I will be honest with you. The first few camping trips I took with a group, I assumed everyone would just… naturally fill the time. You know — hiking, cooking, sitting around the fire.

By 4pm on day one, the kids were bored, two of the adults had run out of conversation, and someone had quietly opened their phone.

Camping games are not frivolous. They are the thing that fills the gaps between activities, keeps energy up after dinner, and turns a decent trip into one people actually talk about for years. The right game for the right moment is an underrated camping skill — and this guide covers all of it.

What to pack — a quick camping games kit

You do not need a car boot full of equipment. A compact games kit covers most situations:

Item	Weight	Best for
Deck of playing cards	Negligible	All ages, rainy days, campfire
Frisbee	Light	Open space, all ages
Cornhole set (travel/collapsible)	Medium	Adults, families
Bocce ball set (lightweight version)	Medium	Adults, mixed groups
Glow-in-the-dark frisbee or ball	Light	Evening games
Jenga travel set	Light	All ages, campfire table
Nature scavenger hunt sheet (printed)	Negligible	Kids, families
Pack of UNO or Dobble	Negligible	All ages, rainy days

Pro Tip: Pack one “no gear required” game option per group type — kids, adults, whole family. You will always have an unexpected downtime moment when the bag is stuck in the car, it is raining, or someone forgot the frisbee. Verbal games are your safety net.

Camping games for kids

1. Nature scavenger hunt

This is the one I come back to every single trip. Before you leave home, print a nature scavenger hunt sheet — search “printable nature scavenger hunt” and you will find dozens of free options. Give each child a list of 10–15 things to find: a feather, a pinecone, a forked stick, animal tracks, something yellow, something smooth.

The rule I add: photograph it rather than pick it up. It is better for the environment, and it means you end up with some brilliant pictures.

For older kids, bump the difficulty. Ask them to identify tree species, spot bird calls, or find signs of wildlife. This naturally edges into outdoor education and tends to hold attention far longer than a simpler list.

2. Flashlight tag

Classic hide-and-seek, but played in the dark with torches. One person is “it” and uses their torch to tag others — shining the beam on someone counts as tagging them. Everyone else tries to move around without getting caught in the light.

A few practical notes: agree clear boundaries before you start, make sure the ground is familiar enough to run on safely, and keep younger children in a buddy pair. This game gets genuinely exciting around dusk.

3. Duck, duck, goose

No kit. No setup. Works for any age from about three upwards and burns remarkable amounts of energy. If you have a mixed-age group, pair younger kids so they always have a faster runner alongside them.

4. Camping Olympics

This one takes ten minutes to set up but pays off for hours. Choose five or six simple challenges — longest frisbee throw, fastest tent peg hammering, most accurate water bottle toss, best campfire twig balance, fastest camp shoe sprint. Award points per round.

I like this one because it scales well. Adults get competitive. Kids surprise themselves. Someone always wins an event they did not expect to and feels great about it.

5. Glow stick games

Pack a handful of cheap glow sticks and you have a whole evening of games for very little money. Glow stick tag, a glow stick scavenger hunt in the dark, or simply handing them out to make bracelets and necklaces — for younger kids, this alone can absorb 45 minutes after dark when you need them occupied while you finish cooking.

Camping games for adults

1. Cornhole

If I had to pick one piece of game kit to always bring camping, it would be a collapsible travel cornhole set. Almost anyone can play within two minutes, it works on any surface, requires no athleticism, and scales effortlessly from two players to a full group tournament. The travel sets fold flat and take up very little space in the car.

The basic rules: two boards placed 27 feet apart, four bags per team. Bag in the hole scores 3 points, bag on the board scores 1. First team to 21 wins. Simple.

2. Bocce ball

Bocce is a slower, more strategic game that works beautifully on an open patch of ground. One player throws the small target ball (the jack), then everyone alternates trying to land their bocce ball as close to it as possible. Points go to whoever is nearest.

Most bocce sets are very heavy, but there are lightweight camping versions worth the small investment.

3. Ladder toss (ladderball)

Set two three-rung ladders about 15 feet apart and take turns throwing bolas — two balls connected by a cord — trying to wrap them around a rung. Top rung is worth 1, middle 2, bottom 3. First to 21 wins. The scoring structure adds just enough strategy to keep it interesting across multiple rounds.

4. Card games

A single deck of cards handles more game formats than most people realise. For a group: Rummy, Crazy Eights, Spoons (chaotic and highly recommended), or Cheat. For two players: Gin Rummy, Cribbage, or Speed. Packing a second deck doubles your options for next to no extra weight.

If you want a purpose-built group card game, Dobble (known as Spot It in the US) and UNO both travel brilliantly and work across age groups.

5. Two Truths and a Lie

No kit needed, plays anywhere, and often produces the most unexpected conversations of the whole trip. Each person states two true things about themselves and one fabrication. Everyone else tries to identify the lie. The trick is to make the truth stranger than the lie — which, if you are with the right people, is entirely possible.

Pro Tip: Play this one around the fire after the first night. By day two people are more comfortable and the answers get genuinely interesting.

