We’re big tailgate people from September till December. I’m going to be honest with you, I won’t venture outside into the cold, cold air in January and February because it’s just too frigid for me. The other months? We’re all about tailgate games, grilling and food. My husband grew up in Pittsburgh tailgating whenever and wherever he could on football game days. Football was a way of life for him and he’s brought that love to our own sons.

Tailgate Games, Grilling and Food

When it comes to creating the “perfect” tailgate, it’s different for everyone. We usually tailgate with our kids, so there’s not a lot of drinking. We prefer to do tailgate games, grill some yummy treats and have some incredible food. For us? That’s the ideal tailgate. We also love having our sons bring along any friends, too.

During this time of year – now that we’re in the high school years with our oldest son – my husband wants to tailgate the high school games, too. He also is into tailgating at our local alma mater Brown University, too! He played football for them “back in the day,” so he loves to support the team now that we’re living here.

So where do you start with tailgate games, grilling and food?

Let’s kick it off with tailgate games. There are 3 tailgate games that our kids love to play while we’re actually tailgating.
Bean Bag Toss
Cup Stacking
Good “old” Game of Football

We like to make it simple, so we find games that are easy to transport and easy to play with kids of all ages. I love a good game of bean bag toss because you can bring along any kind of small bean bag and we set-up buckets for the kids to aim for when playing. It’s that kind of simple and it doesn’t take up much room.

For the cup stacking, it’s very simple, too. We have red solo cups that we have the kids stack and see how high up they can go! Once they’ve built their monstrosity, we have them knock them down with tennis balls! As you can guess, this is their most favorite part!

And – the ultimate tailgate game – FOOTBALL! This is probably my personal favorite because this is so inclusive of everyone around us. All the kids and adults join in for a big football game right at the tailgate. It’s awesome seeing so many people jump right on in, boys and girls… men and women. Love it!

Next up, the tailgate grilling and food. I’m going to combine these two because they’re kind of one in the same for me. We’re all about grilling during a tailgate. We actually have our own tailgate grill that my husband uses. You can get one right at BJ’s Wholesale Club called Century Vortex Gas Grill.

Cook tasty dishes almost anywhere with this Century Vortex Gas Grill. Equipped with a 9,000-BTU burner and boasting a 160 sq. in. cooking surface, the grill provides the power and space for burgers, hot dogs and more. Safely carry the grill with the Bakelite handles, while the combination leg and locking lid helps promote safety and stability.

I love this one so much because it’s easy to use and so convenient to bring along. We pop it in the back of our car and we’re good to go! It cooks everything we need for our family and friends and is easy to transport back home, too! We will grill – burgers, hot dogs, chicken wings, veggies and corn on the cob! We grill it all! We love to have options for people because not everyone likes meat or just veggies.

Which brings me to my food! BJ’s Wholesale Club is where I shop for my tailgating food. It’s easy for me to head there and stock up on everything on my list. We’re talking snack packs, juice boxes, water, bread rolls, desserts, veggie platters, cheese platters and my meats and veggies. Whatever I need, they have for the big tailgate day for me. I love that I can get everything done in one stop shopping for my tailgating.

Easy, peasy.

It’s funny because the one thing before that would “hold me back” from tailgating was the prep ahead of time. I didn’t want to be running around to a hundred different places. I wanted it to be quick and seamless for me. BJ’s helps me out with that and I love it.

Not to mention BJ’s offers the easiest way to save additional money with their already marked down prices, in addition to that their special no-clip Add-to-Card coupons which are available on the mobile app, too! They just make it easy, which I appreciate so much.

So if you’re like me and love a good tailgate, I hope this quick tips help you create the most ideal one for YOU!

We’re big BJ’s fans and literally stock up for big events like this all year long, even for Back to School time with BJ’s.

Disclosure: Working with BJ’s Wholesale Club as an Ambassador.