Like cookouts, sunbathing and vacations, live music is a staple of summer. Get into the groove this season with the best concert-going gear on the Web. If you’re lucky enough to score tickets to a venue that permits coolers or picnic baskets, try the coastal basket from Picnicbaskets.com ($100, with free shipping).  The basket includes picnic supplies for four. Choose a gingham lining that’s red and white or blue and white. Igloo’s Playmate icy tunes gripper cooler (pictured) gets you jamming before the performer hits the stage ($66).  Hook up any MP3 player to this cooler, which is equipped with speakers and an amplifier. Stadium seating is often the norm for bigger-name acts like Bruce Springsteen or Coldplay. Keep your bottom comfy, while keeping your whistle, ahem, wet. The sippin seat has an internal flexible flask that holds 3 12 oz. cans worth of cold or warm beverages ($29).  Find your way back to your seat from the concession stand (or back to your car when the usher discovers your Sippin Seat) with this mini microbeam flashlight that attaches to any keychain ($20 each or 2 for $30). For those all-day outdoor gigs like Lollapalooza or Virgin Fest, sunscreen is a must.  MD Skincare’s SPF  30 individual towelettes are perfect for slipping into your bag and applying on the go (60 applications for $42).  Keep the sun out of your face and your head cool with one of the season’s trendy fedoras. This Spillane straw fedora from Urban Outfitters hits the right mix of cool and utilitarian ($28).  You never know when Mother Nature might unleash a thunderstorm.  Don’t be stuck scurrying for cover with thousands of fans : Be prepared with this stylish Marimekko “Ruusupuu” rain poncho ($75).  It comes with a small tote bag for easy storage.

Games bring us together. They allow us to exercise our brains and bodies and to appreciate each other’s company without having to think of clever things to say. Sure, they bring out the competitive side, but with the right attitude, they’re a whole lot of fun, not to mention a remarkably cheap form of entertainment. Now is a great time to invest in a few games that can be played in the yard all summer. The extremely popular BlongoBall ($57) can be played by two opposing teams or just two people. The idea is to throw the balls-on-strings in a manner that makes them wrap around the posts (and maybe even knock off your opponents balls). Badminton is a classic garden game. Wear white and swat a shuttlecock back and forth between sips of iced tea. At Badminton Source, we like the Franklin Advanced set ($50) because it comes with everything you need — poles, net, rackets, shuttlecocks, carrying case. Croquet is another oldie but goodie, and Franklin has just the set for six to eight players ($65, pictured). It’s sanctioned by the U.S. Croquet Association and comes with rules and instructions. Or learn to play bocce (Italian lawn bowling) with Sportcraft’s Better Bocce Set ($50). When it’s time for the grown-ups to go inside and crank up the A.C., the kids can grab the garden hose and “go to town” without leaving the premises. Wham-O still makes its classic Slip ‘n Slide in a wide variety of styles. We like the Heat Wave model at Our Toy Shop ($35). It provides 22 feet of sliding, splashing action and the new Drench-o-Matic overhead hydrant system. Not recommended for drought-stricken locales, where a water balloon sling shot ($20) or Max Liquidator Eliminator ($7)
might make a better choice. And there’s always pingpong. Our suggestion is to avoid the cheaply made, short-lived tables and buy a weatherproof model for years of enjoyment.

Dad will breathe a sigh of relief Sunday when you give him something other than a tie. Never mind the fact that you picked it up at the last minute! At Things Remembered, orders more than $99 placed by Wednesday will arrive by Saturday at no extra cost. So scoop up a few items to cover Dad, Granddad, Uncle Bob and Brother Bill. Golf-obsessed Dad would love to add the golf pen set to his desk ($30; pictured), while Grandpa might enjoy the leather money clip with card holder ($20). Amazing Clubs offers a variety of “of the month” clubs, like the beer club, cigar club or steak club (prices range from $30 to $75 per month). Sign him up for the club online, and he’ll receive a personalized gift announcement. If your father’s the adventurous type, a gift card from REI will nab him goods for camping, fishing and hiking. Buy an e-gift card and the recipient receives it via email within 24 hours. Nordstrom’s exclusive Kiehl’s Father’s Day Set features shave cream, facial cleanser, moisturizer, scrub soap and lip balm ($62). Buy online and take advantage of Nordstrom’s new pickup in-store option. Sports Authority has a unique guaranteed holiday delivery system. Order by Wednesday and choose overnight delivery service. If it’s not there by Saturday, it’s free. So splurge on Dad while helping him to improve his golf game with a golf course GPS system that measures distances to targets and hazards ($260).

