Celebrating Memorial Day is a classic way to kick off the summer. Kids are finishing school as May comes to a close and there’s excitement in the air. While Memorial Day is a great way to relax and embrace the warmer weather, it’s also a day of remembrance. It’s important to keep in mind that many people are honoring those who died during military service.

We’re going to go over 5 tips to help you prep your Patio for a memorial weekend kickback.

1. Cleaning

Cleaning up your backyard and patio is a must before having friends and family over. If you’re planning on hosting, doing some general patio maintenance should be the first thing on your to do list. Cleaning and maintenance is something that should be on your radar weeks before the event you plan on hosting because it might not be as quick as you’d think.

Go through your Patio Furniture and make sure there’s nothing broken, everything is dry, there’s no mold or mildew, etc. If you properly stored and prepped your patio furniture for winter, you won’t have anything to worry about!

Depending on the kind of winter you had, your deck might need some extra attention. Pressure washing any grime and dirt buildup from the winter is a relatively quick and easy way to bring some life into your deck. If necessary, re-staining your deck is a chore that you’ll need to put on your checklist. Although it’s a hassle, it’ll be worth it when your guests are blown away by how good your deck looks.

If you’re planning on grilling, make a quick checklist to ensure you have everything you need:

• Thoroughly wipe down the grill (you don’t want cobwebs in your burgers)
• Scrape grill
• Make sure you have a full propane tank
• Restock pellets for smoker
• Double check you didn’t lose your grill utensils
• Make sure you have enough food for everyone!

2. Decorations

Some festive decorations are a great way to spice up your patio for Memorial Day. Red, white, and blue are a great way to honor the men and women who served, but don’t go too crazy, it’s not the fourth of July. Depending on the type of event you’re hosting, decorations don’t need to be too extravagant.

Festive cups, some fun throw pillows, and an eye catching table cloth is most likely all you’ll need. The best part about memorial day is finally being able to spend some time outside now that the warm weather is back. Think of it as a yearly housewarming party, but for your patio!

3. Seating and Comfort

Now that you’ve cleaned up and figured out how you want to decorate, the next step is making sure that everyone is comfortable at your get together! Unless you’re a planning extraordinaire, you probably don’t have an exact number of guests who will be attending, but that’s totally fine! It’s unrealistic that you’re going to have seating for everyone, but you can do your best!

When it comes to patio furniture, it’s important to have a nice variety of seating options. One way to go about this is to look at purchasing outdoor furniture sets. Most sets come with a lounge couch, a lounger, coffee table, side tables, and sometimes a loveseat! If you really want to splurge, a patio sectional couch is an awesome addition to any patio.

The addition of a patio umbrella (or umbrellas) is a nice touch that is a must if you’re planning on entertaining. Being able to relax outside and stay out of the sun is crucial.

4. Activities

Setting up some activities for your guests to do is a thoughtful way to give everyone something to do throughout the day. As much fun as chatting is, being able to take a break and do something fun is a big perk.

Depending on how big your yard is, you can set up all sorts of easy lawn games for guests of all ages to enjoy. A few ideas are:

• Giant beer pong (garbage cans and big balls)
• Croquet
• Cornhole
• Stump

Pretty much anything you can think of!

If you’re limited on space, jenga, uno, checkers, and kings cup are all great options for patio games that don’t need too much space. Check out this article for some more outdoor game ideas!

5. Landscaping

Landscaping your backyard is something to think about, but it’s not the most important part of your memorial day plans. You don’t need to have an extravagant garden to entertain for one day. We recommend that your plants look healthy, garden beds generally cleaned up, and any messes left over from winter cleaned up. Don’t worry about it too much, people are there to have fun!