Outdoor Entertainment Ideas for Your Next Backyard Get Together

Now that we’ve experienced some consistently nice weather, and escaped cool hibernation season, it’s time to start thinking about backyard outdoor entertainment. The summer weather brings opportunities to spend time with and connect with our friends, family and neighbors in our ultimate staycation. Hosting at home can offer a variety of benefits including opportunities to socialize with loved ones and strengthen relationships with existing community members (and forge new ones)!

Getting outside, especially with friends and family, can provide relaxation and stress relief. The sunshine can boost your body’s Vitamin D, and breathing fresh air can improve your overall well-being.

Creating a welcoming and functional outdoor space for your next backyard get-together provides an opportunity for shared meaningful experiences. Hosting at home allows you to showcase your unique creativity and hospitality skills, from decorating the space to planning activities for your guests. Backyard get-togethers are also cost-effective social plans, especially if you plan a potluck-style gathering. They are more flexible than planning an event at a third-party venue, and hosting at home eliminates the need for travel, while allowing guests to feel more comfortable. Whether you’ve been hosting at home all winter, or are more of a summer barbecue party host, here are some entertaining ideas for your next backyard get-together.

Garden Party Potluck

Kicking things off is likely the simplest executed and most inexpensive outdoor entertainment idea. Encourage your neighbors and friends to bring their favorite dishes for a potluck-style backyard get-together. Set up designated areas with tables and communal seating, and decorate with simple string lights, colorful tablecloths and fresh flowers from your garden. What better way to bond with your social circle over than experiencing everyone’s fave delicious food.

DIY Outdoor Movie Night

If you’ve got lots of space in your backyard a DIY outdoor movie night is a great way to transition your backyard get-together from daytime to nighttime. Choose a suitable location with enough space and a clear view of where you plan to hang your screen. Then hang a white sheet or projector screen and set up your electronics (projector, speakers, extension cords, etc.). Arrange your seating or put out picnic blankets and patio pillows around the backyard with a view of the screen. Create a nice ambience with string lights, lanterns or battery-operated candles. Finally, decide on snacks and drinks and enjoy the full theatre experience while hosting at home.

Outdoor Wine Tasting (19+/21+ please enjoy responsibly)

This outdoor entertainment idea brings the fun of wine country to your own backyard get-together. Host a wine-tasting event in the backyard, featuring a selection of local wines or wines from different regions. Set up tasting stations with wine glasses, tasting notes, and small bites to complement each wine. You can prepare these or purchase frozen appetizers. You can also have everyone bring their fave bottle of wine that you can pair with wines you’ve never tried before.  Consider adding games or trivia related to wine for added fun.

Backyard Ideas Don’t Always Have to Be Shiny and New – What about a Backyard Barbecue?

Warmer summer months are the perfect time to bring out the grill and host your very own backyard barbecue. If you’ve got a neighborhood with plenty of kids, burgers and hot dogs are a tried and tested favorite; whereas, if you’re hosting adults-only, you can opt for grilled chicken, kebabs, skewers or steaks. This outdoor entertainment idea is inexpensive, depending on your chosen BBQ-able, and you can even ask your guests to bring side dishes like salads, drinks, veggie trays or potato chips.

Outdoor Cooking Challenge

Similarly to a backyard barbecue, many outdoor entertaining ideas revolve around food (as it should). If you’re looking to do something a little more unique than a standard grill and chill party, consider turning it into a challenge where your guests can show off their skills. Set up stations in your backyard that have grills, smokers, outdoor ovens, or whatever your backyard allows you to accommodate. Provide cooking utensils and provide a selection of ingredients that participants can use. You can assign themes or specific ingredients to challenge creativity and have your guests vote for their favorite dish.

Moonlight Yoga and Meditation

When you’re hosting at home, your backyard get-togethers don’t always have to take place during daylight hours. Why not organize a relaxing evening of yoga and meditation under the moonlight (and maybe the stars)? Set up spaced-apart yoga mats, blankets, or any blocks or other yoga accessories around your backyard surrounded by lanterns or string lights for soft lighting. Lead a gentle yoga session followed by a guided meditation to promote mindfulness and help your guests experience a more tranquil night’s sleep. Remember to follow your local noise bylaws.

Fire Pit Social

Another backyard entertainment opportunity that best takes place in the evening. If your backyard has a fireplace or fire pit, you can create a cozy ambience by placing chairs blankets and patio pillows around it. Guests can then gather 'round to roast marshmallows to make s’mores and tell stories, or just socialize. If you’ve got musically inclined friends or neighbors coming to your backyard get-together, you can even add some acoustic live music and create a DIY campfire experience – in your own backyard.

Backyard Picnic Brunch

This backyard idea for hosting at home combines two much-loved things-  picnics and brunch. Picnics allow you to experience nature's embrace and create cherished memories while indulging in delicious food. Brunch offers a break from early mornings and late nights and can accommodate different tastes and schedules. It’s fun, casual, and versatile. For your next backyard get-together, you can arrange a relaxed brunch gathering in the backyard with a picnic-style setup. Spread out blankets or use low tables and patio cushions for seating. Serve a variety of brunch favorites such as quiches, scrambled eggs, fresh fruit, bacon, pastries, and mimosas.

Garden Games Tournament

Not all staycation entertainment ideas have to be relaxed and casual. You can add some friendly competition to any backyard get-together by incorporating lawn games. Choose from classic games like croquet, bocce ball, horseshoes, and cornhole, to jumbo-sized chess or connect four, depending on what you or your guests have easily accessible. Create teams or pairs to encourage getting to know someone new, and keep score throughout the tournament. Offer prizes for the winners and encourage guests to enjoy snacks and light refreshments between games.

These outdoor entertaining ideas offer a variety of options for hosting memorable gatherings in the backyard, catering to different preferences and occasions. Whether it's a casual barbecue, an elegant garden party, or a fun-filled game day, there are plenty of opportunities to create lasting memories with friends and family in outdoor spaces. If you’re looking for outdoor landscapers to create your perfect dream oasis for hosting at home, or just for some ideas and inspiration, visit a show near you and connect with a local business that can help make your backyard dreams a reality.