Tailgate parties are a coveted American tradition that brings people together to root for a cause they believe in. Whether it's the most anticipated match during football season or simply an excuse to get friends and family together, you’ll be hard-pressed to find someone who passes on the chance for a good game night with some tailgate games such as Beer Pong and Cornhole.
While these parties happen when everyone gathers around the tailgate of a car, in most cases, they need to be comfortable to ensure everyone has an evening they’ll fondly look back at. A Jackery Solar Generator can be a critical part of this setup, ensuring you have enough juice to run your grill, light up your space, and charge up everyone’s devices. A solar generator can also be a reliable power backup option in a range of other situations.
Key Takeaways
- Tailgating is an American tradition that has its roots in the 19th century.
- There’s also a dedicated national holiday in honor of this tradition in the US.
- The key purpose of a tailgate party is to socialize, drink, and bring friends and family together before the game.
- Some of the best tailgate party games include stump, cornhole, horseshoes, and ladder golf.
- While there are several essentials to a successful tailgate party, the most important aspect is a reliable power backup option, such as a Jackery Solar Generator.
What is a Tailgate Game?
Put specifically, a tailgate game or tailgate party is one that’s held at the tailgate of a pickup truck before a football game. The truck's tailgate doubles up as an improvised picnic table, giving you the space to enjoy some music, games, and beverages (alcoholic). This is also known as pre-gaming and serves as a fun warm-up to the main event: the football match.
The first Saturday of September is also a national holiday celebrated across the United States, marking the importance of this tradition in American culture.
Why Tailgate Games Matter?
The tailgating tradition finds its roots in the late 19th century when the sport of football was slowly but surely taking over the American psyche. Back then, fans would gather around the tailgate of a horse-drawn wagon as a way of transporting the team’s equipment, making it an unofficial start to the game itself.
Over time, tailgating also became a pre-gaming tradition for sports like NASCAR races and baseball games, among others. These games are exciting as they bring people together over barbecues, games, and an opportunity to get along with those around you and set the stage for an enjoyable game ahead.
25 Best Tailgate Games and Ideas for Everyone
If you’ve been to a tailgate party, you’ll know that an endless list of games can set the stage for game night. This section takes you through 25 of the best tailgate games, all divided into five categories.
Classic Tailgate Games
Some tailgate games will always be described as classics. This section explores five such games that have been a part of the tailgating tradition for years.
Stump
As the name suggests, Stump is a tailgate game played around a tree’s stump. The game requires each player to stick a nail into the central stump, and the rest get into a circle, flip and catch a hammer, and slam it down on someone’s nail. With time, everyone’s nails will be fully hammered down. The last man standing in this game wins.
Ladder Golf
Ladder Golf is a lot more similar to Cornhole than it is to golf. The aim is for players to get their balls or strings onto the ladder's rungs, and they cancel out an opponent’s throw if they land on the same rung. This game, however, is a lot simpler than Cornhole, as the ball with the string, in most cases, will wrap around the rung if you throw it well enough.
Cornhole
Cornhole is a legendary tailgate staple. This very relaxing game involves throwing a bean bag while holding a beer in the other hand. The goal is to throw it into the holes of a goalboard positioned on the ground to score the most points. The game requires some skill, as you’ll often find those who successfully throw their bean bags through the goal while others will struggle to do so.
Fozzy Football
Fozzy Football is a relatively new player in the tailgate party scene. It is a modernized version of paper football played on a shuffleboard. The game mimics a normal football game, with players able to advance the ball on offense, stop and sack on defense, and so on.
The players take turns sliding a metal puck across the shuffleboard, aiming to land on their opponent’s side. An app takes care of all the game’s rules. However, you’ll have to ensure you have a solar generator to recharge your devices if they’re being continuously used, especially since they’re versatile and also count as one of the key car living essentials.
Beer Pong
Beer Pong has been amongst the most popular tailgate games for years and features more often than expected at these parties. This is a great way to make new friends and popular across non-tailgate setups.
