Camping is a great experience, especially when you’re with friends. But sometimes, while around new people, it can be a little awkward.
That’s where camping games come to the rescue. These can be the perfect ice breakers to help you get along with your camp buddies.
Now, in camping, the socializing is from activities like using the fastest compound bow or like usually at night, in front of a campfire. So, you might wonder about the sorts of games you could possibly play in the dark with a group of people.
We’ve got you covered! Here’s a list of games to get you excited and make for an entertaining camp night.
- Flashlight Hide and Seek
Have you ever played Hide and Seek outdoors? In the dark? If not, try it out because it’s a whole new level of fun!
As you would in the traditional game, pick the seeker. Then, let the searcher count from 50 to 1, while the rest of the players hide. Once the countdown is done, the seeker will use a flashlight to find everyone in the dark.
And bam, whenever a person is found, the light will be flashed at them. So, the next searcher in the game can be the first person found, aka the underdog.
This is an incredibly engaging game and the element of darkness adds to the thrill. Adults playing it will definitely have a rush of nostalgia from their childhood.
But if you’re playing with children at camp, it’s best to set some boundaries. And take head counts because you don’t want the kids wandering off!
- Truth or Dare
Truth or dare is the perfect campfire game. It lets you get acquainted with your camp buddies on a whole different level. It’s even better in the dark because no one can see your reactions and this is more comfortable for the players.
First of all, sit everyone down in a circle. Then take a flashlight or a bottle and spin it. Whoever the bottle or flashlight points to is asked “Truth or Dare” by the person on the opposite side. The spinning isn’t always necessary as you can go in turns. But the random selection actually makes the game a lot more amusing.
If the person picks truth, ask them a question they have to answer honestly. And if they pick dare, ask them to do some silly things. This game is a classic and will definitely leave you and your camp buddies howling in laughter.
- Reflector Hunt
Easter egg and treasure hunts are a universal favorite. The nighttime reflector is similar to those, but with a twist. To bring in the same enthusiasm of looking for things in the dark, this game uses reflectors instead!
But you need to plan ahead. Buy a bunch of reflectors and stick them to index cards. Then, punch a hole in the cards and tie a string through them. This will let you hang the cards on trees and bushes.
You can also adhere the strings with a hot glue gun. This is less of a hassle. Afterward, the real fun begins. Everybody goes on a search for the reflectors using flashlights.
Whoever finds the most reflectors at the end is the winner. This is like an adventure game for the camp that will keep everyone on their toes.
- Chinese Whispers
Chinese whispers have existed for a long time and it never fails to make people giggle. It has a pretty solid moral value too – that what you say to someone can be misconstrued as something completely different. It definitely taught me not to believe in rumors as a kid.
The game starts by one player whispering something in another player’s ear. This continues among all the players. Finally, the last one to hear the message says it out loud. Then, the first player reveals what they had originally said.
Almost all the time, the message will be something completely different and extremely funny. So, it’s a good game to play with friends when you’re bored.
- Ghost in the Graveyard
Just the name should be enough to tell you this is a super fun game. It’s a weird mix of hide n seek and tag in the dark, with the addition of flashlights.
First, set a specific spot as the “home ground”. Then make some of the players the “ghosts”. The rest of the players will start counting from 1 o’clock to midnight, while the ghosts hide.
After counting, the ghosts will try to capture the players. Whenever a ghost is spotted, the players yell, “Ghost in the graveyard! Run, run, run!” The home ground selected earlier is the safe spot, where the ghosts can’t reach.
So basically, the ghosts will be chasing and tagging the players while they try to run home. Tagged players will become ghosts in the next round.
- Spotlight
As its name suggests, spotlight brings attention to the players. Basically, you use a flashlight to choose who will do a certain activity. The chosen player might have to sing, dance or do something else once the light shines on them.
Another fun way to play spotlight is to start with a story. The next person chosen can then add their sentence. This will go on until a fun story develops.
So, Spotlight can be played in any way, as long as you choose with a flashlight. This brings an element of surprise that everyone will love.
- Alien Invasion
For this game, you’ll need to buy some glow sticks, or glow in the dark wrist bands. These glow sticks will be given to a team of players, who are the humans. The rest of the players are the aliens.
Set up 4 base areas, 2 for the humans and 2 for the aliens, where they can rest. You know the drill – humans can’t willingly go to the alien base and vice versa. And the number of base areas you pick can be changed based on how big of a space you’re playing in.
Throughout the game, the aliens and humans will be chasing each other. The goal is to catch the players and bring them to the opposite base. So, the team that captures the most people wins!
- Twenty Questions
This is a pretty popular game. It can be played anywhere, but it’s an ideal nighttime camping activity. One of the players will pick something like an object, person or movie. In turns, the other players will ask 20 questions to guess what they picked.
The inquiries must all be answered in “Yes” or “No”. The person replying shouldn’t lie or give away any hints. Once the players solve it, they can choose someone else to answer in the next round. And if they lose, the same person keeps responding.
- Firefly
This is another variation of hide and seek, but this time with a lot of seekers. Pick one person to be the firefly who will do the hiding. The Firefly will carry around a flashlight, which they have to keep switching on and off.
The players count to 50 while the firefly hides. Then the payers have to guess where the firefly is based on the flashing of light. To make the game exciting and a little difficult, the Firefly should move around frequently.
Once the firefly is found, it’s time to start over and pick a new one. It’s better if the flashlight has a red light setting. But you can also cover the light with a wrap so that the light is subdued.
Final Thoughts
Camping games naturally let people bond and open up to each other. Be it with friends, or strangers, these camping games will create memories that you will cherish forever.
The best part about these games is they don’t always have to be planned or require complicated equipment. According to Faveable, a good quality flashlight for the dark, some cheap reflectors or glow sticks will create an unforgettable, fun-filled experience.
And even without those items, some willing players ready to enjoy themselves is all that’s needed!
