Planning your next camping trip and looking for the best games you and your fellow campers could play around the picnic table or campfire?
Here are 22 fun camping games for adults that are great for small or large groups!
Playing a few of these games is the best way to relax with friends, have a good time, and make memories.
Even though there are no drinking games on this list (although many could be made into a drinking game if you want), your friends and family members will be laughing about the fun you had and memories made for years to come.
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Campfire Games
There’s nothing quite like sitting around the campfire enjoying the fresh air, good conversation, and just having a great time with friends at the end of the day.
Want to have a really fun camping trip?
Try a scavenger hunt, a few board games, a classic game like relay races, an obstacle course, or even lawn games like bocce ball or ladder golf.
These outdoor games are perfect for small or larger groups and can help break the ice or be great conversation starters if there are any new people in the group.
Interested in a few other fun camping activities?
Check these out!
Truth or Dare
Get to know your fellow campmates even better with a game of truth or dare.
Will they take the risk of a dare or prefer to tell the truth?
The rules of the game are pretty simple- you either choose to answer a question truthfully (usually one that’s pretty embarrassing) or risk completing a dare.
Who knows whether the dare or the truth will be more embarrassing.
This is a campfire game that is sure to leave everyone with a good laugh.
Word of advice- while this game can be hilarious, and could be fun for the whole family, it may not be the best choice if younger kids are in your party or in hearing distance. (Depending on the topics and dares, of course).
Never Have I Ever
This is another great camping game to see how similar or dissimilar to your friends you really are.
It’s a really easy game to play with a simple premise- the first player selected states something they have never done.
Everyone else must put their hand up if they have done the action in the original statement while those who haven’t don’t.
If you want to make this game even more exciting and everyone is having a drink, those who have done the action must take a sip of their drink.
The last one standing is the winner.
Charades
Love fun camping activities that remind you of childhood? Play charades!
With this party game, you’ll need to break out your acting and guessing skills and add some friendly competition to the mix.
To play charades, you’ll need to divide everyone into two teams or small groups.
Each team will decide what the other team will have to act out and guess.
The opposing team will only tell one selected member of the other team to tell them what to act out while the rest of the team have to guess what it is, usually within a time limit.
You need to record the score and the team who guessed correctly the most number of times wins.
Twenty Questions
Twenty questions can be a great game to play if you’re looking for outdoor camping games that require no supplies.
To play, the first person starts and must choose a subject, and the others must find out the object is by asking up to 20 questions.
The person who knows the answer can only answer yes or no.
If the other players don’t guess the answer within the 20 question limit then the person who is ‘it’ wins.
Telephone
This game is an oldie but a goodie!
It might sound like something kids play at a sleepover, but I can assure you that as an adult, this is one of the best campfire games and can end with hilarious results.
The more people in the game the more warped the end result. By the time the message gets to the last person, it’s nothing like when it started.
To play Telephone, everyone needs to sit in a circle and the first person whispers a phrase or sentence to the next person. Then that person whispers what they thought they heard to the person next to them.
This goes on until you get to the last person who then says out loud what they thought they heard to everyone in the group and the person who started says whether it’s correct or not.
Normally the end sentence is a lot different from what the first person started with and can end up being very funny.
Numbers
This game requires a bit of teamwork to get to your desired goal.
You all choose a number you want to reach. Be it 10, 20, 50, or 100.
The higher the number the harder the game.
Everyone needs to shout out the next number in the sequence without another person also shouting that number.
If two people shout the number then you have to start from the beginning to get to the number.
This game can take a while, especially if you have a larger group. But once you manage to finish it, you’ll certainly feel satisfied.
Storytelling
Sitting around the campfire isn’t complete unless someone is telling a good story.
There are a few different ways you can do this. One person can make up a story and choose to regale everyone or you can make it more interactive.
A fun way to play this game is for the storyteller to include the rest of the group.
To do this, everyone needs to contribute a sentence or two of the story as it goes around the circle.
No one knows what’s going to happen next unless you are the next player telling that part of the story.
You can also play the ‘exquisite corpse’ storytelling game.
You will need paper and a pen and everyone writes a sentence on pieces of paper and folds it over so the next person can’t see.
