We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed and its publishing partners may collect a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.
1. A giant Jenga set so you and your guests can play a competitive (but friendly, of course) game outside. It also comes with a heavy-duty carrying bag to store the blocks in when you're done!
2. A classic ring toss game that'll keep you on your toes while you practice your best throws! If you're looking for a reason to drag everyone outside, this is a good one.
JnJ Handmade is a family-owned Etsy shop in Wisconsin that specializes in a variety of handmade items, including yard games, home decor, and DIY kits.
Promising review: "Better than I thought it would be! This is a great game to get the family going at a backyard gathering!" —Ayoka
Get it from JnJ Handmade on Etsy for $50.39+ (available in three stains).
3. An inflatable pool because as soon as the weather warms up, you'll want to cool off by splashing around and having some fun. It doesn't take up as much space *or* require as much maintenance as a permanent pool. Reviewers also say it's quick and easy to inflate!
It's also got a bench and cup holders!
Promising review: "I have had this pool for about two weeks now, and I LOVE IT!!! Was simple to set up; I got a little electric pump, and it took about 10 minutes to inflate, then about half an hour to fill with water. Pay attention to make sure you set it up on level ground or it will be lopsided. I live in South Carolina so it is already hot and humid, and I use it about every afternoon. It is probably good for two adults, maybe one adult and a couple of kids. The built-in seat and headrest are really quite comfy and relaxing. I will definitely buy this same pool again if it springs a leak and can't be fixed, if I could give it 10 stars, I would. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!!!" —kathryn j.
Get it from Amazon for $42.49.
4. A party-worthy cornhole set perfect for hosting backyard gatherings with your most serious cornhole player friends. No, but really, this thing is regulation size so no one will complain about the quality!
This set includes two regulation size (4 feet x 2 feet) Cornhole boards for authentic gameplay, eight all-weather regulation bean bags, a carrying case, bean bag tote, and rule book.
Promising review: "Bought this for my husband for our anniversary in honor of our first summer in a home with a back yard! However, this item comes with a carrying case for storage and portability so you could take it to the local park as well. I like that it's blank and no design. My hubby has mentioned trying to paint it like the Colorado flag since we are in Colorado. Anyway, LOVE IT and it's been fun for all during BBQs or family dinners on the patio. It's great for kiddos and adults. :) We have had it nearly three years now and it's still in great shape!" —Angie
Get it from Amazon for $129.99 (also available in a tailgate size).
5. A jumbo four-in-a-row game if you're so over traditional tabletop games and want to try something different. It's super easy to assemble and comes with a carrying bag for when your friends beg you to bring it over to their backyard.
Promising review: "My son oftentimes has many of the neighborhood kids at our house playing. We have the pool and the trampoline and wanted something a little different. This hit the spot! Everyone has a blast with it! Both children as well as adults! It's so easy to put together too! Very well built and good quality. I love the carry case that it comes in — a nice sturdy canvas. I highly recommend." —LOVIN LIFE IN AZ
Get it from Amazon for $99.99 (available in two stains).
6. A paddle toss and ball set when you want to take a stroll down memory lane *and* enjoy a good old game of catch. This is a great way to teach young kids to learn how to play, too.
The set includes two Velcro paddles, two balls, and a storage bag.
Promising review: "My 5-year-old granddaughter loves playing catch with me. She is able to easily develop great eye-hand coordination with this toy. Great for indoors or outdoors." —Barbara Smith
Get a set of two from Amazon for $17.99 (available in 13 colors).
7. A colorful croquet set you'll want to add to your growing collection of yard games ASAP! It's a game the whole family can play outside that'll tear them away from those pesky screens for a bit.
This set includes six 28" Burlywood hardwood handles, six 8" hardwood mallets with caps for added protection, two 18" hardwood ending stakes, six 2.8" weather-resistant molded balls, nine steel wickets with vinyl coating, and a nice bag to carry it all in.
Promising review: "This croquet set is artfully made and really such a steal for the money you will pay! The sticks and mallets are all made out of durable hard wood and the mallets have a rubber sleeve that goes on each end to help protect the mallet from damage overtime. The balls are on the heavier side, as they should be. They are resistant to weather, so no need to pick them up if you didn't finish your game, same with the wickets. All of this comes in a nice carrying case that can actually handle the weight of the set itself! The colors are vibrant so there will be no question which ball is yours and genuinely I do not feel like they will fade or lose their quality. I would absolutely buy this again!" —Dido
Get it from Amazon for $41.99 (available in two colors).
