Loading blog content, please wait...
Best Games for Summer Camping Trips TL;DR: The best camping games are compact, don't require batteries or screens, and work in unpredictable conditions—...
TL;DR: The best camping games are compact, don't require batteries or screens, and work in unpredictable conditions—uneven picnic tables, fading daylight, and mixed age groups. Here are our picks that survive dirt, wind, and the attention spans of kids who just spent three hours hiking.
A standard deck of cards is fine, but purpose-built card games create moments that families actually talk about after the trip. The key is choosing games with durable cards, simple rules that don't require re-reading a manual by flashlight, and rounds short enough to pause when someone spots a firefly.
Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza is practically made for campsite picnic tables. It's fast, physical, and loud enough to match the energy of kids who've been running around all day. The rules take about 90 seconds to explain, and it works for ages 8 and up—though we've seen plenty of 6-year-olds keep up just fine.
Sleeping Queens is another favorite that fits in a jacket pocket. It's got just enough strategy to keep adults engaged while staying accessible for younger players, and the fantasy theme feels right when you're surrounded by trees.
For families with teenagers, Exploding Kittens travels well and stays entertaining across a wide age range. It's strategic without being heavy, and each round moves fast enough that nobody's sitting out for long.
Card games are great until a gust sends your hand flying into the campfire. Board games with loose pieces become a nightmare on a tilted picnic table. The best camping games account for real outdoor conditions.
Spot It (also called Dobble) uses thick, round cards that resist wind better than standard rectangular ones. The matching mechanic works in low light, and games take about 15 minutes—perfect for filling time while dinner cooks over the fire.
Qwirkle is a tile-based game where the chunky wooden pieces stay put on uneven surfaces. It plays like a visual version of Scrabble without needing to know any words, which makes it genuinely fun for ages 6 through grandparent. The tiles are sturdy enough to survive being tossed into a backpack alongside trail mix and sunscreen.
Magnetic travel games have come a long way from the flimsy chess sets of the 1990s. We carry several compact magnetic options that fold flat and keep pieces locked in place—ideal for families who camp at spots like Brown County State Park, where the picnic tables have seen better days.
The hour between sunset and bedtime at a campsite is magical, and it's also the hour when kids start asking for tablets. Having a game ready for that window keeps the screen-free streak alive.
Glow-in-the-dark options have gotten surprisingly good. There are ring toss sets and bocce ball versions designed specifically for nighttime outdoor play. They charge in sunlight during the day and glow for hours after dark.
Story-based games like Rory's Story Cubes work beautifully by lantern light. Roll the dice, build a story together, and suddenly everyone's laughing at the ridiculous tale about a bear who found a spaceship. These dice are tiny, nearly indestructible, and weigh almost nothing in a pack.
For older kids and adults, Werewolf (sometimes sold as One Night Ultimate Werewolf) turns your whole camping group into a game. It's a social deduction game that needs nothing but the cards and a willingness to accuse your cousin of being a secret werewolf. Campfire atmosphere makes it ten times better than playing at a kitchen table.
Every camping trip eventually gets a stretch of rain. Indiana summers are generous with afternoon storms, and being stuck in a tent without a plan gets old fast. Pack one game specifically for this scenario.
The ideal tent game is small, quiet enough not to drive tent-mates crazy, and playable in a cramped space. Hive Pocket fits this perfectly—it's a two-player strategy game with thick Bakelite pieces that lay flat, need no board, and can be played on a sleeping bag. Think chess with bugs, minus the board.
For solo entertainment, puzzle books and brain teaser games keep kids occupied independently. Rush Hour, the sliding block puzzle, comes in a travel size that works great when everyone needs some quiet time during a downpour.
We recommend families build a small game kit that lives with their camping gear—three to four games in a gallon zip-lock bag, ready to grab every trip.
A solid starter kit looks like this:
That combination covers every mood, weather condition, and group size you'll encounter. And the whole kit weighs less than a bag of marshmallows.
If you're planning a camping trip this spring or summer—especially to one of the gorgeous spots around Brown County—stop by the store and tell us who's coming along. Ages, group size, and how competitive your family gets around a picnic table are all we need to build you the perfect camping game kit in about five minutes. The Consumer Product Safety Commission's toy safety guidelines are also worth a quick check if you're packing games for very young campers around fire pits and natural water features.