Camping Games! Your First Line Of Defense Against Camping Boredom!

On our camping trips I like to bring along both games that they can do in the outdoors, as well as games that can be done in the indoors (the tent, at a table) or for downtime...or when the weather doesn't cooperate and they need something to do. Here are some ideas for different kinds of camping games.

On the simple side, any of the old running around outdoor or party games are perfect for your camping trip. Hide and Go Seek, Tag, Freeze Tag...all of these are games that don't have to be taught and take on a whole new adventure when done in the outdoors. Make sure to create a physical boundary to keep the kids from wandering outside the campsite and getting in trouble.

We are a gaming family...so it is just natural for us to bring games along on our family camping trips. An afternoon or evening of games is a great way to pass the time. Games like UNO and regular playing card games are a natural to bring. They stow easily in a duffel bag or the container you bring for camping activities.

Other board games will fit in there as well...backgammon, checkers, and Pictionary for example. Our scout troop loves to bring along Risk and the boys can occupy themselves all night with this.

I usually try and steer away from the games that have lots of tiny pieces...but when the kids have insisted we have still brought those along as well.

Aside from table games, physical run-around games are also a favorite. We like to pack horseshoes, frisbees, footballs, and other types of balls for playing. Once again, these all stow nicely in a storage tub for easy packing.

We like to play a bocce-type game with golf balls where one person tosses the ball a few feet out. Then the others will each try to toss or roll their ball, one at a time, towards the original ball that was tossed. Whoever comes closest without going past the original ball is declared the winner. It is a game of skill rather then strength.

A jumprope is also fun physical activity and easy to take along.

We love thinking games! These take no equipment and are also great for the car ride! Some of our favorites...a take on 20 Questions (although we don't limit the number of questions). One person thinks of an object and the others have to ask questions to guess what it is. The catch is these questions can only be answered with YES or NO.

A great camping game is for a parent to make up a scavenger hunt with items that would be found around or in the campsite.

Camping opens up a whole new world of items for another of our kids' favorite...I SPY. It is very simple and the little ones especially love this one!! For those who don't remember, one person looks around the campsite and says, "I spy with my little eye, something that is..." and fills in the blank with a description of what he or she spies and the others try to guess what it is.

Our kids are nuts for Geography...however they seem to have a different variation than the old one that I knew as a kid. When I played, we went in order around a circle, and had to choose a location that began with the ending letter of the place the last person had chosen. The way my kids play it, one person says a letter and the other people have to think of a geographical location that starts with that letter. Whoever guesses first gets to choose the next letter (they can choose any letter) and then the others have to guess a location...and so on. One of the rules, however, is that the person who chooses the letter must know a location themselves that starts with that letter...and no locations can be repeated.

The kinds of games you can bring or play are limited only by the amount of space you have or your imagination. Almost any game you can think of that you can bring on your camping trip makes a great camping activity and engages the kids.