Cold Drinks, Hot Tailgating Games

The best place to play ladder ball is at the confluence of hot cooking, cold drinking, and American braggadocio - the tailgate party. The tailgate party isn't just about avoiding outrageous stadium prices for brats and booze. Tailgating is about fun with friends and family and then watching tailgating games turn those friends and family into bloodthirsty rivals. It is there, on the hot pavement, that champions are forged through games so leisurely they beg to called "sports." Honestly, where else would you play a game called "cornhole?" Careful with that answer. A successful tailgate is made up of three parts: searing meats, dizzying beverages, and an assortment of games. Game selection is ultimately important, so let's have a quick rundown of makes a great tailgating game.

What Not to Play Not every game is suited for a tailgate party. If you're bringing a gas-powered generator and your X-Box - you're doing it wrong. Tailgate parties are playgrounds for the inebriated, so games need to be big, tactile, and easy to score. Keeping that in mind, you want to bring a game that's fun, but also one that you wouldn't be devastated to see broken by your idiot cousin. And since you're supplying the festivities here it's a good idea to bring something that you can pack and unpack with relative ease. A good tailgate game shouldn't take more than five minutes to set up. If setting up's a pain, just think about tear-down - there's nothing worse than fiddling with frustrating bolts after losing to that guy. Small parts or a high neuron requirement are both big no-no's, so leave the board games on the shelf. In summary: nothing expensive, heavy, or overly intricate. The best tailgate games engage everybody, young or old, sober or less-so, friend or foe.

What Should Be Played
A ladder ball game is great, of course; we wouldn't be here if we didn't think it was the best of the best. But variety is the spice of life, and everybody enjoys a little spice. The best tailgates have multiple game stations to accommodate more people and to provide rotation for the easily bored. Try washers, another homebrewed tailgate favorite. Toss the washer in the box, or go for the cup if you're feeling showy. The most points wins. Get it? Got it? Good!

You're probably beginning to see a pattern here: all great tailgating games are about throwing something small at something large and generally sound like less fun than they actually are. Horseshoes is another one of the greats - get your cowboy on and loop your horseshoes around the rod in the sand. This one's not for kids, though; those things are heavy.

Enjoy a satisfying plop in your tailgating game? Take a gander at beanbag toss a.k.a. "cornhole." This one translates the same theme of landing your closer than the other guys, but uses soft beanbags in place of horseshoes and bolos. Cornhole targets also provide prime real estate for team-pride graphics - look into Nascar, NCAA, and NFL licensed cornhole games.

All popular tailgate games are fun, lightweight, inexpensive, and easy to set up and take down. We've got them all here on ladderballplus.com, as well as around other Hayneedle sites. Before you head to the tailgate, be sure to check off the list - killer tailgating games, delicious food, and refreshing drinks. And never, ever, under any circumstances forget to bring your team spirit!