get our 18-year-old son to participate, but once he started playing, he had a great time, also, and didn't want to stop!!!" — Amazon Customer Get it from Amazon for $169.99 (clip the coupon on the product page to save $20). 16.
A set of jumbo lawn dice you'll keep handy for those lazy afternoons when you wanna do something besides just sit around your resort-like backyard. But what do you do with them? Well, you can use them to play huge versions of your favorite dice games or invent your own! Plus, they come with dry-erase game boards to keep all participants honest ;). Promising review: " If you grew up playing Yahtzee, you will love this large version to play in the grass.
I also love that it comes with two dry-erase boards to keep score." — Sadie Get them from Amazon for $35.08 .
17. A Step2 water table that, according to my colleague Heather Braga , is THE hottest thing for toddlers. Simply put it on your patio, fill it with water, and let your little one go to town with buckets, spinners, and a waterfall.
Promising review: "Really fun water play! This has brought hours of fun! I put it on our screened-in porch where I can sit and watch the grandchildren play and not have to fret over one getting hurt in a plastic baby pool...
water is fun without the stress!! The way grandma likes it!" — Stxmom6 Get it from Amazon for $79.99 . 18.
Waterproof Uno cards to withstand some tense games at the beach, pool, lake, boat, wherever! What a great option for when everyone gets tired out from beach games and come under the umbrella for some respite from the sun. Promising review: "These were a lot of fun to play while at the pool with my family. We actually played this at the shallow end of a pool, and as long as you are extra careful and don’t let the stack slip out of your hands.
.. this is really fun to have at a party or vacation with the family.
" — Erica Get them from Amazon for $7.67 . 19.
Some waterproof playing cards so you can play all sorts of different games during your downtime, or just on the beach while the waves are gently crashing nearby. Promising review: "This was an impulse buy and so glad I did it. Took them on vacation and they worked so well on the beach and sand.
A must-have." — paul molacek "Really fun and durable." — Kim Leverett Get them from Amazon for $5.
97 . 20. Spikeball will provide lots of fun at the beach.
It's a little like volleyball and will ALSO make for lots of backyard fun! Recommended for adults. Spikeball is a small biz! Promising review: "It's a really fun game and relatively easy to set up, though complicated enough that we'll most likely leave it assembled in the backyard and only break it down if we're going camping or something. There's a choice of a three-ball version or a one-ball version — get the three-ball.
The other two balls are just there in case you lose one over the fence, or the dog runs off with it or something, but it's a good idea to have the extras on hand." — jkrispies Get it from Amazon for $69.95 .
21. A mini sprinkler pool to help the fam cool off and get some water time without having to dump out a kiddie pool's worth of water once the fun has wrapped. Several reviewers shared that this little pool kept their kids engaged for hours.
Promising review: "This has been a really fun addition to summer. Currently using for 3-year-old toddler boy, who loves to splash through, but for water conservation purposes, we turn the water hose off and then essentially it becomes a big puddle for him to splash in and have a grand old time..
" — Sami Jaffery Get it from Amazon for $24.99 . 22.
A ladder toss game set that'll be quick to assemble and quick to start some serious fun. AND in case you're always getting in arguments over game stores, these beauts have built-in score trackers. For ages 6+.
Set includes two targets with score trackers, six rubber bolos, a carrying case, and rules. Promising reviews: "This has been a really fun game for our family of five! It's sturdy and easy to assemble. It has even held up against my 4-year-old.
My kids love the point tracker that's built in. It's also easy enough for my kids to take it apart and put it away in the storage bag. I recommend this yard game!" — Brie Get it from Amazon for $30.
99+ (available in two styles). 23. An OG nine-pattern sprinkler will keep your lawn adequately watered while providing some serious entertainment.
Classic. Promising review: "Bought this sprinkler for outside fun for the kids and it’s great. Love the different spray settings.
It’s a little difficult for me to unhook from the hose, but overall, I really like it. Wish it had a on-off switch on the sprinkler." — beachgirl Get it from Amazon for $21.
47+ (available in six colors). 24. A Throw Throw Burrito Extreme "Outdoor Edition" game because you've gotta love a game that lets you *safely* throw stuff.
The whole point is to collect matching cards and then, YES, throw giant inflatable burritos. For ages 7+. Exploding Kittens is a small biz! Promising review: "Really fun! It gets your competitive juices flowing.
