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. Light-up flowers to make your boring old yard feel like Alice's Wonderland once night falls.
Promising review: "The pictures don't do these justice. At night my backyard looks like a scene from Avatar. The light itself is not bright, but the colors are very vibrant and intense. The color transition is gradual and glowing. They are hypnotic to watch. During the day they are unobtrusive and don't look too fake or artificial. The green leaves are very bendable, the stems of the flowers are somewhat pliable, and the cloth that makes up the petals can be smoothed and manipulated a bit so you can make them look different and more realistic. I've had them for a couple of weeks and so far they are performing perfectly. They are simply beautiful and we love them!" —Zavanna
Get eight flowers (between two bunches) from Amazon for $21.99.
2. Globe string lights that'll transform your backyard into the hipster haven you've always imagined it could be.
3. A wall-mount swimming pool skimmer that works alongside your filter pump, so you can save the lives of tiny creatures that accidentally find themselves going for a swim and ensure your water is free of leaves and other debris.
4. A garbage guard that'll keep pesky flies and other insects from congregating around your can.
5. A lawn mower in case you have so much grass that your yard is starting to look more like an overgrown forest than a suburban retreat.
6. A portable grill you'll be able to use to grill up a delicious feast even if you don't have an abundance of outdoor space.
7. A solar-powered, motion sensor-activated lights so you can sing "and at last I see the light," like Rapunzel in Tangled each time you step into your yard.
8. A portable karaoke microphone that'll transform your outdoor patio into a party from the moment you connect it to the app of your choosing. Ahem, that's just me clearing my throat to treat you all to my rendition of Aladdin's "A Whole New World."
Promising review: "We need something to let the kids sing without having to turn on the whole karaoke system. This works like a charm. The Bluetooth connection helps as well. You can just turn on YouTube and look for any song and they probably have a karaoke version or a song-a-long they can sing to. The range is also great. We were outside and the volume can be heard nicely." —Phong Bui
Get it from Amazon for $30.99 (available in 11 colors).
9. A bird feeder specifically designed to keep squirrels from encroaching on your feathered friends' lunchtime — it has a motorized bar that automatically starts spinning when a squirrel climbs onto it so they can't gobble up all the seed.
Promising review: "I have several bird feeders hanging from a tree, which obviously attracts squirrels. This feeder, the tipper version, does what I need it to — the ring at the base of the feeder is sufficient support for birds to access the feeder ports, but it wobbles when squirrels try to balance on it. Job done! Even better is the FLIPPER bird feeder. This is more complicated, with a motor that makes the base rotate when sufficient weight is on it. Birds are just fine, but squirrels are flung off. The effect is that this TRAINS the squirrels to avoid this feeder entirely. They give up! I should have to recharge the motor every so often, but I don't have to, since the squirrels keep their distance. Bravo, FLIPPER! I also like the fact that you can put several pounds of birdseed in it at a time. Great for winter, where I don't want to be filling it all the time. So very happy with this purchase." —C. McCloskey
Get it from Amazon for $69.99+ (available in four styles).
10. A glow-in-the-dark fort building kit that'll put the blanket forts you built as a kid to shame. It'll also encourage your kid's imagination to run wild and maybe, just maybe, inspire them to become an architect someday.
Promising review: "We love the fun, creative play generated from the Fun Forts building set. The parts are manufactured in a way to allow children to engineer and construct their own designs. This is our second set purchased since we loved the first and wanted to expand, although expansion is not necessary." —Darcy Davenport
Get it from Amazon for $34.95.
11. An oversized outdoor umbrella complete with solar powered lighting that'll let you continue to make use out of your outdoor patio even when the sun goes down.
I recently added this umbrella to my backyard set up and it's made such a big difference! It covers all of my patio furniture, so it's actually pleasant to sit outdoors even when it's super hot out. My yard also doesn't have a lot of lighting yet for the evenings, so the built-in lights have been fantastic! It was super easy to set up (took my husband maybe 20 minutes) and has held up nicely in storms and wind.
Promising review: "Was able to use it on Memorial Day and it kept everyone comfortable all day. It also, was lovely at night all lit up!" —Jane Quirk
Get it from Living Spaces for $450.
12. A mini projector you can set up in your yard for the ultimate movie night your kids will never forget — good luck convincing them to watch anything other than Frozen.
This projector is a 10/10 because it can be hooked up to anything — a TV Box, an Amazon Fire TV Stick, a ChromeBook, tablets, Blu-ray DVD players, SD Card, USB flash drives, and smartphones. It even comes with all the cables necessary to connect!
