When you throw a party, what’s the most popular thing there, after the food? Usually, the games. People love to get together and play games. If the party is inside, those games might include things like charades or pictionary. If the party is outside, you have a lot more options, like lawn darts, shuffleboard, or horse shoes.
While you can certainly set up some of these games in temporary spaces, you can really elevate the look of your outdoor entertaining area by building these game spaces directly into it. The design specialists at Triad Associates can help you visualize what’s possible in your backyard and then effortlessly bring it to life, with beautiful results.
Here are just some of the outdoor games and sports that you can create spaces for in your backyard:
Shuffleboard or Bocce Ball
Shuffleboard and bocce ball can be fun games for people of all ages to play, and neither requires a complicated setup. You can use a variety of materials for the base, including gravel, pavers, or even wood. What can make your shuffleboard or bocce ball setup truly special is building a dedicated border around it with pavers or natural stones. The border can be finished with a decorative cap stone.
Creating your shuffleboard or bocce ball setup like this makes it a permanent feature in your yard, and it gives it a sophisticated design that will set it apart from other games. It also makes it seem like it is a planned part of your backyard design, rather than some party extra that has to be cleaned up later.
Putting Green
Putting is one of the hardest skills to master in golf. Rather than spending a lot of money on a putting green, you can build one in your own backyard. We can create a lovely, dedicated green space that is surrounded by a beautiful, stone border that accentuates the design and keeps those stray balls from going too far. Other options include a paver border to create an accent for the artificial turf.
A putting green will help you elevate your golf game, and it will be a fun party game when you have guests at your home. Even kids like to try their hand at putting.
Horseshoe Pit
Throwing horseshoes at a party is a bit like throwing darts at a bar. It’s the classic game that everybody loves to play. You can just clear out a sandy spot in the yard or lay down some gravel to create your pit, but it will become unmanageable and unsightly very quickly. The weeds will creep, and the soil will erode.
We can help you design a gorgeous horseshoe pit that will give you years of fun. Gorgeous stones can create a low-lying border around the pit, and high-quality gravel can create a solid base. Our designers will help you choose a stone that will give you years of service and that will complement your home’s exterior and landscaping well.
Playground Sets
If you have kids, a playground set can provide endless fun. The kids will be most interested in the swings and slides, but you will be interested in how to set up the playset so that it also looks good in your space. You don’t want the playset just sitting on the grass, where the kids will turn it into a mud pad. Instead, you can create a carefully manicured look that is a part of your overall backyard design.
We can help you explore the options. Some people like to put down a paver border around a bed of mulch or sand. Some people add features around the playset, like sitting walls or columns. You can also build a paver pathway from the playset to the house so that the kids don’t trample the grass. We’ll walk you through each of those options and help you find the perfect materials for the design.
We can also create sandboxes that serve as an accessory to the playset or that stand alone. The sand will be artfully contained in a gorgeous stone border wall. You can also consider a paver base around the outside of the sandbox. All of these features will enhance the beauty of the box and the overall backyard design.
In-Ground Trampoline
In-ground trampolines are growing in popularity, and they are fun for both adults and children.The bigger the trampoline, the better.
Creating a nice stone border around the in-ground trampoline can distinguish the space. The border will be outside the trampoline’s net and pad, so it won’t be a safety issue. We’ll help you pick the right stones that will create an interesting design and be small enough not to pose a safety issue. We’ll also install them properly so that they don’t interfere with the functionality of the trampoline or fall into the space below it.
Basketball
You can have your own basketball court in your backyard, and you can get a design that is unlike anything you’ll find at a local park or gym. Choosing pavers instead of poured concrete can result in a stunning design. You also have more options to be creative. For example, you could choose pavers in the colors of your favorite team – or have the pavers painted over in those colors.
We’ll help you select the perfect spot for your basketball court and then create a beautiful design. We can install the court and additional features around it, such as a fence or low wall. We can also install a basketball net at your poolside for fun in the water. The small net can be anchored right to the concrete or pool pavers surrounding the water.
Tennis
If you have the space on your property, you could also install your own tennis court. Just like with the basketball court, you can explore some more design options by choosing pavers. The natural stone has an elegant look that will set your space apart. You can paint over the stone to create a more classic look for the court, if you like.
Our design specialists will perform a site assessment to help you understand if your property can handle a tennis court and where the best placement would be. We’ll then help you select the right stone and design to get the perfect look. We can build accessory features, and we can tie the design into other elements you already have in place in the back yard.
Outdoor Movies
Remember when you used to go to the drive-in theater? Those were some great memories. But, unfortunately, you really can’t find a drive-in anywhere these days. There are occasional outliers in small towns. But even when you find them, you may not want to deal with the crowds. Why not build a “movie theater” in your own backyard?
With an inflatable screen and some seating, you can enjoy movies in your yard any time of the year. We’ll help you design the perfect space for your outdoor movies, starting with the pavers for the patio and then encompassing the retaining wall enclosing the space, the accent columns, the decorative lighting, and more. We’ll help you determine the perfect elements for the space, and then we’ll help you pick the perfect stone to create a beautiful look and to enjoy year-round.
Call the Hardscaping Professionals that Haverhill Trusts to Design Your Recreational Areas
Triad Associates has earned a reputation in Haverhill and the surrounding community for our exceptional workmanship and reliable results. For nearly 40 years, we have been designing beautiful exterior spaces, including outdoor kitchens, patios, pool decks, and more. We take pride in creating unique and beautiful spaces that reflect the style of the homeowners and provide the perfect functionality.
We’d love to talk to you about designing recreational spaces on your property, whether you’re a serious athlete who loves to get on the court every weekend, or you just want to take your entertaining game to the next level. Our design specialists will help you create the perfect space.
Every job begins with a site consultation in which one of our hardscaping professionals can assess the needs and challenges of your space and talk through your vision with you. We’ll work on creating a design, and we’ll start talking through the possible materials to use in it. If you need inspiration, you can visit our 7,000-square-foot warehouse to view samples of the stone in person, as well as to check out project displays. You’ll get ideas for designs, as well as the types of materials you want to use.
We also offer 3D project design to help you visualize the project in your own space. You can see a simulation of the completed project, with the chosen stones, as well as any accessories or landscaping. We model your design so you can be sure that you love the way it looks, and there are no surprises for your completed project.
Call us in Haverhill today to schedule a consultation with one of our hardscaping design professionals and get started designing your recreational space.
