Ask someone what their favorite tailgating experience, and you’ll probably get one of two answers. Food, and adult beverages. But what about mixing up your next tailgating experience with a little extra something? Here are some of our favorite “little-known” events you can use to spice up your next tailgating experience:

Play a Big-Time Yard Game

Tailgating is supposed to be an oversized experience. Lots of food, lots of friends, lots of fun. So why not mix things up by bringing along a game that you can’t find in your game cabinets at home?

For instance, people are familiar with tumbler towers. This is something you can do at a table at home with the kids. So why not go big when you have a tailgate party coming up? A giant tumbler tower adds a completely new dimension to the idea of a board game. It’s something that the entire crowd can gather around—while one or two party-goers might make a friendly wager as to who the winner’s going to be.

Finish Your Own Cornhole Board

A lot of people think that a game of cornhole is a great way to enjoy some tailgating. And it is! But since this is an article about lesser-known things you can do, here’s one of our favorites: you can buy an unfinished cornhole board and completely customize it to your taste.

Why go with an unfinished one? Well, there are plenty of cornhole boards available with your favorite team already decked out on the surface of the board. But what if you don’t have one of the top college teams? Or what if you tend to tailgate more for amateur events? Chances are, it’s hard to find a cornhole board that accurately represents what you’re trying to do. Finishing your own gives you the option of picking whatever team you like—or even turning it into a family board.

Use Expected Items in Unexpected Ways

We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel here. A good party will always require well-known ingredients: good food, good friends, good games. But there are some ways you can spice up a tailgate party with some fun ideas that people will love. Here are a few of our favorites:

• Turn a wheelbarrow into a cooler. Sick of lugging around a cooler that’s so low to the ground? If you’re tailgating near your home, consider using a wheelbarrow—properly cleaned, of course—to create a fun way to move drinks around.
• Pre-prep some roasting sticks. Some people create “S’mores on a stick” with marshmellows on wooden skewers. Others pre-load sticks with some ballpark franks. Whatever your choice, consider adding some fun to a mobile fire pit by giving people something to do with it.

Want some more ways to make your next tailgate party one that people will remember? Then turn it into an event by adding some fun and games. Browse the boards, bags, and outdoor-friendly games available here at All American Tailgate.