Campouts with family and friends always call for camping games. While enjoying a movie at the campground or simply having some cocktails can be great at the end of a day in the outdoors, our list of the best camping games has compiled some unique and exciting options for truly engaging big and small groups alike, as well as some camp classics you really ought to own if you don’t already!
With game options for both the kids and adults, there’s bound to be something here right up your alley!
Our Review
Bucket Ball is a great camping game due to its portability and play-anywhere design. This competitive game is essentially a scaled-up version of beer-pong for those that know it!
Each team (or solo player) sets up a three, by two, by one pyramid using the buckets and then both teams take turns shooting the balls until all the buckets are gone. You can use water, dirt or sand to fill the buckets.
All the buckets nest into each other just like plastic solo cups and wha-lah, you’re packed up and ready to go! A great game for the campground that requires virtually no setup, moving parts or mess!
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Bottle Bash is a brilliantly designed, ready to play version of poleish horseshoes that’s as easy as staking into the ground, extending the poles and igniting a rivalry!
Instead of setting up ski poles and balancing breakable beer bottles, this game set comes with extendable poles that stake easily into the ground or sand, and two non-breakable life like bottles. The poles even have an integrated scoring system for keeping track of everyone’s points.
The object of the game is to knock the opposing teams bottle off of the platform on their pole. You score points by knocking off the bottle, but the other team has a chance to catch the bottle and the frisbee, in which case no points are scored. The gameplay is exciting and hysterical – especially if you make it a rule that everyone must hold a drink at all times.
All you really need to play the game that inspired this game is a set of ski poles, a frisbee and a six-pack, but we find this all-inclusive kit to be super helpful, as well as more packable. It can be tough effectively wedging ski poles into the dirt or leaf litter depending on the campground, and even tougher balancing a beer bottle on the handgrip after a few drinks – Bottle Bash keeps it easy!
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Who doesn’t love bocce? It’s a simple game of who can toss their balls closest to the target ball, or pallino.
I personally grew up playing beach bocce in the summers, so whenever this game comes out on a camping trip – it’s ON.
This one makes for such a great camping game because you can play it virtually anywhere with open space. The beach, woods, or simply within the campsite itself are all fine places to create a bocce court, just be careful not to knock anybody or anything with the almost 2.5-pound polyresin balls!
This 100mm Regulation Bocce Set by GoSports is a great quality set for the cost that should last you many years of gameplay. The balls make that signature “KNOCK” when they collide, and the carry bag is convenient to pack and transport.
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Here’s a great outdoor game you may have seen being played on the beach, at the park or at tailgates. Ladderball is a unique, but easy to set up and play game where two teams play against each other by throwing the “bolas” at the opposing ladder in hopes of wrapping around the rungs to score points.
You can play this game in teams of two, or one versus one. The objective is to play to 21 points exactly, without going over (you can decide a penalty if you exceed 21). The top rung is worth three points, the middle rung is worth two and the bottom rung is worth one – so it’s up to you (and your partner if you’re playing with one) to score in a sequence that equals 21.
The game rules state the ladders are to be 15 feet apart, but you can of course play as close or as far as you’d like depending on everyone’s skill level.
This powder-coated steel Ladderball set is built particularly durably compared to a lot of plastic and wooden sets, so this one should last through many years of gameplay. While PVC sets sometimes blow over in the wind or struggle to stand upright, the weight of this steel set is rock solid, allowing you to play no matter the weather or terrain.
Everything breaks down into an impressively compact storage bag, so this game can be transported to and played at virtually any campground with some flat ground! No doubt an awesome all-ages camp game that you can play with your group for hours on end!
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If you don’t know about Spikeball by now, you’re missing out! This is an action-packed, volleyball inspired game that’s played in teams.
This game gets heated, and I mean HEATED. Players pair up and compete against each other by “spiking” the ball onto the netted, almost trampoline-like surface.
