What games do you bring to the BW?

We have taken Farkle, and a deck of cards.

Looking for new, yet very lightweight, ideas. I saw a game today called LFC (stands for Left, Right, Center). Anyone ever play that? Is it good? It consists of three special dice and some poker chips. Very small package. I think it said you could use the chips or something else (rocks?) which would make it even better for the BW. We don't play a lot of games up there but I always want a few in case of much rain.

pass the pigs

pass the pigs is fun :D

i also like bananagrams! it's a little banana filled with scrabble-like pieces and you build your own crossword puzzle. sort of like scrabble meets uno.

quote lilcowdoc: "i also like bananagrams!"

We have bananagrams. I didn't consider bringing it because IMO it's kind of heavy, plus you have to have so much room to play it. But it works for you, eh?

Cribbage with a small fold-up board

Chess. Travel versions are small fold up boards with pieces stored inside. Checkers are fun for all ages.

i guess weight isnt as big a problem for my packs as space is so the little bag is easy to shove into a corner or a shoe even. we just play on the tent floor and we sometimes play it on the classic campsite rock if we just feel like laying around after dinner..i don't know how many people you take with, but we normally just have 3-4 and it works. boggle would work too if you tape it shut and find a good spot for it in the pack

Have LRC, good in that it's light and easy to understand, but is pure chance (dice roll), no strategy. I like a deck or two of cards, all kinds of possibilities.

I take a small fold up cribbage board, a deck of cards and a film canister size game of Farkle. Also some game cards of Yahtzee that I can use the farkle dice with.

Cat's cradle - string (and instructions/book). I also have a tiny travel version of Sorry which is small and lightweight. Bananagrams is HEAVY if compact. I'm also considering a chinese jumprope. Waterproof cards, small cribbage board, pigs, etc. Honestly, we rarely play them, but I always bring 1-2 in case. We DO play with hammocks, and frisbee with camp hats (also works when wet), squish ball, etc.

Racko.

We play 'Catch the Fish' and 'Dry the Raingear'.
Can't forget 'Swat the Blackfly'.

Anyone willing to explain pass the pigs?

Have played LRC and found you can play the same game with just 5 regular dice as well so you do not need to go to the store and buy the special dice unless your really want to. It can be fun, quick and is total chance. Better with a larger number of people.

quote dedgrass: "We play 'Catch the Fish' and 'Dry the Raingear'.
Can't forget 'Swat the Blackfly'."

Two tiny rubber pigs, you roll them and gain points based on how they land: standing, on their back, leaning on their ears, etc. If they're touching, you loose all your points. My kids love it. Only catch is you need a flat hard surface to roll the pigs onto.

We pack a deck of Uno, I'm going to bring pass the pigs this year.

Dice baseball game. Compact & fun.

Cribbage for 2 or 3, euchre for 4.

BTW, thanks for the explanation of Pass the Pigs. I was afraid it was some joke by Kanoes.

cribbage board, and the cards of course can be used for any game. also always pack a frisbee -- can use it as a small try as well -- and we try to set up a 'course' (like between those two trees and under that branch) and then we see who can get the best distance....or just toss it back and forth through the trees. we dont play a lot of games but it is nice to have in case its wanted.

I do not know if others call it something else but we always bring 5 dice to play "crap out" that and a deck of plastic cards is all we bring. You do need something to keep score with for playing crap out though.
Crap out is played by rolling all 5 dice on the first roll. 1's are worth a 100 pts. 5's are worth 50 pts. three of a kind all in the same roll are worth whatever that amount example three 2's would be worth 200 pts. the only exception is three of a kind 1's is worth 1000 pts. you leave out whatever dice are good for a score and roll the rest or keep your points and pass the dice. If you roll and there are no scoring dice you have crapped out and your turn is over. If you keep scoring and have scored with all 5 dice you can pick all up and add to your score until you stop or you crap out and get nothing. We play to 10,000. Sorry a bit long winded but a good time passer and nothing to bring but five light and packable dice.

K2 - I have played this before (called it Greedy Greedy) and it is a good time passer. Thanks for the reminder.

We play an archaic version of horseshoe. We take two like sized bowls or pans and place them any distance apart. Then each person takes a couple stocking balls and play the game with the same rules as horseshoe. two points in the bowl, one point for touching the bowl, etc. etc... Plus there is more strategy then one would think. Based on how far apart or how large the bowls are, you have to adjust your stocking ball tightness for best results! :)

Farkle or a deck of cards is light and easy to pack, but I try to play games that are out of the ordinary that the kids will enjoy and always remember. The game is something the kids will always relate to the BWCA.

quote Ghandi: "We play an archaic version of horseshoe. We take two like sized bowls or pans and place them any distance apart. Then each person takes a couple stocking balls and play the game with the same rules as horseshoe. two points in the bowl, one point for touching the bowl, etc. etc... Plus there is more strategy then one would think. Based on how far apart or how large the bowls are, you have to adjust your stocking ball tightness for best results! :)


Farkle or a deck of cards is light and easy to pack, but I try to play games that are out of the ordinary that the kids will enjoy and always remember. The game is something the kids will always relate to the BWCA. "

Ghandi, sounds great. We will definitely play this game! The "stocking ball" is just rolled up socks, right? I really like your idea of something that's only for the BW! I also want games that can be played in the tent or under the tarp area in case there's a lot of rain, but having a BW-only game is really good, too.

Thanks, everyone...keep 'em coming if there are more. We will definitely get a Pass the Pigs game.

Yes, the "stocking ball" is nothing but a rolled up pair of socks, nothing else. We do play it under the tarp on occasion...

Spin the Paddle .... just kidding.

My son and I have played Yahtzee. Usually I bring a travel cribbage board, but we'll play a variety of card games.

Mostly I'll read if we have down time in camp.

I have played "Pass the Pigs" in my younger days, however, it was called "Pigmania" in those days.

Bannock, I played Pigmania too - at bars when waiting for a hoops game to start, etc. Easy to carry pigs in your pocket. REI carries a travel version now in a plastic case. No cup for rolling, but who needs that anyway? pigs and pencils, instructions and score sheets all in tiny plastic container perfect for traveling. My kids love it and associate it with camping since it's not in our regular game closet.

I made a chess/checker/backgammon/dice game. I traced up a checker board on a sheet, then traced a back gammon board on another sheet. had my mom sew them together like a pillow and put a velcro strip on the open end. made chess/checker/gammon pieces out of felt. its light weight, multiple games,and can be rolled up smaller than a baseball. when you lay it flat it is a full size board though :)

RR - good idea! My kids have tic tac toe games kind of like that - made of felt with the "board" painted on using fabric paint. Sadly, the maker (good Aunt Clara) didn't add the velcro touch and the game pieces are long gone. But checkers/chess would be another perfect game to do in fabric/felt. Adding to my list...