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1. Pull together decor for an outdoor room or just cover up an ugly surface with an indoor/outdoor rug built to weather rain and more.
2. Cover up a hard surface that, tbh, is beyond visual help with interlocking teak tiles you don't need tools to install. They're great for rental properties because you can take them apart and take them with you when you move!
3. Create some romance with a variety of sunflower seeds that might just turn your backyard into the #1 destination for graduation pics this year.
Created by Nature is a small business!
Promising review: "Planted a handful of the seeds in our front lawn area. Few months later, and we had a spectacular color array. Great flowers!" —Shane
Get it from Amazon for $14.99.
4. Don't shy away from scattering container plants throughout your yard! They'll give your space ~levels~ of visual interest, especially if you're working in a space with few (or no) flower beds and lots of hard surfaces — like in this gorgeous Brooklyn backyard makeover.
5. But if you're not sure where you start, invest in a pair of matching containers you can set on your patio, along walkways, or around seating areas.
6. Roll out a weather-resistant cedar pathway along garden beds or other paths where your family tends to tread and wear down the grass.
7. String up waterproof globe lights for a big style impact when hung along your roofline, draped on outdoor structures like a pergola, or just strung up solo so you can enjoy the lights *and* the stars.
Reviewers note that you should remove the bulbs before stringing up the strands and then install the bulbs.
Promising review: "These lights were perfect for my patio, I've recieved plenty of compliments so far. The Edison light bulbs and beautiful and offer the perfect amount of lighting for any occasion...the clips were ideal for my eaves, the overhang of the roof, which made for simple installation...now just need to find a dimmer capable of handling the required wattage and the package will be complete." —Brody Vins
Get a strand from Amazon for $15.98+ (available in three styles and lengths).
8. And stake solar lights along a walkway or pond right where you need 'em. Lighting is key for getting more use out of your outdoor space. Oh, and they look nice in the daylight too!
9. If you've got a toddler, you should invest in a Step2 water table that, according to my colleague Heather Braga, is THE hottest thing for 1-year-olds. 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: "Purchased for my grandson who loves to play in the water. Perfect height for a 2-year-old. Easy to put together, sturdy and lots of different things to do. The top part is like a waterfall, it has lots of little holes for the water to come through." —dd
Get it from Amazon for $79.99.
10. Stash recycling bins, bikes, a lawnmower, and other hefty tools you have no other place to look in this nice-looking shed if you don't have room for a full-fledged shed.
11. Easily add on an activity to keep your keep your kids away from screens longer with a hook and ring game that'll work in even tiny outdoor spaces. (That goes double for adults working from home.)
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: "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 $26.28+ (available in two sizes).
12. Switch to rapid-fill water balloons so you can cut down on prep time and get to the backyard fun so much faster.
13. Or try out a set of reusable water balloons in case you wanna keep the fun going with FAR less waste. *And* they won't sting when you get nailed, unlike regular water balloons.
Mama Love Boutique is a Sellersville, Pennsylvania-based shop that specializes in these balloons and knit hats.
These water balloons are handmade with a chenille-like yarn, which means they're soft, absorbent, and a great alternative to wasteful plastic single-use water balloons.
Promising review: "Got them, opened them, used them in the same day. I have two boys with LOTS of energy and they had so much fun pummeling me with these water 'balloons' 🤣 and I had fun throwing them right back. Not just for kids. Very well made. So happy with this purchase!" —Carley Campbell
Get the 12-pack from Mama Love Boutique on Etsy for $22.12 (available in three color combos).
14. Win the Parent of the Year Award with a mini sprinkler pool that'll 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: "My kids love this. It is soo easy to plug the hose into and turn the water on and the kids can have hours of fun. Once the kids are done playing, I disconnect the hose let the water drain, and hang it over the porch." —Austin
Get it from Amazon for $24.98.
15. Wrap a flexible adjustable mister around a deck post if the reason you haven't been reading on your deck is because of, simply, the heat. And because it's easily adjustable, you can take it with you as you move positions to avoid the sun. (Or embrace it?)
The mister will cool the surrounding area by 20 degrees, and it comes with an interchangeable flower-shaped misting head for a fun, whimsy detail.
