Summer has a way of pulling everyone outside. The grill gets going, the drinks get cold, and before long someone asks the question every good gathering needs: "So, what are we playing?" The Elakai Summer Collection is our answer. It brings together 31 of our favorite premium outdoor games, from regulation cornhole boards and resin bocce to beach-ready pickleball paddles and tabletop favorites, each one designed for gathering and crafted to last through every season of play. Whether you are hunting for backyard games to anchor weekend cookouts or lawn games elegant enough for a garden party, there is a piece here built for the way you gather.
What Sets the Elakai Summer Collection Apart
Plenty of games can fill an afternoon. Fewer earn a permanent place at your gatherings, and fewer still look as good leaning against the porch as they do mid-game. That has always been the Elakai difference. Every piece in the Summer Collection is built from premium materials, including hand-finished wood, durable resin, and all-weather fabrics, with the kind of timeless design that complements your space instead of cluttering it.
It is a philosophy we call Playful Living: games beautiful enough to be admired and durable enough to be played hard, summer after summer. And because the best summers happen outdoors, Elakai has pledged 1% of annual sales to environmental organizations that protect the places we play.
Backyard Centerpieces: Cornhole, Elevated
No lineup of backyard games is complete without cornhole. If summer had an official game, it would be on the shortlist, and it anchors the collection with seven board styles. The 2ft x 4ft Graphic Wood Classic sets are regulation-size and built for both casual tossing and serious backyard rivalries. The Classic Beach Stripes Collection, with colorways like Gidget and La Holla, channels vintage surf-town summers, while the Organic Wood Pattern set in light or dark beachwood delivers a cleaner, natural look that suits modern patios.
Few games for BBQs draw a crowd faster: set up a board near the grill and the bracket practically organizes itself. Want everything dialed in from day one? The Classic Retro Triangle Curated Cornhole Set pairs boards with matched accessories in one considered package. And do not overlook the bags themselves: dual-sided all-weather cornhole bags from the Mt. Elakai and Plaid Collections give you a slick side and a grippy side, with colorways worth collecting.
New Ways to Play: Island Hole, Tabletop Tennis, and Social Pong
Some of the collection's most talked-about pieces put a fresh spin on familiar games. Island Hole crosses cornhole with golf chipping: a premium wood and resin target board with a turf surface and netted holes that turns any yard into a short-game challenge. It is one of the most inventive lawn games in the collection, and the rare one that keeps golfers, kids, and competitive uncles equally entertained.
For entertaining around the table, the Tabletop Tennis Set converts a dining table, picnic table, or kitchen island into a ping pong court in minutes, then packs away just as fast. And when the party needs a centerpiece, Portable Social Pong brings a handcrafted, folding take on the classic that looks far better than a folding table ever did. Together they make a strong case as the outdoor party games your guests will still be talking about on the drive home.
Beach and Travel Ready: Games That Go Where Summer Goes
Summer rarely stays in one backyard, so a good portion of the collection is built to travel: beach games for sandy afternoons, lake house games that live on the dock all season, and camping games that pack light and set up anywhere. The pickleball lineup leads the way with six graphic paddles across two builds: 13MM paddles (Beach Surf, Tropical Palms, Classic Houndstooth) favor a lighter feel and quicker hands, while 16MM paddles (Woody Surf, Retro Stripes, Sasquatch) add a thicker core for more control and a softer touch. If you are just getting into the game, the Pickleball Backpack and Ball Set bundles everything into one carry-and-go kit.
For sand and small spaces, the 1ft x 2ft Graphic Travel Cornhole Set from the Modern Play Collection delivers the full cornhole experience at half the footprint, and Foot Bags in earthy colorways slip into any beach tote. These are the portable outdoor games we reach for on every vacation, from beach trips to cabin weekends.
Timeless Classics, Built to Last
Every gathering benefits from the games people already know and love, made better. The Premium Resin 107mm Rambler Bocce Set, one of our bestsellers, brings tournament-weight resin balls to lawns, parks, and beaches. The Horseshoe Game Set and Mini Horseshoes offer forged, satisfying play in full-size and space-friendly formats. Washer Toss, 4 Player Hook & Ring, and Acacia Woodlander Mountain Blocks round out a lineup of easy-to-learn classics with the premium materials and craftsmanship Elakai is known for. They also happen to be ideal family outdoor games: simple enough for the youngest players, satisfying enough for the most competitive grandparents, and finally built to look the part.
How to Choose the Right Summer Game
A quick way to narrow down 31 options: match the game to your summer. Hosting BBQs and long golden-hour evenings? Start with a 2x4 cornhole set or Island Hole as your anchor game, and add bocce for slower-paced rounds. Spending the season at the beach, lake, or campground? The travel cornhole set, pickleball paddles, and foot bags earn their place in the car, whether they end up as beach games at the shoreline or camping games around the fire. Entertaining a full house of all ages? Lean on the classics, the family outdoor games everyone can pick up in a single round. And if the party moves indoors and out, the Tabletop Tennis Set and Social Pong travel seamlessly from patio to party.
Whichever direction summer takes you, choose games designed for gathering, because the point was never really the score. It is the people around the board.
Make This Summer One to Remember
The Elakai Summer Collection is more than a lineup of games. It is an invitation to slow down, gather your people, and play. From backyard games and lawn games to lake house games and everything that fits in a beach bag, explore the full collection of premium outdoor games for summer at Elakai Outdoor, and find the pieces that will anchor your gatherings for many seasons to come.
A First Look at What's Next: The Studio Series
The Summer Collection was built on a simple belief: the games you love should be as beautiful as the spaces you play them in. This season, we're taking that idea one step further. Looking for an even more elevated centerpiece? Explore our new Studio Series collection, crafted from premium hardwoods and designed to be admired between gatherings. Each piece carries the same play-hard durability Elakai is known for, refined with the kind of materials and finish work usually reserved for fine furniture.
