Camping Games: Fun Things to Do Without Spending a Fortune
Camping is brilliant until someone asks the question.
“What are we doing now?”
You’ve put the tent up, eaten something, had a wander around and probably spent far too long trying to get comfortable in a camping chair.
Then comes that awkward bit in the afternoon when everyone is looking at everyone else, waiting for somebody to come up with an idea.
That’s where camping games come in.
And the good news is you don’t need to spend a fortune on them. Some of the best camping games don’t require buying anything at all. A bit of space, a few people and a willingness to look slightly ridiculous is often enough.
If you do fancy bringing something along, there are plenty of proper outdoor games that pack away easily too. CampingStyle has a selection of Outdoor Games with everything from flying discs and cornhole to swingball and other games designed for getting people outside.
But before you start filling the car with games, here are a few ideas that cost absolutely nothing.
Games you don’t need to buy
I Spy
It might sound like something from a long car journey in the 1990s, but I Spy works surprisingly well around a campsite.
The good thing about it is that there’s no equipment, no preparation and no complicated explanation.
It also works particularly well with younger children who have already reached the “I’m bored” stage despite having spent the entire morning doing things.
You can keep it simple around the campsite, or make it a little harder by choosing things further away.
Just be prepared for someone to pick something ridiculously obvious and insist that nobody will ever guess it.
Scavenger hunt
You don’t need a printed sheet or a prize for this one.
Just come up with a few things for everyone to spot while you’re out walking.
Something red.
A funny shaped leaf.
A bird.
A pine cone.
A particularly impressive rock.
The person who spots everything first wins absolutely nothing, which somehow doesn’t seem to matter.
You can make it as easy or difficult as you like depending on who’s playing, its one of our favorite camping games.
It also gives children something to look for while you’re walking rather than hearing “are we nearly there yet?” every five minutes.
Hide and seek
If you’ve got a suitable campsite or outdoor space, hide and seek needs very little explanation.
Although camping does add a slight complication.
There are tents.
Trees.
Bushes.
Picnic tables.
And approximately seventeen places where someone thinks they’ve found the perfect hiding spot.
It’s one of those games that can keep children occupied for ages while the adults get five minutes to finish a cup of tea.
Just keep the hiding places sensible and make sure everyone knows where the boundaries are.
Twenty Questions
This one is particularly good when the weather isn’t playing along.
One person thinks of something and everyone else takes turns asking questions that can only be answered with yes or no.
“Is it an animal?”
“Can you eat it?”
“Would you find it in a tent?”
That last one can produce some interesting answers when you’ve got a group of children involved.
No equipment required, and it can carry on for as long as people are still enjoying it.
Charades
Camping and charades are a surprisingly good combination.
Maybe it’s because nobody feels quite as self conscious when they’re standing outside in a muddy field.
You can use films, animals, jobs, famous people or pretty much anything else you can think of.
The best bit is usually not guessing correctly. It’s watching someone try to act out something incredibly specific while everyone else confidently guesses completely different things.
Games using things you’ve already got
Sometimes the best camping games are the ones you accidentally invent because nobody remembered to bring anything.
Stone skimming
If you’re camping near suitable water, stone skimming can keep people entertained for a surprisingly long time.
The competition usually starts innocently enough.
A few throws later and everyone is suddenly keeping score.
How many skips did you get?
Was that actually six?
No, definitely five.
Someone will then produce an enormous stone and insist it will be the one that beats everybody.
It rarely is.
Just make sure you’re somewhere where stone throwing is appropriate and safe, and don’t forget the wildlife.
Guess the object
Someone picks up an ordinary object and hides it behind their back.
The others get to ask questions until they work out what it is.
It can be a camping mug, a spoon, a torch, a peg or pretty much anything else lying around.
It’s simple, but that’s partly why it works.
You don’t need to carry another bag of toys just to have something to do.
Camping quiz
Someone with a phone can act as the quizmaster, although you don’t really need one if you’ve got a good memory.
Ask questions about the group, the campsite, places you’ve visited or completely random subjects.
You can even make up questions about your current trip.
Who put the tent up fastest?
Who forgot the toilet roll?
Who has eaten the most snacks?
You can probably guess how competitive this one becomes.
When you fancy something a little more active
Sometimes everyone has been sitting around long enough and needs to burn off some energy.
That’s when simple outdoor games come into their own.
Races
You don’t need proper equipment to have a race.
Running races are the obvious choice, but you can make things more interesting with hopping races, backwards races or even a three legged race if you’ve got something suitable to tie legs together safely.
The important thing is having enough space and a surface that’s reasonably forgiving.
Camping is not the place to discover who can sprint fastest directly towards a picnic table.
Football
If somebody has brought a football, you’ve got an afternoon sorted.
You don’t even need proper goals. Two bags, jumpers or other markers can work perfectly well.
A small sided game is usually better than trying to recreate a Premier League match on a campsite anyway.
And if nobody brought a football, you can always move on to one of the many other games that don’t require equipment.
Frisbee
If you’ve got a frisbee already, it’s one of the easiest things to throw into the car before a camping trip.
There’s not much setup involved and it can work with two people or a bigger group.
CampingStyle’s Outdoor Games section includes flying discs and other games if you’re looking for something to take along on future trips.
Just make sure you’ve got enough open space before launching one towards the neighbouring tent.
Outdoor games worth taking camping
There are times when buying a game does make sense.
If you’re camping regularly, something that packs down small and comes out every trip can be well worth having.
Cornhole
Cornhole is a good example because you don’t need a huge amount of explanation before people are happily throwing bags at a board.
It works well for adults, children and mixed groups, and you can turn it into a surprisingly competitive tournament without making the whole afternoon feel organised.
There are portable versions around too, which makes them more practical for camping than something enormous that needs its own trailer.
Swingball
Swingball is another classic campsite option.
It doesn’t require a huge playing area and you can usually get a game going fairly quickly.
It’s particularly good if you’ve got children who have plenty of energy and adults who would rather watch from a chair with a cup of tea.
Spikeball
If you’ve got a group who like something a little more competitive, Spikeball can be a lot of fun.
It’s fast, active and doesn’t take long before everyone starts taking it far more seriously than they intended.
It’s probably best saved for a campsite with enough clear space rather than squeezed between two tents.
Glow in the dark games
Once the sun goes down, you don’t necessarily have to call it a night.
Glow in the dark games can be a good way of keeping things going into the evening, particularly with older children and teenagers.
CampingStyle has glow in the dark capture the flag in the outdoor games section.
There’s something about playing a game in the dark that makes it feel considerably more exciting than it probably should.
Don’t forget the games that happen by accident
One of my favourite things about camping is that you don’t always need to plan entertainment.
Someone starts throwing a frisbee.
Someone else starts a competition.
The children invent a game that makes absolutely no sense to the adults.
A game of cards appears after dinner.
Before you know it, nobody is bored anymore.
That’s one of the nice things about camping. You’re outside, you’ve got time and you’re generally not rushing off to the next thing.
You can make a game out of almost anything.
You don’t need a car full of toys
It’s easy to look at outdoor games and think you need a whole collection to keep everyone entertained.
You really don’t.
A few free games, a ball or frisbee you’ve already got and perhaps one proper outdoor game is more than enough for most camping trips.
The main thing is having a few ideas ready for that inevitable moment when someone announces they’re bored.
And if you’ve got nothing with you at all?
That’s fine too.
Go for a walk.
Play I Spy.
Have a race.
Throw stones into a suitable bit of water.
Make up a ridiculous quiz.
Or just sit outside and see what happens.
Sometimes that’s the best bit of camping anyway.
Just remember to leave enough room in the car for the tent.