Fun & Games at Maine Camps

The current Wordle game craze plus arctic temperatures keeping us indoors make this the ideal time to talk about games at Maine Camps. There are tons of sports games played on our camp fields and courts all summer long, and there are an infinite number of hobby type games, too. Here are some popular ones that you can play now at home that your child may play at camp this summer.

Card games are at camp are social, they make you think, and they don’t require an elaborate set up. There are so many wonderful games campers play with a traditional deck of cards like Spit, Crazy Eights, Hearts, Spades, Rummy, War, and Go Fish. Then, of course, there are card games using specific decks of cards like Uno.

Some camps also have fun Poker Nights or deal out rainy day hands of Black Jack. One Maine camp alum told me that she and her camp friends used to play “Stationery Poker” during rest hour when she was a camper when they’d bet and win their decorative camp stationery.

In addition to card games, many camp games parents may have enjoyed are still popular. These include Jacks, Pick Up Sticks, and Mad Libs, as well as camp conversation games like Story Building where each participant adds a line to a verbally told story. These can all be played easily in camp cabins or inside different camp facilities. There are also, of course, traditional games stored in camp dining hall and rec buildings like Checkers, Chutes & Ladders, Parchesi, Sorry, Chess, and Backgammon. 

And, for more active games, Scavenger Hunts, Charades, and Pictionary are always a hit. I remember Paper Bag Dramatics from camp when I was younger. A person puts five random items in a paper bag for each team (it could be a toothbrush, a candle, a bottle of Purell, a jump rope, and a calendar) and that person or team puts on a skit using those items.

So light up that fireplace, get cozy, and let the games begin!

Maine Camp Experience Resources & Tools

You can share your own Maine camps memories & expressions of gratitude on our Memories of Camp section of our website.

Looking for the perfect Maine camp for your child?  Try out our helpful tool where you can select a camp by choosing: type of camp (girls, boys or coed) and session length (1-8 weeks).  It helps to narrow down a few camps to a manageable list that includes rates.  Then you can research these camps in more depth.  

Next, be sure to  to discuss these camps as well as for free, year-round advice and assistance on choosing a great Maine summer camp for your child.