8. A kid-friendly sprinkler splash pad that will be a true savior on those scorching summer days when everyone (yes, even you) needs to get some sweet relief from the heat.
Splash EZ is a small business run by parents who were looking for a fun and safe way to entertain their kids, which is how the sprinkler splash pad was born.
Promising review: "My 2-year-old and 10-year-old kids and 32-year-old husband love it. Super easy to put together. Great for easy cool down in the back for those without a pool. Florida living here, so water is a must in summer. Has held up very well in terms of durability. Left it out for a few days, and it still worked great." —Deja T.
Get it from Amazon for $24.95+ (available in four designs).
9. Twister Splash for taking your family game night to the next level with a fun ~twist~ on one of the most legendary games ever!
The game comes with an inflatable splash mat, hose connector, waterproof spinner, and gameplay instructions.
Promising review: "Fun for all ages. Such a fun twist on an already loved game! This kept my 4- and 7-year-olds' 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 $15.99+ (also available in a larger size).
10. A rainbow-colored saucer swing guaranteed to make outdoor playtime the best part of the day at your house! It can be hung inside OR outside and will probably become your kiddo's new place to ~hang~ out and have fun with friends.
Promising review: "A great investment to your backyard. My 6-year-old daughter and 4-year-old son use it everyday, they love it. It's great for quarantine since the parks are closed. I have used it for over a month with no issues. Also, it is good for two kids so they can ride together and not fight over whose turn is next :)" —J Arroyo
Get it from Amazon for $57.99 (available in two sizes).
11. A hook and ring game if you want to put your coordination skills to the test with a highly addictive game you'll play whenever you're outside.
Tiki Toss is a small biz that took a classic hook and ring game to the next level by creating several unique ways to play it.
Promising review: "We all love this game. Everyone who comes over cannot stop playing Tiki Toss. So simple and so fun. Quality and design of product is fantastic. Also makes a great gift." —jzek
Get it from Amazon for $12.17+ (available in three sizes).
12. A WowWee Nerf Super Soaker RoboBlaster because kids just wanna have fun and sometimes that means blasting water everywhere, but this will give them a target to aim for so you stay dry! They can team up with friends or play solo.
Promising review: "This water blaster connects to your garden hose — and then it's so much fun for the kids. We've had some recent hot days, and my son and his friends have entertained themselves for hours outside with this SuperSoaker blaster. It comes with some targets to aim at — but the kids like spraying each other." —Kevinbeijing
Get it from Amazon for $15.59.
13. Waterproof playing cards so the adults can kick back and enjoy the pool while playing a riveting round of poker. You don't have to worry about them getting wet, so splash your heart out!
Promising review: "These playing cards are a HIT. I take them out with me for social events and when visiting people, even to the beach. We just play and play. So you can get them wet and they won't soggy up and tear it just become a little hard to shuffle. It is so cool that they look like you can see right straight through them but you can't." —Tabs
Get them from Amazon for $6.97.
14. A hilarious avocado floatie with a brown beach ball as the pit! Get rid of the ball when you want to relax and float then bring it back when you're ready to toss it around the pool.
Promising review: "We had a pump to blow this up. The seed/ball was easy enough to blow up without the pump. The valves hold air in well enough that it gives you time to plug the valve without much air escaping. It looks awesome, was fun to use and doubles as a game! Try to send the pit home! It's harder than you think! I highly recommend it!" —Caresse Vera
Get it from Amazon for $16.99+ (available in three sizes).
15. A poolside basketball game that both kids and adults will get a kick out of. It's super durable thanks to the weighted base that fills with water, so it won't get easily tipped over when the competition heats up.
This game includes one splash hoop, two inflatable water basketballs, and a ball pump.
Promising review: "We love our splash hoop! It was very easy to assemble and we had it put together in no time. It’s very durable and the kids can’t stop playing with it. It comes with two basketballs and a pump which was a great added feature. The base is filled with water making it hard to move and stable (for dunking or long range shots). If you’re looking to add some fun to your summer pool experience, this is a great investment!" —Keith Regan
Get it from Amazon for $93.99+ (available in three colors or check out this floating basketball hoop!).
16. A 2-in-1 checkers and tic tac toe game so you can sprawl out on the lawn and play a few rounds of your fave games on a lazy afternoon. Don't forget the snacks!
The game mat measures 4' x 4' and is machine washable! It comes with a carrying bag and 24 jumbo playing discs (12 red and 12 black). The discs are made of non-toxic recycled EVA foam.
Swooc Games is a small biz that makes fun games for family and friends. The company is committed to maintaining a net zero footprint by planting trees to offset 100% of its carbon emissions.
