About Beanbag Toss Boards

Function

• Beanbag toss boards provide a goal for players to throw beanbags through. Unlike some types of beanbag games, where players have to toss beanbags onto a mat or scoreboard, beanbag toss boards require players to get the beanbag through the hole in order to score. Boards with multiple holes may assign higher scores to holes that are smaller or more difficult to reach, and lower scores to the largest, easiest holes.

Types

• Some beanbag toss boards, which may be called cornhole or tailgate toss games, have a single hole set in a board that's slightly sloped, like a ramp. Other styles of beanbag toss boards use a vertical board, supported by brackets at the bottom, or two boards that are hinged together at the top, like an A-frame. These types of boards generally have multiple holes, rather than just one, and require the beanbags to pass through the board, rather than down into it. Although traditional toss boards are made of wood, some beanbag toss games may be made of plastic and heavy vinyl.

Features

• Beanbag toss boards may be a few simple pieces of wood with one or more holes in the board, or they may be elaborately decorated. Many tailgate toss games come with team logos and colors, or even popular sports figures, printed on them. Other beanbag toss boards may be customized for a particular holiday or event, such as toss boards that look like a clown for a carnival, or those that have corn and pumpkins painted on them for a harvest party. Toss boards with multiple holes may use the decorations as part of the scoring system. For instance, players may get extra points by tossing a beanbag through the "bullseye" of the clown's nose.

Size

• Many cornhole and tailgate beanbag toss boards measure approximately 2 feet wide by 3 feet long. Vertical toss boards may be any size the person making the board wishes. However, most beanbag toss boards should not be more than a few feet tall, since this encourages players to toss beanbags underhand, in a manner that's less likely to harm other players. In choosing or making beanbag toss boards, people should also consider how portable the toss board needs to be, and where it will be stored.

Considerations

• It's easy to make the same beanbag toss game more or less challenging, depending on how close to the board the players are allowed to stand. Young children may need to come very close to the board, and get several tries to toss the beanbags through the holes, while older kids and adults may have to stand further back, and count each beanbag as a point. Players may put lines of tape or markings on the floor or ground for different age groups.