Best Camping Games And Activities For Kids And Families

Camping is one of the best traveling adventures you can get for your whole family, especially for children since it is a complete change from their regular environment. It’s also a great way to get them off and away from their various screens. However, without the access to toys and technology from home, you’ll inevitably hear the “I’m bored” at least a few times on the trip.

Therefore, what are some fun games and activities for children and families?

One of the most common activities done during a camping trip is hiking, which is a suitable activity for the whole family. Children also enjoy scavenger hunts, and in nature, they can be exceptionally interesting. Other activities might include campfire charades, water balloons, frisbee, and so on.

If you are planning a camping trip with the whole family in the near future, it can be more convenient if you think about camping activities beforehand, especially if you need to bring something with you. We’ve included many suggestions regarding games and activities that can be done with kids and with the whole family. Camping time is the best time for some family bonding, so you should make the most of it.

Games and activities to do while camping

Although camping can be a great time for relaxing and basically doing nothing, when going with your children it is smart that you have some games and activities planned to keep them busy. This is the perfect moment to bond with your kids and spend some quality and fun time with them. This is also a great opportunity to show your children that you can be a cool parent that does not always ask them to study and clean their room.

You can also make the most of being surrounded by greenery and nature by using the environment to teach your children something about it. There are different games and activities that can trigger their curiosity and encourage them to explore nature in an authentic way. Below, we’ve included some of the best games that your children will absolutely enjoy.

Scavenger Hunt

A scavenger hunt is a traditional game that all children enjoy, and that allows them to explore the wilderness in an amazing way. In scavenger hunts, you are given a list of things you need to go and find. Whoever finds them all first is the winner. If your kids can’t read yet, you can give them pieces of paper with pictures on them of the things they have to find.

A well-planned scavenger hunt will entice kids and allow them to notice nature in a different way. Through the excitement of the game, they will be challenged to notice different kinds of plants, trees, insects, birds, and even stones and markings that are typical for nature.

You can organize the game in different ways. For instance, you can have children going in the search for things together as a team, or you can make it more challenging, by letting them search on their own. By choosing the latter option, children might be more inspired and eager to win, so it can get quite competitive, and you can even give some kind of prize at the end.

I Spy

This game is more convenient when you are trying to take it easy without any additional running or jumping around. I Spy is a good game that can be played during mealtimes or when you are just taking a break from some previous activities.

This is also an opportunity for kids to learn some new terms that can be found in nature. If you have young children, this would be a great chance for them to learn new words that they will later practice everywhere. It is also a game that asks players to focus on details a lot, so it is also good for developing some new skills.

Hiking and walking

Hiking is a great activity that will keep the whole family in good shape. Walking through the trails is an amazing opportunity to explore the surroundings and see the environment up close. In addition, it is a chance to breathe some fresh air and enjoy the peace of nature.

You can use this time to explain to your children important points concerning nature. For instance, you can talk about or ask them whether they know what nature provides to humanity, and how and why we should keep it safe and clean. Educating your children on these matters is quite important, and hiking is the perfect activity that will enable you to do that with examples.

Not only are you getting exercise and tiring the kids out (early bedtime anyone?), but you also get to see some amazing places on the way.

Riding Bikes

If you want to keep kids occupied, take their bicycles. Kids can spend hours riding around a campsite. If you’ve also taken your bikes with you on the camping trip, you can spend some nice time riding through the natural paths. Hitting the forest trails can be an amazing experience for your child. Kids are accustomed to riding bikes on the street or in the parks, so riding in nature will really give them an unusual experience.

However, make sure that you check the surroundings and the conditions under which the whole family can go biking. Ensure that it is safe to take your kids to ride their bikes before you actually start this activity together. Natural spots can be pretty unpredictable, so checking would be a wise move.

Best Active Games During Camping

The main point of camping is to use the time in nature to be physically active, and for children, this is extremely beneficial. Luckily, there is a vast variety of active games that people will enjoy tremendously. What is more, they will definitely take all of their energy, so they will sleep like babies at the end of the day.

Freeze Tag

This is a game that children adore playing, especially when they gave big space that they can use for running. The game includes one person that becomes “it”, and this person chases the other children around. Once “it” touches someone, they freeze and stay in the same spot until another person unfreezes them.

