7 Backyard Uses for a Canopy Tent

In a previous post, we explained that depending on your climate and how you maintain a pop-up canopy tent, you might be able to set it up in your backyard for months at a time. That means you could leave it up all summer in many locations. In some, you might even be able to leave it up for the better part of the year.

What can you do with a pop-up canopy tent in your backyard (or side yard or front yard, for that matter)? Let’s explore some handy uses for a backyard canopy tent.

1. Shelter tools and supplies for a project.

Perhaps you have a project you are working on in your backyard, and you are tired of bringing tools and equipment back and forth between your garage and closer to where you are working.

If the weather is not too windy, you could temporarily store these supplies underneath a pop-up canopy tent, protecting them from the bright sun or light rain.

2. Provide shade for plants.

During the hottest days of summer, the sun might be scorching some of your plants. If they are in pots, there is a simple solution. Set up a canopy tent, and during the hottest hours, simply move the plants underneath it. After the danger passes, you can put them back where they normally live.

Alas, if your plants are in flower beds, this method won’t work very well, as you would need to keep moving the tent itself. If you’re setting it up for the whole summer, it is wise for it to be well-anchored.

3. Host backyard gatherings.

If you like to have your friends over for backyard parties, a pop-up canopy tent can offer shade and comfort to all. Everyone will have a more enjoyable time, and your gatherings might last longer as a result.

When shopping for a backyard canopy tent for this purpose, consider the average number of people that tend to come to your parties. Make sure that you get a canopy tent that has a large enough area for everyone to fit comfortably, along with any furnishings and supplies you want to put under the tent.

4. Create a pool cabana.

Are you lucky enough to have a pool in your backyard? If so, you might long for the shade and convenience of a cabana.

Rather than going to the effort and expense of constructing some permanent structure you don’t really need, you could just set up a pop-up canopy tent to function as a cabana during the months you are using your pool.

You don’t need to do much to transform a canopy tent into a cabana. Just add some lounge chairs, a table, and some towels and pool supplies. Rather than adding sidewalls, consider attaching some curtains, providing additional shade, but allowing plenty of airflow.

5. Host a sale of some kind.

Here is a use for a pop-up canopy tent in your side yard or front yard, rather than your backyard. You could set it up to provide shade while you do some kind of a sale. It could be a yard sale, for example. Or maybe your kid wants to sell lemonade or experiment with some other entrepreneurial venture.

6. Shade for your pet.

Do you have a dog that hangs out in your fenced-in backyard, but you do not have a doghouse? Your pet may be used to sleeping indoors, but if there is not a lot of shade in your yard, being out there during summer could get to be intense at times.

If you set up a canopy tent, your dog will have a nice shady area to lay down when it gets to be too bright and hot.

If you are not going to be out there monitoring your dog all the time, remember that it is extra important to make sure that your

7. Set up a shady spot to relax.

Finally, one more thing you can do with a pop-up canopy tent in your backyard is just set it up to kick back and relax.

This is similar to the pool cabana idea, except that you do not need a pool. Just set up the tent and add a cozy seat or two, and anything else you want or need to make it comfortable. Here are some ideas:

• A mat for the floor
• Illumination of some kind (i.e. fairy lights or such)
• A table where you can put drinks, books, etc.
• A cooler for drinks
• Some plants or simple décor

Even a few simple upgrades like these can give your pop-up canopy tent a sense of luxury. What about sidewalls? Should you use them? That is up to you based on your climate, and well as the look and feel you are trying to create. Sidewalls are great for increasing privacy, as well as offering shelter from sideways breezes or rain. But they can also trap heat and reduce air circulation on hot days, which may not be ideal.

If your climate is particularly hot, you might instead want to hang curtains, as we mentioned when we discussed canopy tents as cabanas. Many people go for light, gauzy curtains. You can buy curtains to match or complement your canopy tent color, or go for something more colorful, like a rainbow of hues.

The curtains will generally allow for more airflow even when shut, and you can always tie them to the posts if you want them open. Whether they are opened or closed, they will have a decorative effect as well, making the canopy tent an even more enjoyable place to spend time in your backyard.

Pop-up canopy tents are incredibly versatile. While we often buy them to bring with us on vacation or to events, they have numerous uses at home as well. Check out the rest of our posts to learn about more clever ways to use pop-up canopy tents.

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