12 Popular Fun Camping Games

Overnight or weekend camping trips can be great fun for kids and adults of every age. From laying in sleeping bags, staring at the stars to roasting marshmallows over a roaring fire, there’s so much fun stuff to do. Sitting around the campfire at night is also a great time to play lots of fun games. 

Popular and fun camping games include board games like Chess, Scrabble, Battleship, and Yahtzee. But card games, such as Uno, Go Fish, Cards Against Humanity, and Exploding Kittens, are sometimes easier to pack. Outdoor games like cornhole or rubber horseshoes can also pass the time.

This article will tell you about my picks for the best games to play while camping. I’ve broken them down into three separate sections (which you’ll see below). I also included tips for where to buy them and alternatives if these games don’t strike your fancy.

  • The four best camping board games
  • The four best camping card games
  • The four best outdoor games for camping

Board Games

Many people don’t think about bringing along board games when packing for an overnight or weekend camping trip. Some people think they won’t have time for them or assume they’re too big and have too many easily lost pieces to take into the wilderness. The truth is there are plenty of board games that are ideal for camping trips. 

Look for board games that are easy to pack and that aren’t too heavy, especially if you have to hike a little while to get to your campsite. Also, look for games that don’t have tons of loose pieces that can fly away in the wind (like Monopoly money) and come in easy-to-pack, outdoor-friendly cases. 

I like to find “travel” versions of my favorite games because those are usually smaller and come packaged with everything secured in one easy-to-carry case. 

Other things you should consider before packing your board games are:

  • How many people will be playing
  • The ages of all the players
  • Whether there are pieces/elements that could easily be lost or damaged outside
  • How long you’ll have to play the games
  • How much light you’ll need for playing
  • Whether you need to bring additional supplies (paper, pens, etc.) to play
  • Whether you might have to stop mid-game and pick it up later

Here are my picks for the four best board games you can bring on a camping trip:

Chess

Chess is an excellent game that takes a lot of skill, but it’s also a game that you can teach to anyone of any age. If you have children, camping is a great time to teach them how to play because you have long periods at night where they aren’t distracted by the television or their electronics. 

Chess boards do require several pieces, which could be inconvenient to keep up with if you have the wrong board. That’s why I recommend the QuadPro Magnetic Travel Chess Set. The board is magnetic, so all the pieces stick tightly to its surface. This is convenient if you’re camping because it keeps the wind from blowing them over. 

The set also comes with a bag to hold all the pieces in one place. However, the board is actually foldable and hollow on the inside, so you can store the pieces conveniently inside the bag and then put the entire bag inside the board. 

The entire thing is travel-sized, as well, so it isn’t heavy or cumbersome. You can easily pack it in a backpack or duffel bag, and you shouldn’t feel it weighing you down on the hike.

Scrabble

Scrabble is another popular, fun camping game, and you can buy a travel version of it, as well. The Winning Moves Games Scrabble to Go Board Game sets the whole board up inside a zippered portfolio. Furthermore, the board is covered in a plastic, waterproof, interlocking grid, and the pieces snap into place tightly. They’ll stay attached to the board, even if you turn it upside-down.

The tile racks also lock closed, so if you need to stop mid-game and pack up, you can keep your current tiles locked in place on the rack and the tiles that have already been played locked into place on the board. When you get ready to finish the game, you simply have to open everything back up and pick up the game right where you left off. 

Best of all, it’s lightweight, relatively inexpensive, and perfect for players aged eight and older.

Battleship

The Hasbro Gaming Battleship Grab & Go Game has two boards, and both boards are made similarly to the travel Scrabble game. They feature secure-locking holes to hold the pegs and ships in place. Everything you need – the boats and the pegs – is contained within each board, and you can close them up neatly and efficiently when it’s time to put them away. 

Each player can carry his own board in his pack, and the weight each board adds is minimal. There are no extra bags or boxes needed to keep up with all the pieces because they’re secure inside the game boards. Battleship is an especially good game for younger children because it’s so easy to play.

Yahtzee

All you need to play Yahtzee are five dice, a pencil, and a score pad. Needing so little makes it the perfect camping game anyway. However, this particular version is the Yahtzee National Parks Travel Edition, making it even more fun for camping trips. 

Each die features things you might see in national parks, such as a moose, tree, river, and more. You’ll still play the game the same way. There are small numbers inscribed on the corner of each die, in case you were wondering how the large and small straights worked. 

Yahtzee is probably one of the very best “board games” for camping in terms of lightness and portability, although technically, it doesn’t require a board.

Other Board Games

The above-listed games are my favorite board game options, but other ones can also be pretty fun and easy to bring along on camping trips as well. These include:

Card Games

Card games are particularly convenient for camping trips because a deck of cards isn’t that large. Cards easily fit in the side pocket of a backpack or even in someone’s back pocket as they’re hiking on a trail. 

There are also plenty of options for campers of all ages, so whether you’re camping with your children or your college roommates, there are some great card games you can bring along with you for a little fun.

Uno

Uno is a classic card game for almost all ages. It’s fun and easy to play, and you can play it for either long or short periods, whichever you prefer. 

If you like to keep to an outdoor theme while camping, you can pick up these Uno Wilderness cards. You’ll still play old-fashioned Uno, but the cards are all wildlife-themed.

If sticking to a theme isn’t important to you, you can probably save a few dollars by picking up a regular deck of Uno cards. Personally, though, I like this UNO Family Card Game that comes in a metal case. I don’t have to worry about the cardboard box getting all torn and damaged or blowing away in the wind on one of our many camping outings with this deck. 

