Games to Play at a Tailgate Party

Q: What do you play at a tailgate when it is freezing?

Choose Cold-weather games in coats and gloves. Ten Coins in Thick Gloves and Fill Four Cups to the Mark, Mittens On are played with gloves on, and Stomp the Pattern keeps feet moving.

Parking-lot games built from a cooler, a camp chair and a foam football: press Pick 3 new games.

Topper Off, Water Still Upright1. Stand a full bottle of water on a closed cooler and balance its cap upside down on the top. 2. From four paces away, players toss a beanbag to knock the cap off. 3. The cap off with the bottle still standing scores 3. If the bottle goes over, it scores nothing. 4. Three tosses a turn. First to 9. Players: 2 to 8. Time: 8 min. Props: a bottle of water, a cooler and a beanbag.
Tailgate Shuffle, Slide to the Edge1. Lower the tailgate of a truck, or use a folding table. 2. Players slide a beanbag along it from one end so that it stops as near the far edge as it can without falling off. 3. Mark each stop with a bottle cap. 4. Three slides a turn. The nearest cap wins the round, and a bag on the ground scores nothing. Players: 2 to 8. Time: 8 min. Props: a truck tailgate or a folding table, a beanbag and bottle caps.
One Trip From the Trunk1. Each team lists what its tailgate needs on the grass: chairs, a blanket, the food bag, the cooler. 2. On go, the team must carry all of it from the trunk to its spot in a single trip. 3. Anything dropped on the way sends the whole team back to the car to start again. 4. First team sitting down with everything beside it wins. Players: 4 to 12 in two teams. Time: 8 min. Props: whatever each tailgate has packed.

Next step Game day games for a party at home

How it works

These games to play at a tailgate party fit the space you really have: the gap between two parked cars and a strip of grass. Most use what is already in the trunk, and none is a drinking game.

Read the full guide

Tailgate party games by the space you have

With only the gap between two cars, choose Toss games that fit between two parked cars: every lane starts at six paces or less. With grass beside the lot, add Games on a strip of grass, played with a foam ball or a beanbag and no tackling.

Before you walk to the gate

Run one from Score-guessing games, for points only, seal the answers in the car and settle them when you get back. Clean Sweep Before Kickoff turns packing up into the last game.

Tips

Pack three beanbags and a foam football: between them they cover most of the toss and grass games.
Set every throwing lane to point at your own car, not at a neighbor's.

Questions and answers

What are good games to play at a football tailgate party with a mixed group?

Camp Chair Armrest Toss and Cooler Toss, Six Paces take any age and need no skill. Find It in Your Own Trunk gets every car involved, and Ten-Second Touchdown Dance is judged by cheering.

Are there tailgate games without alcohol?

All of them. There is no drinking game on this list, the relays carry water and ice, and every guessing game is scored in points with nothing staked.

What do you play at a tailgate when it is freezing?

Choose Cold-weather games in coats and gloves. Ten Coins in Thick Gloves and Fill Four Cups to the Mark, Mittens On are played with gloves on, and Stomp the Pattern keeps feet moving.

All 40 games

Toss games that fit between two parked cars 8

Camp Chair Armrest Toss 1. Stand two folding camp chairs side by side, facing the throwers, four paces away. 2. Players toss foam can sleeves or rolled socks at the cup holders in the arms. 3. One that lands in a cup holder scores 3, and one that stays on the seat scores 1. 4. Four tosses a turn. First to 12. Players: 2 to 8. Time: 10 min. Props: two camp chairs and four foam can sleeves or rolled socks.
Cooler Toss, Six Paces 1. Empty a cooler, prop the lid open and set it at one end of the space between your cars. 2. Mark a line six paces back with a strap or a scarf. 3. Players take turns lobbing three beanbags underhand. 4. A bag that stays in the cooler scores 3, and one that rests on the rim scores 1. First to 15. Players: 2 to 8. Time: 10 min. Props: an empty cooler and three beanbags.
Football Through the Hoop on the Hatch 1. Hang a plastic hoop by a cord from the open hatch or a canopy pole so that it swings a little. 2. Throwers stand five paces away, in the gap between the cars. 3. Each gets five throws with a foam football. 4. Through the hoop scores 2, and off the rim scores 1. Move back a pace after each round. Players: 2 to 10. Time: 10 min. Props: a plastic hoop, a cord and a foam football.

