I don’t know about your family, but when my family and I head out camping things just seem easier almost slower paced. Which is just what this mom of kids who are all about soccer and gymnastics needs. Not to mention- I get a break from carpool duty. However, one of my biggest objectives is to keep everyone (my husband included) off of their phones/tablets/devices. Which is where our favorite games for camping trips comes in. Armed with the right tools, these games, your mission of keeping electronics at bay may just be obtainable. When we packed up to head out camping for a week in Cape Cod recently, here are some of the games we chose for family camping fun.
Some of these games were sent by the brands, some are longtime favorites, and some are new to us. We also ALWAYS bring a deck of cards when we go anyplace, even a restaurant. Lots of entertainment options with a simple deck of cards!
Here are some of the best games for camping trips
Cat Crimes
This one’s from ThinkFun, and a whole lot of fun. It’s a single player game, which may seem strange to suggest but it’s a great way for some down time for one person, or if you are competitive like my family is, you may want to see who can solve all of the puzzles the fastest. Everything is always a competition somehow! But this one is a lot of fun and a good brain exercise, to boot. When my 8 year old challenged her dad to try these logic puzzles, he went through all 40 just because.
Tangled yarn and a missing bird… which of the six furry fiends was responsible for each Cat Crime? With a little problem solving you’ll be able to use paw prints, toy placement and other clues to figure out exactly where each Cat was sitting at the time of the crime.
Shadows in the Forest
I didn’t realize until ThinkFun asked if I wanted to bring this game to our camping trip that Shadows in the Forest isn’t a new game. This version is, but it’s actually a German game (Waldschattenspiel aka Shadows in the Woods) that’s been around for many, many years. I like the idea of the original, but definitely prefer to not use an actual candle to play games in the dark with kids and I think we’ll stick with ThinkFun‘s version. It’s cute, it’s fun, and the PERFECT game for camping or a sleepover!
You are deep in a dark, ancient forest with only your lantern to guide you. Tall, looming trees cast shadows all around. Off in the distance you hear a faint rustling sound and your heart begins to race. Could the legend be true? Will you finally discover the creatures who hide in the forest shadows?
Jurassic Park Danger!
Incredibles Save the Day!
Tiny Epic Galaxies
Tiny Epic is a series of small box approachable board games that deliver far more than the box size would suggest. Featuring easy entry rule sets along with high strategy and a small foot print. Tiny Epic has become a go to series for any gamer.
Each Tiny Epic game is completely different in theme and mechanics and are truly unique. They just announced a new game, Tiny Epic Mechs, that promises lots of fun.
In Tiny Epic Galaxies each player controls a galactic empire, aiming to expand their influence by acquiring highly contested planets and increasing their cosmic armada. The game revolves around an innovative dice-rolling combo mechanic. The number of dice you roll is determined by the strength of your galaxy. Each die is engraved with symbols representing the various actions you can take, such as moving a spaceship, increasing your culture or energy resources, or advancing your political or economic influence over newly discovered planets.
Through careful planning, you must make the most out of your turn, taking the available actions in whichever order you consider most beneficial. But be careful, as each of your opponents can choose to follow each action you take by expending valuable resources. This means that it can always be your turn, even when it is someone else’s turn!
We haven’t played this one yet, as we started with the Kingdoms and are enjoying it- we decided we’ll wait for a rainy day to start the Galaxies.
Tiny Epic Kingdoms
Lots of strategy and planning will get you far in the Tiny Epic Kingdoms! It says 12+ on the box, but when we were told about these from a friend, she assured me her 7 and 8 year old boys were playing. Like many games, once you know the rules and how to play, you’re off and running. It’s amazing how fun it is to play strategy games with the kids- and a little sad how often I lose to them!
We were drawn to the Tiny Epic games from GamelynGames thanks to my friend Sarah- but then as I was looking into which I wanted to introduce our family to, I saw that Mayim Bialik plays them, and Wil Wheaton, and I knew I had found a very good thing. The small box size is amazing for storage and taking the games with you here, there and everywhere!
Set:
Karma
5 Minute Dungeon
Emojinks
Word – A- Round
You may notice a trend with many of these games- they come in small packages. That’s perfect for camping, or travel, becuase you can add more games and take up less space, or just pack some games and not take up much space. The Tiny Epic Games were instant favorites,
So, we’d love to know, what are your family’s favorite games to play when you want to get away from technology, or when you go camping?