The Humble Beginnings Of The Cornhole Game

By: Dave Roth

Many people do not recognize the cornhole game by that name, or they have not heard of it at all. Some people call it the bean bag game, or the bean bag toss. Generally, what the game is called depends on the area of the country that a person came from, but whatever the name the game is a lot of fun. How the cornhole game came about, though, is something that most people do not know, and there are also arguments between people who say that they do know. Even though it is basically impossible to prove the true origins of cornhole, there are two basic schools of thought on where it came from. In addition to those, however, there are some smaller theories that most people who play the cornhole game do not give any credit to or take very seriously. The main one of these smaller theories indicates that cornhole came from overseas, most likely in Europe. Most of these theories say that it was created in Germany, but there is really nothing to back this up. There is no mention of the cornhole game in German tradition and folklore.

The two most credible theories indicate that the cornhole game � or the bean bag toss � started in Either Chicago, Illinois, or Cleveland, Ohio. People in Chicago claim that they started the bean bag game, and people in Cleveland claim that they started the cornhole game. It is unlikely that the game spontaneously came about in both places at the same time, but this is not impossible. One theory is that people who were bored spent their time throwing washers into a can. From this, the cornhole game or bean bag game evolved. Those who live in Cleveland claim this story occurred there, while those who live in Chicago say they were the ones to have this happen on their turf. The game is basically the same, however, no matter where it got its start and what it is called. A slightly smaller board is used for the bean bag game. It is two feet by three feet, as opposed to the two foot by four foot board that is used in the cornhole game.

It seems like this board size is the only real difference, and even some who play the cornhole game use the smaller board, since it stores and maneuvers well for parties and other gatherings. The game is then played with the board � either wooden or plastic � and the bags, which were originally stuffed with corn or beans. There are bags which still have corn or beans in them, but these can degrade in time, so most commercial sets use plastic pellets. The bags are thrown into the hole in the board to score valuable points, and points are also given to people who get the bag to stay on the board, even if it does not fall into the hole. All skill levels and age groups can enjoy this game.

Dave Roth runs a site that sells bean bag games. In addition to free building dimensions and rules, the site also carries discount bags and complete sets.

Article Source: http://freewebcontents.com

Please Rate this Article

Not yet Rated