While camping is the perfect time to relax around a campfire and go sightseeing on hiking trails, it is also ideal for spending quality time with friends and family. One of the best ways to create a fun, memorable trip is to incorporate plenty of family camping activities and games. Whether your camping fun is indoors or outdoors, there are so many different types of camping activities to enjoy with friends and family that will make your trip unforgettable.

Outdoor Camping Games
Indoor Camping Games

 

7 Outdoor Camping Games

Outdoor camping games are great because they let everyone get active, soak up the sun and get fresh air. Here are some of the best outdoor games to play while camping.

1. Outdoor Checkers

The game of checkers is a fun way to help children develop critical thinking skills, and turning it into an oversized lawn version makes it even more exciting! You’ll need the following items to create your own checkerboard:

• A sheet or tablecloth that is safe for outdoor use
• A minimum of 24 bucket lids, all the same size
• Two different colors of spray paint

Create your board by spraying a checkboard pattern onto a sheet or tablecloth. Then, paint 12 of the bucket lids one color and the other 12 a different color — these are your checker pieces. You can stick to traditional colors, like black and red or black and white, but feel free to get as creative as you would like.

2. Horseshoes

Horseshoes is a low-effort yet exciting game that both adults and kids can enjoy while camping. Some campgrounds, including certain Kampground of America locations, include horseshoes as an on-site amenity.

3. Ladder Ball

Ladder ball goes by many names, including ladder toss and ladder golf. This popular lawn game makes use of ladder-like structures and “bolas” — two golf balls attached by a nylon rope. Each player gets three bolas and tosses them at the ladders. Different points are assigned to each rung of the ladder — three for the top, two for the middle and one for the bottom. It is also possible to score additional points by landing a bola on each rung. As players take turns tossing, they can knock other players’ bolas off a rung. The first person to reach but not exceed 21 points wins the game.

4. Ringtoss

Ringtoss is a fun carnival game you can easily adapt to fit whatever materials you have on hand. For example, instead of empty glass bottles, you can use filled soda, juice and water bottles from your camping cooler. After the game, let the winner keep whichever drinks they toss a ring around!

To make your own rings, all you need is:

• Durable hemp or jute rope
• Hot glue and a glue gun
• Decorative ribbon or tape
• Heavy-duty scissors or utility knife

Use the scissors or knife to cut the rope into the correct length to fit around your bottles. Then, hot glue both ends of the rope and attach them together to make a circular shape. Continue to secure the ends together until the hot glue is completely dry. If using ribbon, add more hot glue to the outside of the rope ring, where the two seams meet. Cut a small piece of ribbon and wrap it around the seam. If you don’t have ribbon, a decorative masking tape or washi tape should do the trick. Repeat this process until you have at least 10 rings.

5. Tug-of-War

When it comes to camping games for kids, few are as fun and simple to play as tug-of-war.

The only things you need to play are:

• A long rope
• A flag or ribbon
• A way to divide the playing area

Divide your playing space into two separate areas, marking the dividing line. Find the center of the playing rope and tie the ribbon or flag. Have your group separate into two equal teams — each side should have roughly the same number of players, as well as weight. The first to tug the flag onto their side of the dividing line wins!

6. Lawn Jenga

You could play Jenga on an outdoor picnic table if you would like, but why not try your hand at an oversized, outdoor-friendly version? There are plenty of lawn-sized Jenga games you can purchase, but you can also make your own out of six 8-foot 2-by-4 boards. Apply a wood protectant to keep your do-it-yourself Jenga set together so it doesn’t warp when exposed to moisture.

You play lawn Jenga just like you would the boxed version:

1. Stack the Jenga tower by laying three blocks horizontally on the ground, then stack three more on top facing the opposite direction. Repeat this until the tower is complete.
2. Each player takes turns carefully pulling one Jenga piece from the tower at a time and placing it on the top of the tower.
3. The game is over when someone causes the tower to topple.

7. Obstacle Course

An obstacle course is among the top games to play camping because you can use whatever space and materials you have on hand. The idea is to create a course that is simple enough for your youngest player to complete, but challenging enough that it requires careful thinking and maneuvering.

Some fun camping obstacle course ideas include:

• Weaving in and out arranged camping chairs
• Stepping in and out of buckets of water
• Crawling under a picnic table
• Completing chalk-drawn hopscotch on the sidewalk

9 Indoor Games to Play While Camping

While camping is the ideal time to get outdoors, there is still plenty of fun to be had from the comfort of your RV, tent or cabin. Whether you are waiting out a rainy day or looking for a creative way to unwind after all your outdoor adventures, here are some of the best indoor camping games for families.

1. Card Games

Card games are an easy way to relax and unwind at the end of a busy day outdoors. They can also help children develop their concentration and memory. Plus, if the campground you are staying at has a game room or a community room where games are stored, you can borrow some or play in the room with your fellow campers.

