25 Best Tailgate Games for Fall Football Weekends

A tailgate without games is a parking lot with food in it. The games are what fill the three hours before kickoff, settle the arguments between the two fan bases in the next spot over and give the kids something to do while the grill is going. The classics still carry the lot, Corn Hole and the giant block tower, but a Speed Pitch Cage that clocks throws, an inflatable Field Goal Challenge and a Mechanical Bull with a longest-ride leaderboard turn a tailgate into the event people plan the weekend around.

This is the list of the 25 best tailgate games for fall football weekends, organized by type: classic lawn games, football skill games, carnival games for the lot, big inflatable games and arcade and table games. Each entry explains how the game plays, who it suits and where it fits, and every game is rentable from the carnival and picnic games collection at Perfect Parties USA, which delivers across Massachusetts and New England.

Classic Lawn Games

The games every tailgate starts with, in the versions that hold up to a full afternoon.

Corn Hole: Full-size boards and eight bags, the tailgate game nobody has to be taught. Two sets side by side and a bracket on a whiteboard keep it going until kickoff. Ideal for: every tailgate, every age. Rent the Corn Hole set.

Corn Hole Tournament: A tournament set of boards for the lot that wants a real bracket, with enough boards to run four games at once. Ideal for: alumni tailgates and company tailgates of 100 or more. Rent the Corn Hole Tournament.

Midnight Corn Hole: Glow-in-the-dark corn hole boards for the night game, when the regular boards disappear at dusk. Ideal for: evening kickoffs and post-game lots. Rent the Midnight Corn Hole.

Baggo: The compact two-board bean bag toss that fits between two cars. Ideal for: families with young kids and small tailgates. Rent the Baggo bean bag toss.

Giant Tumbling Tower (giant Jenga): The giant block tower that draws a circle every time it wobbles and a cheer every time it falls. Ideal for: the spot beside the food, where the spectators already are. Rent the Giant Tumbling Tower (giant Jenga).

Football Skill Games

The games that let fans prove something before the players do.

Speed Pitch Inflatable: An inflatable pitching cage with a radar gun, so every throw gets a number and the fastest arm of the day gets bragging rights. Ideal for: college and company tailgates with a leaderboard. Rent the Speed Pitch Inflatable.

Speed Pitch Cage: The compact radar cage version that runs about 60 throwers an hour in a 12 by 8 foot footprint and fits indoors or in a tight lot. Ideal for: tailgates without room for a full inflatable. Rent the Speed Pitch Cage.

Field Goal Challenge: Kick field goals through an inflatable upright from marked distances, scored by distance. Ideal for: the sudden-death kickoff between the two loudest fans in the lot. Rent the Field Goal Challenge.

QB Blitz: Throw footballs through the targets for points, the quarterback challenge with three throws per turn. Ideal for: kids and adults in the same line. Rent the QB Blitz.

Arcade Football: The arcade football game with a scoreboard, for a quick head-to-head in a tent. Ideal for: covered tailgates and rain plans. Rent the Arcade Football.

All In One Sports Arena: An inflatable arena with several sports games in one footprint, so one attendant covers throwing, kicking and shooting at once. Ideal for: tailgates of 200 or more with one power source. Rent the All In One Sports Arena.

Carnival Games for the Lot

The midway games that turn a tailgate into a fair.

Giant Plinko: Drop a puck from the top and the slot decides the prize, from a koozie to the good seats. Ideal for: sponsor giveaways and raffle stand-ins. Rent the Giant Plinko.

High Striker: Swing the mallet, ring the bell, and settle every argument about which fan base is stronger. Ideal for: the spot where the two fan bases meet. Rent the High Striker.

Prize Wheel: A spin-to-win wheel where every slice pays out something. Ideal for: check-in tents and sponsor tables. Rent the Prize Wheel.

Giant Guess Who: Football Edition: The guessing game at giant scale with a football theme, played by two teams in front of a crowd. Ideal for: halftime in the alumni tent. Rent the Giant Guess Who: Football Edition.

The Carnival Claw: A human-sized claw game where harnessed fans are lowered into a pit of team swag to grab as much as they can, about 30 players an hour, with the prizes supplied by you. Ideal for: the busiest corner of a company or alumni tailgate, with a 16 by 16 foot footprint and two dedicated circuits. Rent The Carnival Claw.

Cash Cube: A money machine loaded with vouchers, tickets or team bucks for the winner of the day’s bracket. Ideal for: the finale before the walk to the stadium. Rent the Cash Cube.

Big Inflatable Games

The pieces the whole lot can see, for the tailgate that wants a crowd.

Big Glove Boxing: Oversized inflatable gloves in an inflatable ring, two-minute rounds with a referee volunteer. Ideal for: rival fans who need to settle it. Rent the Big Glove Boxing.

Bungee Run: Two runners in bungee harnesses race down parallel lanes to plant a marker. Ideal for: student organizations and company teams racing each other. Rent the Bungee Run.

