Camping is an amazing experience that everyone must have at least once in their life. Spending time with friends and family on a camping night is always memorable, and is sure to give you a story you can always cherish or spook others with.
Here is our list of camping games and activities that will delight you and your friends/family.
Camping games around the fire
1. Would you rather?
One of the best ways to break the ice in a large group of people is to ask questions and interact with each other. So, get your marshmallows roasting and fire away your questions.
Whether played as a board game or with cards, ‘would you rather’ revolves around a set of tricky questions in which the player must choose between two answers.
The dilemma of the game is that the two supposed answers might both be great options or not at all. The player has to choose one or drink up.
If played as a card game, everyone picks their cards and must ask another player. If played randomly, the players can alternate between who asks the questions and who gets to answer so it can be played even between just two people. The game includes questions like:
- Would you rather be rich and ugly, or poor and good looking?
- Would you rather go back to age 5 with everything you know now or know now everything your future self will learn?
Check this list of fun questions here.
2. Stand up and shout
Do you enjoy a little commotion around the campfire? Are you into rapid circle activities? Then, stand up and shout! It is a loud game that is fun and irritating at the same time.
Stand up and shout requires speed. You have to count the number of players and keep that in mind. There are two objectives you must achieve to stay in the game: count up to the total number of players in the group and make sure you don’t end up being the player who shouts the last number.
There are no rules and any player can start the game. On standing up, the player must shout out a number. Numbers must be in order but the players’ turns are not in any specific order; you just have to be quick.
Any participant can get up and shout out the next number. Whoever stands up last and shouts the final number loses the game.
The rule for elimination is shouting out the same number at the same time as another player. The game is called stand up and shout, so the player must stand and then shout the number. This game can get quite annoying but that is all the fun so be sure to enjoy and not get into quarrels.
3. Twenty Questions
Since millennials, people have engaged in guessing games in the shape of riddles, trivia, dumb charades, and others. Twenty Questions have the same essence, but just with a twist.
Gather around a campfire and choose the player who goes first. He/she has to think of something that can be a creature, a place, a person, a fictional character, or a famous personality and then the game begins.
Next comes guessing. If it is between two players, the player who must guess can then ask twenty questions regarding the object, creature, personality, or place that the first player has chosen. If the player guesses it right, he/she gets to choose the next thing and others must guess it. Otherwise, the first player plays another round.
For girls, you can play with your boyfriends. Here is the list of questions that help you two get to know each other better.
4. Big Booty
It is an all-age icebreaker game for parties and especially campfire circle games where both kids and adults can enjoy it. The name “big booty” suggests the naming rule of the game. It is a game of call and response with concentration and the rhythm as it’s a clapping and chanting activity.
This game is played among a group of at least three people where the game revolves around the circle creating a harmonizing rhythm of claps and chants with a specific lyric. One of the players is titled ‘Big Booty’ and the rest are given numbers from either left or right of the person titled Big Booty.
The rule of the game is that everyone must concentrate and pay attention so that when their turn comes, they keep in tune with the rhythm and not make any mistakes or break the chant. That would either end in rearranging the numbers or elimination of the player.
Here is a detailed tutorial on how to play Big Booty – check it out.
5. Two truths and a lie
Around the campfire, there are many we are familiar with and then friends of friends we still need to get to know. Two Truths and A Lie is a guessing game, but it is very intimate, and every person must come up with absurd yet believable statements about themselves to throw the other players off in guessing the right as truth and the false as a lie.
This game needs no props and can be played anywhere with anyone, given that you have the imagination for it. The players can all take turns either in a sequence or randomly and then say three statements about themselves. Two of these are true and one is a lie. It is an effortless way of connecting with people and sharing a part of yourself in a fun way.
Take a look at this youtube video to learn how it’s played
6. Telephone
Originating from the game Chinese whisper, telephone is a great group game that exercises the quality of attention, quick judgment, and articulations of words in its right essence.
It is a classic ice breaker where the game starts with one person whispering a phrase into the next player’s ear. By the time each player has played their turn, the phrase has often become funny.
The game starts with all the players coming together in a circle. One of the players thinks of a phrase preferably a tricky one. He/she can whisper the phrase into the other player’s ear just once; this is so that everyone pays attention. There are no do-overs.
The phrase revolves in the circle and then the last player has to say the phrase out loud. Nine out of ten times, the phrase has changed and has a very entertaining and completely different meaning.
Learn in detail about this game here.
7. Truth or Dare
Truth or dare is a classic group icebreaker; a clever game of getting to know each other and also putting yourself out there and sharing your deeper secrets in the abyss of the night around the bonfire while chugging on some beer.
