17 Fun Camping Activities for Kids
Would you like to trade your hotel room for a tent? This child-friendly camping activity guide will make your trip the easiest (and most memorable) ever.
Whether you're going to a local campsite or going on a road trip, camping is an easy and low-stress vacation idea for the whole family - no flights, no car rentals, and no crowds. You can reap the benefits of camping even if you don't have a lot of cash in your pocket. The benefits of outdoor experiences for children include environmental awareness, stress relief, and a reduction of restlessness and boredom.
In today's society, kids are spending more time indoors, so camping is a great activity to get them outside to hike or tell ghost stories by the fire, says Meri-Margaret Deoudes, spokesperson for the National Wildlife Federation's Be Out There campaign.
Check out these fun camping activities for kids, all guaranteed to create lasting memories during your camping downtime. Once you choose the type of campground you'd like to visit -- national park, state park, public campground, or private campsite -- you can start planning your vacation.
Whether you're going to a local campsite or going on a road trip, camping is an easy and low-stress vacation idea for the whole family - no flights, no car rentals, and no crowds. You can reap the benefits of camping even if you don't have a lot of cash in your pocket. The benefits of outdoor experiences for children include environmental awareness, stress relief, and a reduction of restlessness and boredom.
In today's society, kids are spending more time indoors, so camping is a great activity to get them outside to hike or tell ghost stories by the fire, says Meri-Margaret Deoudes, spokesperson for the National Wildlife Federation's Be Out There campaign.
Check out these fun camping activities for kids, all guaranteed to create lasting memories during your camping downtime. Once you choose the type of campground you'd like to visit -- national park, state park, public campground, or private campsite -- you can start planning your vacation.
Camping Activity Ideas for Kids
1.Build a Campfire:
Richard Wiese, author of Born to Explore: How to Be a Backyard Adventurer, shares some tips for getting kids excited for an evening in the pit. Your child should first collect small twigs and bark (tinder), short sticks (kindling), and larger logs (fuel). Place the tinder in the designated fire pit and place the kindling on top in a tepee shape. Light the tinder with a match, and add additional sticks and logs as the fire grows. Draw a line in the dirt three to five feet around the fire and instruct kids not to cross it.
2.Go on a Scavenger Hunt
Play a scavenger hunt before darkness falls by listing specific leaves, flowers, and plants to find or hiding marshmallows, bottle caps, marbles, and other little things around the campsite.
3.Study Bugs
Under rocks, your children can search for particularly icky bugs. "Insect observation is an excellent way for children to learn respect for nature; bugs shouldn't just be stepped on, they're part of the ecosystem," says Melissa Chapman.
4.Take a Hike
You won't surprise any unsuspecting creatures if you sing or talk to them while hiking. If they know that you're en route, they will stay out of your way. Make it a rule to use the buddy system even on short walks to the restroom.
5.Analyze Animal Prints
Learn about the Sierra Club Animal and Bird Tracks Knowledge Cards and help your kids match photos of animals with their footprints. Introducing them to wildlife this way is a great idea!
6.Make Nature Rubbings
Take paper and crayons and make nature rubbings. Place an interesting leaf on a flat surface. Place a piece of white paper over it. Turn your crayon lengthwise, and rub it over the leaf. As a memento of your camping experience, press leaves and flowers into a book.
7.Go Zen with Cloud Watching
Discover hidden images hidden in cloud cover during the day. You never know what your kids will find among the hippopotamuses and floating castles!
8.Stargaze at Night
Camping is a popular activity that involves stargazing, but identifying constellations can be tricky. Get the latest version of Find the Constellations by H. A. Rey (the author of Curious George) or visit NASA's Space Place, or SeaSky.org for more information.
9.Create Pebble Pets
Make wild creature pictures for your child by collecting pebbles (or shells) from the beach. Make sure other campers can find them by hiding them around the site!
10.Host a Shadow Puppet Show
A flashlight can be used to shine a flashlight on the tent walls to shine a spotlight on shadow puppet shows. Make a bunny, a wolf, or a snake, and let your child create stories about it.
11.Play Charades
Charades are a great camping activity for kids-you don't need special supplies, and you can play it anywhere!
12.Get Out Lawn Games
Try bringing some lawn games from your houses, such as corn hole, lawn darts, or ring toss. During these activities, you can also introduce your children to classic outdoor games like Ghost in the Graveyard, Capture the Flag, and SPUD!
13.Tell Campfire Stories
The traditional camping experience isn't complete without stories around the fire. For older kids, read some spooky tales, such as those in Roald Dahl's Book of Ghost Stories. Probably younger children prefer less frightening stories, such as the ones in Woo! This is the Not-So-Scary Ghost or The Not-So-Scary Monster Handbook. Around the fire, you can also encourage children to create their narratives!
14.Sing Campfire Songs
Is your family a music fan? Then sing campfire songs while you're around the fire! I have a few ideas (although there are infinite possibilities):
15.Ask Fun Questions
Camping provides a great bonding experience for families since there are no distractions. Among other questions, ask your kids: If everyone in the family had to be given a new name, what would it be? Do you have any plans to travel in the future? When you think of happy memory, what comes to mind?
