A lot of things complement life in the RV nicely, but one stands above them all: Life next to the RV. So many great memories are born there. That RV park with the incredible pool. That secret boondocking spot with a great view. And everywhere in between. Next to the RV is where you find the best outdoor movie nights, dad joke marathons and retold (again) family stories. It’s where the best campfire dinners happen. In practice, it’s where much of the RV life is lived.
Truth is, we don’t go camping to just sit inside our cabins. So, to help you maximize your life next to the RV, here are our favorite five outdoor toys to toss in the camper. Because you can never have too many great memories.
Pickleball Set
Because 36.5 Million Americans Can’t Be Wrong
Athleticism Required: 4/5
Casual Fun Factor: 5/5
Friend-Making: 3/5
Weird Name Factor: 5/5
According to the Association of Pickleball Professionals (yes, my friend, there are professional pickleballers), 36.5 million Americans picked up a paddle in 2022, up from just under 5 million in 2021. The game has obvious connections to tennis, played on a very similar court and with a similar net. But because it’s played with a wiffle ball, the gameplay is almost more like ping pong — that is, if you were standing on a giant ping pong table.
If you paddle a pickleball with all your strength, it’s going to have plenty of zip. But the rules and smaller court demand finesse, almost evoking badminton. It can be played as a game or a sport, depending on how sweaty you want to get playing it. There are some unusual rules, but they’re easy to learn. (Not that the game is easy to master.)
Altogether, it’s an intoxicating way to spend an afternoon, a fact confirmed by its celebrity endorsers, which include Hollywood A-listers like Emma Watson and Will Ferrell, and sports legends like Olympian Michael Phelps and Lebron James, who owns a pro pickleball team. And with the same 2022 study claiming 13,969 places to play and more added every week across the U.S., the likelihood of finding a pickleball court at your next RV park is growing exponentially. This pickleball set, with a rating of 4.8 with over 2,600 ratings, will give you everything you need to join the phenomenon.
Pricing starts on Amazon at $35.99.
Spikeball
Energetic Game, Playable Anywhere
Athleticism Required: 5/5
Casual Fun Factor: 3/5
Friend-Making: 3/5
Weird Name Factor: 5/5
Unlike Pickleball, everything you need to play Spikeball comes in a large bag, so you can play it anywhere. All you need is an open, preferably grassy, area to play, with no out-of-bounds. Also unlike Pickleball, it’s hard to play a casual game of Spikeball. There’s going to be running. Lunging. Swinging. Diving, even. But there’s also a reason for its explosive popularity on college campuses — the game is incredibly easy to pick up, with very few rules and enormous fun factor. I
Spikeball is played with a small trampoline-like net placed on the ground. Teams take turns hitting a palm-sized ball against it, with the receiving team having three alternating hits to bounce the ball back off the net. The novelty of no “sides” is part of the allure — the game is technically called “roundnet,” and the 360-degree play requires both creativity and dynamic movement to win. Extremely simple. Extraordinary fun. And just the right amount of challenging for those who like a little fitness mixed into their leisure time.
Pricing starts on Amazon at $67.99.
Inflatable Stand-Up Paddleboard
Row, Row, Row Gently Down the Stream
Athleticism Required: 3/5
Casual Fun Factor: 5/5
Friend-Making: 3/5
Weird Name Factor: 2/5
Paddleboarding is a great way to spend an afternoon on the water. It’s not particularly demanding physically if you don’t want it to be, although there is a balance requirement. But multiple reviewers report this board as stable. Once you get your balance down, you can put in as little or as much effort as you like — paddling your heart out for fitness is always an option. Or, much like kayaking, it’s perfectly acceptable to just go for a float, using the paddles to splish and splash around whatever body of water you have handy.
One of the reasons we’ve chosen this particular paddleboard, ranked No. 1 in stand-up paddleboards at time of writing, is that the package includes an installable kayak seat, which makes this activity even more leisurely. Another thing we like is the two-year warranty, which you love to see in an inflatable. It’s also easy to inflate, lightweight (especially valuable if you have to cart it from the RV to the water). The board is an all-around winner at a reasonable price point — one reviewer says, “As a full-time van dweller in my mid-50s, I needed something light, compact, and easy to use. This board is perfect.” We couldn’t have said it better ourselves!
Pricing starts on Amazon at $224.95.
Kan Jam
Finally, a Frisbee Game with No Running or Walking!
Athleticism Required: 1/5
Casual Fun Factor: 5/5
Friend-Making: 4/5
Weird Name Factor: 4/5
Sure, one can just toss a frisbee back and forth. But how am I supposed to exert full and overwhelming gaming dominance over my RV-mates if that’s all we’re doing? And while ultimate frisbee and disc golf might reign supreme throughout the frisbee zeitgeist, Kan Jam is coming on strong. This disc toss set combines the skill of a frisbee game, the nonexistent physical requirements of horseshoes and the “I want to stay close to my beverage” quality of the all-time best lawn games like bocce.
Kan Jam is a simple game — throw the frisbee into the can (or kan, as it were), with your teammate able to assist by “jamming” it in. The simple premise, and a game that requires just the right amount of skill (which is to say, not a lot), makes this a fantastic choice for a lawn game fit for RV park superstardom.
Pricing starts on Amazon at $39.97.
Cornhole
The Reigning King of Casual Games
Athleticism Required: 1/5
Casual Fun Factor: 5/5
Friend-Making: 5/5
Weird Name Factor: 5/5
One 2023 study reported that a whopping 20 percent of Americans said they played cornhole in 2022, edging out bowling as America’s most popular “sport.” The American Cornhole League reports 55,000 dues-paying members. Why the overwhelming popularity? It’s the perfect yard game. The concept, “Throw this bag in the hole,” doesn’t get any simpler. You’re never out of reach of your beverage — in fact, you really don’t even need to set it down. And if you break a sweat playing it, you’re doing it wrong.
Cornhole boards are simple and cheap, you can play pretty much anywhere with a setup that takes about 45 seconds. This set looks great, lasts a long time, travels easy, and will give you all you need to be holing it up wherever your next trip takes you.
Pricing starts on Amazon at $65.48.
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