There are a lot of great games on the market. But what games are best to play while camping? There are some important considerations. First, most campers travel as light as possible. Bringing along a bulky board game like Monopoly might not be a good idea. Not only because of the space it would take up in a backpack or even the back of a van, but because on a breezy day on a picnic table a nice breeze would have Monopoly money fluttering through the woods.

So what about card games? This is a tough one, because cards have the huge advantage of being easily carried in a small deck. The other advantage is that there are so many games that can be played with cards. A single deck can yield games like Hearts or Spades. There are also simple games like war, slap jack, old maid, and crazy-eights that the kids can play. The disadvantage with cards is again the wind. However, a good tent can help solve this problem. Specialized card games like Skip-Bo can also be fun, and sufficiently compact.

Classic games like chess and checkers can be found in compact form and even with magnetic pieces so that wind or a jouncing car are not a problem. These games are also well known so new people met at a campsite or on the road will usually already know how to play them. They are also can be played competitively or as a relaxing pastime.

An excellent game to take on the road is Bananagrams. This is a word game similar to Scrabble, but is played in a higher gear. The nice thing about it is that it comes in a small banana-like pouch. The game does not require a board, and there are no worries about keeping score. LCR comes in a small tube. The rules are so simple that it can be learned in a few minutes. It is also widely played.

So, what should you look for in a game to take along camping? It should be compact, light weight, and, if possible, stand up to the elements. But most of all it must be enjoyable. That is what game play is all about!