Tailgate Fun: Games to play before the big game

It's opening weekend for NFL and the Lions. Along with grilling and eating, a tailgate party needs some entertainment while football fans wait for the game to start. Meijer has some great items and game ideas so tailgaters can get into the competitive spirit before the game begins.

Cornhole

Cornhole is the staple game of any tailgate party so it deserves a permanent spot on the Best Tailgate Party Games list.  It’s probably the most popular, being super easy to learn and the most fun. It has two raised rectangular boards, each with a hole on the far end (the ‘cornhole’), are placed 27 feet apart. Players take turns to toss bean bags (or other soft missiles) towards the opposing board, scoring 3 points if the bag lands in the hole and 1 point if the bag lands on the platform. The first to 21 points wins.

Ladder Toss 

Played by throwing two balls connected by a string (a ‘bola’) at a ladder with three rungs, Ladder Toss is an old, traditional favorite at tailgate parties.  In Ladder Toss, each rung has a different point value (usually 1, 2 and 3 from top to bottom). The awesome thing about ladder toss is that you can play either offensively by aiming to get the highest points in a round, or defensively by knocking the opponent’s bolas off the ladder. The first to 21 points is the winner.

Kan Jam

Two players stand at opposite kans (which are placed 50 feet apart in regulation play) and alternate throwing and deflecting the disc. Essentially, the partners work together to get the disc to do one of three things: hit the kan, go inside of the kan through the top opening or, best of all, go through the kan’s slot opening for an Instant Win. One player throws the disc toward the kan and the other can redirect it.

It takes 21 points to win KanJam. Here is a breakdown of how it works:

• DINGER (1 point): Teammate deflects the disc to hit the kan.
• DEUCE (2 points): The disc throw hits the kan, unassisted by a teammate.
• BUCKET (3 points): Teammate deflects the throw into the kan.
• INSTANT WIN: The disc throw goes into the kan through the small slot opening in the front. Game over.

Flip Cup