The whole game breaks down into a slim carry bag, so this is a highly portable game you can bring essentially anywhere. Go ahead and hike out to your favorite beach spot or trail summit and play far away from your base camp if you choose – just be mindful of your thunderous noise output if you’re playing in a crowded campground!
The brand even offers a lifetime manufacturer’s warranty on this game so you can buy in confidence.
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The Spikebuoy on Water Accessory allows you to anchor your Spikeball set (not included) in the water, allowing you to play your favorite competitive game in the pool, or at the beach or lake.
By playing in shallow, knee-high water, the game has the potential to get even crazier and more out of control once everyone starts jumping and diving to score points.
Set up is simple, and the fun is endless. If you’re staying at a campground with a pool or with proximity to a waterbody, this one’s a must.
Our Review
Umali is a hysterical and challenging to play yard game that’s fun for the whole family, and rowdy groups of degenerate friends alike.
Inspired by the popular Philippines eggplant game, the point of the game is to knock down the 6 hardwood pins by using a pendulum belt with a weighted ball, to knock another ball into the pins. It’s kind of like a variant of bowling, that employs a “wrecking ball” comparable to a croquet ball to send the pins tumbling down.
To say this game is hilarious is an understatement. Tenalach recently sent me out an Umali set to try playing, and watching everyone take turns trying to generate powerful momentum with the pendulum belt is just side-splitting. It’s pretty tricky, but also super satisfying when you get the hang of it and achieve some nice connection! Add some beers in the mix and things get really interesting.
The game is furthermore beautifully built, all the pieces and even the carry case featuring a gorgeous aesthetic. The brand has built this game to both look sharp, and last for years of gameplay.
The best part is, you can scale this game up or down as much as you’d like in terms of the distance between you and the pins, so you can even potentially play indoors if you have some space!
All in all a great camping game for any crowd that’s bound to be a hit!
Our Review
If your camping trips are typically attended by large groups of even remotely athletic campers, then owning a quality net set-up for volleyball and badminton is a must.
This Champions Volleyball/Badminton Set by Baden is the perfect balance between portability and durability for campout purposes. It’s a high quality net and set of accessories, yet is designed to be of reasonable size for easy pack-up and transport. It may bot be nearly compact as a board game, but the durable 1680 denier nylon weather-resistant carry case is a breeze to travel with none the less.
The 3 by 32 foot tournament quality nylon net is worth the cost of this set alone, and Baden goes ahead and includes badminton racquets and shuttlecocks as well as a nice volleyball. There are even boundary markers included!
The powder steel frame construction and the nylon ropes that make up the net ensure it’s an all-weather approved unit that can handle the elements. You’ll get quite a lot of play out of this one.
The net is furthermore easily switched from volleyball to badminton height – so you can rip a round of either game in a moments notice once everything is set up.
This is the kind of camping game that’s bound to generate some wholesome memories and keep the fun coming for years on end – don’t sleep on this one!
Our Review
Here’s a super simple camping game you can literally set up in seconds that’s another all-ages hit.
The Elite Sportz Equipment Ring Toss Game is exactly what it looks like – just set down the wooden scoreboard and determine a distance to toss the rope rings onto the posts.
There is a scoring system painted onto the gameboard, but you can easily make up your own rules. Make this game more interesting by incorporating it into a timed, series of tasks or by calling your shots – it’s not hard coming up with your own way to play with a little imagination.
If you camp with kiddos, this one should keep them entertained on its own for quite some time.
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Elite Sportz Potato Sack Race Bags make for a downright hysterical camp game that might become a new tradition on your campouts.
There are six quality-burlap sacks and a carry bag included with this purchase, so the whole gang can suit up and race. Place your bets or race for glory, just make sure somebody’s got a first-aid kit on hand because this camp game idea is bound to get rowdy!
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If you and your camping tribe like to play dice games of any kind, consider scaling up whatever it is that you like to play most with this jumbo wooden dice set by GoSports.
There are 2.5 and 3.5 inch options available, so you can go big, or really big. GoSports also includes a dry erase scoreboard perfect for playing Yahtzee.
