Tailgating Ideas

Cornhole is the runaway leader in the tailgate lot when it comes to tailgating games. It’s popularity is unmatched. Because of this, the cornhole connoisseurs of the parking lots want to have their game be as authentic as possible. In order to make cornhole more portable, affordable and “tailgate friendly”, some quality has been compromised in order to accomplish those goals.

We recently discovered P&P Imports premium corhole bags that, look feel, weigh and toss like authentic and official Cornhole Association regulation bags but are a greater improvement. The P&P Imports Premium Cornhole Bags are filled with synthetic corn kernels which sets them apart.

According to the official rules of the American Cornhole Association, “corn bags should be made from 12 oz / sq yd duck canvas and may be any color that is easy to see during Cornhole play. Each bag shall be filled with approximately 2 cups of corn feed and finished bags should be a minimum of 6″ X 6″ square and weigh between 14 and 16 ounces.”

You may ask, “Why would synthetic corn kernels be better than natural corn kernels? Isn’t the real thing always better than something synthetic”. The answer is usually the real thing is better but not in this case. Let us explain.

Real corn kernels are a natural substance and thus susceptible to the outdoor elements. If a cornhole bag filled with natural corn kernels gets wet, the kernels inside will probably deteriorate or grow mold or mildew. Whether the bags get wet or stay dry, natural corn kernels can attract pests like maize weevils. The rotting natural corn kernels will break down and your bags will weigh less and honestly, do you really want to play with bags that have mold growing or destructive pests inside? Yuck.

In addition to avoiding the potential rot and deterioration of the fill inside the bags, these cornhole bags are top of the line in quality. The heavy duty duck cloth is the exact material official, regulation cornhole bags are made out of and are double stitched to ensure they hold together. The synthetic “corn kernels” are even shaped like a real corn kernel so the feel of the bag in your hand is replicated to feel like a cornhole bag with natural fill.

Keeping it along the same track as being a regulation sized cornhole bag, the weight is between 15 and 16 ounces. That is the regulation weight of cornhole bags per the American Cornhole Association. The size of each bag is 6″ X 6″ square. That is the regulation size of cornhole bags per the American Cornhole Association.

Seeing how the official rules regarding bags allows for any color as long as they are easily seen during game play, these cornhole bags are available in 15 different colors.

Available colors include: Black. Gold, Grey, Light Blue, Navy Blue, Orange, Pink, Purple, Red, Royal Blue, White, Yellow, Crimson/Burgundy, Light Green and Dark Green.

Now you can get the two colors of your favorite team to go along with your Cornhole Boards and be a true fan in the parking lot. Oklahoma State Cowboys tailgater? Get some orange and black bags and you are all set. Minnesota Vikings fan? Purple and gold for you. The 15 color options ensures you can always mix and match your cornhole bags to match your favorite team’s colors.

We had a chance to test out the P&P Imports Premium Cornhole Bag Sets recently while tailgating. We grabbed a set of Blue and Yellow bags to match the colors of the San Diego Chargers and brought them tailgating at Qualcomm Stadium.

In playing with them, we really enjoyed the authentic feel to these bags. From the high quality duck cloth to the authentic feel of the synthetic fill feeling like corn kernels, these cornhole bags are definitely “Tailgate Approved”. The regulation weight was perfect and the peace of mind to know that even if the bags got wet, we would not have to worry about rot or even pests destroying the insides.

These Premium Cornhole Bags come in sets of four. We suggest buying two sets, one of each color of your favorite team, for a complete game set. Each set of four (4) bags is priced at $20 and comes with a one year warranty. Purchase two sets and they both will ship in the same box for a flat rate shipping cost of $15.

Buy the Premium Cornhole Bags HERE.

When you combine two good things you create something great. Like chocolate and peanut. Ribs and BBQ sauce. Or beer and just about anything. Do you remember back in the early 1990’s when Miller Lite had commericals that combined two things to make it very fun and interesting? Like this commercial:

Now what if two of the most popular tailgating games in the parking lots, cornhole and beer pong, had a baby? That’s what you get with Bru-Bag.

Bru-Bag is so simple it makes me wonder why nobody came up with this idea sooner. It takes the game play of cornhole and combines it with the rules of beer pong. Even down to the smaller rules like “bring backs”, reracks and even encourages distracting your opponent just like in beer pong, Bru-Bag combines the best of both games. Take a look at the video instruction on how to play Bru-Bag.

