Fun Camping Games

Just let them PLAY !

Sometimes the best way to keep kids busy at a campground is it just let them play.  They don’t always need to be entertained by us.  Some of my kids favorite activities are:

~ Ghost in the Graveyard.  This game is part tag and part hide and seek.  It’s best played at dusk when it is starting to get dark.  You can play at night too with flashlights.  One person is the hider and the seekers all chant “ghost in the graveyard slowly 5 times” while that person is hiding.  Then the seekers start looking for the hider.  The hider jumps out and scares them and chases them all until he catches everyone.  Last person caught is the new hider.

~ Flashlight Tag.  This is a game you play in the dark.  You need a field or an open place for the kids to play without bothering other campers.  Each kid gets their own flashlight.  One person covers their eyes and counts to a certain number (my kids like 50).  Everyone else uses their flashlights to find a place to hide.  Then they turn off their flashlights so the seeker doesn’t see them.  The seeker yells “Ready or not, here I come” and turns on their flashlight and goes off to find the other kids.  Last one found is the new seeker.  We set boundaries ahead of time of where the kids are allowed to go, and where is off limits.  We also make the little kids partner up with the older ones so no one gets lost.

~ Telling funny stories around the campfire.  This one is especially fun when camping with other people.  One person starts a story….the stranger the better.  Go around the fire and each person adds one or two new sentences.  Our stories always seem to end with people eating gross things….our son loves to make his characters eat bugs and worms !

~  Freeze Tag.  There are many variations of tag.  This one you set your boundaries ahead of time.  There is one person who is “it”.  That person runs around and chases the other players.  When someone is tagged they are frozen in place.  The only way to get unfrozen is to have another player crawl under your legs.  Then you are rescued and can continue evading the person who it “it”.   The game is over when all of the players are tagged and there is no one left to rescue anyone.  The last person tagged it the new “it”.

~ Relay races.  My kids love relays.  Kids divide up into even teams.  Find 3-4 sticks, balls or other things that are easy to carry while running.  The kids take turns sending someone on their team down to retrieve one of the objects and bring it back.  As soon as that person is back the next one takes off.  The first team to retrieve all of their items wins.  We usually play for popcicles….everyone gets one but the winners get first choice.

Other classic outside games that are fun include Simon Says, Mother May I, Kick the Can and Hide N Seek.  You can even find your inner child and get out there and play with them !

Until next week,

~Shannone