Whether you play with beer or even water, this is a game the whole family can enjoy together. The goal is to get as many ping-pong balls into the plastic cups on the other end of the table as possible. The first team to get the most balls in wins.
Family Tailgate Games
Several tailgate games are ideal for the whole family to enjoy. This section explores five such games.
Washers
Washers is a classic tailgate game that’s fun to play, slightly challenging, and family-friendly. The game is simple: two boards with three holes are placed 20 meters apart. The players stand next to one box and take turns tossing small metal discs into the holes of the opposite board. The first person or team to reach 21 points wins.
Old Fashioned Catch
The highlight of a tailgate game like Old Fashioned Catch is that you can play it with multiple people and let your kids participate in the fun. It’s also easy to carry as you can throw it into your car and all your other tailgate essentials.
One of the best ways to make this game exciting is to get everyone to play 500. One person yells out a number that falls between 100-500 and throws the ball into the group. The player who ends up catching the ball earns the points. The new tosser is the first person to reach an exact value of 500 points. However, the number shouldn’t go over 500.
Fowling
Fowling is a game that combines football and bowling. Its setup resembles that of Horseshoes. It involves teams consisting of two players, each who stands at the opposite ends of a lane that resembles a bowling lane. The first team to knock down all 10 pins wins the game.
Horseshoes
Horseshoes is another tailgate game ideal for children to play with adults. The game’s objective is to toss a horseshoe around a metal stake. Each player gets to toss two horseshoes. The first player tosses their shoes one at a time, and then every other player does the same.
The innings end after each player tosses their horseshoes around the metal stake, and then the pitching order changes. The horseshoe that lies closest to the stake by a few inches wins a single point. However, since each player tosses two horseshoes, they can earn two points.
Toppling Tower
You can consider Toppling Towers to be a giant version of Jenga. You can play this game with multiple people or even solo if you’d like to.
Once you set up the tower, each player removes a block (except from the top row) and places it on top. Once the player successfully places the block atop the tower, the game moves on to the next player. The winner is the last person to successfully stack their block on top of the tower before it falls over.
Company Tailgate Games
Some tailgate games aren’t ideal in a professional setup, but that doesn’t mean other options exist. Here are five exciting games you can consider.
Mini Golf
While you may not immediately associate mini golf with a tailgate party, it’s a game that’s universally enjoyed and can be a lot of fun. If you don’t have room for mini golf in your office, you can even consider playing Putter Ball. Putterball takes mini golf and turns it into a competitive game for 2-4 players.
The game’s setup is similar to beer pong but is golf-themed. Two individual teams stand on opposite sides of the surface, which has cups on either side arranged in the shape of a triangle. Each player or team alternately puts, and when a player successfully makes a put, the hole is covered. The goal is to sink all your puts before the other team manages to do so.
Guessing Games
You can’t always go all out with traditional tailgate games at the workplace. Sometimes, you need a less disruptive game. This is where guessing games come into the picture. These games can be of different kinds, and the goal is to make the right guess based on the prompt or question, making it a leisurely activity to enjoy with your coworkers.
Here are a few examples of guessing games you can play:
- Guessing the number of items in a jar or a container
- Guess the logo of your favorite sporting team
- Guess the player based on their stats and achievements
Bucketball
While beer pong can be a great game for a traditional tailgate party, your workplace will require a more muted version. Bucketball offers the same excitement, even if it's without the beer. The big difference is that instead of throwing ping pong balls into small cups, you will be working with buckets this time.
This game is easy to learn and can be played indoors or outdoors, making it the ideal company tailgate game for everyone to decompress.
Pipfall
Pipfall is an interesting twist to the traditional tailgate game cornball. The big difference is that players toss dice bags to score the most points instead of normal bags. The points are allocated based on the number of pips (the dots on each surface of the dice) that land face-up on the board.