There are six dice included, all of which have the numbers burned into the wood rather than painted so they don’t rub off.
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Giant Tumbling Timbers by Yard Games is a jumbo-version of Jenga that’s a ball to play with any size group of campers.
This is an awesome camping game option due to its portability while it’s, of course, more fun to play standing in a circle around a 2.5 to 5 foot tower than it is playing the standard-sized game sitting around the campground picnic table.
This is a suspenseful game that nobody wants to be the one to lose, so to say tensions get high during gameplay would be an understatement. Player take turns pulling out timbers from the tower and then replacing them on top – every turn of the game getting more and more wobbly and intense.
When the tower finally leans too far and tumbles, the resulting crash is a hilarious finale to each round.
There are 56 individual 7.5 by 2.5 by 1.5 inch blocks, or timbers – including an extra two for raising the base of the tower a bit higher. There is also a nylon carrying bag for easy transport included.
Our Review
Jazzminton – The Paddle Game to Rule Them All is an awesome alternative to regular paddleball in which you play with a birdie (similar to badminton) rather than a ball.
It’s a different feel than playing with a ball and allows for some pretty precise control. In fact, the set includes two red birdies for slower play and two yellow birdies for faster play. You can play far away from each other using the yellow birdies and more close quarters with the red ones.
The paddles are quality built with 7-layer plywood and the moisture wicking comfort handles feel good in your hand.
This is a super simple, yet addicting camp game that packs up and goes anywhere with ease!
Our Review
BULZiBUCKET is a super fun to play team game that’s kind of like a combination of cornhole and a game of hacky-sack.
The objective is to score points by landing the hacky sack into the buckets – the top, most narrow bucket, of course, being the prime target. You can decide your own scoring system, but typically the game is played with a 3,2,1 point system corresponding to the top, middle and bottom buckets.
Teammates stand opposite from each other similar to corn hole, but can help to score points by assisting the hacky sacks into buckets. You can use your chest, knees, hips and feet to try and redirect the hack sack into the top bucket – or you can just play “throws only”.
If you’re playing with hacky-sack enthusiasts or soccer players, the game can get pretty technical and exciting – but keep in mind scoring points is only as difficult as how far apart you set up the buckets!
The best part of BULZiBUCKETis that the buckets nest into each other and stash into the carry bag for easy transport making for a highly portable camp game.
Our Review
Kan Jam is an exciting and highly competitive team game that frisbee enthusiasts will love playing.
This game is fairly technical, so those that can’t throw a frisbee accurately will struggle to play. That being said, if you can throw a frisbee, you can play Kan Jam, so the learning curve isn’t too steep, it may just take a round or two to get the hang of it.
Similar to the Ladderball set previously listed, this makes for a great camping game that can be played at any campground or backcountry site that has at least a bit of flat ground!
The cans are furthermore simply a thin sheet of plastic that you roll and snap into place to create the “kan”, so you can store them flat.
The game is played in two teams, each team member standing at the opposite Kan from their partner. You can decide how far apart to place the kans, but regulation distance is 50 feet. The objective of the game is to score points by dropping the frisbee into the “Kan”, or by hitting the can with the frisbee directly.
Your teammate can re-direct the frisbee when you throw it to them/the kan by tipping or tapping it. You score one point for hitting the kan with the assistance of your teammate, two points for a direct unassisted hit, and three if you can get the frisbee into the top of the can with or without help. The most common strategy is to throw even “floaters” directly over the kan for your partner to “jam” down into the kan. It ain’t easy!
Oh yea, one more detail – If you throw the frisbee directly into the narrow front slot, your team wins immediately.
This is a truly rowdy game if played with the right crowd that gets heated quickly, so be careful who you play with!
There are several variations of the game available through this link, including a glow in the dark set!
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TriCrosse is a fairly technical up and coming outdoor game that’s as simple as shooting your balls into your opponent’s nets to score points.
You can play in teams, or one against one – the rules of play are the same. You simply use the ‘rackets’ almost like a lacrosse stick to fling the ball towards the three-basket net of your opponent. You can come up with your own scoring value for each basket, and determine how far away to place the nets based on everyone’s skill.