Some popular family card games include:

• Uno
• Go Fish
• Crazy Eights
• Speed
• Matching
• Old Maid
• Rummy
• Slapjack
• Phase 10

Before choosing a card game, remember to check the recommended playing age. Some are ideal for families with young children, while others are better suited for older kids and teens.

2. Spoons

Spoons might technically be a card game, but it involves a little bit more attention and quick thinking than Go Fish or Uno. To play this game, you will need a table large enough for all players to sit comfortably, a deck of playing cards and a plastic or metal spoon for every player, except for one. The goal of this game is not to be the player left without a spoon at the end of the round.

Here is how you play:

1. Place all the spoons in the center of the table within easy reach of each player.
2. Deal four cards to each player.
3. The goal is to get four cards of one kind, but you always keep only four cards in your hand. The dealer starts the game by looking at the next card in the deck and choosing to either keep it or pass it along to their left. If they keep the card, they discard another one in their hand and pass it to the player on the left instead.
4. The person to the left does the same, and the cards continue to move around the playing circle until the dealer goes through the whole deck or a player gets four of a kind.
5. When a player gets four cards of one kind, they must take a spoon from the middle as discreetly as possible.
6. Once one player takes a spoon, the rest may follow, regardless of the cards in their hand — if they are paying attention.
7. The round is over once all the spoons are gone. The player without a spoon is out. Continue playing until all players except for one are eliminated.

3. Charades

No matter who is playing, charades are a guaranteed way to get the whole group laughing. To play, just write down the names of movies, books, cartoon characters, well-known phrases, celebrities or even camping-related activities onto slips of folded paper. Toss the papers into a bowl and then take turns choosing and acting out the item listed without using your voice.

4. Cup Stacking

If you have some disposable cups lying around your campsite, you can use them for several types of stacking games. Have each person choose a different surface to work from and see who can build the tallest tower, or hold a “Minute to Win It” style game, where teams race against each other to see who can stack and unstack their cup towers the fastest. You can also reuse your plastic cups for a game of indoor bowling or mini-golf.

5. Camping Bingo

For this indoor game, print premade camping-themed bingo cards from the internet or make your own out of cardstock and stickers. If you go the homemade route, consider filling your Bingo card with pictures of camping-related things, like a tent, fishing pole, bear, tree, campfire or sleeping bag. Use coins, marshmallows or even acorns as place markers. You could also combine your Bingo game with another game, like trivia or a treasure hunt, to make it even more interactive.

6. Trivia

The best part about trivia games is that you can adapt them to any age group or subject matter. Try turning basic trivia into an interactive competition between family members to see who can rack up the most points. You can also use camping-related trivia questions to teach your kids important outdoor lessons.

Some camping-inspired topics you could use when crafting trivia include:

• The Leave No Trace Principles
• Different types of tents and their purposes
• The names of constellations
• Wildlife safety
• Plant and tree identification
• Survival tips, including how to build a fire
• Pieces of camping equipment and their uses
• Missing campfire song lyrics

7. Board Games

Board games are traditional family entertainment for a reason — there are many types to choose from, and they are fun for every age. There are even camping and nature-inspired variations of some of the most popular board games, so you can stick with your theme.

Some of the best indoor cabin games include:

• Jenga
• Sorry
• Yahtzee
• Bananagrams
• Trouble
• Pictionary
• Connect Four

You can also use pieces from different board games to create your own unique game.

8. Simon Says

Who knew a game about following the rules could be so much fun? This classic game is fun for kids of all ages, and it can help them learn awareness, motor development and sequencing skills.

Try out some of these commands for an entertaining, educational playtime:

• Physical: Encourage movement by giving commands like “Simon says pat your head and rub your belly” or, “Simon says start dancing.”
• Directional: Help your kids grasp the difference between their lefts and rights by saying, “Simon says high five the person to your left,” or “Simon says touch your right knee with your right hand.”
• Creative: Encourage creativity with commands like “Simon says act like your favorite animal,” or “Simon says sing a verse of your favorite song.”
• Complex: To make things a little more challenging, include things like “Simon says solve this math problem,” or “Simon says blink 10 times, do five jumping jacks, whistle a tune and then spin around.”

9. Mafia or Werewolf

If you have a big group of people and want to play games when camping, playing Mafia, also known as Werewolf, is a fantastic way to get everyone involved. Mafia is a role-playing game that relies on teamwork and deduction skills. In the game, a narrator oversees the gameplay and assigns roles to the participants. Roles include:

• Villagers
• Detective
• Doctor
• Mafias

The game’s objective is for the mafias to “kill” as many villagers as possible without getting caught, while the villagers must guess who the mafias are to win the game. The game plays in rounds of day and night cycles, with mafias choosing which villager to kill each nightfall and villagers guessing and coming up with logical explanations for who could be a mafia. The game continues until either the mafias kill the majority of the villagers or the villagers find all the mafias. You can play the game indoors or outdoors with as many people as you want.