Three different options for throwing the burrito really keeps you on your toes." — Ed Get it from Amazon for $22.73 .
25. A classic cornhole game set in case your go-to excuse for heading to the local brewery is all their fun outdoor games. The brewery is at home now! For all ages! Promising review: "We love this cornhole set.
We’ve tried others in the past that just weren’t as sturdy or nice as these ones. The colored cornhole bags are great as well. They are big and filled with the right amount of sand.
If you are thinking about getting a cornhole set this is the one. We got the 3x2 rustic. Perfect size.
" — Jenna Rodriguez "Really fun, simple, and easily accessible." — Amazon Customer Get it from Amazon for $99.99+ (available in 12 designs).
26. A "toss and catch" paddle board ball game to help your kids get a taste of your '90s childhood. Was it just me who spent HOURS playing with these?! For ages 3+.
Promising reviews: "A ball he can catch! It was really fun to play with my grandson. He is awesome when his face lights up. So, easy to play with.
" — Anna K Payne Get it from Amazon for $19.79 . 27.
An adjustable Ninja Warrior obstacle course so you and the kids can put your money where your mouth is after watching people go through the courses on TV. (Psst, it's good for people up to 250 pounds.) For ages 3+.
Requires two mature trees or pillars with a maximum distance of 39–42 feet between them. Promising review: " Simple to set up and fun for the whole family! This obstacle course has been great! It holds both of my daughters’ weight (and my own) easily, and I had no trouble setting it up. I hung the lines between two very large maple trees and just wish the tree protectors had been a bit longer.
Otherwise, it was an absolute cinch to put into place. I can tell that this product will last for a very long time, and I am so glad I made this purchase. The pieces seem very sturdy and durable, and my 4- and 7-year-old children have had no trouble using any of the equipment so far.
" — R. Segali "Really fun for a 5-year-old." — RD Get it from Amazon for $143.
98 (clip the coupon on the product page to save $25). 28. A outdoor ring toss game in case your pals and family members like to keep it simple when it comes to game rules.
For ages 4+. Promising review: "I bought this game for my 5-year-old grandson because he needs practice with his fine motor skills and to learn good sportsmanship. This game was just perfect for that and so much fun for the whole family.
We all played with it the first night it arrived and loved it! My grandson was so happy to be able to make so many of the ring tosses onto the pegs, and by the end of the evening, after all the practice with each family member, he was very proud to be the WINNER. We did let him stand about four feet from the peg base while the adults were further back. It was also easy to pick up and put away.
Now he wants his own game for his house!" — Linda D. "Most adults and children will enjoy this game! It's really fun and challenging unless you're standing on top of it!" — Robert B Get it from Amazon for $36.99 .
29. A glow-in-the-dark "Capture The Flag" game to break out when you're SUPER competitive cousins come over for a Saturday. And if you're feeling "meh" about game play, there are 12 variations! For ages 8+.
Promising reviews: "This was truly a game of fun for our whole family ! The kids had a blast, and so did the adults. Definitely would recommend this for any family who is looking for an outdoor summertime game for after a BBQ or take it out for camping." — Sabrina T "This game was a huge hit with our 11- and 9-year-old boys and other neighborhood kids of varying ages.
They figured it out themselves and had a blast for 90 minutes until kids had to go in for the night." — Michelle Pfefferle Get it from Amazon for $49.90 .
30. BasketPong , which is sorta like a giant beer pong game. 'Tis time to put your pal to shame who SWEARS that they're still amazing at beer pong.
(Ahem, my friend Aaron.) But, obviously, this is family friendly! BasketPong is a small biz that created this game. Promising review: "This game is so much fun! The product arrived faster than expected.
I brought the game to the barbecue that we went to, and everybody had so much fun playing outside. The carrying case is very convenient and of higher quality than I expected. I can’t wait to bring this to the beach in a couple of weeks and to my friend’s bachelor party in September.
" — Quinn Gondeck Get it from Amazon for $154.99 . 31.
A splash side and bodyboards that reviewers say are very simple to set up. Now, parents can decide if they want to join in on the fun or watch kids have fun from the shade. Jambo is a small biz specializing in splash outdoor recreation products.
Promising review: "This item was easy to set up and has been the moat fun these kids have had in their own backyard. Best money ever spent." — cute shirt but runs very small.
Get it from Amazon for $39.99 . Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.
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