In times of social distancing, how can we still connect with friends and play sports and games? We looked to Google Trends to find out which backyard games were more than just a COVID fad. We found that both cornhole and pickleball saw highs in search volume in the summer of 2020, and we predict that they will continue to trend up in 2021.
Pickleball
Pickleball had a spike in the summer months of 2020 and continues to rise in popularity through April 2021. According to Google Trends, the keyword “pickleball” had its highest search interest over the past 5 years in late April/Early May 2021. Users were mostly interested in the rules of the game and how to play. Some of the most popular pickleball keywords and questions were:
| Keyword | April 2019 | April 2020 | April 2021 |
| pickleball | 246,000+ queries | 201,000+ queries | 550,000+ queries |
| what is pickleball | 22,200+ queries | 18,100+ queries | 60,500+ queries |
| how to play pickleball | 6,600+ queries | 8,100+ queries | 18,100+ queries |
| pickleball court near me | 6,600+ queries | 6,600+ queries | 40,500+ queries |
| how to score in pickleball | 320+ queries | 390+ queries | 880+ queries |
Cornhole
Looking at Google Trends over the last 5 years, we’ve seen seasonal spikes for cornhole searches in the summer months. However, cornhole saw its largest search interest in June 2020. As of the end of May 2021, this trend looks like it will continue – and potentially even pass – the volume of searches that we saw in 2020.
| Keyword | April 2019 | April 2020 | April 2021 |
| cornhole | 110,000+ queries | 135,000+ queries | 135,000+ queries |
| how to make cornhole boards | 5,400+ queries | 18,100+ queries | 8,100+ queries |
| how to make cornhole bags | 1,300+ queries | 4,400+ queries | 1,900+ queries |
| bean bag toss | 12,100+ queries | 14,800+ queries | 9,900+ queries |
| custom cornhole board | 8,100+ queries | 12,100+ queries | 14,800+ queries |
Yard Games
Lastly, we found that people were searching for yard games in general, which may have led them to find cornhole or pickleball if they were previously unaware. Consumers were searching for any ways they could get outside and have some fun while social distancing. Some of the most popular keywords related to yard games we found were:
| Keyword | April 2019 | April 2020 | April 2021 |
| yard games | 18,100+ queries | 33,100+ queries | 22,200+ queries |
| lawn games | 9,900+ queries | 14,800+ queries | 14,800+ queries |
| backyard games | 8,100+ queries | 22,200+ queries | 14,800+ queries |
| backyard sports | 1,900+ queries | 6,600+ queries | 2,900+ queries |
| diy yard games | 1,000+ queries | 1,900+ queries | 720+ queries |
Game On
What may have started out as a socially-distant, at-home activity novelty in the summer of 2020 has progressed into a behavioral change. These backyard games and sports have taken on a life of their own as more people become aware of the fun that could be had in their own yards. Will this trend continue beyond 2021? We can’t say for certain; but as for this summer, the popularity of these backyard games is increasing.
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