Mechanical Bull: A mechanical bull on an inflatable landing bed with an operator setting the ride for every rider, and a longest-ride leaderboard on a whiteboard. Ideal for: the headliner at a college, alumni or company tailgate. Rent the Mechanical Bull.

Human Pig Racer: Fans in inflatable pig suits race a short course while the lot cheers. Ideal for: relay heats between tents. Rent the Human Pig Racer.

Street Ninja Challenge: A timed ninja obstacle course with a leaderboard the whole lot can see. Ideal for: the tailgate that runs all day. Rent the Street Ninja Challenge.

Arcade and Table Games

For the covered tailgate, the rain plan and the crowd that would rather sit.

Skee Ball Pair: Two skee ball lanes side by side for a quick head-to-head. Ideal for: tents and rain plans. Rent the Skee Ball Pair.

Mini Ping Pong Tables: Compact ping pong tables for a bracket that fits under a tent. Ideal for: company tailgates and small lots. Rent the Mini Ping Pong Tables.

Whac-a-Mole: The arcade classic that kids and adults play with the same intensity. Ideal for: the family corner of the lot. Rent the Whac-a-Mole.

How to Choose Tailgate Games for Your Event

Start with your lot and your crowd. A family tailgate in a stadium lot has room for the lawn games and one skill game, so bring Corn Hole, Baggo and QB Blitz. A college or alumni tailgate on a quad has room for a big draw, so add the Speed Pitch, the Field Goal Challenge and the Mechanical Bull with a leaderboard, and read the college tailgate ideas guide for the homecoming layout. A company tailgate in a parking lot wants the arena, the claw machine full of swag and a bracket, and the carnival games for adults list adds more competitive pieces.

As a rule of thumb, plan for one game per 25 to 50 guests and one big draw per 150 to 200, and put the skill games where the line can watch the throws. Stadium and campus lots across Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island require a permit and a certificate of insurance for inflatables, so send both with the request. For the games without a football on them, the top 20 carnival games and the classic carnival games list have the rest of the lineup, and for Boston lots the carnival game rentals in Boston, MA page shows what is available locally.

Rent Tailgate Games From Perfect Parties USA

Perfect Parties USA is based in Peabody, Massachusetts and owns hundreds of attractions, including every rentable item on this list, so the games you book are the games that arrive, maintained and ready to play. Every rental includes delivery, professional setup, trained attendants and prizes for staffed games, and complete teardown. We are fully insured, with a certificate of insurance available for venues and schools, and we have produced events of every size across New England and the Northeast for decades, from Massachusetts, Boston, Connecticut and Rhode Island to New Hampshire and New York.

Ready to get this party started? Contact Perfect Parties USA to talk to one of our Party Pros. Request a Quote.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best tailgate games?

The best tailgate games are Corn Hole, the Giant Tumbling Tower, a Speed Pitch cage that clocks throws, the inflatable Field Goal Challenge and QB Blitz, with the Mechanical Bull and Big Glove Boxing as the big draws for a college or company tailgate. Perfect Parties USA rents all of them across Massachusetts and New England.

What tailgate games work for kids?

Kids do best with Baggo, QB Blitz with three throws per turn, Whac-a-Mole, Giant Plinko and the Prize Wheel, all of which are easy to win and quick to play. Keep them in the family corner of the lot away from the bull and the boxing ring, and the youngest fans stay busy until kickoff.

How many tailgate games do you need?

Plan for one game per 25 to 50 guests and one big draw per 150 to 200. A family tailgate of 40 runs well on Corn Hole, Baggo and one skill game, while an alumni or company tailgate of 300 wants six to eight games plus the Mechanical Bull or the All In One Sports Arena. Perfect Parties USA sizes lineups for lots across New England.

Can you rent tailgate games?

Yes, every game on this list is available to rent, from Corn Hole and the Corn Hole Tournament set to the Speed Pitch Cage, the Field Goal Challenge, the Mechanical Bull and the arcade games. Rentals from Perfect Parties USA include delivery, professional setup, trained attendants and operators where needed, and complete teardown.

Does Perfect Parties USA deliver tailgate games in Massachusetts and New England?

Yes, Perfect Parties USA delivers tailgate games across Massachusetts, including Boston, Cambridge, Worcester and the North Shore, and throughout Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and New York. The company is based in Peabody, Massachusetts and provides a certificate of insurance for stadium and campus lots on request.

Are inflatable games allowed in a stadium parking lot?

Most stadium and campus lots allow inflatable games with a permit from the venue or the athletic department and a certificate of insurance, and many require a site plan showing the footprint and the power source. Send all three with the request, and book the games that run without power, such as Corn Hole and the High Striker, for lots with no outlets.

How far in advance should you book tailgate games?

Book tailgate games four to six weeks ahead, and earlier for the Mechanical Bull, the Speed Pitch and the All In One Sports Arena, which are reserved first for the Saturdays in October when most New England campuses hold homecoming. Booking early with Perfect Parties USA also leaves time to file the permit and the certificate of insurance.