Camping games for the whole family

A family playing capture the flag while camping

1. Capture the flag

Two teams, two territories, one flag each. The aim is to infiltrate the other team’s territory, grab their flag, and return it to your side without being tagged. Tagged players go to a temporary “jail” until freed by a teammate.

This game works best with a bigger group and plenty of open space. Check your campsite layout before committing — you want a clear boundary between territories and no hazards like tree roots or slopes in the running areas.

2. Frisbee (including glow-in-the-dark)

Straightforward frisbee throwing is endlessly adaptable. Set up targets, run relay races with a frisbee pass, or just throw it back and forth — there is almost no situation where a frisbee does not work. A glow disc extends the fun well into the evening with very little extra cost.

3. Tug of war

All you need is a rope. Mark a centre line, split into equal-ish teams (mixing ages and sizes adds fun rather than taking it away), and pull. First team to drag the other past the line wins. Brief, exhausting, and universally popular.

4. Relay races

Design your own course using whatever is around — run to a tree, pick up a stick, hop back, pass to the next person. Add a camping-themed challenge to each leg: pitch a tent peg, fill a camp cup with water without spilling, carry an egg on a spoon. The more absurd the challenges, the better.

5. Charades

Works around a table, around a fire, or sitting on camp chairs in a circle. Write prompts on torn strips of paper — mix in camping themes alongside general ones — fold them up and draw from a hat (or an empty mug). One person acts, everyone else guesses. No equipment, no setup, all ages welcome.

Campfire games (no gear required)

These are the games I find most valuable — nothing to pack, nothing to lose, and they work from the moment everyone is settled around the fire.

1. The storytelling game

One person starts a story with a single sentence. Go around the circle, each person adding one sentence at a time. No planning, no vetoing — whatever the previous person said, you have to work with it. Stories rapidly become bizarre and brilliant. Works especially well with children and with adults on their second drink.

2. 20 Questions

One person thinks of a person, place, animal, or object. Everyone else gets 20 yes/no questions to identify it. This game works well across age groups because you can pitch the answers at whatever level suits the youngest player.

3. Never Have I Ever

Each player holds up five fingers. Players take turns declaring something they have never done. Anyone who has done it puts a finger down. First person to put all five fingers down triggers the end of the round. Works without any props and tends to produce a lot of laughter.

4. Would You Rather

Two options, both slightly uncomfortable or absurd. Would you rather sleep in a tent with a spider or a mouse? Would you rather hike 20 miles uphill or swim across a cold lake? No right answers, plenty of debate. Great for getting quieter people talking.

5. Constellation bingo

This one requires a tiny bit of prep — download and print a free constellation bingo card before you leave. Players mark off constellations as they spot them over the course of the evening. First to complete a row wins. On a clear night with no light pollution, this can absorb an hour and leaves people genuinely learning something.

Looking to make the most of your campfire evenings? Read our full campfire safety guide before you light up — it covers everything from choosing a safe location to extinguishing properly.

Rainy day camping games

Rain does not have to mean sitting in silence. A few tent-friendly options:

Jenga: The travel version fits in a small bag and keeps people occupied for far longer than expected. The tension in the final rounds is genuinely something.

Dobble / Spot It: Fast, loud, works in a small space, plays in under ten minutes. Perfect when everyone is restless and you need something with an end point.

Camping-themed Bingo: Print bingo cards featuring camping gear — tent, sleeping bag, campfire, compass, headtorch. Use stones, acorns, or sweets as markers. Quick, adaptable, works for mixed ages.

Storytelling with folded paper (Consequences): Each person writes the start of a story, folds the paper to hide what they wrote, and passes it on. Open it at the end and read the combined result. The more people involved, the funnier the outcomes.

Frequently asked questions

What camping games require no equipment? Plenty. Two Truths and a Lie, 20 Questions, Would You Rather, Never Have I Ever, the storytelling game, and I Spy all need nothing except people. These are your best friends for unexpected downtime or any moment when the gear bag is out of reach.

What are the best camping games for large groups? Capture the flag, Camping Olympics, and relay races scale well for bigger groups. Cornhole and ladder toss also work well as tournament-format games for groups of six or more.

What camping games work for toddlers? Keep it simple: I Spy, Duck Duck Goose, a basic scavenger hunt using colours rather than specific items, or glow stick play after dark. The key at this age is short games with immediate results — attention spans are short and winning matters less than the activity itself.

What games pack smallest for backpacking or bikepacking? A deck of cards and a printed scavenger hunt sheet weigh almost nothing and cover most bases. UNO and Dobble are compact purpose-built options. Avoid anything with boards or heavy components.

How do I keep kids entertained at a campsite in the evening? Glow sticks, flashlight tag, and the storytelling game are the three I rely on most. If you have planned ahead, constellation bingo gives the evening a natural focus. A campfire with marshmallows to toast does a lot of the heavy lifting too.

Enjoyed this guide? You might also find these useful:

Got a game I have missed? Drop it in the comments — I am always adding to this list.

Article by Dave

Hi, I’m Dave, the founder of Tent Explorer. I started this site to share my love for camping and help others enjoy the outdoors with confidence. Here, you’ll find practical tips, gear reviews, and honest advice to make your next adventure smoother and more enjoyable.