While the game is typically played to 100 points, there are many variations to it that you can try. An interesting twist that you can add to this is that a dice that lands in the hole on the board leads to the team losing out on three points.
Fumble
Fumble is an exciting game that combines the best aspects of cards with pong. The ping pong balls are set on the table, and they’re set to be one less than the total number of players in the game. One of the balls is orange and is always on the table. All the other balls involved are white. The players are then dealt a hand of cards. Each card has a different football position, and once the word “HIKE” is called, the players pass a card to their left one by one.
When a player manages to collect five cards of the same position, the player can grab the orange ball at the center of the table, allowing them to score a touchdown of 6 points.
The rest of the players scramble for the remaining ping-pong balls. Once they have been claimed, the players take turns bouncing the balls off the playing surface into the cup. The white balls are worth three points each.
Tailgate Drinking Games
If drinking is what you want to do, these five tailgate games will surely be a success at your next party.
Flip Cup
Flip Cup is one of the best games for making the most of a beer pong table. In this game, the tailgating team is divided into two groups, and each team stands at the opposite ends of the table. For each member, you arrange one cup on the edge of the table, and each cup is filled one-fourth with beer or soda, in the case of kids.
Once you say “Go,” the first player will drink their beer and then try to flip their cup. Once the cup is upside down on the table, the next player drinks their beer and flips their cup the same way. This is repeated till everyone flips their cup, and the first team to flip all their cups is the winner.
Thumper
Thumper is a high-energy game that doesn’t involve a lot of alcohol consumption, but it’s still a lot of fun to play. In this game, everyone sits in a circle and gets a drink. All members pick a simple hand gesture, which must be short, like an “ok” or a “thumbs up,” or anything else, depending on what the crowd is like.
The game starts with everyone playing the drums on the table or their thighs, and each person gets a chance to be the game's leader (while going clockwise). The leader then shouts, “What’s the game's name?” The other players respond with “Thumper.”
The leader then asks, “Why do we play it?, to which the players respond, “To get messed up,” after which the leader makes a hand gesture. The players then respond with their own hand gestures, and the person who makes their gesture last has to drink. The first person to finish their drink loses, and the last one to do so wins.
I’m Going to the Stadium
I’m Going to the Stadium is a tailgate game that can easily erupt into hysterical laughter from everyone involved, making it the perfect pregame solution. You play this with everyone sitting in a circle, and the first person starts by saying, “I’m going to the stadium.”
The next person repeats the first statement and then adds one. An example is, “I’m going to the stadium. This is going to be a brilliant game.” The third person will similarly repeat the first two sentences and then add one of their own. This pattern continues until someone messes up the statement and then has to drink as a result.
Whoever is left standing with their drink is then declared the winner.
The Name Game
If your tailgating crew is familiar with all the players of the football game, this can be a brilliant game to play. Start by gathering everyone in your crew in a circle and filling up everyone’s cups with beer. The first player will start by naming a football (or baseball, for example) player. The second person will then have to name a football player whose first name starts with the first alphabet of the last name of the football player.
If the person cannot think of a name, they must take a sip of their drink. The player who runs out of beer is out, and the game is designed to continue until the last player standing is declared the winner.
Forbidden Words
Forbidden Words is a game that your tailgating crew can play all day long. It helps foster a sense of camaraderie, too. Your team starts by making a list of common forbidden words, such as football, goal, coach, etc. Anyone who says those words throughout the day will have to take a sip of their drink.
This game has no winner or loser. The fun comes from calling your buddies out when they forget about a forbidden word and end up saying it at some point.
Creative Tailgate Ideas
Aside from the specific and well-known tailgate games we’ve listed above, there’s a lot you can do with a little bit of creativity. This section explores five creative tailgate ideas for your next pregame session.
DIY Game Day Photo Booth
A photo booth can be a fun way to capture memories no matter where you are. Set up a camera and place a white drop cloth atop a vehicle’s open trunk. With this simple setup, you now have a makeshift photo booth that everyone can take advantage of. You can even hang streamers or team banners for an interesting backdrop.
