Children love to play. It doesn't matter what they're playing as
long they are playing. Many parents seem content to park their children
in front of a television set or computer game and enjoy the peace and
quiet that their enrapture brings to the house. But getting them outside
to play, finding exercise or simply the enjoyment of being among the
warmth of a loving sun should be the most important thing for any
parent.
Cornhole is a game that can inspire kids to be outside for hours at a time, days on end, every week throughout their vacations. It can be played by both adults and children and the young kids can even compete against full grown adults, with some adjustments put in place and handicaps for the adults imposed, of course.
Strategy 1: Distance from the board
The most important strategy to help make the cornhole game even more exciting and fun for any child is to monitor the distance from the board they stand when tossing the bean bags. The younger the child, the closer he or she should stand when taking their turn. There's no reason why a five year old should be expected to throw from the regulation distance of 27 feet. They won't hit the board with any of their tosses and will then lose interest quickly in the game.
I know some parents argue that allowing them to 'cheat,' as they would refer to that strategy as teaching them bad habits, but this is simply not the case. Just as one wouldn't expect a child of five or six to be able to shoot a full size basketball into a basket set at regulation height, we make adjustments to accommodate their size and strength limitations. Allowing them to stand closer will help them appreciate the game and want to spend more time outside.
Strategy 2: Scoring options
When playing with kids, such as an adult against a child, you have the luxury of scoring more liberally. Make sure that when you score, it's always going to be in the child's favor. For example, you can make a cornhole worth four points for a young child and only two for an adult. This will help to make the game interesting for both the child and the adult playing.
Strategy 3: Bag limits
Just as the airlines limit the number of carry on bags you can bring on a plane with you, an adult playing against a child may want to withhold throwing one or more of their bean bags. Allowing the child the regulation four versus your two or three, you are given them a significant advantage in scoring.
While children certainly need to learn that winning isn't the most important aspect of playing any game, when they start out playing the cornhole game, it helps if they can feel as though they have a fighting chance to win, or at least compete on some level, and they will have more fun with it. That, in the beginning, is the most important strategy.
Cornhole is a game that can inspire kids to be outside for hours at a time, days on end, every week throughout their vacations. It can be played by both adults and children and the young kids can even compete against full grown adults, with some adjustments put in place and handicaps for the adults imposed, of course.
Strategy 1: Distance from the board
The most important strategy to help make the cornhole game even more exciting and fun for any child is to monitor the distance from the board they stand when tossing the bean bags. The younger the child, the closer he or she should stand when taking their turn. There's no reason why a five year old should be expected to throw from the regulation distance of 27 feet. They won't hit the board with any of their tosses and will then lose interest quickly in the game.
I know some parents argue that allowing them to 'cheat,' as they would refer to that strategy as teaching them bad habits, but this is simply not the case. Just as one wouldn't expect a child of five or six to be able to shoot a full size basketball into a basket set at regulation height, we make adjustments to accommodate their size and strength limitations. Allowing them to stand closer will help them appreciate the game and want to spend more time outside.
Strategy 2: Scoring options
When playing with kids, such as an adult against a child, you have the luxury of scoring more liberally. Make sure that when you score, it's always going to be in the child's favor. For example, you can make a cornhole worth four points for a young child and only two for an adult. This will help to make the game interesting for both the child and the adult playing.
Strategy 3: Bag limits
Just as the airlines limit the number of carry on bags you can bring on a plane with you, an adult playing against a child may want to withhold throwing one or more of their bean bags. Allowing the child the regulation four versus your two or three, you are given them a significant advantage in scoring.
While children certainly need to learn that winning isn't the most important aspect of playing any game, when they start out playing the cornhole game, it helps if they can feel as though they have a fighting chance to win, or at least compete on some level, and they will have more fun with it. That, in the beginning, is the most important strategy.
Dave Roth runs the site http://www.cornhole-game.org, a resource site devoted to the game of corntoss. The site features rules, building dimensions, and cornhole boards and bags.
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