Last week, we asked the community to share their favorite camping games to play in and outside of the RV. The responses included some old favorites along with some games we’ve never heard of and can’t wait to try.
The Game of Risk
We have been camping since our boys were in diapers! Over the years the types of games have increased in complexity but the fun we have never changes. We started playing Risk when they were about 9 and 11. We love the strategy the game holds, along with the geography embedded in the game. It’s a game that can easily be played over the course of an afternoon or evening and at any point the outcome of the game can change! – CampgroundCrazy
Cribbage
We love cribbage!
1. not a lot of pieces
2. small and easy to travel with
3. can play with up to six people.
4. not hard to learn.
5. in an emergency it can serve as firewood and kindling.
– SkycatRV / @skycat_rv_entures
Phase 10 Card Game
Phase 10 because it’s enough of a game of luck to still have a great conversation but not so much of a game of luck that you cannot enjoy winning. – NoelJoy
Medium Mind-Reading Party Game
“Medium” is a supernormally fun game. The basic premise is that you must read your partner’s mind. Don’t worry – the game provides an anchor to help you out. It can be played with anywhere from 2 to 8 players, and is fun even for just two players. It’s great for kids and adults alike. We even had my sight-impaired father playing it during a visit – it’s a blast! – Liz & Jake
Jenga Giant JS7 Hardwood Game
We’ve always loved playing Jenga at the dinette in our Airstream, but as we’ve recently learned, the bigger the Jenga, the bigger the fun! Giant Jenga is not only fun for playing at the campsite, it’s a great game for all ages. – Aluminarium
Kings in the Corner
One pack of cards for 2 to 4 players. Easy, fun, can still talk and joke between playing and not mess up too much. Been playing “Kings in the Corner” with my camping friend, Kathy, who taught me. Fun game! We play that pick up one card from the center pile after you have played, and you can’t play that card until your next turn.
Also, in this pic, the blue round thing is a tape measure we used to remember who dealt. Kings in the Corner Rules – sues929457
Lawn Yahtzee
Mike & I, (@4000Rivets), play a variety of games on the road; backgammon, Scrabble and a few card games…but when we are traveling with family it’s fun to get outside to play!
A gift from one of his 6 kids, Mike’s dad Marion is rolling the wooden dice of his lawn Yahtzee game! Marion, 83 years young, travels full-time in his trailer! Mike’s sister and her husband, pictured here, travel 1/2 time in their trailer and 1/2 time on their boat! And Mike and I have been traveling the western states in our Airstream for nearly 3 years. We were boondocking together much of this winter, here we are at a BLM area near Lake Pleasant, outside of Phoenix, Arizona. – 4000 Rivets
Bears vs Babies
“Bears versus babies” is an outrageously silly card based game that both kids and adults will likely find enjoyable. The premise? Building a monster army to fend off an amassing army of babies that can be provoked (by other players) to attack at any moment. Bonus: the box is hairy – and small. – Liz & Jake
Backgammon
Easy setup. Minimal space needed. I usually lose but love the strategy involved. Goes well with a glass of wine. And most importantly, reminds me of my dad who was a master player and taught my husband and I how to play! – Holly
Scrabble
We picked up the National Parks Edition of Scrabble at – you guessed it – a National Park. Any old edition will do. Scrabble is one of those games that is portable, you can play with as few as two people, and can take a leisurely pace – if you are willing and able to keep the board set up over the course of a few hours or days. OR, there are endless creative ways to use the letter tiles for “boardless” challenges. Ben and I always kept score on a campground fee payment envelope. (Strangely scrap paper is in short supply while camping.) We never played of course until *after* we used a different envelope to pay our fee of course! – Meg and Ben
Touring Card Game
We discovered Touring in my grandma’s stash of vintage card and board games a couple years ago during a visit. Drawn to the travel theme, we pulled it out and found it was a great, fast-paced game for 2 or more players. We purchased our own modern set for the RV (seen here on my grandma’s original TV trays), so we can play anytime! – Kerensa & Brandon
Bananagrams
Bananagrams is a great game for the camper because of its portability. It’s basically personal scrabble where you make words from the letters you select and the first person to use all of their letters wins. Even though the game isn’t very social, it’s a fun way to spend some quiet time with a friend. – Aluminarium
This list is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to camping games and portable games for your RV. Let us know what we’re missing by commenting below!