The nets simply stake into the ground, so you can play essentially anywhere other than on pavement.
When it’s time to pack it all up, TriCrosse breaks down impressively compact considering its deployed size. No doubt a perfect camping game for those who enjoy rowdy games of skill!
Our Review
This shuffleboard set by Carom is a great game for setup on the camp table that can be played in teams or one against one.
The board is almost four feet long, and one foot wide, so it’s a fairly large playing surface. This is definitely not a cheapo game set – the board is quality built and the roller-bearing pucks are super smooth.
This scaled-down game is quite challenging to get the hang of, although the kids can play too once they get a little practice. It’s a blast trying to masterfully slide your roller-bearings onto the scoreboard without getting knocked off by your opponent.
All you need is a flat surface to play!
This game set is fairly heavy at about 11 pounds, but it’s less than 2 inches thick so it fits easily into even an already packed car. Keep in mind that you won’t want to leave this game board out in the elements, so although it’s a great camping game, make sure to pull it back into your tent or the car once you’re done playing.
Our Review
The ALPS Mountaineering Checkerboard Eclipse Table is less of a camping game, and more of a tool for playing games – but we wanted to include it here none the less.
There’s a checkboard print on the top of the table, so you can use this table as a gameboard for a variety of games.
The corner buckle design allows you to control the tautness of the game board, while the underside drink holders keep your beverages away from the playing space. It’s a brilliant, highly compact and portable design that’s perfect for camping applications. Game on!
Our Review
GoSport’s Solid Wood Premium Cornhole Set is an excellent value, great quality set for the cost that’s ideal as a beat-around camping set. You can spend a lot on a corn hole set – this option is more than adequate for even the pros, without the steep price tag.
This set is regulation sized and includes eight all-weather bean bags, as well as a convenient carry bag for transport and storage.
The boards are wooden, so you would probably be wise to keep them out of the rain, but this is a durably built set that should last you many years of camping no matter how hard on it you are.
Our Review
This Portable PVC Framed Bean Bag Toss Game Set is perfect for cornhole enthusiasts who need a more compact, lightweight game board.
Assembly of this set takes just a few minutes, and the portable carry bag is comically small considering what fits in there. Lovers of the game insist it plays quite well too – it’s no full-sized, heavy wooden cornhole set, but you’ll likely still be impressed with how it looks and feels.
The whole set, when broken down, is less than five pounds, so this one can truly go anywhere.
A11N Sports furthermore offers an unconditional exchange/return policy within 60 days of purchase with the original packaging so you can buy in confidence.
Our Review
How about a rousing game of campground Scrabble? This Deluxe Edition is perfect for picnic table play and camping use due to the rotating game board and foldable design.
Perhaps one of the most classic camping games out there, Scrabble is a timeless game of words and wit that you likely either love or hate. This edition features a non-slip grid and recessed game spaces to keep tiles in place, making it a good option for the outdoors.
This Scrabble set also conveniently folds up into a carrying case and goes wherever you go – so you could even go for a little hike, boat ride or cycle with this game if you chose to. Just be careful not to lose any letter tiles out in the great outdoors!
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Bananagrams is another word game that’s comparable, but different than Scrabble that’s perhaps more your style for camping due to its portability. This Double Bananagrams Set has twice the tiles, so it’s great for bigger groups of campers!
The game simply consists of a bunch of letter tiles. At the beginning of the game players grab a set amount of tiles (depending on how many people are playing) and immediately attempt to use all of their tiles by spelling out words in a crossword configuration.
Unlike Scrabble, everyone plays simultaneously and builds their own set of words rather than taking turns and sharing a gameboard. There are a few other details, but the gist of it is that the first player to use all their tiles wins!
It’s super packable and fast and easy to learn and play! Great for some sundown fun around the fire or for playing a quick round anywhere, anytime!
Our Review
TENZI is a unique dice game that’s hilarious and addicting to play – not to mention highly competitive depending on who you’re playing with!
