Don't be surprised if you get a blank stare from whizkids of the day at the mention of bean bag toss games because most of them may not even be aware that such a fun game exists. Still, if you are willing enough to make outdoor play an attractive proposition for modern kids, it just might do the trick. It brings together the advantages of a number of activities without any of the negatives usually associated with engaging games. It can be played outdoors for hours on end and does not involve any strenuous effort which makes it perfect for people of all ages.



Make washer toss games and bean bag toss games a part of your long weekends. Utilize your backyard if you are not in the mood of an outing. The bean bag toss game is quite similar to the cornhole or corn toss games. The difference between them is that the cornhole games utilize seeds of corn as stuffing, the bean bag toss games make use of poly-beads.

All that is required is 8 bean bags fabricated out of cotton or duck cloth and a pair of raised platforms kept 27 feet apart. The platforms are usually of wood or plastic and have a 6-inch hole on their surfaces. The usual size of the platform is 24” x 48” or 24” x 36”. Bean bags contain plastic pellets and weigh 14-16 oz. the size of the pellet is near 6” x 6”.

Like in the washer toss games, 2 or 4 players form the teams and toss bean bags at the board. When there are 2 players, they both aim at same playing board. 4 players utilize 2 game boards kept some distance apart. The aim is to throw the bean bag directly into the hole on the playing board. Each team gets 4 throws per round.

A bean bag in the hole earns 3 points, one that lands on the board is worth 1 point while one that does not touch the platform at all is worth no points. At the end of each round, the score of losing team is deducted from score of winning team and the difference is the actual score. For instance, if the two teams score equally, the final score is 0 for both. The game continues till one team gets 21 points.

In cases, when teams are unable to decide who will begin the game, usually a coin is flipped to make an unbiased decision. The team place higher in a round pitches first in the next round.

The washer toss games make use of washers instead of bean bags and these are tossed at the washer boards placed some distance away. The players try to aim the washer at any one of the three holes in the board. The scoring is similar to the bean bag toss games – the difference is that a score of 5, 3 and 1 points is given as the washer ends up in third (farthest), middle and first(nearest) holes respectively.

The game can easily be incorporated into already planned-for weekends. The paraphernalia of the bean bag toss games may be carried along with you if you are going for an outing – the game may be set up and played anywhere. The game is an effective weapon against ennui. There is a body called the American Cornhole Association – the ACA that formally announces the rules of the game and organizes tournaments. This ensures that the game has a well-defined place in our lives.