Promising review: "Works exactly how I want it to. Provides a fine, cool mist on the patio, allowing us to enjoy the backyard until sunset without breaking a sweat. Easy to set up. It was out of the box and cooling us off within minutes." —Debra L. Kusek
Get it from Amazon for $30.99.
16. Refinish tired metal furniture with some rust-stopping spray paint for a weekend afternoon project that'll have substantial payoff. Just look at that zhuzhed garden gate!
17. And refresh your outdoor pillows and cushions with some outdoor fabric spray paint (yes, you read that right).
18. Allow your neighbors to marvel over some magnetic grill lights that I'm sure even Hank Hill hasn't heard of!
But really though, why isn't every grill equipped with these from the factory?
Promising review: "This was a surprise for my husband. He loves them. The lights are nice and bright and make grilling those last few things that didn't get finished before dark hot. He's also used them early in the morning when he's setting the smoker up before dawn. He's happy and finding them very useful. He especially loves the magnet on bottom so he can hang them off of so many things while he's busy and he can use the flexibility to shine them where he needs them. Very awesome and easy to use." —Holly Gomez
Get two from Amazon for $21.99.
19. And if you're in the market for a new grill, this two-burner griddle grill can give you yeat another excuse to get outside AND stay involved in all the hot goss while you whip up a meal for your fave neighbors.
20. And keep an instant-read meat thermometer handy to help you FINALLY cook the perfect steak while you're grilling. Or maybe just not give your family food poisoning!
Promising review: "Couldn't be easier to use really. I tested it with ice water and boiling water and it seems to be pretty accurate. I've already cooked some steaks using it and they came out perfect. Plan to use it a lot with my smoker and expect good results there too. I love that it has the magnets so I can stick on the fridge, the grill or the smoker and it's always handy. And you really can't beat the price at under $10!" —FCC
Get it from Amazon for $11.88.
21. Let an outdoor drink stakes set hold your beer while you tend to the fire pit or check out how those burgers are faring on the grill.
Promising review: "As always, my order was shipped quickly and in perfect condition. I love the bright colors and they are tall and sturdy. They are perfect for bottles, cabs, and cups... Not so good with stemmed wine glasses! No problem: I just ordered silicone stemless wine glasses!" —LaDonna Clark
Get a set of six from Amazon for $39.95. Or get a set made for stemmed wine glasses here.
22. Make it through hot (or honest, whatever-temp days) with a shaved-ice maker to help whip up all kinds of kid- or adult-friendly treats. (Um, just saying a Loverboy would be really great as a shaved ice.)
23. Spiff up your walkways and other surfaces with some bleach-free outdoor cleaner you can likely tackle before you break out the pressure washer. Its foamy formula is totally safe around your precious plants
Promising review: "I first used this product about two years ago on the awning on my RV. That awning was so bad that I thought I was going to have to replace it. After using this Scott's product as directed, the mold and mildew completely disappeared. This product definitely works and it works GREAT! What more can I say — it saved me nearly $500." —R. Latreille
Get it from Amazon for $10.98.
24. And if cleaner along won't work, seriously spruce up stained concrete patios or walkways with some concrete paint for a refreshed look that'll make a HUGE difference.
25. Copy your favorite local brewery and spend some time with a supersized version of Connect Four that'll provide all kinds of fun whether your child-free adults sipping on wine outside or a family chock full of kids who can't sit still.
Promising review: "Best purchase! We bought it for the kids but my husband and I stayed up until 1 a.m. playing!! It was a hit at our party! Great quality. Yes, you can hit the bar and release the discs, but it hasn't happened to us and wouldn't be a big deal if it did! Totally worth it! So glad we got it!!" —Rechel B
Get it from Amazon for $77.99+ (available in two sizes).
26. But if that isn't cutting it, a power washer will give you an oh-so-satisfying "after" when it comes to stained and worse-for-wear concrete surfaces. (And the same goes for fences!)
27. Bring a little luxury (and shade) to your patio with a fancy umbrella that reviewers love for their patio but *also* take along to the beach. But if you're landlocked, you still have lots of fab backyard ops.
Beach State is a small business specializing in premium, high-quality beach umbrellas.
Check out a TikTok of the umbrella in action.
