Heading out into the great unknown with your significant other can be a fun and romantic experience. Without the distractions of work, technology, and regular life, a camping trip can be the perfect time to reconnect and enjoy each other’s company. However, it can be challenging for adults to think of fun things to do or games that they can play together.
Here are some of the best camping games for couples:
- Truth or Dare
- Never Have I Ever
- Our Moments
- I Love You A-Z
- Card Games
- Board Games
Let’s talk about each of these in detail and discover how they might help you and your significant other have a camping trip that you will remember for years to come.
1. Truth or Dare
If you ask most people to tell you a game that people play at summer camp, they’ll almost always mention truth or dare. It’s classic entertainment for sitting around a fire. This teenage dream (or nightmare, depending on your perspective) isn’t just for the kids! Truth or dare can be a lot of fun to play with your honey, especially out in the woods.
The beauty of this game is that it’s totally up to you what kind of questions and dares you’ll give one another. You can make it fun and playful, intimate, or even sexy, depending on your personal preferences and comfort level.
You can also personalize the rules to fit your couple’s style. For example, do you want to let each person “pass” and get a new dare or new question if they choose? You could allow one pass per game or maybe remove an article of clothing in exchange for not completing a dare.
Whatever you decide, you can make this game your own. It’s a great way to have fun and connect, and I promise that you’ll feel like kids again!
You can find plenty of question lists online, or you can check out these After Dinner Amusements Truth or Dare Cards from Chronicle Books Store on Amazon.com. These cards include naughty truth questions and sexy dares for couples looking to spice up their night.
Another fun option is Uno Dare Card Game by Mattel, which mixes the classic Uno card game with the added excitement of dare cards! (Available on Amazon). This is a good option if you’re less interested in romance and just want to have a little fun.
2. Never Have I Ever
This is another classic game that will allow you to learn more about each other and reminisce about different experiences that you may have in common. Like Truth or Dare, Never Have I Ever (NHIE) can be personalized to fit your mood.
Check out this YouTube video from PsyCat Games to learn everything you (n)ever wanted to know about playing Never Have I Ever:
NHIE is also sometimes called “Ten Fingers” because the first person to put up ten fingers loses. Each person holds up a finger when they have done whatever the other person says they’ve never done.
For example, I could say, “never have I ever gone scuba diving.” If you have gone scuba diving, you would put up one finger. If you’ve never gone scuba diving either, it’s your turn to make a statement.
For couples that aren’t as creative, check out Never Have I Ever Card: The Game of Poor Life Decisions, available on Amazon. This party game is great for dinner parties, so you’ll be able to get laughs out of it for years to come.
3. Our Moments Card Game
Our Moments Card Game from Amazon.com is a conversation-starters game for couples. The great thing about this card set is that it will allow each of you to ask questions and listen to your partner. You’ll learn things about each other and be able to make the most of your quality time together.
Our Moments is an amazing game for any couple, whether you’re still in a new relationship or you’ve been together for years. Having deeper, more engaging conversations will make your date nights more exciting, and can lead to you feeling a closer connection afterward.
Thought-provoking questions give each person the chance to be heard while the other person listens and gets to know their partner all over again. This is a great one to have for home or away, and it’s perfect for chatting around a campfire.
4. I Love You A-Z
“I love you because you’re amazing.”
“I love you because you’re beautiful.”
“I love your creativity.”
You can see the pattern here. To play I Love You A-Z, each person takes turns saying what they love about the other person starting with the letter A, then B, then C, and so on, all the way to “Z.”
This simple game can be a lot of fun because it forces each person to think quickly and work their creative muscles. It also improves romance and connection to talk about what you like about your partner and hear how they feel about you.
Research has shown that giving and receiving compliments is good for relationships, and women are more aware of compliments (or lack thereof) than men.
Taking the opportunity to speak positively about one another is a good use of your quality time together, especially while you’re lying under the stars or snuggled by a campfire.
5. Card Games
Good old-fashioned playing cards are some of the best and most versatile “toys” you can bring on a trip, and camping is no exception. Sitting around a fire or in your tent, you can bring a little competition to the table with a lively card game.
What’s so fun about cards is that you can play nostalgic games or play something more strategic, depending on your skill level and preference.
Here are some great card games to try during your next couples’ camping trip:
To spice things up a little, you can add some higher stakes by playing strip poker or making each person complete a dare when they lose a hand.
For your camping trip, I recommend these Hoyle Waterproof Clear Playing Cards (available on Amazon). They’re perfect for playing outside when you don’t know what the weather will be like or if you have sweaty or dirty hands. Plus, they’re great for tailgating, parties, and other events where drinks are likely to spill.
6. Board Games
For your camping trip, you should check your closet or other storage areas for any board games you already have lying around the house. These classics are always a fun way to kill time and bond over the simple pleasures of a nostalgic board game.
Playing board games also allows for conversation and gives you both the opportunity for some healthy competition.
If you don’t own any (or many) board games, you can consider some of the true classics or look for a version that’s designed for travel.
Here are some great board games for you to play at your campsite (available on Amazon):
- Regal Wooden Checkers – this one has a reversible board with tic-tac-toe on the opposite side.
- Hasbro Gaming Battleship – travel edition for on-the-go naval strategy.
- WS Game Company Scrabble – designed to be portable with a board designed to prevent tiles from sliding.
- Hasbro Trivial Pursuit – this one is sure to inspire some friendly competition.
Wrapping It Up
Camping can bring a sense of adventure to your relationship and gives couples the chance to focus on each other. Playing together has been shown to improve overall relationship satisfaction, intimacy, and communication. When you put the two things together, you will have a fun getaway that will remind you why you fell in love in the first place.
Games that promote conversation and creative thinking are good for relationship building, and classic card or board games will bring nostalgia and be something that you both can enjoy.
Sources
- Sage Journals: Effects of integrated play therapy on relationship satisfaction and intimacy within couples counseling: A clinical study
- Taylor & Francis: The communication of compliments in romantic relationships: An investigation of relational satisfaction and sex differences and similarities in compliment behavior
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