Happy first day of summer! In most of the country, your kids have been out of school for at least a week or two, it’s hot, and the days are longer. But the first day of summer isn’t officially until June 21, also known as the summer solstice. It’s the longest day of the year, with the actual length of time varying, but usually around 12 hours and between 10 – 20 minutes.

A popular activity for many families and groups is cornhole. Similar to horseshoes, you toss corn bags at wooden boxes, called cornhole platforms. Without any metal or sharp objects, it can be safer than horseshoes and it’s portable—it can be played just about anywhere!

How to Play

Anyone of any age can play! This is what makes it a great activity for large gatherings.

Two players play at a time, and they take turns throwing their corn bags (or beanbags) at the cornhole platform until one person reaches the score of 21 points, according to the American Cornhole Organization. A corn bag in the hole scores three points, while one that lands and stays on the platform scores one point.

How to Make Your Own Cornhole Platforms

It’s fairly simple to make your own cornhole game to use this summer at family gatherings, barbeques with friends, and even work events!

You can find several designs and instructions online. Choose the one that is best for the purposes you want to use it for:

• This Old House features a guide to build a cornhole game set for your backyard. This one is perfect for informal gatherings of family and friends.
• Cornhole-How-To features step-by-step instructions, and even has the option to download these instructions in an e-book. They are close to the ACO regulations, but are not exact for a regulation platform.
• For a tournament-ready, regulation cornhole platform, the American Cornhole Organization has the official rules and dimensions.

Once your cornhole platforms are built, paint them with your company logo, favorite superhero, or let your kids paint their own designs on them!