Best board games for camping

We’ve got a list of the best board games to take camping with you because face it, if you’re camping in the UK, there’s a chance of rain 🙂

Of course, board games when you’re camping don’t have to be saved for wet weather.

It’s awesome to be in the great outdoors and spend some time exploring, but these board game are also great played around the campfire on balmy evenings and are an amazing way to end a day of outdoor exploring and wind down before bed.

So, in no particular order of favourites as they’re all out favourites, here’s our recommended list of board games you might want to take on your next camping trip!

✅ Camp board games

Hive

A bug-themed game with rules similar to chess, where players must aim to capture the queen bee without having their own queen captured. 

This is a great idea for a 2-player camping game because it can be played pretty much anywhere and does not take a lot of time!  It is highly portable and also waterproof.

Battleship Grab and Go

This is exactly the same as the classic Battleship game but it is much smaller which makes it very easy to take with you on your trips. 

Players set up their battleships on their side of the grid, hidden from the other player, and take it in turn to try and work out where the opponent’s ships are so that they can sink them.

This is a really small game so it is super portable, and does not require batteries or a power supply making it easy to take anywhere. 

For two people to play it takes roughly 30 minutes and its very easy to pick up fast.

Mr Jack Pocket

Another miniature version of the full-sized game, and great to keep you occupied on a rainy day. 

One person plays Mr Jack Pocket and the other plays The Ripper. 

The board is made up of 9 cards.

The aim of the game is for The Ripper to hide from Mr Jack Pocket, and for Mr Jack Pocket to try and find the ripper. 

The players must use the cards on the board until one of them is the winner. 

This is a great tactical game where players have the opportunity to be sneaky and practice their poker face!

This one is very portable and small, and takes around half an hour to play through. It is not waterproof but can be played pretty much anywhere due to its portability.

Backgammon 

This is a great game of luck and strategy that will keep you entertained while you are away.  Fun fact: this is the oldest known board game that exists, dating back to around 3000 BC.

Players must roll dice in order to move their checkers forward without them being taken by the opposing player. 

It is a game of luck but there are still plenty of strategies that can be used in order to increase your chances of winning, particularly towards the end.

The great thing about the backgammon board is that it is made of cloth material, so it can be easily rolled up and put into a backpack for going on your trip. 

This also means it cannot be damaged easily which is perfect for packing.

Quarto 

This is a super weatherproof game and the miniature version is really portable, so it’s great for everyone to play when away camping. 

The whole game is made of wood and stored in a canvas bag, so it is very durable.

This game is a little bit like the classic connect four, but slightly more complicated. 

The pieces have different shapes and the aim is to line up four in a row of the same shaped piece in order to win.

However, the player does not get to choose which piece they put down, their opponent chooses for them! 

This is a great game of strategy and great for those who love a competitive game.

Love letter

This simple card game is a very quick one but is a lot of fun! 

The aim of the game is to get your love letter to the ‘princess’ of the game before her other suitors do. 

This is a game of knocking out opponents with whichever score is on your card, but there is strategy involved too.

This is a great game for camping because it is super quick and portable because of the playing card structure.  It is not waterproof but the cards are easy to store in a dry place.

Sushi go

This is a really quick game and a super addictive one!

It’s a very simple game that can become surprisingly competitive; the aim is simply to get the biggest score.

The cards come in a small tin which is great for keeping the game dry and also makes it very portable. 

Even though one game can be played in about 10 minutes, you’ll certainly be wanting to play again!

Uno

This classic card game is perfect for playing with the kids!

All you have to do is try to get rid of all of your cards first while following the rules. 

The rules are simple and the game uses a lot of colours which makes it easy to understand for young kids, although the adults are sure to enjoy it just as much!

The game only has one pack of cards which makes it really easy to pack when going camping and easy to store in a dry place too. 

One game only takes around 15 minutes, so there is no chance of the kids getting bored!

Flick em up

This is a super fun game that imitates a western, but in a way that is fun for kids. 

Each player takes it in turns to flick a wooden disc at the others to try and get them off the board. 

There are no tactics involved which means kids can play easily, even young ones.

Forbidden island 

This is a far more cooperative game and has little competition, so if your kids get overly-competitive then this might be a great option of something different!

The aim is to try and gain treasure and get to a certain point on the board before the island is submerged in water. 

It requires team members working together to win the game and is really engaging for children.

This comes in a tin, so it’s very easy to keep dry, and is also very light and easy to carry around.

✅ Best camp game

What’s the best camp game? This really depends on your camping party.

If you’ve got smaller kids with you, you’ll want to pick the board games that don’t take hours. After a long day exploring, small kids will be tired and likely won’t have the patience for a game that lats too long, likewise if it’s raining, it’ll be better to plan several shorter games rather than a long one if they feel like they’re stuck in the tent and want to get outside!

Older kids through to adult are likely to be better with the longer lasting games. A longer game will while away the time better, some can take up a whole evening in fact. Perfect for those times when you’re winding down or waiting for the wet weather to pass!

✅ Games to play while camping in the rain

Any of the board games we’ve listed above are great for camping trips when you get stuck with a rainy day or evening.
A brand new game no one’s played before can be as good as an old favourite, no one will be bored with it and you’ll all learn it together.

As we mentioned, tailor the game to the camping party and make sure there’s something that’ll suit everyone. That might mean shorter games for the little ones and then a longer one for when the kids are tucked up in their sleeping bags!

✅ Waterproof camp games

While it’s definitely not essential that any board games you take camping need to be waterproof, there are many that are, meaning you don’t need to worry about them getting damp if the rains seeps in!

Board games like Hive are waterproof so it’s a great one to keep handy. Likewise there are waterproof card games available and anything plastic is unlikely to be damaged by a little rain!

Have a look at this Uno card game. Splash proof…perfect for a camping trip!

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