You may have noticed it at the beach, your cousin's barbecue, or the graduation party you went to last weekend. It may just look like adults playing bean bag toss, but it's more than that: It's cornhole.

Cornhole has been, dare I say, sweeping the nation, and it makes a great Memorial Day activity because it's generally pretty portable and basically anyone can play. A cornhole set consists of two boards with a hole in them, placed about 30 feet apart, and eight bags filled with corn kernels. The basic object of the game is to get a bag into the hole, though points are awarded for just getting a bag on top of the board. You can buy cornhole sets at most major sporting goods stores or online (the one pictured is pricey at $200, but you can get them for less). It's not the most active of all backyard games, but it does get you up and moving.

Yes, I agree, it sounds a lot like bean bag toss for adults, but I know from personal experience that calling it bean bag toss does not sit well with serious cornhole players. For simple steps on how to play, just read more.
Here's how to play:

  1. You'll need 2 teams of 2 people each. (Or two teams with one person on each team.)
  2. Set up the cornhole boards 27ft / 9yds from front to front.
  3. You need a total of 8 bags. 4 bags for each team.
  4. It doesn't really matter which side you or your teammate stand, as long as you're throwing to different boards.
  5. Flip a coin to determine which team goes first.
  6. Start throwing one bag at a time. Opponents alternate throws each time.
  7. The team that collects the most points after each round, throws first next round. If the score is tied or there is no score after the round, then the throw alternates teams from the previous round.
  8. Scoring:
    Each bag on the board's surface counts as one point.
    Each bag in the board's hole counts as three points.
    After each round, subtract the number of points from the team with the fewest points from the score of the team with the most points. The resulting number is the score that goes to the tally.
    The game is over when the first team's tally reaches 21 points. You do not have to win by any number of points, nor does it matter if you go over 21.
    11-0 is a skunk.

So get a set and start practicing for this year's barbecue. Are you already a cornhole fan? Tell us below.

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