Fun games to play at your tailgate

Half of the fun of Clemson football games is tailgating - good food and good company - a chance to see old friends and sometimes make new ones. One of my favorite things to do while tailgating (besides eating and taking part in adult beverages) is playing outdoor games! There's nothing wrong with a little friendly competition with your fellow tailgaters.

Here is just a selection of some of my favorite tailgate games - easy to transport in the back of your car, and simple enough to play that even the kids can get in on the friendly competition.

Cornhole - this is a popular game among tailgaters..everyone has their own sets of rules, but the concept is still the same - get the bean bag in the hole! You can even get your own Clemson set.
Lasso Golf - Another tailgate favorite is lasso golf - the idea is to swing these strings, with a ball on each end, onto the rack so they wrap around the poles. I have yet to master this game...somehow I always overswing the strings and they end up wrapping around someone's chair at a neighboring tailgate. These fold up pretty easily for transport.
Bulls Eye Washers - This game is another fun tossing game that's easy to transport to the tailgate. However, this game is also great for when you're ready to kick back in your tailgate chairs after eating all day - set one of these up in the middle of your tailgate and let everyone take turns trying to get the washers in the middle.
Lawn Darts - If you like cornhole, you'll also enjoy lawn darts - or Jarts. With this game you will need to be tailgating on or close to a grassy area, and need a little extra space to spread out. Put the bulls eye ring a good distance away from your tossing point and each player takes turns tossing the safe, weighted tip darts to try and land them in the ring.


Horseshoes - And who could forget the classic outdoor tailgate game of horseshoes! Horseshoes are easy to set up, even if they are a little heavy. I love horseshoes...even though I'm not very good at it. :)
Tic-Tac-toss - Here's a fun spin on tic-tac-toe...toss the beanbags to try and get your letter, x or o, on the board. I think kids would have a ton of fun with this game - and it requires strategy along with skill.
Football - Not really any explanation needed here! You can't go to a Clemson game without seeing at least a dozen tailgaters tossing the football around.
So what games do you and your tailgate friends play while tailgating? Anything I left out here? Any games you created yourself? Comment on this blog post or email me at clemsongirlblog@gmail.com.

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