Best Affordable Patio Entertainment Ideas (Backyard Must-Haves)

Who doesn’t want a patio to be a central spot to hang out, relax, eat and entertain without spending a fortune. We simply love our current set-up which maximizes patio entertainment and. Let me highlight our favorites and I hope you like them too.

Patio Conversation set

While it is nice to have a large outdoor dining table, no one wants to sit there for an entire night or to relax on an afternoon. That’s why we decided to emphasize on a patio conversation set as the main attraction underneath the patio cover. We searched for weeks on Facebook Market, local Patio furniture stores as well as online. However, the best and most affordable find was at HomeGoods. We and our guests are obsessed with these oversized rocking rattan chairs! So much fun compared to conventional rattan chairs.

Patio Dining Set-up

Besides the patio conversation set, we wanted to provide a dining area with not much emphasis as we didn’t want to clutter our patio nor spend a lot of money on additional furniture. We decided to go with a wooden picnic table from Lowes and painted it grey to match the patio and furniture. We used Rust-Oleum Rocksolid Solid stain in Graywash (Home Depot) and love this clean and simple look. The paint is holding up great despite being exposed to sun and rain. We keep it just outside the patio, but it can easily moved next to the conversation set if needed.

Patio Romantic Private Bar Seating under String Light

We added additional, private seating underneath the string lights for a romantic candlelight dinner for two or simply to allow for private conversations when entertaining multiple guests.

Affordable Wood Burning Fire Pit with Comfy Hammocks

Another entertainment highlight, or simply another seating area is provided by this wood burning fire pit area. Even when it is not in use, it is nice to look at. We placed hammocks and plastic Adirondack Chairs (from Home Depot) around the fire pit to provide another dedicated area for lounging and chatting. It is an inviting and comfortable space with or without a fire. Read my post on how we build this fire pit area in an affordable way.

Patio Entertainment with this Outdoor Movie Theatre

The outdoor movie theatre is our latest addition to our patio. We ordered this projector and screen from Amazon and we are very happy with the quality and functionality. The screen can be easily rolled up when not in use and is barely noticeable. Our rocking rattan chairs with swivel function come in very handy: Simply turn around and the movie theatre is set-up!

Create Warmth and Atmosphere with a Pyramid Patio Heater

To enjoy those cooler evenings, a patio heater is a must. We ordered the Hampton Bay Pyramid Patio Heater from Home Depot while it was on sale for $179. It is very big, but provides comfortable heat as well as a nice ambiance due to the flickering flame.

BBQ Pit

Last but not least, a BBQ pit is of course a must. We use a dual function grill which allows grilling with gas or char coal. We keep it outside of the patio on a separate concrete slab.

Patio Entertainment Games

We do entertain guests of all ages, hence we keep a storage box filled with games for entertainment. Here is a list of our favorite items:

• Toss Catch Ball
• Punkdog (Pop-Pass-Catch)
• Pictionary
• Jumbo Jenga
• Golf Putting Green
• So cards

Outdoor Trampoline

We have the space, so why not having an outdoor trampoline? Almost every family is our neighborhood has one and it is a lot of fun, not only for the kids. There are plenty of cheap offers available on Facebook Market and you can get it for a fraction compared to buying new. I think an inground trampoline would look nicer but we decided against it: First, with heavy rainfalls in the area, we do not want to attract mosquitoes so it would need some type of drainage system. Second, as this is just a temporary home for us, having a big hole in the yard may not be something the next buyer is interested in and the safety of trampolines is still a debate in itself.

In-ground Basketball Hoop

When we poured the concrete for the patio, we added a big 15’x25′ pad on the side of the house for a small basketball court. The benefit was that the concrete price per square foot got cheaper because we needed an entire truck load. It also resolved the issue of a muddy area due to rain and shade.