The best of backyard vacations

1. Funboy Rocketship Sprinkler ($69)

Transform your yard instantly with an inflatable sprinkler that stands more than 7 feet tall and sprays water in every direction. It also inflates and deflates quickly, "so even cleanup is a breeze." Buy it at Funboy.

2. Yard Games Kubb Premium Set ($50)

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

"The best backyard games come from Scandinavia," per Fatherly, starting with Kubb, derived from a Viking pastime. Teams toss "skittles" to knock down the opponents' "kubbs." It's "good for hours of warm weather entertainment." Buy it at Amazon.

3. Acon Air 16 Sport HD ($1,999)

Parents don't need to worry about weight limits with this sturdy trampoline, which features padding on the springs, a stepladder, a net enclosure, and a 16-foot-wide surface area. Most impressively, the Acon Air 16 "doesn't squeak." Buy it at Acon.

4. Gonge Top ($72)

Great for developing physical coordination, this giant plastic top "spins, sways side to side, and can even be taken in the pool as a boat," writes Lauren Ro at New York Magazine. It holds one or two small children, and the sides have a raised edge to prevent pinched fingers. Buy it at Amazon.

5. Anker Nebula Mars II Pro ($550)

Great outdoor movie nights start with the best mini projector. This Anker runs for three hours on a charge and comes with pre-installed streaming apps. Even if you don't use extra speakers, the sound is "undistorted and full." Buy it at Anker.

Editor's note: Every week The Week's editors survey product reviews and articles in websites, newspapers, and magazines, to find cool and useful new items we think you'll like. We're now making it easier to purchase these selections through affiliate partnerships with certain retailers. The Week may get a share of the revenue from these purchases.