Now that you have seen how the game is played, you want to know is it fun and how will is hold up while tailgating? Fortunately we were sent a sample of the classic version of Bru-Bag and recently tested it out while tailgating.

(Disclaimer: We received a sample of Bru-Bag free of charge. The fact this sample was provided to us for free in no way influenced our opinion of the product nor did it impact our ability to test and review the product fairly and objectively.)

We took Bru-Bag to the Chargers vs. Cardinals pre-season game and set up the game boards. They fit easily in our vehicle because the legs are removable and installed quickly once you are ready to play. For this game we had to be especially space conscience because we had four people traveling to the game in one car and could not fold down the seats on our Honda Pilot to accommodate bulky tailgating gear.

Once at the tailgate we set it up and played a couple of games. Passers by immediately recognized the hole pattern to be similar to the pattern of a six-cup beer pong game. It was definitely a conversation starter and everyone that encountered it thought it was a great idea to combine cornhole with beer pong.

We found Bru-Bag to be fun, innovative and improved the game of cornhole dramatically. Sure you will have your cornhole purists out there that may turn their nose up at this game, but normally even the hardest core cornhole snobs will relax that attitude once they hit the tailgate lot. And to be honest, if your hard core cornhole purist can’t let it go for an afternoon of tailgating, do you really want him/her at your tailgate party anyway?

After testing out Bru-Bag at home in the backyard and while tailgating, it is definitely “Tailgate Approved”. High quality craftsmanship and a fair price makes this a great new tailgating game that will help set your tailgate apart from everyone else. Now you can stop the arguing between the cornhole and the beer pong crowd on which game to take tailgating.

Bru-Bag includes Two (2) game boards, four (4) legs, two (2) bean bags, 12 disc covers, a carrying bag and instructions. It is made and assembled in the U.S.A. Cost of a Bru-Bag complete set is $79.99 with $18 shipping and handling.

You can get your own set of Bru-Bag from our online tailgating gear store, Shop.TailgatingIdeas.com.

Cornhole has been a traditional favorite at fairs, backyards and tailgate parties for generations. It’s also a firm favorite at children’s parties. Although there is nothing wrong with the standard cornhole game rules, there are some non-traditional games that you can play with a cornhole board that will help to keep the kids interested, and that can help them burn off a few of those energy calories that come with eating all that great tailgate fare you have prepared.

Here are three variations on the traditional cornhole game that can help to keep your kids playing with those bean bags for hours.

Slip and Slide Shooter

For those warm summer days, this variation will have the kids running off that extra energy and staying cool at the same time. The game is suitable for children who are old enough to use a slip and slide. To play the game, set up a slip and slide, and then set up your board half way to a third of the way down the slide. Each child is given a bean bag at the top of the slide. The aim is to launch the cornhole bag and to land it on the board or in the hole as the children slide past the playing board. Normal game scoring can be used. You can also use a simple scoring system, like one point for each bag that lands on the board, if the children are younger. One of the parents will need to keep score.

This variation can also be played in teams, with children from each team taking turns. A team scoring system can be used to work out the winning team. This style of play is great for high energy levels, and it also encourages the hand-eye coordination of the children. It is, however, only suitable for outdoor events, hot days and summer activities. Probably not the best for a tailgate unless you tailgate on grass and have access to a hose and running water to keep the sliding surface wet and slippery.

Round the Clock

Another great take on an ordinary cornhole game is to use a timer instead of using the traditional point system. This round the clock cornhole can be played with one or two boards.

For the single board variation, set up the bean bag board at the twelve o’clock position and use a marker to indicate the shooting position. Mark out a circle using markers. Divide the children into teams. One team has a chance, and then the next team has a chance, and the team is timed.

Start with one bean bag at the foot of the board, and one bean bag at the first shooter. The shooter shoots the bean bag at the board, and then runs around the circle to the board. The bean bag is collected, and then the shooter runs around the rest of the circle clockwise and passes the bag to the next shooter. This encourages speed and accuracy for the children, and gives them time to run off all that tailgate party energy.

A two team version can be played with two bean bag boards, one board set up at six o’clock and one board set up at the 12 o’clock position of the circle. Each team is given 4 bean bags. One team is positioned at the 6 o’clock board and the other team starts out at the 12 o’clock board. The teams then throw their bags at the board on the opposite side of the clock – in other words, the team standing at six o’clock throws to the board positioned at 12 o’clock and vice versa.