Promising review: "This umbrella is exactly what my family was looking for as our everyday beach umbrella — large diameter, high quality, and cute retro design. It is a higher end umbrella but still slightly less expensive than the other big name designer beach gear company that we were considering. It is easy to pop up and stays standing, and we’ve had many compliments from other people at the beach asking where we got it. The customer service from the company was excellent. Would definitely recommend these umbrellas!" —Taryn
Get it from Amazon for $99.99+ (available in seven colors).
28. Extend your backyard time by investing in a lighted umbrella that'll tilt (literally) to your whims and give you the right amount of shade and light when/where you want it.
29. Or if you like your existing umbrella but could use the extra light, consider a clip-on light if you're in love with your patio umbrella and don't wanna shell out for a whole new one that's lit.
It has three different brightness options so you can set *~the mood~* perfectly. It also requires AA batteries, so be sure to pick those up as well.
Promising review: "This light is great!!! It has three settings, to adjust the amount of brightness you need. Lowest level is great for just sitting around your patio table and having a couple of drinks with friends. Brightest setting is PERFECT for playing cards! We play cards a few times a month. We decided to try and play outside. There are two 70+-year-olds who did not complain that they couldn’t see. So, works great in my book! 😁" —Mandie Jordan
Get it from Amazon for $10.79.
30. Buy a conversation set with coordinating seats and a table so you can sit and enjoy your revamped backyard awhile. You deserve it!
31. Attach a roll of faux ivy to ugly wire fencing, railing, or a trellis to obscure a view you don't love.
32. Place a handsome privacy screen as a design element that'll also help obscure something less than desirable (like recycling bins or a neighbor's super ugly swing set).
33. Make a lil' oasis for yourself — even in the smallest of backyards! — with a hanging lounge chair your dog will adore too.
34. Nestle some light-up flowers amongst the *real* flowers in your flowerbeds around seating areas for a whimsical touch that'll make your backyard look like it's out of a fairytale once the sun sets.
35. Bring the island(-ish) vibes to your landlocked home with a light-up palm tree as a fun lighting option where you need it.
36. Set up shop in your new grass-side paradise with a double hammock you totally have permission to use just by yourself.
37. Invest in a set of s'mores sticks to *safely* reach closer to the fire for you so you can achieve the perfect level of toasted on that marshmallow. It's extremely important!
Promising review: "These roasting sticks will get the job done. They retract easily and will be perfect for light use (roasting marshmallows) with our fire pit. Not extremely sturdy but not flimsy either. The metal points are not sharp which is a good thing if kids are handling them. I like the storage pouch it comes with too." —Sheri J. O
Get a set of five from Amazon for $7.94+ (available in five color combos).
38. Tap into your fam's interests with cute Brontosaurus sculptures. Don't worry, no lawyer is getting eaten by a T-Rex in a bathroom stall so you can marvel at these.
40. Brighten up a railing thanks to some colorful flower pots with draining holes and hooks so the plants inside can ~thrive~ while they sit there looking pretty.
41. Establish a garden focal point with an easy-to-install trellis. This one's made of PVC so it'll be super easy to take care of!
42. Or really create an outdoor room within your backyard thanks to a dome trellis you can train plants onto for a straight-up magical effect.
43. Rig up a sunshade triangle rather than a canopy over the patio or the kids' sandbox to block up to 95% of UV rays and keep things a bit cooler.
Promising review: "My pool is awesome when it gets into the hundreds of degrees here in California. We decided to grab a 20x20x20 triangle and holy cow does it do a number on the backyard! Not only does it keep my pool better-shaded, but it also keeps the sun off of my back patio during the hottest part of the day." —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $26.98+ (available in 6 sizes and 13 colors).
44. Let the good times roll (sorry) with a set of jumbo lawn dice you can keep handy for those lazy afternoons when you wanna do something besides just sit around in your wonderful new outdoor rooms.
45. Provide your dog with a wading pool to cool off in so every member of the fam can make good use of the great outdoors on your lil' patch of land! And in case you're wondering, yes, it's great for ducks.
46. Make the pool look even cooler at night with some color-changing inflatable pool balls. (Psst, they're solar-powered and last about eight hours on a single charge.)
