Tag: badminton

Outdoor Games For The Summer 2018

Memorial Day weekend is finally here! At Sports Unlimited, we look forward to the unofficial start to summer. It’s a long winter here in the northeast, and we’re ready to get out and enjoy everything the beautiful weather has to offer. From backyard bbq’s with family and friends, to trips to the beach, and outdoor games and activities, it just doesn’t get any better!
We can’t be there to flip burgers and hotdogs for you, but we can provide you with the best selling outdoor games this summer. Here is a list of some of our favorites, along with high rated customer picks.
  1. The Park & Sun Spectrum Classic Volleyball Set – It’s called the classic for a reason, because it’s a summer staple year after year. Whether it’s a graduation party, birthday celebration, or summer bbq, everyone can enjoy some volleyball fun. It’s easy to setup, portable, and comes in a variety of net colors.
  2. St. Pierre American Professional Series Horseshoe Set – Made of solid steel, these American made horseshoes are finished with a powder coating to resist chipping and wear. Whether you’re a casual player, or take your game a little more serious, this set works for everyone. Perfect for the backyard or beach.
  3. Victory College Cornhole Set – If you have a favorite college team, then Victory probably has a cornhole game for your school. They have hundreds of schools to choose from, with many designs for each team. Not only do these sets look good, they’re also made in the USA with high quality materials. They’re constructed cabinet grade 1/2″ birch plywood tops, and strong 2 x 4 frames and legs. These cornhole boards blow the competition away. No cheap plastic here.
  4. Morey Cruiser 42.5″ Morey BodyboardBodyboard – Beach goers will love this classic bodyboard! It’s easy to grip, maneuver, and contours for proper body positioning. The slick bottom will help you maximize speed so you can ride
    waves like never before! It’s recommended for riders 160 – 210 pounds.
  5. Park & Sun Badminton Pro Set – Another summer classic from Park & Sun. It includes everything you need to play, including a weather resistant net, four steel frame rackets, and three shuttlecocks. This set is easy to setup and will be a family favorite. A great game for all ages!
These are just a handful of the many backyard games we offer at Sports Unlimited. Check out all of our outdoor games including other summer classics like bocce, washers, croquet, ladder golf, and more!
 – Steve

Best Summer Games – A Top Five List

What better allows you to be a friend, teammate, competitor, host, and inspirer of happiness than summer lawn games?  Well, there probably are other things that lend better to those roles, but heck, summer games are fun and can bring together a family and friends!  I remember, in my younger summers, sitting in a low, striped polyester beach chair in the back yard, holding a glass of iced lemonade to my nape and watching my cousins blow bubbles in the sun.  That child, hot and bored, wished for something a bit more exciting and fifteen years later, I happily present to you, the top five backyard games for this summer.

5. Badminton

An Odd Garden Variant of TennisCarlton Shuttlecock

If you haven’t seen the game of badminton before, you’re missing something extraordinary.  Reminiscent of 19th century England, the game consists of lightweight racquets, a net, and the illustrious shuttlecock.  The (usually nylon) feathers of the shuttlecock provide drag so that it decelerates much quicker than a ball, which means, no out-of-the-park home runs for any over-excited players.  Hit the shuttlecock in the air over the net until it hits the ground!  Easy to set up in the back yard or in a park, lightweight, and affordable, badminton is a great way to involve anyone and everyone.  Cheerio!

Try the Franklin Elite Series 4 Player Badminton Set

4. Volleyball

Sick Dig Bro! Wilson Softplay Outdoor Volleyball

Another net game, volleyball is an incredibly fun way to get some exercise.  Setting and spiking competitively or leisurely tossing the ball back and forth, this game works for everyone.  Learning this game also can have advantages when you come across a game of indoor volleyball, beach volleyball, or even water volleyball.  Make some memories this summer with family games of backyard ball in the sun.

Recommended volley ball set – Park & Sun Spectrum Classic

3. Toss Games

Did You Say Cornhole?Bean Bag Toss - Cornhole Game

At my desk, there isn’t much in this world more enticing than being outside with some buddies, baseball game on the radio, and tossing a bean bag with a cold beverage in my free hand.  I don’t know about you, but I’m a fan of relaxing and taking advantage of the warmer months.  Sometimes referred to as tailgate games, toss games are simple and require little set up.  Usually in the form of a bean bag, players toss the object underhanded at a target.  Rules depend on the game being played, but the simplicity and the game-day feel of toss games definitely put them on the top five summer games list.

Fun bean bag game for the family – Corn Toss by Sport Design

2. Croquet

Through the Wickets and into the Stake, Old Sport!North Meadow Scottsdale Croquet Set

With origins dating back 400 years, croquet can transport you through time.  Well, no.  But it is exciting, classic, and perfect for some backyard Saturday fun.  Whether you’re sporting knickers and argyle socks or some under armour shorts, any day with reasonable weather is a perfect day for croquet.  I had fun playing this ball and mallet game as a kid at my grandparents’ house in Maine and this summer I will be definitely getting into some croquet mischief, putting on an English accent, creating new rules, and competing feverishly with my young nephews.  Undoubtedly a winner, croquet is perfect for backyard hangouts.

Best seller –  North Meadow Scottsdale 6-Player Croquet Set

1. Horseshoes

Summer Just Got a Bit LuckierWD Horseshoe

Albeit strange, pitching oversized shoes of a horse is cool.  Ancient Grecians tossed them when they couldn’t afford a discus.  Soldiers threw mule shoes in Union Camps during the Civil War.  Abounded in history, horseshoes is a game everyone knows and playing it is easier than ever today.  All you need is two stakes and some horseshoes to pitch.  The skillful pitch of the shoe is not something that demands tremendous physical ability, which makes it perfect for players of all ages.  Backyard or in the sand, horseshoes defines the summer as the epitome of relaxing, fun, and memorable!

One of the best horseshoe sets around – WD Horseshoe Co. Glory Set

Now, where’s my lemonade?
By Isaac Clark

Isaac is a Lemonade Lover at Sports Unlimited.