Whether the group around the campfire consists of couples, great friends and/or a few strangers, this is a fun game. Get to know each other and have fun asking burning questions or giving exciting dares that may edge a little towards the horror side as camping comes with a bit of spookiness, after all.
If you are playing with old friends, you can indulge in really serious questions and dares, but if the game involves some new friends, it is better to stick to regular questions and dares so that no one gets uncomfortable.
Want to learn about some exciting questions and dares that you can ask your friends? Then check out this article.
Mind games and campfire nights
1. The Umbrella Game
The name of the game is as ambiguous as the game itself. The game revolves around only one sentence, “I’m going on a camping trip, and I’m going to bring … .”
The game starts with one person uttering the sentence and the rest following it one by one, only changing the item they are going to bring to the camping trip. This game is again all about attention and as the category indicates, it is a mind game.
The trick is that one or two players must know the rules to the game whereas the rest just try to find the rule as they play along. It is a rule guessing game and is a fun way to spend time. The rule is the word ‘um’ in the sentence they say whereas most players would pay attention to the object they are bringing.
For example, if one of the players says, “I’m going to bring um… marshmallows on the camping trip”, that works. The player can bring that. But if a player says, “I’m going to bring marshmallows on the camping trip”, the player cannot bring that.
If you want to learn more, check our detailed tutorial here.
2. The Green Glass Door Game
The Green Glass Door Game is an enjoyable and intriguing game that can double the fun on any occasion. Like the Umbrella Game, the game revolves around only one sentence, “I can bring a ____ through the green glass door.”
The blank is what the game is all about. What can be placed there to make it passable through the door? The verbal trick is in the title itself; any object, person or animal with double letters can pass through and nothing else.
This game can get funnier if the players who do know the rule try to throw off other players with absurd categories.
For example, you can bring a tree but not a forest through the green glass door. Similarly, you can walk in the grass but not in the field.
Learn more about the Green Glass Door here on our tutorial.
3. Who am I?
Want another guessing game with a fun twist? ‘Who am I’ is just what you need around the campfire; a quick and witty game. The basic requirements are just sticky notes. One player scribbles names on the sticky notes of random celebrities, animals, places, statues, etc. and then all the players take note and stick it on their forehead.
The game can either go in teams or individually. The number of questions can be restricted or as many as it takes to get the answer right. This game is different than others as the one with the sticky note attached to the forehead must guess and ask the questions hence the name of the game ‘who am I?’
Here is a nice article where you can learn more about this game.
4. Bobby’s World Game
Interaction is an efficient way to break the ice at a party or around a campfire. It is even better when that involves a riddle game to keep everyone involved. Bobby’s world, though a seemingly simple game, is intriguing and fun. It is another version of the “Green Glass Door” game.
Starting the game is as simple as uttering the words “What is the law of Bobby’s World?” The answer is not so simple, rather logical. The game will start by players taking turns and guessing the rule, which is that anything with double letters can enter Bobby’s World and nothing else.
The game ends when everyone figures out the rule. The rule though is embedded in the title of the game – the double letter trick – but are the players attentive enough to spot it?
The game can go for an indefinite time but never loses its fun and vigor therefore, it is a great option on the list of campfire games with mind and verbal tricks.
We have step by step instructions on how to play Bobby’s World which you can find here.
5. Black Magic Game
This energizing and quick riddle-solving game can be played anywhere and anytime. The game has more than three players, where one is the guesser and has to guess the object in the room that the other player(s) has selected without the guesser knowing which item it is.
The enigmatic part is that the guesser always guesses it right and the rest of the players must figure out how the guesser can point to the right object as it all seems unbelievable and magical. When the players figure out the rule behind this enigma, the game is over.
Similarly, this game is also all about the attention. Black magic. That’s right, it is ‘black’ that makes the game special. The rule is that whichever item the giver chooses will always be black.
As both the guesser and giver know the rule, therefore they play behind the other players’ backs, making them think that it is their psychic ability, whereas it is just as simple as pointing to a black item.
Learn how to play Black Magic step by step here.
6. Contact Game
If you are up for an energetic word game, then Contact is the way to go. It is a timeless and intelligent game that will keep a group of friends involved for hours. You can play it anywhere and anytime.
Contact is a verbal game that requires no props. It requires quick wit and at least three players. One player thinks of a word, gives the first letter and then the other two players have to guess the word.
This is like hangman but with a twist. It takes intelligence, wit, and also how well people playing the game to know each other to guess the word.
You can check out detailed instructions about Contact here on our website.
7. Snaps
Snaps is another guessing game that requires even more attention as it is all about taking the good judgment of even the tiniest nuances of the person who is giving you the clues. Snaps, as the name suggests, contains the snaps and clicks of the fingers.