Each light cycles through red, blue, white, and green.
Promising review: "My pool is so old school and boring that I bought these to liven it up, and what a difference!! My pool went from 'meh' to WOW! The balls are easily inflated by mouth like a beach ball. Once inflated, a few hours in the sun, they are charged and ready to go. They light up after dusk ( it has to be rather dark). There is no manual way to power them on or off; they glow all night long. The changing colors are vibrant and very beautiful. They have a loop at the top if you would like to hang them. They would be magical, hanging in a tree or from a pergola. I really liked how easy these were to fill and charge, and I like the solar power and the amazing color display. They make my inner child happy." —J. Matheson
Get a set of four from Amazon for $69.99.
47. A splurge-worthy above-ground pool can help you clock soooo much cool time in your backyard without having to do construction.
Promising review: "We are so happy with our purchase so far. This pool is plenty big for our purposes and was well within our budget. It took more than 60 minutes to set it up but it wasn't terrible. There were four of us working. We are fortunate to have a flat concrete slab in the back yard that was just large enough for this pool so I can't comment on leveling dirt, etc. The concrete is pitted though so we bought an extra pad to put under it to make it a bit softer against any potential sharp edges. The sand filter is nice. We've used traditional filters in the past on a much smaller pool and this seems like it will be easier to maintain in the long run." —Mad Cassandra
Get it from Amazon for $789.69+ (available in seven sizes and with or without a sand filter pump).
48. Or try an inflatable lounge pool that'll make less of an impact on your budget and you can set up solo.
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 making sure you set it up on level ground or it will be lopsided. 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 a 10 stars I would. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!!!" —kathryn j.
Get it from Amazon for $38.99.
49. Create some beautiful, enchanging fun with a giant bubble kit 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: "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 $15.19+ (available in six styles).
50. Make the backyard THE hangout spot for your little kid and their neighbors with Minnie Mouse–themed picnic table with a shady matching umbrella.
Promising review: "So incredibly happy with this super cute Minnie Mouse picnic table. 💞 Besides it being incredibly cute, it’s made from weather-resistant plastic, is easy to assemble/disassemble, sturdy, and the perfect spot for the kids to eat their food and snacks!" —d.sievers
Get it from Amazon for $74.99.
51. And an outdoor wooden double chaise lounge you'll wish you were little enough to park yourself on. You may recognize it from TikTok where people are showing how they bought it for their dogs.
We've been seeing people's pets enjoying these all over TikTok! It is designed for kids ages 3–8.
Promising review: "I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of this item and the matching picnic table and chairs. However the cabana is much more difficult to assemble then the picnic table set. There was a step in which two people were absolutely required and you need a cordless screwdriver and hammer. My granddaughter loves them and I absolutely would recommend this purchase to anyone." —Terri
Get it from Amazon for $127.21 (also available in tan or gray).
52. Mount an outdoor fan to corner of your patio to keep a breeze going because even if your setup has ceiling fans, sometimes that isn't enough in mid-July. Also, circulating air will decrease the number of bugs that bother you.
This weatherproof fan has a fully sealed and permanently lubricated industrial motor to protect it against wetness.
Promising review: "Great fan at a good price! I bought this fan for my backyard to help circulate the air in hot days and to help deter mosquitoes at night around the fire pit. This fan worked perfectly. It has three speeds, the highest of which is super strong. The fan at high speed is a bit noisy, but nothing unexpected of a powerful fan. It is also 100% waterproof, which is a must. My only minor issues would be 1) it would be nice if the fan came with a cover for when it’s not used (I bought 20-inch tire storage covers to do the job), and 2) the fan is only adjustable up and down not side to side — if they could make it oscillate that would be great. Having said that, I would recommend this fan for sure and would not hesitate to buy it again." —Bigdad
Get it from Amazon for $104.99+ (available in three sizes).
53. Hang up a rainbow-colored saucer swing for tons of summer fun...and then take it inside once there's a chill in the air. It works for both spots!
Maximum weight is 260 pounds.
Promising review: "Very, very sturdy and easy assembly. We had a reunion, and this swing kept the kids busy for hours. I definitely will be buying another." —msbakwudhic
Get it from Amazon for $54.99.
Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.