Show all 40 games (37 more)

Toss games that fit between two parked cars, continued

Ring the Hitch 1. Tie three rings from short lengths of rope. 2. Stand four paces behind a parked truck or trailer that has a hitch ball. The engine is off and the keys are out. 3. Toss the rings to land over the hitch. 4. A ringer scores 3, and a ring left leaning on the hitch scores 1. First to 9. Players: 2 to 8. Time: 8 min. Props: three rope rings and a parked vehicle with a hitch ball.
Soda Can Pyramid Knockdown 1. Stack six empty soda cans in a pyramid on a closed cooler. 2. From five paces away, each player throws two beanbags. 3. Count the cans knocked off the cooler. 4. Restack for each player. Clearing all six with one bag earns a free turn. Players: 2 to 10. Time: 10 min. Props: six empty soda cans, a cooler and two beanbags.
Tailgate Shuffle, Slide to the Edge 1. Lower the tailgate of a truck, or use a folding table. 2. Players slide a beanbag along it from one end so that it stops as near the far edge as it can without falling off. 3. Mark each stop with a bottle cap. 4. Three slides a turn. The nearest cap wins the round, and a bag on the ground scores nothing. Players: 2 to 8. Time: 8 min. Props: a truck tailgate or a folding table, a beanbag and bottle caps.
Tarp With Three Holes 1. Cut three holes of different sizes in an old tarp and hang it from a canopy frame or between two open car doors. 2. Write a score beside each hole, with the smallest worth most. 3. From five paces away, throw beanbags or a foam football through. 4. Six throws a turn. Highest total wins. Players: 2 to 10. Time: 10 min. Props: an old tarp with three holes, cord and beanbags.
Topper Off, Water Still Upright 1. Stand a full bottle of water on a closed cooler and balance its cap upside down on the top. 2. From four paces away, players toss a beanbag to knock the cap off. 3. The cap off with the bottle still standing scores 3. If the bottle goes over, it scores nothing. 4. Three tosses a turn. First to 9. Players: 2 to 8. Time: 8 min. Props: a bottle of water, a cooler and a beanbag.

Games on a strip of grass 8

Both Feet In Bounds 1. Lay a rope along the grass as a sideline. 2. A thrower lobs a foam football so that it drops just inside the rope. 3. The receiver must catch it and get both feet down inside the line before stepping out. 4. A clean catch with two feet in scores. Five throws each, then swap. Players: 2 to 8. Time: 10 min. Props: a rope and a foam football.
Call the Route 1. Agree on three routes and walk them once: straight, cut left, cut right. 2. The receiver starts jogging down the strip. 3. The thrower shouts a route, the receiver cuts, and the ball is thrown to where they will be. 4. A catch scores for both. After five routes, swap. Players: 2 to 8. Time: 10 min. Props: a foam football.
Human Goalposts 1. Two players stand a pace apart and raise their arms to make goalposts. 2. A thrower tosses a beanbag between the arms and over the hands, from three paces. 3. A make moves the thrower back one pace. 4. Three misses end the turn. The longest make of the day gets its distance paced out and announced. Players: 3 to 10. Time: 10 min. Props: a beanbag.
Kick It Over the Rope 1. Tie a rope at head height between two canopy poles or two flag poles. 2. Kickers place a foam ball on the grass five paces back. 3. Each gets three kicks to send it over. 4. A ball over the rope scores, and everyone who scored moves back two paces for the next round. Catchers stand behind the rope. Players: 2 to 10. Time: 10 min. Props: a rope, two poles and a foam ball.
Long Snap Count 1. One player bends over a foam football with a partner five paces behind. 2. On go, they snap it back between their legs to the partner, who rolls it straight back. 3. Count the snaps the partner catches cleanly in thirty seconds. 4. Pairs take turns. The best count wins. Players: 2 to 10 in pairs. Time: 8 min. Props: a foam football and a timer.
Ten-Second Touchdown Dance 1. Mark an end zone with two bags. 2. Each player catches an easy pass in it and has ten seconds to celebrate. 3. The tailgate judges by cheering. 4. The loudest cheer wins. Celebrations that copy the one before lose a point. Players: 3 to 12. Time: 10 min. Props: a foam football and two bags.
Tightest Spiral Wins 1. Pairs stand eight paces apart with a foam football. 2. Each throw is judged by the catcher on one thing: how cleanly it spun. 3. The catcher holds up one, two or three fingers. 4. Ten throws each. Distance and speed count for nothing, and the highest total wins. Players: 2 to 10 in pairs. Time: 10 min. Props: a foam football.
Two-Minute Drill, Five Catches 1. Spread five receivers down the strip of grass. 2. The team has two minutes to complete a pass to each of them in order, working toward the far end. 3. A drop means that receiver has to be thrown to again. 4. Beat the clock to win, then try it in ninety seconds. Players: 6 to 12. Time: 8 min. Props: a foam football and a timer.