Once the team has thrown its bags, they race around the circle and retrieve their bean bags and throw again – at the opposite board. The game can be timed – the winning team being the one who scored the most points in the allotted time, or it can be based on the team to reach a specific point total. All team members must race around the circle in a clockwise direction to avoid collisions.

Pass the Bag

This rendition uses two boards and two teams. Set out the boards opposite one another. Use some of the bean bags to mark off distances between the two boards. Divide the children into two teams.

Each team will have one shooter to begin with that stand at the boards ready to shoot. One child stands at the each marker between the boards. There is one bean bag for each team.

When the game starts, the shooter shoots the bag. A parent keeps score for each team. Once the shot is taken, the shooter runs to the end of the line. The child at the end of the line takes the bean bag and runs to the child at marker one, and then passes the bean bag to the child at marker one. The child from the end of the line then stays at marker one while the next child takes the bean bag up the line – it’s like a relay race.

The game ends when one team has had all the children throw the bag; for smaller children or for older children, the team with the most score wins.

Whether you are playing traditional cornhole, or a newer version, cornhole is sure to be fun for the whole family.

(This is a guest post written by Jennifer Cantis, content creator for Baggo. Baggo carries multiple variations of cornhole boards, bags and accessories. Jennifer has been a avid cornhole player for 11 years and doesn’t plan to stop until she is the cornhole champion of the world.)

We tailgaters like to cornhole day and night. Night time cornholing presents a problem because the human eye needs light to see. Typically if you were playing cornhole in a low light situation, you could place a flashlight under your boards to try and illuminate the surface that way. What if there was a way to illuminate the perimeter of your cornhole boards so the entire board was visible? Pro Glow Cornhole Lights are your answer.

We recently had the chance to test out Pro Glow Cornhole Lights and took them to the most recent San Diego Chargers vs. Denver Broncos game. The game started at 1:05 pm but by the time the game was over and we waited the hour for the parking lot to empty out, it was already dark. Even though the parking lot was well lit from the parking lot light poles, the Pro Glow Conrhole Lights really helped us see the boards. Plus, it really made our boards look really cool.

(Disclaimer: We received samples of Pro Glow Cornhole Lights free of charge. The fact these samples were provided to us for free in no way influenced our opinion of the product nor did it impact our ability to test and review the product fairly and objectively.)

As you can see in the photos, Pro Glow Cornhole Lights illuminate six (6) feet of lights in sections of two (2) feet each. One set of Pro Glow Conrhole Lights can illuminate the entire perimeter of a regulation 2′ x 4′ cornhole board or you can illuminate just the top half or the bottom half of both your regulation size cornhole boards. Buying two sets and you can illuminate the perimeter of both your cornhole boards.

These lights take three (3) AA batteries. The sample that was provided to us included the batteries but if purchasing, we do not know if the batteries are included.

We found that we could easily attach and re-arrange for a custom combination and we were able to remove the lights for storage because they attach to the boards using self-adhesive velcro mounts. The installation for one board took a grand total of about three minutes and that included placing the adhesive velcro mounts on for the first time. While in the parking lot, attaching the lights to the velcro took less than a minute.

Available colors include Red, Blue, Green, White and Pink. All of those colors are solid on/off. Disco colors flash and dance with all colors. Nothing like bringing a little attention to your night cornholing with these lights.

After taking the Pro Glow Cornhole Lights out tailgating and using them in our front yard at night, these lights are definitely “Tailgate Approved”. The only suggestion we can make it to really light up your cornhole boards, consider adding Cornhole Lanterns to your boards to illuminate the cornhole as well. Combining the Cornhole Lantern to light up the hole and Pro Glow Cornhole Lights to illuminate the board’s perimeter, now you have no excuse for your horrible tosses while playing at night.

Pro Glow Cornhole Lights are $19.99 per set and are available from Amazon. If you wanted to illuminate both your cornhole boards, we suggest buying two sets.

With tailgating season here, it’s time to start thinking about becoming the tailgating king or queen.  One big way to do that is to dominate at every single game you play at your tailgate.  Of course, Cornhole has become one of the most popular tailgating games today, and if you don’t know how to play, you’re screwed.

Luckily, we have an infographic on How to Play Cornhole.  It’s perfect if you’re just starting out.  And if you’re a cornhole professional, make sure to pass this along to a friend.