There are so many ways to enjoy a screened porch in combination with your entire backyard this summer! Sometimes, parents want to sit and chat while their children are within view. Other times, individuals want a place to protect their food and drinks from bugs or other nuisances while they enjoy some outdoor games. No matter where your favorite hangout spot is in your backyard area, we have some activities that are good for in your screened porch, in your backyard, or both!

Host a Cookout

Hosting a cookout is the perfect way to utilize both your backyard and your screened porch while seeing those that mean the most to you. By storing the food on tables inside your screened porch, you remove the concern of bugs and debris. Once guests grab their food, they have the option to sit and dine within a bug-free environment, or they can sit outside and enjoy the bright sun beating down on them - whatever makes them the most comfortable! Guests as well as yourself will feel much more free in your movements when there are multiple areas of activity and discussion. Another positive, as the night winds down you can move solely into the screened porch with your remaining guests for a closer end to your evening.

Have a Bonfire

Having a bonfire is the perfect summer activity that brings everybody closer together. By setting up chairs around the bonfire in a circle, guests have the chance to talk in a relaxed, private manner. The bonus of having a screened porch while hosting a bonfire is that guests who are sensitive to smoke, bugs, or anything else have the opportunity to use the screened porch as a recouping location, before they make a decision to go back by the bonfire or head into the actual home for a little while. Bonfires, when done safely, are perfect for the engagement of all ages, and can be used to make the delicious s’mores that everyone so craves during the hotter months.

Play Games

You are never too old to play some games, no matter if those games are outdoor or indoor. If you want to enjoy the protection that a screened porch offers in comparison to the general outdoors, playing board games or putting together puzzles are likely your best options. If you want to enjoy the fresh air, sunlight, and nature that is the great outdoors, playing sports or enjoying act-out games are likely your best options. A great perk of this activity is that, if you have enough guests over, you can regularly switch between indoor and outdoor games, enjoying both environments throughout the day.

Lounge with Others

Some of us are more laid back than others, and the idea of an enjoyable activity is equivalent to a day of lounging on the comfortable furniture with friends and family. If this is your idealistic summer activity, there’s still a way to do it both indoors and outdoors! For those that want to enjoy the interior of their screened porch, make sure you have some fluffy cushions and light throw blankets in your space - guaranteed a great, relaxing time. For those that want to enjoy their backyard and the outdoors in general, you can either relax in a hammock or grab your softest picnic blanket - another guaranteed fantastic, relaxing time.

Watch a Movie

What’s better than a movie night in the fresh, warm evening air? Nothing! Regardless of if you have a television in your screened porch or not, there’s a way for everyone to enjoy a cozy movie night indoors or outdoors with the summer air blowing by. If you have a television in your screened porch, all you have to do is set up the furniture so that it’s circling the television and provide some snacks to your guests. If you don’t, however, all you need is a mini projector (or a phone projector), a white bed sheet, and some clothespins. Once you hang up the bed sheet and align the projector onto the bed sheet, you’re ready for an amazing evening under the stars watching your favorite movie!

We’d love to hear how you are enjoying both your screened porch as well as your backyard this summer season! Tag us on social media and let us know what you’re up to.

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