They then add another sentence of the story to the paper.
This goes on until everyone has added to the story.
In the end, it’s then unfolded and read out loud.
The story is normally very disjointed and it’s lots of fun to see what everyone came up with.
This can be a great game if some of the people in your group are a little shy or not so outgoing. It’s also an excellent game if space is limited because all you need are a few pens and some paper!
Would You Rather?
An easy peasy game that helps you get to know everyone a little bit better.
People have two choices of things they can do, normally two quite unpleasant choices. They have to choose which one they would rather do.
It is not always an easy decision but the questions and conversations that ensue make this one of the best camping games for adults.
Nighttime Camping Games For Adults
Sitting by the fire at the end of a long day of camping fun can be both cozy and relaxing.
But, if you’re not ready to hop into beds or snuggle into your sleeping bags just yet, give these nighttime camping games for adults a try.
Stargazing
Camping offers the perfect opportunity to get a good look at the night sky and view the amazing constellations.
Without the usual light pollution that you get when closer to the city, you’ll get a great view of all the stars.
Taking the time to really appreciate it in this setting can be truly amazing and inspiring.
Not sure how to find the constellations? No problem!
Here is some helpful info that can help you to be able to identify constellations.
Nightime Frisbee
If you feel like you have a little extra energy later on in the day then nighttime frisbee might just be for your group.
You’ll need to bring a glow-in-the-dark frisbee and glow sticks to wear around each player’s neck or wrist.
Then you can all enjoy a game of frisbee in the dark.
There’s something really fun about playing night frisbee, but just be careful! It’s much easier to trip, fall, or hurt yourself- especially if you’ve had a few drinks beforehand!
Ghost Stories
Feeling like you need a little excitement?
You can get your adrenaline pumping by telling each other ghost stories.
If you really want to feel that scary chill then camping out in the sticks is the perfect place to tell ghost stories to really make people scared.
If you want to add in a little competition you can all tell a ghost story each and then the group votes for who they think had the scariest ghost story. Obviously, you can’t vote for yourself.
It might be a good idea to play a more lighthearted game by the campfire after this one, just so everyone can sleep at night.
Active Camping Games For Adults
Getting active is part and parcel when you go camping. You might be looking for other active things to do other than hiking though. Here are lots of games you can play to stay active and have lots of fun with your friends at the same time.
Capture The Flag
This game is so much fun and really active too.
The only equipment you need is two flags or pieces of material, something to divide the field you are playing on into two sections – one section for each team, and designate an area in each team’s area for jail.
You need to split your group into two teams.
Each team needs to hide their flag and have some member of their team guard it.
The aim of the game is to get the other team’s flag and take it to their territory.
If you get tagged while in the other team’s territory you end up in ‘jail’ and can no longer participate to get glad unless one of their own teammates tags them.
The winners are the team who successfully get the other teams flag into their territory.
Geocaching
This is another activity that is so much fun.
It combines the latest technology with outdoor adventure.
It’s an app on your phone that uses GPS and a map to guide you in the world’s largest treasure hunt – geocatching.com.
Make sure you check it out before you go and search your location to see what kind of treasure hunt is possible.
Be sure to put the treasure back or bring a little treasure with you to replace the treasure you have found.
Hide And Seek Or Sardines
Who says you’re too old to play these traditional camp games.
Whether you are a kid or an adult, playing active games like hide and seek in the dark can be a good time.
Whether you are one person looking for everyone, or you’re all squishing into one hiding place waiting for the last person to find you like when playing Sardines, even adults will enjoy this exciting game.
Sports
If you have the space, it’s always a good idea to bring some sports-type camping games for adults on a trip.
There’s usually lots of space around you to enjoy them and adding a bit of healthy competition to the mix always adds excitement to the trip.
Sports games that are great for camping are football, dodgeball, volleyball, kickball, or maybe even baseball/softball if you can find an open field or available baseball field.
These are games that are super easy to set up and everyone normally knows how to play them.
And if there are a few that don’t know how to play, it’s usually really easy to learn so everyone in your group can join in.
Other Fun Camping Games & Activities
The list of games you can play while camping is endless, there are so many options.
