Physically active amenities are not everyone’s cup of tea. Sometimes we need to take a break from work, but we still feel the urge to exercise our brain. This week our recommended amenity is an outdoor chess/checkers set. The best part is, you can customize your set to your heart’s content!

To get started, you should plan out your board and where it will be placed. It’s best to place it in a shaded area, especially on super hot summer days. Boards can be constructed out of wood, concrete, stones, or with pre-existing patios. For purposes of durability, we recommend using square paving stones or creating your outdoor board in your patio. For the actual chess pieces, you can open up and use a lot more creativity. You don’t have to necessarily buy chess pieces. We have seen people use garden gnomes instead or build pieces from metal or PVC pipes. Some other popular options include metal wire, wood carved, and even plants. Depending on your choice, size, and material you should expect to pay between a few hundred dollars up to a few thousand dollars for really nice pre-made sets. For example, you can create a more traditional setup by purchasing a 26-inch tall plastic set for $1,600 or you can go above and beyond and spend $4,000 on a fully wood set.

Regardless of whether you want to have a few small boards in your building or if you want to add a massive chessboard to your outdoor amenity list, build one to fit your budget. If you’d like any help developing/designing your outdoor chess/checkers board just let us know.