Power up a Playlist
There’s nothing more ideal than the perfect playlist to serve as the perfect background for your pregame session with your buddies. Whether it’s a pregame anthem that our favorite team has released or some of the cult classics that your crew can listen to all day, you’ve got plenty of options to choose from across a range of genres.
All you need is someone to sacrifice their phone and a good set of speakers to keep the music running. Remember that running all these appliances, including others such as an outdoor grill, will require some form of power backup. A Jackery Solar Generator can be the ideal solution, as it can continue to solar charge while you enjoy your day out.
Set Up a Food Bar
A tailgate party would be incomplete without some good food. Get some well-cooked hotdogs, nachos, dips, and chili; you can’t go wrong. Designate each member of your team to work on a specific sauce or dip so everyone can customize their snacks based on their palate.
Throw a Tailgate Tournament
A tailgate party is the best place to play all those games that require a lot of room. Whether it’s toppling towers or others such as horseshoes, these pregame sessions are the perfect opportunity to get your competitive juices flowing.
Get to Know Your Neighbors
The pregame's highlight is that it allows you to build relationships and get to know new people. These are also the perfect time to get to know your neighbors better and bond with them. Whether you want to invite them for a game of cornhole or make them the guest judge for your chili cook-off, there are plenty of ways in which you can break the ice and make your day fun and lively.
Jackery Solar Generators for Tailgate Games
Jackery is one of the most well-reputed makers of solar generators. The Jackery Solar Generators combine the Jackery Portable Power Stations and Jackery SolarSaga Solar Panels.
When you place the solar panels under direct sunlight, they absorb solar energy from the sun’s rays and convert it into DC electricity. This is then passed through the pure sine wave inverter in the portable power station for tailgating to convert it into AC electricity.
These solar generators come with foldable solar panels and a portable power station you can easily carry wherever you go. This makes them ideal for you to carry for your tailgate party or even if you’re going out camping or need to bug out during an emergency.
|
Tailgate Appliances |
Maximum Wattage |
Minimum Wattage |
|
Outdoor Electric Grill |
2000W |
1000W |
|
Portable Speaker |
50W |
3W |
|
Smartphone |
45W |
25W |
|
Video Game |
1000W |
450W |
|
Portable Air Conditioner |
1500W |
700W |
Jackery Solar Generator 2000 Plus
The Jackery Solar Generator 2000 Plus is an expandable solar generator that offers enough capacity to run most of your outdoor appliances. You can easily supplement its battery capacity by adding a battery pack and additional solar panels. The solar panels are foldable, so you can carry them in your pickup truck, and the portable power station also comes with a handle and wheels that make it incredibly portable.
Appliances Running Time:
- Outdoor Electric Grill (1700W) = 1.0H
- Electric Kettle (850W) = 2.0H
- Drone (90W) = 19.2H
- Portable Speaker (20W) = 86.8H
- Smartphone (29W) = 59.8H
Customer Review:
“Very good quality, the battery lasts a very long time. Very easy to move around with the built-in tires. Love the upgradeability. The best solar generator I have ever had.” - Marc.
Jackery Solar Generator 1000 Plus
The Jackery Solar Generator 1000 Plus is another expandable solar generator that you can add up to three battery packs. It has a decent capacity to run most of your outdoor appliances when you’re out at a tailgate party to ensure nothing disrupts the fun. It also comes with solar panels that you can directly mount on top of your vehicle, making it ideal for your pickup truck or even if you decide to go out for longer durations in an RV.
Appliances Running Time:
- Electric Kettle (850W) = 1.2H
- Drone (90W) = 11.9H
- Portable Speaker (20W) = 53.7H
- Smartphone (29W) = 37H
Customer Review:
“We've had the unit for a while now and love how rugged it is. The solar panels work great, and the peace of mind of knowing we have a battery backup for all our devices and some appliances is awesome.” - John.