Promising review: "This 4 feet by 4 feet reversible game mat is great for indoor and outdoor fun! I love that you can play Checkers or Tic Tac Toe and all of the supplies fit in a portable bag that is perfect for storage and/or traveling. The mat is machine washable and the pieces are made of foam that is eco-friendly. The best part about this game set is how easy it is to set up and put away. I am looking forward to using this game with friends, family, and in my classroom." —Sixth Grade Teachers
Get it from Amazon for $39.99.
17. A slip-and-slide with three body boards for a heavy dose of nostalgia if you remember the days when you were slippin' and slidin' on one of these. Now it's time to pass down the tradition to your little ones!
Promising review: "We have had no rips or tears, and we've used it half a dozen times, including at two birthday parties, so it's had some intense use. My kids love it. It does work best on flat ground; it keeps the water pressure up at both ends. If we use it on a hot, sunny day, the grass does turn brown under it, but I'm optimistic it will come back. Great product! I looked up a lot of similar products and am very happy with this one." —Kindle Customer
Get it from Amazon for $40.99+ (available in three sizes and six colors).
18. An impressive giant bubble kit if you're looking for hours of outdoor entertainment that everyone will love. It comes with a two-handle wand so you'll be making some epic bubbles even your neighbors will applaud.
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: "Love this!! Easy for kids to use — my six-year-old son figured it out pretty quick — and fun for adults as well (my husband and I might have played with it as much as our son did...) Makes amazing bubbles. The bubble mix it comes with is fantastic." —Thomas Durant
Get it from Amazon for $15.95+ (available in seven styles).
19. A miniature golf set so you can create your own mini golf course right in your backyard. Set challenging obstacles and change up the location of the holes to keep things interesting!
Set comes with nine holes, four golf balls, and a dry-erase scorecard. To play at night like the reviewers above, grab some light-up golf balls. And don't forget clubs!
Promising review: "We tried to set it up in the grass, and that's not really ideal but on a patio or down a hall — it's so much better. The silicone molding is so lightweight and the little flag centers are marvelous to make you feel like you are more than a new learner! The set is complete with four foam balls and a score board that you use a dry-erase marker on. GREAT to use only a few of the pieces for a short game for kiddos or the entire set for a more competitive experience." —Momakookie
Get it from Amazon for $34.99.
20. A Spikeball set that both beginners and yard game experts will have a ~ball~ playing. It's similar to volleyball in the sense that teams alternate possessions of the ball and attempt to spike it away from each other.
This has foldable legs, an adjustable net, and comes with three balls.
Promising review: "We play this any time we are at the beach. It takes about 5-10 minutes to set up and take down. It’s very durable, one of our friends landed on it and it got squished but survived." —Macy
Get the set from Amazon for $62.
21. Or a standard volleyball set if you really want to show off your spiking skills and get a serious game going. You can easily pack it up and take it to the beach, too!
This set includes the volleyball net, a volleyball, a ball pump with needle, two adjustable steel poles, one set of weather-resistant boundary lines, and one carrying bag.
Promising review: "We upgraded our backyard v-ball net and this one is great! We used some spiral spikes we had laying around to make it extra secure, but the ones they provide work great also. Net is good quality and poles are very sturdy. The boundary lines are already measured and come with spikes in place. Loved that! We used two adults for setup and it was so easy. Maybe took 10 minutes and the hardest part was opening all the boxes. You could do it with one person also. So happy with this purchase." —Kaylee Crawford
Get the set from Amazon for $94.95+ (also available in a professional style OR check out this pool volleyball net).
22. A game of bocce ball everyone will enjoy — it can be played with two to eight players and comes with everything you need to get started!
This set includes eight bocce balls (two red, two blue, two green, two yellow), one while pallino, one measuring rope, and a carrying bag.
Promising review: "As my first and only bocce ball set, I am impressed with the durability and ease to store the set. We kept the box to go inside the storage bag because it keeps it firm and sturdy. My son has dropped these balls on concrete and I haven’t ever noticed any damage! We have played a lot this summer, and love them!" —Chad J.
Get it from Amazon for $35.99.
23. OR a glow-in-the-dark bocce ball set so you can get your bocce on at night! Let's be honest, most outdoor games are *much* more fun when you can play 'em at night.
This set comes with eight multi-colored, weather-resistant, LED bocce balls, a white weather-resistant LED jack ball, a retractable measuring tape, batteries, and a canvas case.
Get it from Tenalach for $99.99.
The reviews for this post have been edited for length and clarity.