The objective of Tenzi is to roll all of your dice on the same number before everyone else – making it a fast-paced game that’s a panic to play.
Players pick up all ten of their dice and start rolling immediately. Once you have at least a few of the same number rolled, you pick up your remaining dice and try and match them to the number you decide to go with. The rules are simple, so anyone can play.
This is a great camping game that can be played on virtually any hard, flat surface, but it likely won’t give you more than an hour of gameplay. Good news is, this set includes a rule book for eight other unique TENZI dice games to be played with the same set of dice!
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Enthusiasts of this classic game will love this beautiful Wooden Backgammon Game Set by Yellow Mountain Imports.
The gameboard is 17 inches but folds in half for easy transport and storage – the perfect size in our opinion for traveling, while still retaining a decent playing space. Compact travel sets are nice, but nobody likes a crammed Backgammon board!
This wooden set is both attractive and durable – it just seems fitting for campground play. Something about the aesthetic of the wooden board and dice cups, as well as the acrylic checkers, make you want to pull up a camp chair to the fire glow or lantern light and play a few rounds!
Our Review
This Professional Series Complete Horseshoes Set by St. Pierre is the set you’re looking for if you like the idea of getting this classic game going at your next campout.
Can you think of a better camping game to be played on the outskirts of your site? There’s hardly any set up at all, and the game can be left out for the duration of your camping trip. You gotta love the outdoors approved, “set-it and forget-it” type games when you’re group camping – a game like horseshoes is always set up and ready for a quick round before and after dinner.
The four forged steel American horseshoes and two 24-inch solid steel stakes are virtually indestructible and can handle any and all weather conditions – so you’ll own this set for many years of play.
Even new players begin to land some nice shots after a few rounds, so chances are rivalries will ignite and tensions will rise over the course of your camping trip once this game set up. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!
Our Review
Ok – it’s connect four, but jumbo-sized and designed for outdoor play!
The Jumbo 4-to-Score Giant Game Set is a great camping game for both the kids and adults in your group that’s easy to set up and even easier to play.
The all-weather plastic game board is 48 by 46 inches and includes a puck-release in the bottom, as well as four integrated posts to hold the included 42 rings, or pucks.
This one is great for kids, strategists and gamblers alike, just make sure you’re able to transport it to the campground considering its large size even when broken down.
Our Review
If you and your friends and/or family are big Monopoly enthusiasts, then this National Parks Edition is perfect for your campouts and road trips!
This classic board game can be played with two to six players, and as you likely already know, can go on for quite a few hours depending on everyone’s strategy. If you want to ensure everyone gets to bed at a reasonable hour, then there’s a 60-minute speed play option.
The gameboard features 22 of America’s most iconic national parks and artwork from over 60 different parks throughout the game. Even the Monopoly money has an awesome aesthetic – just be careful not to let any of blow away if you’re playing outdoors!
Our Review
The iBaseToy Bean Bag Can Toss Game Set might look like a silly children’s game (because it is), but don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s not fun for adults too!
The gameplay is as simple as setting up the pyramid of cans, and then seeing who can knock down the most cans in a determined amount of bean bag tosses. It’s simple, easy to play for all ages and surprisingly fun. There’s a lot more potential for some serious competition than you might expect with this one!
This makes for a great camp game because you can set it up anywhere – even inside a tent if the weather turns nasty!
Each tin can is 4 by 2.5 inches, so the whole set is not tremendous by any means. Unfortunately, the cans do not nest together, so you’ll have to come up with a transport system for camping.
Our Review
The Harvil 6-Player Croquet Set is an excellent value, all-inclusive camping game if you and your tribe love the game of croquet.
This game can be a fun one to set up in different configurations throughout the duration of your camping trip and is easy for people of all ages to play.
This set includes six different colored polymer balls and hardwood mallets which are 30 inches in length – a bit longer than the average. The two 24-inch stake posts and 9 durable, vinyl-coated steel wickets to prevent rusting are furthermore quality built for the cost.
