The summer months are easily the best opportunity to be playing sports outdoors. The weather is warm, the grass is glistening and depending on the climate, rain should not be much of an interrupting force. Sport was made for summer and vice versa.

But what are the options to partake in? Plenty of different games package themselves to be either summer-based or at least friendlier during this season of the year. Golf showcases itself to those that love blue skies, yet when the heat hits, there is little to no refuge for the shade.

Other activities like surfing and wake boarding are geared towards the summer, making the most of the cool water when the temperatures begin to rise. However, this caters to those that are skilled in this domain where training is required to obtain consistent balance. Then there is the matter of wave and tide conditions, with both having a tenancy to fluctuate.

These are 5 sports that are fun, easily accessible and overall best to play in summer.

Softball

Whereas cricket can take upwards of 6 hours to complete, with the potential of a follow up appearance the very next day, a game of softball can be wrapped up much quicker. This game is a slightly more player-friendly version of baseball where pitchers can underarm a softer ball that can be propelled easier by the batter.

With its origins dating back to Chicago in 1887, there are multiple variations on the sport that sees restrictions on pitching change depending on the setting. Softball has a global footprint and with outdoor and indoor options available. It is an activity that is ideal for the summer and can certainly assist in losing weight as well as gaining muscle.

Swimming

An activity as old as time. Gliding through the water has been one of the great benefits of being human, seeing a coordinated movement that teaches individuals how to balance their body and manage their breathing all in one fluid motion.

It goes without saying that this becomes all the more difficult in colder climates, with those living in the far northern hemisphere struggling to enjoy swimming when the chill arrives.

Depending on your geographic location, swimming is not only a fun pastime to partake in, but a compulsory education where the dangers of drowning are at a significant rate.

Despite this risk, the enjoyment level and rise in self-esteem from learning to swim is clear for all to see. It happens to open up a number of pathways in the sporting arena too from competitive swimming to water polo, synchronised diving and much more.

Tennis

Played as singles or doubles, tennis is a widely accessible game that is best played in the great outdoors. Tennis courts are found throughout most regions in suburban and even rural areas, providing surfaces that match either hard (concrete), grass or clay conditions.

This change offers variety and different challenges to players who can become too comfortable and familiar with one setting. The beauty of tennis is that the basics of the game, and the spirit in which it is played, remains consistent right from the junior and casual levels up to the elite.

The warm weather of summer gives people the chance to play tennis long into the daylight hours and once the lights are produced for the night, the conditions are almost ideal. Tennis is also a great social sport that will keep you healthy and active.

Beach Volleyball

It is difficult to find a social game that is more the enjoyment level and rise in self-esteem from learning to swim is clear. Made iconic by Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer in the classic 1986 movie Top Gun, the sport of volleyball appears custom made for the luxurious and exotic surrounds where the sand meets the ocean.

Much like tennis, the court is divided into two where teams can range from singles to doubles, and even more depending on the flexibility and social nature of the game at play.

Points are easily adjudicated to award those that land the ball on ground or force the opponent to touch the net, but the biggest draw card to the activity has to be the lifestyle benefits.

Beach Soccer

Beach soccer or beach football is just a slight variation on the most popular sport in the world and while the game has been played and perfected on the sands of Rio in Brazil, beach soccer has become universally popular.

Much like its volleyball cousin, the game is simple to establish with only two goals either end required. 5 per side is the regulation for competition and with less space to run on the sand surfaces, players with creative skills are championed over pure athletes.