10 Great Ideas For Summertime Backyard Fun

Summer, with all of its sunshine, warmth and long, lazy days, is just a couple months away. Maybe you’re already planning your outdoor projects or perhaps you find yourself daydreaming about all the fun that summer ushers in. In the spirit of the season we’ve put together our list of 10 great ideas for backyard summertime fun!

1. Plant a veggie garden – Get the kids involved in designing, planning and planting a vegetable garden. It’s a tangible way to teach kids about where a lot of our food comes from, everything that plants need to grow (weeding included!) and the sweet reward of patience and hard work.

2. Host a lawn game tournament – Lawn games are a great way to bring people together. Consider inviting your neighbors over for a friendly badminton or lawn dart tournament. A few other fun lawn games include volleyball, disc golf, croquet, putt putt and cornhole!

3. Host an outdoor movie night – Pop some popcorn and bag it up in small paper bags. Hang a sheet from your garage door, grab your projector and invite friends over for a post-sunset showing of a favorite classic flick. The best part? Little or no cleanup needed!

4. Stargaze – Lay some blankets out on the lawn and spend a warm summer night listening to the night sounds and spying all the summer sky constellations. Consider dragging out your sleeping bag and pillow and sleeping under the stars!

5. Chalk paint your fence – This is a great idea for families with young children! Paint a section of your wood fence with chalk paint or better yet – enlist the kids to! Then allow them to “decorate” the fence with new chalk drawings and designs whenever they want. When they want to start over they can spray it off with the hose and wipe it down with a towel for unending, creative fun!

6. Host an old fashioned picnic – Invite your friends to pack their lunch in a picnic basket and bring a blanket to sit on and a bottle of wine to share. Prepare a big batch of fried chicken for your guests. Be sure to load your picnic basket with cheese, crackers and fresh, seasonal fruit! Play some old time tunes and don’t forget to challenge your guests to a game of croquet!

7. Host a BBQ potluck – Potlucks are arguably the easiest way to entertain guests, particularly when they’re outdoors in the summer! Invite your guests to bring something to throw on the grill and a dish to share. Provide a hot grill, kid and adult-friendly beverages, a garbage can and a recycling bin. Then put up some chairs, throw down a few blankets and voilà! You have yourself a backyard shindig that everyone will enjoy. Add to the fun by renting a bounce house or a cotton candy machine and end the night with an outdoor movie!

8. Tackle DIY projects – Maybe you spent a good portion of the winter months binge watching HGTV or reading up on the latest home trends and DIY projects. Because a lot of project are messy (think: spray paint), noisy or require a fair amount of space, summer is the easiest time to get those done. Drag your materials into the backyard to make that planter or bench or refinish the old hutch!

9. Camp out around your campfire – Camping is a lot of fun but it involves a ton of prep and set up. If you only have a little time or ambition think about setting up your tent in your backyard, making a campfire (s’ mores are not optional!) and sharing some scary stories. It’s an easy way to get the camping experience (and the campfire-in-your-hair smell) without all the hassle.

10. Create kid-centric game stations – Here’s a fun idea for your kids and their friends! Set up a handful of age-appropriate game stations in your backyard. These can be anything from crafts to a water balloon toss to board games and of course – the snack station! The kids can then rotate around to the different stations and enjoy each other’s company and some quality “unplugged” time.

Consider teaming up with McDonough Landscaping to get your backyard ready for a whole lot of summertime fun! From helping you plant and maintain your flower beds to adding a patio or walkway to naturally spraying for mosquitoes and ticks, we’ve got you covered. Contact us today – summer will be here before you know it!

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