Camp Games That Aren’t Screens: What I Actually Bring
The no-screen camp games I pack: UNO, Catch Phrase, a disc, and why I skip giant yard-game sets.
Field notes — I write these in first person, from how I actually pack. Photos go in when I have them.
I pack games that survive dirt
Cards I can replace. A disc. Catch Phrase because it is loud and passes around the fire without a table the size of a dining room. Cranium if I have a big group and a dry table.
I do not pack regulation cornhole for a weekend with one kid. It eats the trunk and then sits there.
Portable beats impressive
Catch Phrase and Taboo earn their space because they work with mixed ages if I skip the mean cards. TOSY or a regular Ultra-Star works in a field. That is camping. A projector and a 6S RC truck are glamping. I will bring those on purpose sometimes. I do not pretend they are essentials.
One surprise is enough
I hide one new cheap thing — glow sticks, a new deck, a $20 truck. Kids remember the surprise more than the $80 game I was proud of buying.
What I actually link when I mention gear
Quick answers
Is this a complete packing list?
No. This is what I actually do for this situation. Use a full checklist for the boring essentials, then add or subtract from this note.