The great thing about going to the beach is staying a while. The rhythms of the surf, the sea air — they work a relaxing magic on stress as you swim and snooze, read a book or chat with friends. We suggest you make the most of your day with a beach umbrella, which will provide privacy and shade and lay claim to your turf. At Shade USA, there are several to choose from. Our favorite for groups is the 20-panel rainbow beach umbrella ($35). The canopy is seven feet in diameter, can be tilted as you like, has an SPF rating of 100 and is water resistant. This one comes with a free self-anchoring system, so you don’t have to purchase a separate sand anchor. Half the size and almost two-thirds less expensive (not to mention much lighter to haul at three pounds) is the clamp-on beach umbrella ($13). It attaches to any arm-rest or tubular frame piece and has an SPF of 35. Or go all out with a Solartek Windbrella ($50), with a six-foot canopy made of a silver fabric that bounces 95 percent of UV rays. Of course, you may forgo the umbrella and bring along a Kelsyus Recline Backpack Chair and UV Canopy ($40; pictured) instead or a Fargason tent chair ($60) if you don’t plan to flatten out on a towel. These portable chairs provide their own shade. The Kelsyus has a drink holder; the Fargason has zippered side windows. And don’t forget a body board for riding waves and frolicking in the surf. A fine entry-level board is the Baja, by Morey (on sale for $65). The Dimple bottom-skin increases speed while the grooved slots minimize turbulence and hold the waves. We like that it comes with a wrist leash so you needn’t spend time hunting for your board if you wipe out. Add towels, summer reading and a cooler full of snacks, and you’ll be awfully close to heaven.

Swimming-pool owners who have tired of their old pool diversions — pool volleyball, water aerobics, and games of Marco Polo — may well drool over the Aquatic Climbing Wall being hawked by catalog giant Hammacher Schlemmer. The heavy-duty structure is like the fake rock walls aspiring mountaineers train on, but with one obvious benefit: Since climbers who fall off hit water instead of concrete, there’s no need for ropes, helmets and safety harnesses. The wall’s surface is contoured fiberglass, with an array of sculpted hand-grips that can be changed out and rotated to shake things up or to adjust the climb’s difficulty; at the top is a clear-panel overhang — put there, evidently, in case you got a sudden, irresistible urge to continue your climb over the edge and go splat on the pool’s edge. The ten-and-a-half foot, 200-pound item comes with a lifetime guarantee and includes “white glove delivery,” according to the catalog — and for $8,000, it certainly should.

If you’ve decided to take your kids fishing this summer but don’t have much fishing or boating knowledge, get started at Take Me Fishing. Sponsored by the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, a nonprofit group whose aim is to increase participation in recreational angling and boating, the site has select-your-state sections on getting a fishing license and boating and fishing, along with the all-important guide on how to fish and a “fishopedia,” which lists and describes many types of fish. Once you’ve garnered some basic knowledge, you’ll need some equipment. Happily, Cabela’s currently has an online sale for fishing gear, such as the four-piece travel spinning rod (now $40, down from $50) and the more advanced Fish Eagle XML casting rods ($70, down from $140). For the kids, a Pirates of the Caribbean spincast kit includes rod, reel and small tackle box ($7). A good fishing trip wouldn’t be complete without the right apparel. Orvis’s “fishing best-sellers” include a classic fishing vest called the Super Tac-L-Pak ($89; pictured). Real fly fishermen always wear waders; these Silver Label Stockingfoot waders have neoprene gravel guards and an inside storage pouch ($189). Finally, a tackle box will keep your flies, hooks and other materials clean and organized. This classic Wheatley metal fly box , is handmade in England and can be personalizedand ($59 to $98). If that’s too steep for you, Wal-mart has a perfectly serviceable six-tray tackle box ($20).