Trunk and cooler relays 8

Clean Sweep Before Kickoff 1. Twenty minutes before you leave for the gate, hand each team a trash bag and a recycling bag. 2. Teams clear their half of the tailgate. 3. A judge checks each bag: anything in the wrong one is tipped back out. 4. The first clean half wins the better seats in the car going home. Players: 4 to 16 in two teams. Time: 8 min. Props: trash bags and recycling bags.
Clip Down the Tablecloth 1. Give each pair a folding table, a tablecloth and four clips or clothespins. 2. On go, they spread the cloth and clip all four corners. 3. On a breezy day this is harder than it looks. 4. The first cloth that survives a judge flapping one edge wins. Then set the food on it. Players: 4 to 8 in pairs. Time: 5 min. Props: folding tables, tablecloths and clips.
Find It in Your Own Trunk 1. Each team stands at its own open trunk. 2. The host calls for something most tailgates pack: a blue towel, a bottle opener, a phone charger, mustard. 3. The first team to hold it up scores. 4. Ten calls. Whatever is pulled out goes back in before the next call, so the trunk gets tidier as you play. Players: 4 to 16 in teams. Time: 10 min. Props: none.
Move the Ice, One Cup a Trip 1. Set an ice-filled cooler and an empty one six paces apart for each team. 2. Runners carry ice across in one plastic cup, one trip each in turn. 3. After two minutes, close the lids. 4. The team that moved more ice wins. The ice still does its job at the other end. Players: 4 to 12 in two teams. Time: 5 min. Props: two coolers, ice and a plastic cup for each team.
One Trip From the Trunk 1. Each team lists what its tailgate needs on the grass: chairs, a blanket, the food bag, the cooler. 2. On go, the team must carry all of it from the trunk to its spot in a single trip. 3. Anything dropped on the way sends the whole team back to the car to start again. 4. First team sitting down with everything beside it wins. Players: 4 to 12 in two teams. Time: 8 min. Props: whatever each tailgate has packed.
Raise the Colors Relay 1. Each team has a flag, a pole in two or three sections and a stand or a bucket of sand. 2. The first player joins the pole, the second threads the flag on, and the third stands it up. 3. The fourth salutes it. 4. First flag flying wins. If it falls over, the team starts again from the pole. Players: 8 in two teams. Time: 5 min. Props: a flag, a sectioned pole and a stand for each team.
Trunk-to-Cooler Bottle Line 1. The team stands in a line from the open trunk to the cooler. 2. The first player lifts bottles of water out of the pack, one at a time. 3. Each bottle passes hand to hand down the line and is stood upright in the cooler. 4. Time how long it takes to load the whole pack. Then try to beat it with everyone using their left hand. Players: 4 to 12. Time: 5 min. Props: a pack of bottled water and a cooler.
Two-Handle Cooler Slalom 1. Fill a cooler with bottles of water and close the lid. 2. Pairs take a handle each and carry it around three bags set out as a slalom, then back. 3. If the lid comes open, the pair stops and shuts it. 4. Time each pair. Fastest wins, and the cooler ends up back where the drinks are wanted. Players: 4 to 12 in pairs. Time: 10 min. Props: a cooler of bottled water and three bags as markers.

Score-guessing games, for points only 8

Biggest Gain in Yards, Guessed Early 1. Each person writes a number of yards for the longest single play of the game by either team. 2. Pin the guesses in a row to a strap, lowest to highest. 3. After the game, agree on the longest play from what everyone saw or heard. 4. The closest guess that did not go over wins. Points only: nothing is staked. Players: 3 to 30. Time: 5 min. Props: slips of paper, pens and clothespins.
Final Score on a Card 1. Before anyone leaves for the gate, each person writes both final scores on a card and signs it. 2. Seal the cards in an envelope and leave it in the glove box. 3. After the game, open it at the car. 4. The card closest on the winner's score wins, with the loser's score to break ties. Points only: nothing is staked. Players: 3 to 30. Time: 5 min. Props: cards, pens and an envelope.
Five Yes-or-No Calls 1. The host writes five yes-or-no questions about the game: will there be overtime, will either team be shut out in a half? 2. Everyone answers all five on one slip. 3. Slips go under a windshield wiper inside the car. 4. After the game, score them together. The best score out of five chooses the music on the way home. Points only: nothing is staked. Players: 3 to 30. Time: 5 min. Props: slips of paper and pens.
Halftime Lead Guess 1. Stretch a rope on the ground. One end is home ahead by twenty, the other is visitors ahead by twenty, and the middle is a tie. 2. Everyone stands on the rope where they think the score will be at halftime. 3. Photograph the line. 4. At halftime, check the picture. The closest pair of feet scores. Points only: nothing is staked. Players: 4 to 30. Time: 5 min. Props: a rope and a phone camera.
Highest-Scoring Quarter 1. Lay four paper plates on the tailgate numbered one to four. 2. Each person puts one bottle cap, marked with their initial, on the quarter they think will have the most points. 3. Leave the plates in the car. 4. After the game, the caps on the right plate score. A tie between quarters scores for both plates. Points only: nothing is staked. Players: 3 to 30. Time: 5 min. Props: four paper plates, bottle caps and a marker.
Mark the Clock for the Opening Points 1. Draw a line across a paper plate, with kickoff at one end and the final whistle at the other. 2. Each person makes a mark with their initials where they think the first points will come. 3. No two marks may touch. 4. The closest mark wins and takes the first pick of the food at the next tailgate. Points only: nothing is staked. Players: 3 to 20. Time: 5 min. Props: a paper plate and a pen.
Run or Pass, First Play 1. Ask one question: on its first play, will the home team run the ball or throw it? 2. Everyone answers at once by pointing at the ground or at the sky. 3. A helper writes down the two groups. 4. The right group scores one each, and the smaller group scores two if it was right. Points only: nothing is staked. Players: 3 to 40. Time: 5 min. Props: paper and a pen.
Who Scores First, and How 1. Write four choices on paper: home touchdown, home other score, visitors touchdown, visitors other score. 2. Each person writes their initials beside one. 3. Whoever watches the game reports back. 4. Everyone beside the right choice scores a point toward the day's total. Points only: nothing is staked. Players: 3 to 30. Time: 5 min. Props: paper and a pen.