Tips for Choosing the Right Tailgate Game
While there are several different tailgate games for you to choose from, you must consider a few factors to ensure you choose the right one based on the number of people involved, their skills, and their age groups. Here’s what you need to consider:
- Number of People: Before you purchase any game for your tailgate party, you must consider how many people will be involved. Most manufacturers will list the number of people who can play the game in one go so you can choose accordingly.
- Age Range: If you only intend to have adults at your tailgate party, you can choose from any number of games in this guide. However, if you have children around, you must choose an appropriate and safe game for them.
- Skill Level: Some games on this list are simple enough for everyone to play, whereas others might require more skill. Your ultimate choice should depend on everyone’s skill level.
If your tailgate party involves kids, you must also do a few things to ensure a safe environment for them. Here are a few:
- Ensure Rules are Followed:If one thing can lead to children bickering, it’s if someone breaks the rules. As a result, you must ensure that the rules are clear to everyone and followed.
- Choose Games That Are Easy to Understand: If a child doesn’t understand how a game will be played, they may act out. You must choose games they can participate in, such as Horseshoes or Old Fashioned Catch.
- Ensure Kids Play Safe:You must ensure they play safely and respectfully.
Tips for Having a Successful Tailgate Party
There’s nothing more fulfilling than a successful tailgate party. Here are a few key tips that can help you prepare for it and ensure all your bases are covered:
- Get your home’s outdoor space ready by removing all unnecessary furniture, making provisions for a grill, and ensuring it’s safe for kids. You can even do this at picnic spots in Dallas or any other place you’re in.
- Have a backup plan in case your tailgate party is affected by a sudden change in the weather, such as rain or snow.
- Gather all your party essentials, such as a portable refrigerator, an outdoor electric grill, a Bluetooth speaker, and a Jackery Solar Generator.
- Ensure you have enough seating for everyone invited so they’re always comfortable.
FAQs
What size of solar generator do I need for my tailgating?
The size of the solar generator you need for your tailgate party will depend on how many appliances, such as an outdoor electric grill or a sound system, you need to run. For example, if you’re using the Jackery Solar Generator 2000 Plus to run your outdoor electric grill (1700W) and a portable speaker (20W), here’s how you can calculate the working hours:
Working Hours = Battery Capacity in Wh × 0.85 ÷ Operating Wattage of the Appliance = 2042.8Wh × 0.85 ÷ 1720W = 1.0H
Note: The 0.85 is the power conversion factor multiplied by the battery capacity to account for power loss when charging the appliances.
How can I make my tailgate more fun?
The best way to make your tailgate more fun is to set up games for people of all ages. This can include games like Ladder Golf or even some guessing games. A variety of options will ensure that everyone invited will have fun.
What do people do at tailgating?
Tailgating is a cherished American tradition. People gather outside their favorite sporting venue before a game to socialize, drink, and play games together to set the mood for later events.
What are the kid-friendly tailgate games?
Some of the most kid-friendly tailgate games include Cornhole, ladder ball, and can jam. You can even get board games like Cornhole Boards or even Twister for a more fun option.
What not to forget for a tailgate?
Some essentials you can’t forget while tailgating are fuel, grilling utensils, a portable speaker or a sound system, trash bags, and napkins, among others. A pop-up tent or a canopy can also be a good option to save your tailgate party from falling victim to inclement weather.
Final Thoughts
Tailgating is an American tradition that’s here to stay. It’s a key ingredient in bringing people together come football season and is a great way to get your friends and family together in one place. This guide has listed some of the best tailgate party games you can play no matter the venue, along with those ideal for children.
Remember that a successful tailgate party requires some essentials, such as grilling supplies, a sound system, seating, and a reliable power backup option. Jackery Solar Generators are the ideal option for you to consider due to their expandable capacity, versatility, and ease of carrying.
Have you been to a tailgate party recently? What were some of the best games you played? Add to the fun of this guide in the comment below!
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