Promising review: "I’ve been wanting to get a projector for some time now, but was having a hard time deciding on one. I’m glad that I decided on this one! The price point is great, the unit comes with cables, an adjustable stand, and a remote, and the setup is easy. I hooked it up to my phone and was able to view live sporting events that I was watching on my phone! After the game was over, I hooked it up to a DVD player and my kids watched Frozen and were able to operate the machine themselves. They went crazy when we aimed it at the ceiling while laying on the floor to watch!" —Liz Kara
Get it from Amazon for $64.58.
13. A projection screen that'll take your outdoor entertaining to the next level. Imagine what the Big Game will look like on this baby?!
The screen is 120-inches and made of an anti-crease material. It also comes with brackets and ropes for mounting purposes.
Promising review: "This screen is perfect for our use. We bought it for outdoor movie nights whether being on the garage door, in the backyard, camping, or inside the garage. It’s very easy to install with no wrinkles and shows a great picture. I’ve attached pictures that show how well I can still see the picture despite being surrounded by 7,000 Christmas lights in close vicinity." —Hallie H.
Get it from Amazon for $27.99.
14. An intense ball launcher your pup will love you even more for buying — you'll be able to REALLY toss that tennis ball without being limited by your inability to throw.
Promising review: "I don’t know who has more fun, my dog or me. LOL. I’ve used this for fetch every day for over a week now. It’s a ton of fun! I like that you can pick the ball up with the end of the gun. It saves your back and while my dog isn’t a slobber hound like others I’ve had...it’s nice you don’t have to touch the ball after it’s dog slimed. Get the mini model for small tennis balls and the large gun shoots conventional size tennis balls! Get it! You and your dog will thank me!" —workoutnut2010
Get it from Amazon for $14.95+ (available in three sizes).
15. A tabletop fireplace with removable glass so you can enjoy a freshly made s'more any time of year — yum.
You can order this with or without the sand and rocks. The only thing that you will need to purchase separately is the 2.6-oz. gel fuel cans, which you can get from Amazon. 1Man1Garage is a small business based out of Nashville, Tennessee.
Promising review: "Soooo cute and easy to put together. We bought a clear spray to put on to protect it and because we actually really liked the look of the burned side. Boyfriend and I bought it to make s'mores for Valentine's. It was a perfect night in." —Bethany Schneider
Get it from 1Man1Garage on Etsy for $38+ (available in three styles).
16. A BBQ tool that'll act as a spatula, tongs, and brush all in one! No more fumbling around for the right grill gadget while your burgers are ready to be flipped.
17. Solar-powered LED garden lights you'll love because it can change colors and create the illusion of rising bubbles to make your yard feel like an escape to a more magical world.
YoungBlossomPlace is a small business based in Irvine, California that sells an array of lights and home goods.
Promising review: "I actually got these for my visually-impaired daughter, and they work wonderfully! Beautiful, bright, and entertaining! Best part is that they are solar-powered, so there's no need to buy a ton of batteries!" —Michelle MacIntosh
Get it from YoungBlossomPlace on Etsy for $24.29.
18. A stainless-steel fire pit that'll help transform your not-so-manicured yard into one anyone would feel relaxed hanging out in.
19. A set of extendable s'mores sticks you can use to safely burn your marshmallow to a crisp without doing the same to your arm hairs.
20. A fancy firepit that'll also double as a wood fire grill and make you feel like you just became the owner of a off-the-beaten path, trendy backyard restaurant.
21. A snow cone cart, so on super hot summer days you can retreat to the privacy of your own yard and eat as many as your heart desires.
22. An outdoor drink stakes set that'll be there for you when someone challenges you and you say "hold my beer."
23. An outdoor heater you might as well splurge on now so you can continue your backyard fun through the entire year.
24. Rapid-fill water balloons that'll make you the hero of your family and provide everyone in your life with some much-needed, socially distanced fun.
25. A pressure-activated cooling pad to provide your pup with an actual *chill spot* to relax on after getting their zoomies out in the yard on a hot summer day.
26. A unicorn sprinkler that'll put the one you and I had as kids to SHAME! The good news is, IMO, you're never too old to have a run through a majestic sprinkler like this.
27. A standing weeder (without the chemicals!) for anyone with a bad back who still wants an award-worthy lawn.
28. A pool tube stacker to prevent them from flying all around your yard on an extra blustery summer day — you'll thank me for this one later.
BrothersGibbz is a small business that sells pool storage accessories.
Get it from BrothersGibbz on Etsy for $64.99.
29. A side table that'll pop up to reveal it's *gasp* actually a cooler! All you have to do is fill the base with ice and your favorite drinks to transform your outdoor space into a resort.
30. And a light-up palm tree so you can mentally go on a vacation to your favorite tropical destination and bring some much-need extra lighting to your outdoor space.
xxx
Some reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.