Best Games to Play When Camping

Camping is one of the healthier forms of outings. You and your loved ones get together, you interact with nature, the change of pace is refreshing, and the day goes by doing fun activities simply not possible at home. However, if you haven’t put together a concrete plan of action prior to embarking on your camping trip, you might find yourself wondering “what now?” after you have set up the tents.

Camping trips can be focused around multiple fun activities. You can either go on short hikes, tell spooky stories around the campfire at night, play some musical instruments to liven up the forest, or just go fishing at a nearby lake. However, if you’re not the fishing type, and you don’t want to go hiking, you might want to consider passing the time with some games instead. Now what kind of games can you play when camping?

Roleplaying Board Games

Roleplaying board games like dartboard games are some of the best fun you can have, and you can squeeze a lot of hours out of a single session. Even a short campaign can take hours to reach its conclusion, and everyone pitching in will surely make it some of the most fun you have all day. So bring along whatever roleplaying board game you find yourself most invested in and watch as the time flies by and night creeps up on you.

As with any roleplaying board game that has a dungeon master, choose someone from your family or friends that really knows how to spice things up. A good dungeon master will keep things interesting so no one starts getting bored in the middle of the game. You can also try to theme the campaign around camping, so it can be a different than usual yet relevant session.

Card Games

Card games, much like roleplaying board games, are fun in almost any situation. Unlike roleplaying board games however, you won’t have to keep track of a metric ton of variables while playing. So if a more relaxed game is what you’re craving while camping, just bring along a deck of cards. Card games can vary in length and complexity, so choose what you think everyone will enjoy and kick back for a relaxing evening spent laughing.

Bring A Frisbee

If you don’t want to spend the whole day right outside your tent, a more physically engaging game of frisbees might be what you’re looking for. A simple plastic disc that can keep everyone entertained for hours while also keeping them fit, frisbees are a nice way to while away the time with meaningless exercise. Maybe, by the time you’ve made your 100th catch and are covered in sweat, you’ll finally feel more inclined toward the board or card games. 2-in-1 deal, and you get to burn some calories.

Badminton

Badminton can be another way to pass the time while physically exerting yourself. Fun and simple, just two rackets and a shuttlecock are enough. You can hold casual games or competitive games. Make it four rackets and you can even enjoy some 2-vs-2 action. As for a net, just substitute with a random stick. To keep things fair, choose someone unbiased to become a referee who can give the verdict on each move in each game.

Volleyball

Viewed as more of a beach game than a camping game, there’s no rule saying you can’t have fun playing volleyball if you’re camping. All you need is a ball and you’re set. Volleyball is generally enjoyed with more people, due to the random nature of the ball and the frantic movements as everyone tries to prevent the ball hitting the ground. Like badminton, casual or competitive games can be held depending on everyone’s mood.

A Scavenger Hunt

If you’re all for a more adventurous game that doesn’t involve dice, hold a scavenger hunt. Either choose a person that hides random objects they’ve brought with them, or simply create a list of things typically found in the wild. The person who gets the most items, or in case of the list all the items, wins the game. Searching for a two-headed twig or an oval rock is more fun than it sounds on paper, especially with a large number of players.

I Spy With My Little Eye

This fun little timewaster is often depicted as a game people play when travelling around in a car. However, it can take on a whole new life when you’re in the great outdoors. Camping puts you in visual proximity of a lot of new objects you don’t find in urban settings, and this can completely change the game as people try to guess just what you’re trying to describe.

Hold A Long Tournament

You know what they say; “Go big or go home.” Why not apply that to camping? Take everything listed above and just throw it all in to a large tournament, the more people the better. Divide up into teams or even play individually, and host one game after another in a marathon of the ages. By nighttime, the team or individual with the most wins under his or her belt wins. This would be one camping trip you’ll never forget.

Conclusion

The list of games doesn’t end here of course. Use your imagination and come up with all sorts of brand-new crazy activities. And the huge variety of board and card games means you could spend a whole month in that forest and still not run out of stuff to play. Just be sure to have fun and create a strong bonding experience.