Go Fish

If you’re on a camping trip with any young children (around 2-5 years old), Go Fish might be a more appropriate card game to bring. It’ll certainly be easier for them to understand. 

There are dozens of different Go Fish card sets out there, but I like Continuum Games Go Fish Card Game. They have cute illustrations that kids enjoy, and the box is pretty sturdy. 

Cards Against Humanity

If you’re camping with adults, the Cards Against Humanity game is always good for a laugh. Start with the main box of cards, and then, if you’d like, you can always buy the expansion packs later on for even more fun and debauchery. 

There are all kinds of expansion packs available, including a Harry Potter-themed pack, an “Absurd Box” pack, and more.

Exploding Kittens

I’ll be honest; I wasn’t sure about Exploding Kittens Card Game when I first bought it, but the kids seemed to love it, so I gave it a shot. Surprisingly, it turned out to be a lot of fun. 

It’s kind of like a safe, non-lethal version of Russian Roulette if Russian Roulette was a card game. It’s a strategy game, but it isn’t hugely complicated, so if you have kids aged seven or older, they should be able to play it with you.

Other Card Games

Uno, Go Fish, Cards Against Humanity, and Exploding Kittens are probably the best, most fun card games to bring with you on an outdoor adventure, but if you’re looking for a few more options, we have some. Other good card games include:

Outdoor Games

Outdoor games are some of the most exciting games you can play on camping trips. Being outdoors is pretty much the whole point of camping, after all. There are tons of great outdoorsy things you can do, although many of them will depend on the area in which you’re camping. 

For example, in some camping areas, you may have access to a lake, pond, river, or other body of water. In that case, you could swim, play Marco Polo, and enjoy all kinds of other fun, water-related activities. 

If you’re staying at a campground, you may have access to embedded volleyball or badminton nets, mini-golf courses, or any number of other activities. However, you can also bring some things with you from home that’ll allow you to have fun outdoors, no matter the type of area in which you’re staying. 

Scavenger/Adventure Hunt

Scavenger or Adventure Hunts are always popular options when you’re camping. Part of the fun of camping is looking for things you don’t usually get to see every day. 

There’s also a bit of an educational component to them. You can help your children learn about the types of flowers, trees, and animals native to a particular area by sending them on a Scavenger Hunt to try to find those things.

If you want to have a Scavenger Hunt, there are plenty of pre-made boards/sets you can buy to help you. Gofindit Scavenger Hunt Card Game, Hapinest Find and Seek Card Game, and the Craftivity Designs Camping Scavenger Hunt Game are just three options. If you don’t like any of these, you could always make your own. 

If you’re camping with a bunch of adult friends, you may even want to make your Scavenger Hunt a little more challenging, silly, or adult-oriented. You can even choose to make it a little risque and slapstick if you like. Either way, everyone is bound to have a great time with this kind of activity.

Cornhole

You may be thinking that cornhole isn’t a very practical game for camping, and if, when you think of cornhole, you imagine huge, heavy boards like these Welldo Sports Wood Cornhole Boards, you’d be absolutely right. Those would be a pain to try to carry through the woods on the hike to your campsite. 

If you’re able to drive directly to your camping site, then these are great. However, if you have to carry things with you on a long trek through the woods, you’re going to need something lighter and easier to carry. That doesn’t mean you can’t still play cornhole, though. 

Just pick up something like this G4Free 5 Holes Cornhole Game Set instead. It isn’t exactly like traditional cornhole; it has five holes for one thing, but the game is played in basically the same way. Plus, it comes in a convenient carrying case that makes bringing it along with you very simple.

Glow-in-the-Dark Capture the Flag

Capture the Flag has been a fun and exciting outdoor game for decades. Take it up a notch by buying this Capture The Flag Redux Outdoor Game. It’s the same great game as always, but everyone will be glowing brightly, which means you can play with your family at night for double the fun. 

Rubber Horseshoes

A game of horseshoes is great entertainment, but it’s traditionally played with heavy, steel equipment that wouldn’t be much fun to lug through the woods. 

If you own or rent a particular piece of property where you camp regularly, or if you do a lot of camping in your backyard, then you could always invest in a steel horseshoe set like the Franklin Sports Horseshoes Set. You can drive the stakes in the ground and leave it there year-round. 

If you’re doing a lot of hiking and walking to get to your camping spot, though, you’ll need something lighter. This Hey! Play! Rubber Horseshoes Game Set is the perfect compromise. It’s lightweight and easy to carry. 

With this set, there’s the added benefit that your children could also play with you. Steel horseshoes are heavy, and they’re hard for children to throw. Additionally, they could hurt if your babies accidentally dropped them on their toes or threw them in the wrong direction and hit someone with them. 

These rubber horseshoes minimize a lot of those risks. 

Other Outdoor Games

If you’re looking for other fun outdoor games to play, the options are pretty much limitless. As long as you have an imagination, you can come up with all kinds of great outdoor fun for your family and friends to enjoy. While the above-listed games are our favorites, here are some of our other picks:

You can always bring along a softball, baseball, soccer ball, or some other kind of ball for outdoor activities and have all kinds of fun with that. If you’re into archery, bird watching, or painting, you can bring those kinds of supplies along, as well. 

Wrapping It Up

Whenever you’re planning camping activities, try to plan something everyone will enjoy, no matter their age. If you’re bringing along board games, make sure you’re bringing something without a lot of flyaway pieces.

Also, consider the practicality of the games you want to play. All of the Giant games listed in the outdoor activities section are fun and can be played by children of most ages, but they’re only practical if you don’t have to lug them back and forth to your campsite.

Card games shouldn’t present many problems. However, ensure you have any additional equipment you need to play.

Happy Camping!

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