Best games for Backpacking with kids
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Updated: June 12, 2022
Backpacking with Kids
Backpacking with kids may seem daunting but it really is the best way to completely immerse in nature with them. If you have never backpacked before, start small! Plan for 1 night, a few miles down the trail. Once you’ve done it once you will have a better idea of what you do and don’t need to pack. We will write more articles on backpacking with kids in the near future, but for now, let’s talk about the best games for backpacking with kids!
Games are a great way to engage with your kids while enjoying nature. In this article we break down the best games for backpacking with kids on the trail and at camp.
Best Games for Backpacking with Kids - On the Trail
Keeping your child engaged and motivated while on the trail can be a job on it’s own. Besides lots of snacks and water, we’ve found that playing games while hiking keeps everyone on the move and having fun! The best games for backpacking with kids on the trail generally don’t require you to pack anything at all!
A few of our favorite trail games are as follows:
I spy with my little eye is played by each player taking turns saying “I spy with my little eye something ____”. You can say colors, something that starts with the letter ____, something soft, etc. It’s really fun to hear what stands out to your child as they are hiking! Everyone else take turns guessing until someone figures it out.
Scavenger hunts are fun and can be pre-planned with a print out or just a list on your phone. Your child can search for flowers, bugs, colors, animals, clothes/gear on other hikers etc. Once they find all of the items your child can earn a treat!
The alphabet game is great for passing the time and teaching your child letter sounds! As you are hiking, go through the alphabet with your child and point out things that start with that letter. This can be competitive or a family game.
As your kids get older you can create fun word problems, rhyming games etc. Games on the trail while backpacking with kids are a great way to engage with and keep your child motivated to hike on!
Best Games for Backpacking with Kids - Camp
One of the highlights of any backpacking trip with a kid is games at camp! We absolutely love kicking back after dinner and playing games by the fire. The very nature of backpacking does not allow for many camp luxuries, but we always make room for games! We recommend packing 1-2 games per night. Most of our backpacking trips are 2-3 nights so we usually pack 3 games on average. In order to save space, we remove the cards from the original packaging and put them in individual snack sized zip lock bags with the instructions (critical!)!
Games at camp are not just a fair weather activity! Playing games in the tent during a rainstorm is such a fun way to pass the time! We’ve found the ages listed on the package of most games a bit conservative and many can be played at a younger age with assistance. We made sure to point out the games best for smaller children in the list below.
Now let’s take a look at the best games for backpacking with kids!
#1 Monopoly Deal
Monopoly Deal is not your typical game of Monopoly! This is a quick strategy game played from a deck of cards in 15 minutes (a bit longer with kids!). Monopoly Deal is our absolute favorite game for backpacking with kids because it is lightweight, inexpensive, quick and a great introduction to Monopoly without the long play time.
Monopoly Deal is recommended for players ages 8 plus but we feel can be played with assistance around 5/6 years old!
# 2 Rat-A-Tat Cat
Rat-a-tat Cat is an excellent game for backpacking with kids because it’s fun for the entire family and your kids won’t even notice they are learning while playing. Rat-a-tat Cat sharpens your child’s memory, strategy and basic math skills while playing a fun game that adults love as well. This game packs small and lightweight while packing a punch in regards to family entertainment. The object of this game is to end with the lowest score
Rat-a-tat Cat is recommended for ages 6 plus. From our experience, 5/6 years is just right to have a competitive game.
#3 Sleeping Queens
Sleeping Queens is a great game for backpacking with kids because it packs a lot into a small package! The card deck includes two different colored cards. One deck is sleeping queens and the rest are cards used to wake them and prevent your opponents from waking them first. The player with the most sleeping queens at the end wins!
While the box states that this game is appropriate for ages 8 plus, we found that 5/6 year olds can play this game with a little help at first no problem!
#4 Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza
This game may have a complicated name but the game itself is anything but complicated! To play this game you take turns saying Taco, Cat, Goat, Cheese, and Pizza while flipping over a card from your hand. If the card matches the word said everyone slaps the cards. The last to slap takes the discard deck. This may sound simple but the words can play hilarious tricks on your mind and the special cards make it even more fun.
If you are looking for an action and laughter packed game in a small card deck this is the game for you! The manufacturer recommended age is 8 years, but with help and patience, kids can start playing this game around 5/6 years old.
# 5 Go Fish
Go Fish is the perfect starter card game for smaller kids (think ages 3-6)! This game helps with memory, number recognition and simply learning how to take turns to play a game.
#6 Heads Up
We always have this game loaded on our phones! Heads Up can be downloaded for free on most devices through the App Store. The app has in app purchases/upgrades but does include a collection of classic decks which includes Just Kidding, Animals gone Wild, POP Culture, Superstars, Act it Out, Blockbuster Movies among others. Our favorites for family fun are Animals Gone Wild and Act it Out!
Kids who can not read yet can play on teams! As soon as your little one can read they are ready to play heads up individually. The premise of the game is to read the ‘card’ on the other players forehead and provide hints/act out what’s on the card. The player/team with the most correct guesses wins!
Honorable Mentions
Exploding Kittens – The premise of this game is to avoid drawing an exploding kitten card by using the remaining cards to mitigate your risk. This is an extremely popular and fun game but the imagery isn’t our preferred style. Since backpacking limits the number of games you can pack, we prefer those listed above but this is a great one to add to the rotation if needed! Exploding Kittens is recommended for ages 7+, this game can be played at 5/6 years old with lots of references to the instructions.
Uno – This game is a classic for a reason! Although the recommended age is 7 plus, many children 4 plus can grasp the concept. This is a great game to start your child’s interest in playing family games. The only downside to Uno for backpacking with kids is that the deck is quite large and heavy. If you only plan to bring one game and your child is in the 4-7 range Uno is a great option!
Games for Backpacking with Kids - Summary
In summary, playing games while backpacking with kids is not only fun but a great motivator while on the trail and a wonderful way to bond at camp. Packing games may be counterintuitive for backpacking, but we find that the added weight is by far outweighed by the fun it brings! If you have younger children, start by introducing games like Go Fish, Uno and Heads Up. This will help teach them how to play games in general then as they get a bit older start introducing more complex games by playing on teams or pairing an adult with the child.
Playing games while backpacking with kids is the perfect way to bond while on the trail or at camp and is something your kids will remember!
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