Everything fits into the nylon carrying case with ease, so this whole set is a breeze to pack up and transport.
Our Review
Setting up the ol’ hook and ring toss game is a campsite classic. This game of skill is fun to play competitively, or just for fun.
All you need is a post or tree to tap in the hook and ring, and you’re ready to play. This set by Tiki Toss even comes with a five-foot telescoping pole if you’re struggling to find a place to set up otherwise!
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Camping with Sasquatch is a great all-ages game for the family or for friends that’s kind of like a combination between Rummy and Slapjack.
It’s a card game that’s played with two to eight players lasting no more than 20 minutes – so it’s perfect for a few after-dinner rounds.
Each player is initially dealt seven cards. The object of the game is to get rid of all your cards by matching them as three of a kind, or three of the same category. The gameplay is fast, action-packed and includes a few tricky potential strategies so this one will not get old fast!
Our Review
Here’s a camp game idea you likely didn’t consider to be portable enough to pack up and bring to the campground. Lifetime’s Portable Tetherball System is a breeze to break down and set up, allowing you to bring a full-size tetherball game wherever you erect your base camp!
This is a regulation-sized ball and pole, so it’s the real deal for you serious tetherball junkies out there. It’s furthermore weather and rust-resistant, so you can leave it set up for the duration of your camping trip.
Despite it’s innovative, compact travel-design, this camping game is still a lot more cumbersome than most when it comes to packing it up – so if you don’t drive a truck or larger vehicle then it might be unrealistic bringing this one along.
Lifetime includes a five-year warranty on this game, so don’t let the price tag scare you into thinking it’s not a quality product!
Set this one up as soon as your tent is pitched and start letting the serves fly – just be careful not to disturb the neighbors once the competition really starts to get heated!
Our Review
This all-inclusive kickball set by Wicked Big Sports is a hysterical and rowdy camping game idea that’s a blast to play if you’re camping with a large, active group!
This game set includes three bases and a home plate, an air pump and an oversized kickball that’s three times the size of a regular kickball! There are also three extra ball-plugs and a plug remover included.
The larger ball certainly changes the gameplay – making kicking, chasing down and throwing the ball downright hilarious.
If where you enjoy camping has some open space then this game is an annual tournament tradition waiting to happen. Pick your teams’ schoolyard style and it’s game on!
If you love the idea of getting a kickball game going but don’t necessarily like the enlarged size of the included ball here, then consider purchasing a bases set and regular-sized kickball instead!
Our Review
The Yaheetech Portable Disc Golf Basket allows you to create your own disc golf course anywhere you go!
Lovers of disc golf will love this one for campouts of any size! If there’s some field space, a woodland or stretch of beach nearby your campsite, then you’ve got an 18-basket course waiting to be theorized and created!
The basket is regular sized – about four and a half feet tall, and built with 12 strands of heavy-duty chain for that authentic “schwwingg” sound when you score. The kit is built from fully painted metal and galvanized chains in order to be rust and weather-resistant, so you can set this one up and leave it out.
Erecting this basket takes just a few minutes, and storing it is easy enough. It’s certainly more cumbersome and heavy than a board game, but if you love to play disc golf then it’s well worth its weight.
Grab a few different discs for close and long range shooting and you’re ready to play!
Our Review
No explanation needed here – let the games begin!
The classic 32-inch Wiffle Bat and Ball will never grow old. Whether you’re playing a smaller game with a few friends or a tournament with whoever you can recruit from the campground, wiffle ball is a killer camping game that you definitely shouldn’t overlook!
Consider grabbing a bases set if you want to set up a proper wiffle ball diamond, and oh yeah, you’re gonna want to grab some extra balls while you’re at it – these things go quick!
Our Review
Mad Libs can be a fun and memorable word game to play with the family that’s bound to get some laughs out of the gang. This Letters From Camp edition is camping themed and perfect for the occasion.
Saving your old Mad Libs sheets from years past is a riot to look back on, so make sure to save this little book once you’ve filled it up!