It is a great running game, and it is quite exciting. Nonetheless, make sure that children play it in an area that is not surrounded by big rocks and stones. Since the game includes a lot of running, it is expected that children will fall occasionally, so it is good to make sure that they will not hurt themselves if this happens.

Jump In A Sack

If you are looking for something competitive and exciting, then you can engage kids in a race that includes jumping in a sack. This is actually a game that even adults want to play since it is really fun. It is also a simple activity, for which you need sacks in which children will jump.

You will need to mark a starting point as well as a finish line, so they would know the exact length of the race. Of course, the first one who reaches the finish line is the winner. If you decide to play this game, you will have to take some sacks from home since they cannot be found in campsites.

Frisbee

Do not forget about the joy an ordinary frisbee provides, especially out in the open, where children have a lot of available space for running. It will definitely keep them excited for a while and it will surely get them tired. Frisbee can be a good activity for adults as well, even dogs. Therefore, do not leave this tool out of your camping kit. It will definitely be worth it.

Water Balloon Fight

Just by mentioning the name of the game, your children will get extremely excited. A water balloon fight is a game that every kid wants to play, but that is not usually allowed by parents due to all the mess that comes from it. However, nature is the perfect place for an activity like this, especially during the hot and scorching days.

It is a good game for both parents and children, and it includes a lot of running, so it promotes fitness and physical activity. Therefore, make sure that you prepare enough balloons for the trip, and see the excitement in your kids go through the roof.

What is more, you can adjust the game differently if you think that is needed. For instance, instead of children throwing balloons at each other, you can make different kinds of targets that they need to hit with a balloon. This is also amusing, so you can do various types of variations of the game.

If you do decide to have a water balloon fight, make sure you go around afterwards and pick up the rubbish from the balloons. Or use water guns as another option, so there is no mess afterwards.

Capture The Flag

This is a game suitable for both parents and children, so it will be a nice opportunity for spending time together. The game is simple but quite exciting.

You will need to mark two different territories in which each team has to hide their flag. The flag needs to be visible only a tiny bit, so the other members can find it. The players need to work together in order to find the flag before they get tagged.

This is a quite similar game to Freeze Tag, but it has a different goal. Kids love it because it is more purposeful than Freeze Tag, however, you should be prepared that it will get a bit competitive. You also need a few players to really make it interesting.

Obstacle Course

Jump over rocks, race around camp chairs, crawl under the table. Create an obstacle course in the campsite using things you have around you. You can even get your phone out and see how fast the kids go. Then get them to see if they can beat their time.

If your at a caravan park with a playground, our kids have also been knows to use it for a timed obstacle course.

Best Indoor Games During Camping

You must take into consideration that sometimes the weather conditions will not allow for children to play outside the whole time, especially at night. So, it might be useful for you to think about some games that they can play inside the caravan or tent.

Card Games

You can never go wrong with cards because children enjoy them. You can get regular cards or specialised ones, but you can be sure that kids will have fun playing them. Some popular options that you can consider are Crazy Eights, Go Fish, Rummy, Snap, or you can simply go with Uno Cards.

The great thing about card games is that they don’t take up a lot of room in your luggage, but can be used for so many different games.

Charades

There is nothing more fun than charades. You can play with your children as well and spend some quality time with them. You can pick a category that is more suitable for their age, and you can make endless options.

The guessing can go on for a long time, but there will definitely be lots of laughs. These kinds of games create amazing memories, so do not miss out a chance to play them with your kids.

Puzzle

Puzzles are always fun, and they are especially convenient before bedtime. You can choose different types of puzzles according to the age of your children, and according to the time you want them to spend making the puzzle. It is a good activity that will keep children busy for a long time, and it will increase their sense of accomplishment.

Trivia Questions

Everybody enjoys trivia questions, so they will be a suitable game for your camping trip. You can make different categories for the questions and make a little quiz for the kids. You can even play in teams and make the game more interesting.

Colouring

Sometimes you just need a bit of quiet time. Whether its because of over tired kids, the weather, or just needing a bit of relaxation, bringing some pencils and colouring in books or paper can be a lifesaver. Colouring gives everyone a chance to decompress get some energy back for the next adventure. Kids can even draw what they see around them at the campsite.

Camping is an amazing opportunity to spend some quality time with your children. Make sure that you make the most of it by making it fun and interesting as much as possible. You have a lot of options, and it is up to you to choose what your children will like.