Cold-weather games in coats and gloves 8

A Hundred Jumping Jacks Between Us 1. The group has to do one hundred jumping jacks in total. 2. Before starting, each person says how many they will do, and the numbers must add up to exactly one hundred. 3. Everyone jumps at once, counting their own. 4. If the total said and the total done match, the group wins. Anyone may do marching steps in place of jumps. Players: 4 to 20. Time: 5 min. Props: none.
Fill Four Cups to the Mark, Mittens On 1. Draw a line halfway up four clear plastic cups. 2. Wearing mittens, a player pours water from a bottle or an insulated bottle of warm water into each cup, to the line exactly. 3. A judge crouches to check the levels. 4. The closest set of four wins. Spills are counted against you. Players: 2 to 8. Time: 8 min. Props: four clear plastic cups, a marker, mittens and a bottle of water.
Guess the Layers 1. Everyone secretly counts the layers they have on above the waist, coat included. 2. One at a time, a player stands forward. 3. The others call out their guesses, and the player then counts collars and cuffs aloud. 4. An exact guess scores. The player with the most layers is declared ready for the fourth quarter. Players: 3 to 12. Time: 8 min. Props: none.
Longest Puff of Steam 1. On a morning cold enough to see your breath, everyone lines up against a dark car. 2. One at a time, take a deep breath and blow one long cloud. 3. The judges, standing to one side, mark where each cloud ends against the car. 4. The longest cloud wins. Second round: the roundest ring. Players: 3 to 12. Time: 5 min. Props: none.
Penguin Huddle, Rotate on a Right Answer 1. Everyone stands in a tight huddle, like penguins, with two people in the warm middle. 2. A caller on the outside asks a quiz question. 3. The first person on the outside to answer correctly swaps into the middle. 4. The caller changes every five questions. The huddle shuffles around so that the wind side takes turns. Players: 6 to 20. Time: 10 min. Props: a few quiz questions.
Scarf Wrap and Unwrap Relay 1. Each team stands in a line with one long scarf. 2. The first player winds it three times around the next player's shoulders, over the coat. 3. That player unwinds it and wraps the next. 4. The first team to pass the scarf down the line and back wins, and everyone is a little warmer. Players: 6 to 16 in two teams. Time: 5 min. Props: a long scarf for each team.
Stomp the Pattern 1. Stand in a circle on the grass. 2. A leader stomps a pattern of four beats with their boots: left, left, right, both. 3. Everyone copies it together. 4. The leader adds a beat each round. Whoever loses the pattern becomes the next leader, so nobody stands still for long. Players: 4 to 16. Time: 5 min. Props: none.
Ten Coins in Thick Gloves 1. Scatter ten coins on a closed cooler lid. 2. Wearing winter gloves or mittens, a player picks them up one at a time and drops them into a cup. 3. Time each player. 4. Fastest wins. The player with the thickest gloves is given five seconds off. Players: 2 to 10. Time: 5 min. Props: ten coins, a cup and winter gloves.

How this list was compiled: Our suggestions, written for this site for a tailgate in a parking lot before a football game. The wording is ours, and the player counts and times are our estimates. No team, league or stadium is named. There is no drinking game, the relays use water and ice, and the guessing games are scored in points with nothing staked. Games are played between your own parked cars or on grass, never in a driving lane. No outside source was used: the list states no rule of the sport as fact. Licence: own work