1. Washers: All you need are two boards with three holes. Make it in one of the three holes and get either one, three or five points.
“The goal is to get to 21, but if you go over you have to go back down to 15, so you have to get exactly 21,” said Joey Johnson, agriculture business junior.
2. Hammer and nails: Use a table or build one from scratch, like Bryant Strickland, Class of 2004, did at his tailgate. Place the surface on top of the tree stump and prop one nail for each player upright on the stump.
To win the game, a player must hammer down a neighbor’s nail before his or her own is hammered down. To earn one strike on a neighbor’s nail, a player must successfully flip and catch the hammer. Throwing the hammer under one’s leg and successfully catching it earns two strikes, and catching the hammer behind the back earns three strikes.
“I actually got the idea originally from Virginia Tech. My cousin went there, they all play there,” Strickland said. “It’s a little dangerous, but a good time.”
3. Trashcan frisbee: Partner up for a tailgate version of frisbee golf. The goal is to be the first person to 21 points. Pick a distance and stand in front of the can — you can score three points for throwing the frisbee in the top of the can, two points for a direct hit from the thrower and one point for a rebound from your partner. You can buy the game or you could make your own by finding a tall cylindrical object, like a trashcan, and cut off the top. To finish it off, cut a small slit in the front.
4. Asian salad: The summer heat will likely extend into what we would consider the fall months. Judy Jackson and her Aggie family and friends planned a menu of cold food items. Her pick? An Asian salad composed of coleslaw, ramen noodles, toasted almonds, sunflower seeds and green onion tossed in a dressing of olive oil, vinegar and ramen noodle seasoning.
5. All things mesquite: This is the first year for Carson Johnston, Class of 2013, and his group to hold their own tailgate as alumni. Johnston said if you have a portable smoker or grill and a tailgate packed with hungry people, slice up sausage and shred 30 pounds of pulled pork and smoke with mesquite.
6. Finger food: Trying to add variety to their food selection, some tailgaters last weekend opted for finger foods. Try hummus with a vegetable plate, chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies, brownies, chili and jalapeno dip.