Backyard Accessories for Families
Backyard Accessories for Families
During the summertime, many families spend the majority of their time outdoors. While many may travel to nearby parks or campgrounds, there are many others that make the decision to stay right in their own backyard and grill.
Those that regularly make the trip to nearby parks or campgrounds tend to wonder how their backyard can be fun. The reality is that there are a number of different ways that your backyard can be a fun and cheaper alternative to many public facilities. This is because there literally are an unlimited number of family friendly backyard activities to choose from; however, to participate in these activities you may need to purchase some additional accessories. To better prepare for your next backyard adventure, you are encouraged to familiarize yourself with these activities and the equipment that they may require.
Outdoor sports are popular, family friendly activities. Outdoor sports are great for individuals of all ages, including young children, teens, and adults. What is nice about playing outdoor sports is that there are a wide variety of different games that you can choose from. Many popular games include softball, baseball, basketball, soccer, kickball, volleyball, badminton, and corn hole. When it comes to purchasing equipment for outdoor sports, the equipment needed will all depend on which games you and your family will be playing. One of the neatest, newest, most popular back yard games or activities is known as Corn Hole. What this consists of is bean bags which are thrown onto a deck that is angled and has holes in it. Each hole can have a different score and/or just being able to get the bean bag into any hole scores as a point. Typically, there are two corn hole boards set opposed to each other at a distance that can be adjusted depending on the skill level and age of the participants. For teenagers and young people with a good arm and a good eye, 50-60 ft. may be appropriate, but for toddlers and young children 5-10 ft. might be the correct distance. After all, the object of the game is to get satisfaction from getting the bag to drop into the hole. In order to maintain this level of enthusiasm, the distance must be adjusted according to the needs of the participants. Corn hole games can be bought online or at retailers such as Walmart, Lowes, Home Depot, or Target. However, if you are handy and have some basic tools, they are relatively easy to build. It is simply a matter of constructing a frame and legs so that the frame is held at the appropriate angle. The only tough spot that needs a special tool is the hole. In order to make the correct 6” diameter hole the appropriate tool to use is a 150mm/ 6” diameter hole saw. These can be bought from numerous companies such as Klein, Stanley, Go Sports, Blue Boar, Hole Pro, Eliseo, Dewalt, and Tech Team https://techteamproducts.com/. We have found the Tech Team item 756 https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=tech+team+hole+saw to be absolutely perfect. It is available online from Amazon, has the perfect diameter, and the perfect number of teeth per inch to make smooth efficient cuts on the plywood deck. In addition, it has an arbor with a drill bit so that the hole can be perfectly centered, and then cut through by using a simple and easy to obtain 3/8” variable speed power drill.
One of the most popular games to play outdoors is baseball or softball. With baseball or softball, you may find that your family already has the equipment that is needed to play. If you don’t, most gloves, bats, and balls can be purchased for an affordable price. While baseball and softball can be considered an affordable outdoor sport, not all can be. If you are interested in playing basketball or volleyball, you may need to purchase large pieces of equipment. Most volleyball nets and basketball hoops are fairly expensive to purchase. If money is not a factor, you should be able to purchase these items online or from most department stores or sports stores.
In addition to outdoor sports games, many families enjoy cooling off with water. If this seems like something your family would enjoy, you may want to consider purchasing a swimming pool, if you don’t already have one. When it comes to purchasing swimming pools, most are a fairly large purchase. If in-ground pools or traditional aboveground pools are too expensive, you may be able to find a cheaper alternative. In recent years, large inflatable swimming pools have been developed. In a way, these pools are similar to kiddie pools, but they can have water depths as high as three or four feet. If you have enough backyard space for one of these pools, they are a great and reasonably priced way to go for a swim.
The above mentioned equipment and accessories are important, but they are not the only things that you may want to purchase for your next backyard adventure. While outside, whether it be swimming or playing a game of baseball, you and your family may want a drink or a snack. Instead of running back into your house, you may want to think about bringing these items outside with you. With a small cooler, you can easily store your perishable snacks and drinks. By keeping plenty of drinks and snacks on hand, your family should be able to take quick outside break without having their fun interrupted.