But let me give you a few more that were too good to be left off the list.
Card Games
Card games are perfect campfire games!
A deck of cards is super easy to pack in your camping gear and there are so so many games you can play.
From poker, if you like to gamble a little, or something a bit more tame like gin rummy.
There are games anyone can enjoy with cards.
You can even go solo if you want some alone time with games like solitaire.
Need a few card game ideas? Here are over 40 great card games for all occasions!
Foraging
Ok, so this isn’t a game exactly, maybe more like an activity. But you could turn it into a game. Maybe a scavenger hunt or a battle to see who correctly identifies the most plants?
In any case, foraging is a great way to learn to identify plants or even find your own food.
Depending on the season, you might be able to find quite a bit of your own food for your camping dinner.
You can even split into teams to see who can forage and find the most stuff.
One note of caution- make sure you are very careful about what you are foraging. If you are at all unsure about any plant, it is better to err on the side of caution and leave it be.
Shelter Building
There’s nothing quite so satisfying as building a shelter from what you have available to you.
There are all kinds of shelters you can build, especially if you’re camping somewhere rustic or remote. (In a campground you may be somewhat limited).
To add a little competition with other campers in your group you can split into teams and see who can build the best shelter.
Almost like a challenge on Survivor!
Campfire Making
Speaking of a Survivor-type challenge, making a campfire is probably one of the most important survival skills to master if you’re going to spend any amount of time outdoors.
While most people can use a lighter or matches to start a good campfire, it’s a bit harder to do so without.
Learning how to do this can be lots of fun, but don’t get discouraged if it takes a few tries!
Just make sure to bring some flint, search for dry firewood and kindling, and have patience.
That’s the basics of making a great campfire.
Also, if you are relying on a campfire for food, warmth, or having a competition and it’s been a long time since you’ve used this skill or you have never built a fire- it might be a good idea to practice before your trip 😉
Whittling
If you feel like getting a little crafty while camping then this whittling could be a perfect choice.
Just make sure to bring a whittling knife with you and you can start right away.
A great way to make it a team game is to see who can make the best whittling craft.
Fun Drinking Games For Camping
And last, but certainly not least- here are drinking game options that are fun to play with your fellow campers!
Twister
This classic game isn’t just fun for kids, it’s a great game for camping! The best time to break this game out is when everyone has had a drink or two and are up for some fun.
If you don’t know people in your camping party well, you will know them better after this game ends!
Straight Face
This is one of our favorite games (even if you’re not drinking!).
What you do is write funny, inappropriate, or just plain ridiculous sentences on small pieces of paper. You want to think of sentences that are going to be really hard to read while keeping a straight face.
Put all of the papers in a cup, hat or bowl. Each person takes a piece of paper and reads it out loud while trying to keep a straight face.
If you giggle or react in any way you have to drink!
Two Truths And A Lie
Two truths and a lie is a great game to help break the ice, but it’s funny after a few drinks too!
To start this game, one person tells the group three statements about themselves. But… they have to give two truths and one lie.
After the person is finished, everyone else has to guess which statements are true and which is made up. After everyone has guessed, the player reveals which statement was the lie.
To make this a drinking game, anyone who guesses wrong has to drink. The person giving the three statements can then choose one of the players that chose correctly to be next and the game continues.
Drunk Pictionary (aka Tipsy Artist)
This is a great game for any size group. First, separate your group into teams (evenly numbered is best).
One player from the opposing team will keep time and whisper the clue into the artists ear. The artist will then begin drawing and their team members will do their best to guess the clue.
The round is over when the team guesses correctly, or the artist gives up.
Once the round is over, the artist has to take a drink for every 20 seconds it took for their teammates to guess the picture. If the drawer gives up, they have to take a shot.
Last Thoughts About Fun Camping Games For Adults
There are so many ways to have fun and enjoy the outdoors on your next trip with this list of hilarious games for adults.
Whether you’re looking for a low-key, relaxing trip or something more active like running around chasing each other on an obstacle course, there are plenty of options here to suit everyone’s preferences and keep you busy and having fun the whole time.
Now get out there, have some fun, and make great memories!
Happy camping 🙂
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