Whether you’re out on a long hike or camping overnight with your kids it’s important to have something to do before getting to bed. So we’ve created a list of our favorite nighttime camping activities for people of all ages.
Games
1. Play Flashlight Tag
This is a classic. To play this game everyone needs a flashlight. First, you’ll want to find a dark spot near your campground. Then, just like in regular tag, choose one person to be “it”. Everybody hides. The way the person who is “it” tags somebody by flashing them with a flashlight. The person who gets tag then becomes “it”.
2. Play Two Truths and a Lie
This game is great because it doesn’t require any supplies. Everybody sits around the campfire. Then, one by one, everyone tells the rest of the group two truths about themselves and one lie. Once that person is done telling the group their “two truths and a lie”, the rest of the group has to guess which statement is the lie.
This is a great ice breaker and an awesome way to get to know other hikers at your campsite. It also is a great conversation starter that leads to hilarious topics and laughs.
3. Play Charades
If you don’t know how to play this game, have you been living under a rock? This is an easy and fun game that also doesn’t require you to bring any supplies. It works best in bigger groups but can be played with as little as four people. Here’s how you play:
- Split your group into two teams.
- The first team chooses one member to stand-up and act something out.
- The person’s teammates try to guess what they are acting out in a one minute period.
- Whichever team has the highest number of guesses at the end of the game wins.
4. Play Mafia
One of the best group games to play at your next campsite. All you need is a deck of cards.
Set up:
- From the deck, take out 1 Ace card, 1 Queen card, 1 King card, and any other cards for the rest of the group. You should have the same number of people as you do cards.
- Shuffle the cards
- Hand one card out to each person at random
- Once everybody has a card, they should secretly look at it… [The person with the Ace is the mafia, the person with the Queen is a nurse, the person with the King is the sheriff, everybody else is a civilian]
- There is also a narrator. The narrator is not an actual player but is the person who is in charge of the game.
Gameplay:
- To begin, the narrator tells the whole group to close their eyes.
- The narrator tells the mafia to wake up and point to who they want to kill, then tells them to close their eyes.
- The narrator tells the nurse to wake up and choose somebody to save, then they tell them to close their eyes.
- The narrator tells the sherrif to wake up and choose somebody to investigate.
- The narrator tells the sherrif if they are right or wrong and then tells them to close their eyes again.
- At this point, the narrator tells everybody to open their eyes and then tells everybody what happened “while they were asleep”. If the nurse chose the person that the mafia chose to kill, that person is saved. If the person dies from the mafia, the narrator takes their card but doesn’t show anybody the card.
- After each round, everybody gets to discuss who they think the mafia is and the mafia members try to keep their “cover” safe. Everybody then votes on who they want to kill. Majority rules (once the sherrif finds out who the mafia is they are able to sway the conversation).
Objective:
- If the mafia is killed, the civilians win.
- If the mafia kills everybody, the mafia wins.
5. Play Nighttime bowling
All you need is 10 water bottles with glow sticks in them and a ball. Set up the water bottles like bowling pins and play the game just like normal bowling.
6. Play Cards
Playing cards is an easy and fun way to enjoy yourself and kills some time while camping. Even a hiker can carry a deck of cards since they’re lightweight and don’t take up a ton of space.
Relaxing Activities
7. Stargazing
This one is simple but so relaxing. When you’re out in the great outdoors it’s important to enjoy nature. This is a great way to do just that. Lay down a blanket (and some pillows if you have them) and look up at the stars. If you live in a place with a lot of light pollution this is a great way to appreciate the great outdoors.
8. Journal
I love this activity because it allows you to reflect on your life and how you feel. This is an important part of life and there’s no better time to be one with you’re thoughts than when you’re in nature.
9. Read a book
Well, duh! If you’re out camping you should definitely bring a book. Reading a book allows you to relax after a long day and step away from reality. When you finish your first book, try trading with another hiker.
Around the Campfire Activities
10. Make S’mores
Yum! Where there is camping, there should also be s’mores. No camping trip is complete without this delicious treat. Definitely a crowd-pleaser for both family get-togethers at a campsite or when you’re out with friends. Not a great activity for hikers, but if you’re with friends or family camping for a night, don’t forget the marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers.
11. Tell scary stories
A little cliché but it is a popular activity for a reason… because it is fun! Gather around the fire with a flashlight and tell your best ghost stories. Try not to laugh and see how much you can spook the others.
Conclusion
If you’re having trouble entertaining yourself while camping, sit back and enjoy nature. I hope this list gives you some ideas on how to make your next camping trip a ton of fun. If you have any other great nighttime activities, not on this list, comment down below for everyone to see.