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Why Your Kids Should Play Cornhole: 14 Reasons (Balance, Hand-Eye…)

Last Updated on January 25, 2024 by Gamesver Team and JC Franco

Cornhole is a fantastic game to break out during any family event since it’s so much fun for all ages. In fact, cornhole is a great game to start little ones playing due to its easy-going nature, and today I will be going over several reasons why you should get your kids playing it. 

Here, we’ll discuss the main reasons your kids should play cornhole. So if you would like to learn some of the benefits of cornhole for children, be sure to stick around. 

1. Playing Gives Them Increased Body Awareness

Being aware of one’s body is a skill that children start to develop as infants, and it slowly increases as they age. So what exactly is body awareness? Well, body awareness is the ability to discern the needs of the body, such as the need to eat, sleep, drink, etc. 

Body awareness comes into play with cornhole because it’s an excellent opportunity to teach children about the need for physical movement. This game also does a great job of wearing children out and teaching them when their body needs a break. They also will learn to pay attention to needs such as temperature.

For example, if it’s too warm outside or cold, they can learn to register and address their body’s discomfort. This can be done by adding layers, removing them, getting a drink, or opting to go inside. So as you can see, body awareness is an essential life skill, and outdoor games like cornhole do a fantastic job of working on this development. 

2. Cornhole Can Improve Hand-Eye Coordination

A significant benefit of having your children play cornhole is improved hand-eye coordination. Kids begin to develop this skill around ages six to nine. At these ages, they are just beginning to gain better control over their motor skills and coordination.

For example, if you have ever tried to throw a ball to a young child, you may have noticed their reaction time is relatively slow, and the ball may even have hit them despite them seeing it coming. This just means that they haven’t fully developed their hand-eye coordination, which is typical for young children. 

So it’s essential that we work with kids on this critical skill, and playing cornhole is a great way to aid your kids in developing better eye coordination. 

3. It Can Heighten Their Self-Confidence 

Another excellent reason to start your kids playing cornhole is that this fun game can help boost their self-confidence. Instilling self-confidence in children is very important, and this can be done through playing games like cornhole. This game is pretty simple and can easily give a sense of accomplishment and pride, resulting in a boosted self-esteem. 

4. It Can Help Them Improve Their Balance

Balance is one of those things that doesn’t come easily when children are young and uncoordinated. However, cornhole can help provide some much-needed practice as kids will need to learn the correct form for throwing. Plus, balance definitely comes into play when each player needs to place a foot forward as they throw. 

5. Playing Teaches the Importance of Practicing

Cornhole can also provide some fundamental life lessons, such as what occurs when you practice something regularly. We often use the phrase “practice makes perfect” around our children, but cornhole is an excellent opportunity to teach children how to actually apply that advice. 

Practicing can also help your children to cope with frustration when they aren’t immediately good at a game. It’s essential for them to understand that no one is instantly amazing at most things. It will take time, but eventually, your kids will notice an improvement in their throwing skills if they keep practicing

6. The Game Can Boost Their Cognitive Skills

Playing games like cornhole that require critical thinking skills are fantastic ways to boost a kid’s cognitive thinking skills. These skills are necessary in life to read, think, and retain incoming information. This is why cornhole is a great option to boost these skills in a fun and positive way. 

Plus, cornhole is a game everyone can enjoy, so your kids won’t even realize they are learning. Interactive fun activities are more likely to help children retain important information and skills. So making learning fun is always a good idea. 

7. Playing Shows Them How To Reach Goals

Like with most games, cornhole has an objective that you wish to reach, a goal if you will. Introducing the concept of reaching goals at a young age is a great idea. Children will learn that it takes work to reach their goals, but it’s gratifying when they do. 

So by playing cornhole, practicing, and then winning, kids will be able to experience reaching a goal. In turn, this can slowly be applied to other areas in their lives as they grow. 

8. It’s Great for Family Bonding 

Family bonding is critical to the growth of children. This makes cornhole an excellent option since it’s a fun and easy game that can bring a family together. In addition, this game is an excellent excuse for a family BBQ. Plus, getting the whole family involved in an incredible outdoor game of cornhole is sure to be a vital core memory for your children. 

9. It’s Educational

As I lightly touched on earlier, there are many skills that can be learned from playing cornhole. The best part about this game is that children will be completely unaware that they are learning most of the time. The best type of learning is fun and interactive, which is why you should consider getting your children involved in this great game.

What each child will get out of playing cornhole might be different. However, each kid will learn something new and vital. Plus, they will have a good time doing it, which is what matters most. 

10. It’s an Easy Game To Learn

Simplicity when it comes to games is always a plus. Easy games are far less likely to frustrate children and cause them to give up. The simplistic nature of cornhole’s rules makes it an excellent choice for kids that just want to have fun. They can toss bags at the hole until their hearts are content. 

11. It’s an Inexpensive Way to Have Fun

This activity is relatively cheap once you acquire the game. After purchasing cornhole, the game should require little to no maintenance, providing your kids and family with some much-needed affordable fun. Not to mention, this game is portable and can easily go to parks, to the lake, or on camping trips. 

12. Cornhole Provides Them With Exercise 

Cornhole is a fantastic game to get your children to put down the screens and spend some much-needed time outdoors. Plus, it also will ensure that your kids get in some exercise as they learn to throw and fetch the cornhole bags. Not to mention, it’s a great way to get the whole family up and moving. 

13. It’s Safe

Cornhole is one of those games that you won’t have to worry about your children hurting themselves on. Well, for the most part. Kids are notorious for injuring themselves on normally harmless items. However, cornhole is relatively safe, and you can rest easy knowing your children are enjoying a wholesome game outdoors. 

14. It’s Fun 

Last but not least, cornhole is fun! Kids live for fun new experiences, and getting them involved in a game like cornhole is a great way to provide that. So not only will they have a good time, but it’s also sure to keep them engaged and entertained for quite some time. Also, children have amazing imaginations and will surely develop fun new variants of the rules to try out.

JC Franco
Editor

JC Franco serves as a New York-based editor for Gamesver. His interest for board games centers around chess, a pursuit he began in elementary school at the age of 9. Holding a Bachelor’s degree in Business from Mercyhurst University, JC brings a blend of business acumen and creative insight to his role. Beyond his editorial endeavors, he is a certified USPTA professional, imparting his knowledge in tennis to enthusiasts across the New York City Metropolitan area.