It’s a beautiful day. You may have returned from your outing, started relaxing before dinner, or are having a leisurely evening, which means it is time for a game.
However space might be an issue, so what to do? Lucky for you a few travel-sized games came along for the ride due to the limited space you have in your tent, trailer, or RV. Whether you are looking for a little competition outdoors like cornhole or ladderball golf, or maybe inside the tent or trailer with a card or board game these games make for great entertainment.
So what are some easy camping games to bring?
1 – Cornhole
Cornhole is a lawn game in which players take turns throwing bags of corn (or bean bags) at a raised platform with a hole in the far end. Hence the name cornhole. The rules are fairly simple. A bag in the hole scores 3 points, while one on the platform scores 1 point. Play continues until a team or player reaches (or exceeds) the score of 21. However, points get deducted also for bags left on the board as well.
Example: Each player has 4 bags and they alternate their turn. Player 1 throws the first bag and it lands on the board. Player 2 throws and it goes in the hole. Player 1 takes turn two and misses the board. Player 2 throws and knocks Player 1’s bag into the hole while it stays on the board. Turn 3 both players land on the board. Final turn both players miss the board.
Result: Both players have one in the hole (3 points each). Player 1 has one bag on the board and player 2 has two. Subtract the higher amount from the lower. In this case, player 2 gets 1 point. Final score Player 1 – 3 and Player 2 – 4. Player 2 wins.
Of course, a video is always a great way to get the full experience.
It is a super fun game and can get crazy competitive.
2 – Ladderball Golf
Ladderball, sometimes called Ladder Golf ®, is played with 2 or more players or teams. Each player has 3 golf ball bolas, sets of 2 golf balls attached by a nylon rope. The object of the game is to wrap your bolas around the steps of the ladder. The ladder consists of 3 steps, a top worth 3 points, a middle step worth 2 points, and a bottom step worth 1 point. The player must score exactly 21 to win.
Each player takes their turn tossing their bolas. After the round points are added and the next round begins. A player must reach 21 points. If a player has a score of 19, that player needs to get the bola to stop on the middle step. However, if a 3 is scored the points don’t count. Just remember the exact score.
Helpful Hint: Don’t play under trees. Branches are the natural enemies of the bola.
3 – Card Games
Probably one of the easiest items to carry with you is cards. Whether they are a deck of standard playing cards or ones built around a certain type of system, card games are just downright fun.
Standard Deck
Solitaire – Who doesn’t like a quick game of the classic. Solitaire is what is known as a patience game. I find it funny because I have lost my patience with this game numerous times. Come to find out there are a bunch of different types to play. Check out this list from Wikipedia for more.
Two or more people – I always enjoy a good game of Go Fish with the family. Poker is another one (use pretzels for money and snack). Check out this site. It lists all the card games and their rules.
Other Card Games
Fast-paced battle style card games are super exciting to play. Some are played so quickly you might get multiple games in before dinner. The most popular games in this genre of games are Uno, SkipBo, Blink, and Phase 10. All have a degree of skill and luck woven into the game.
4 – Board Games
Board games are easy to pack away and have on hand. Although you might want to make sure it is one that doesn’t have multiple pieces that are easy to lose. Games include checkers, chess, Yahtzee, Connect Four, and Scrabble. You could also bring games such as Clue, Monopoly, Life, Sorry, Dominoes, and Mancala.
If you are into role-playing games, I have played many of the Dungeon and Dragon titled board games. Wrath of Ashardalon and Castle Ravenloft are ones my daughter loves to play with her brother and me. There was even a group playing a full sit down adventure at a campsite one time. What better atmosphere could you ask for?
Whatever you decide to bring as a board game, family involvement is key. You are together to enjoy the outdoors and be together.
5 – Books
My wife and I are avid readers. One thing I don’t want to do is leave my book behind for a few days and miss out on the story. So I pack it. I just find myself a little piece of shade and get lost in my mind movie for a bit. Although my kids might bring one it doesn’t always get read which is fine. We are all just trying to enjoy our time. At night we even prop ourselves in our bed and turn on our little book light. Makes for just the right light as to not disturb our kids or friends that might be camping with us.
Crosswords, word searches, and Sudoku are easy items to pack and take up little space. These are great as time occupiers during the travel to your destination. I won’t say it takes away all the “Are we there yet” questions, but it can lessen them. Plus they are something the family can do together.
6 – Sporting Equipment
Being someone who grew up playing sports, I still like to throw a ball around. Often your child might be playing a sport when you go on your adventure. Just bring the equipment along. A ball, glove, and bat don’t take up much room. Footballs are great to throw especially if you have a field nearby. Frisbee is another great choice. Just be careful not to throw them around a creek. They make a great boat then.
Wrapping It Up
Whatever way you choose to keep yourself entertained, just remember it is about making memories.