In this game, one of the players decides on a well-known celebrity’s or politician’s name and the rest must guess it. The name will be an amalgamation of consonants and vowels. So, for consonants, the players come up with statements whereas for vowels its snaps, that is, for the letter ‘a’, it is one snap and for ‘u’, it will be five snaps of the fingers.
If you want to learn more about this game, check out this article.
CAMPFIRE GAMES FOR KIDS AT NIGHT
1. Night Frisbee/Glow in the dark Frisbee
Frisbee is one of the best kid’s games out there, and it is timeless. The physical activity complemented with quick judgment and gross motor skills to catch a Frisbee are some of the elements that make the game fun and one of the primary options on a list for kids’ games.
On campfire nights, what could be better than to engage little ones in an energetic activity than night Frisbee?
This is an innovative twist on the original Frisbee game with glow sticks. The Frisbee can be customized with it and two teams divided with a color pattern. The game is energizing and adds a fun element to your campfire night.
Here is a video demo of the game.
2. Shadow Puppet Play
Centuries ago when the idea of toys was yet to fathom and animated figures and cartoons were yet to be imagined, there was always the concept of shadow.
Around fires and small lanterns, parents would tell stories to their little ones and give them visuals through hand shadow puppets.
It is an extinguishing art, but reviving it around a campfire and connecting with your children in a positive manner is wonderful.
It is a simple game but the shapes that you can make with your hands and fingers is fascinating for little minds. Shadow puppetry is not something that everyone knows, so here is a video that will prove helpful.
3. Flashlight Tag
As campfire nights always have a dark setting, make use of flashlights for a fun game time. Like, hide and seek, one of the players is the finder and possesses a flashlight.
The player counts to a specific number then start looking for the rest of the players who have hidden.
The twist in it is the finder needs to seek out the players with a flashlight and call out the person. The person found then either becomes part of the finder’s team and gets a flashlight or he is caught, and the flashlight is handed to him by the finder and he must seek the next player out.
This is fun around the campfire and keeps the children busy while the adults get to have some free time.
Learn more about Flashlight Tag here.
4. Hide and go scare (night version of Hide and Seek)
This game is more on the spooky side, so if your kid is queasy and faint-hearted, it is best to keep them out of it.
But if your kid has a knack for a little spookiness, then this version of hide and seek can add a lot of fun to a campfire night.
It goes the same as a normal hide and seek game, but instead of the kids seeking each other, the players scare each other whether it’s the finder or the one being caught.
CAMPFIRE ACTIVITIES
1. Campfire songs – singing and dancing
One of the oldest yet infectious ways of entertainment was old-style group singing and weird dancing around the campfires. It started with the American Indian traditions, and till now, summer camps are following that tradition.
Here is a list of some songs that can be sung and danced to around campfires.
- Down by the Bay
- Home on the Range
- Funky Chicken
- A boy and a girl in a little canoe
- Banjo
- Bear Song
2. Toasting marshmallows
Campfire and marshmallows might as well be a collocation. Since the hype of camping has emerged, it has often been complemented with a bag of marshmallows.
A camping experience seems incomplete without the sweet essence of marshmallows.
Whether attached to sticks or steel bars, marshmallows are a great way to spend time around a campfire; roasting it, nibbling on it while playing fun games and singing songs.
3. Roasting s’ mores
S’mores is like a camping essential without which your camping experience will be incomplete. So, get those s’mores roasting and enjoy their aroma in the silence of the night.
Check out some delicious s’ mores recipes here
4. Grilling barbeque
Food just adds more delight to a gathering. Barbeques and grilled food is just the way to add amazing flavor to your campfire night.
Get those stoves out or do it the old fashioned way and enjoy sizzling barbeques with your friends and family around a bonfire.
5. Stargazing
As much as games, singing and dancing and barbeque are great activities, sometimes one needs the peace that is lacking in modern city life. So, when someone gets a chance to skip to a quieter place, surrounded by friends and/or family, one must stop and cherish the beauty of the night sky.
Stargazing is one of the most beautiful experiences one can enjoy on a campfire night.
6. Telling stories
Classic campfire night must have a storytelling session. We always have that one friend or family member who is never short on amazing anecdotes or family history stories or fun relics for everyone to take an ear to.
Some traditions never get old and storytelling, although has taken many forms, but the traditional way still holds great value. Again, a camping experience will feel devoid of its essence without a story.
Make campfire storytelling fun by following these tips.
Conclusion
We hope you try out some, if not all, of the games on this list and have a splendid time with your friends and family.
If there are any other games you would like to learn about, or have played and would want to add to this list, do let us know in the comments section.
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