16.Quiz Them with Trivia
Brush up on your child's knowledge with some fun trivia questions like those on this list. You can make a list of questions about nature, animals, and plants specific to camping. You can also ask questions based on your child's interests, whether they are Harry Potter, science, or Disney movies.
17.Cook Up Something New
You can spice up camp fare with these dishes by Catherine McCord, the creator of the kiddie foodie website.
Sunny Start: Cook oatmeal over the fire, then add walnuts and raisins for a protein-packed breakfast that'll keep you going all day.
Pizza Party: Spread tomatoes sauce and mozzarella cheese on a whole-wheat tortilla, and then top them with veggies and shredded chicken. Wrap in foil and cover with another tortilla. Place the foil-wrapped quesadillas directly on your campfire's embers at dinnertime or unwrap and heat in a cast-iron pan or directly on the grill. When the cheese melts, cut the tortillas into wedges and serve.
Fruity Fun: You can grill a banana over the campfire like a marshmallow, by skewering it whole and unpeeled. If the banana is soft, split it down the middle and sprinkle with chocolate chips or sauce. Scoop straight from the peel with a spoon. You'll have your crew begging for more bananas!
Richard Wiese, author of Born to Explore: How to Be a Backyard Adventurer, shares some tips for getting kids excited for an evening in the pit. Your child should first collect small twigs and bark (tinder), short sticks (kindling), and larger logs (fuel). Place the tinder in the designated fire pit and place the kindling on top in a tepee shape. Light the tinder with a match, and add additional sticks and logs as the fire grows. Draw a line in the dirt three to five feet around the fire and instruct kids not to cross it.
2.Go on a Scavenger Hunt
Play a scavenger hunt before darkness falls by listing specific leaves, flowers, and plants to find or hiding marshmallows, bottle caps, marbles, and other little things around the campsite.
3.Study Bugs
Under rocks, your children can search for particularly icky bugs. "Insect observation is an excellent way for children to learn respect for nature; bugs shouldn't just be stepped on, they're part of the ecosystem," says Melissa Chapman.
4.Take a Hike
You won't surprise any unsuspecting creatures if you sing or talk to them while hiking. If they know that you're en route, they will stay out of your way. Make it a rule to use the buddy system even on short walks to the restroom.
5.Analyze Animal Prints
Learn about the Sierra Club Animal and Bird Tracks Knowledge Cards and help your kids match photos of animals with their footprints. Introducing them to wildlife this way is a great idea!
6.Make Nature Rubbings
Take paper and crayons and make nature rubbings. Place an interesting leaf on a flat surface. Place a piece of white paper over it. Turn your crayon lengthwise, and rub it over the leaf. As a memento of your camping experience, press leaves and flowers into a book.
7.Go Zen with Cloud Watching
Discover hidden images hidden in cloud cover during the day. You never know what your kids will find among the hippopotamuses and floating castles!
8.Stargaze at Night
Camping is a popular activity that involves stargazing, but identifying constellations can be tricky. Get the latest version of Find the Constellations by H. A. Rey (the author of Curious George) or visit NASA's Space Place, or SeaSky.org for more information.
9.Create Pebble Pets
Make wild creature pictures for your child by collecting pebbles (or shells) from the beach. Make sure other campers can find them by hiding them around the site!
10.Host a Shadow Puppet Show
A flashlight can be used to shine a flashlight on the tent walls to shine a spotlight on shadow puppet shows. Make a bunny, a wolf, or a snake, and let your child create stories about it.
11.Play Charades
Charades are a great camping activity for kids-you don't need special supplies, and you can play it anywhere!
12.Get Out Lawn Games
Try bringing some lawn games from your houses, such as corn hole, lawn darts, or ring toss. During these activities, you can also introduce your children to classic outdoor games like Ghost in the Graveyard, Capture the Flag, and SPUD!
13.Tell Campfire Stories
The traditional camping experience isn't complete without stories around the fire. For older kids, read some spooky tales, such as those in Roald Dahl's Book of Ghost Stories. Probably younger children prefer less frightening stories, such as the ones in Woo! This is the Not-So-Scary Ghost or The Not-So-Scary Monster Handbook. Around the fire, you can also encourage children to create their narratives!
14.Sing Campfire Songs
Is your family a music fan? Then sing campfire songs while you're around the fire! I have a few ideas (although there are infinite possibilities):
- "She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain"
- "We're Going On a Bear Hunt"
- "The Campfire Song Song" (from Spongebob Squarepants)
- "The Wheels On The Bus"
- "Home on the Range"
- "Baby Shark"
15.Ask Fun Questions
Camping provides a great bonding experience for families since there are no distractions. Among other questions, ask your kids: If everyone in the family had to be given a new name, what would it be? Do you have any plans to travel in the future? When you think of happy memory, what comes to mind?
16.Quiz Them with Trivia
Brush up on your child's knowledge with some fun trivia questions like those on this list. You can make a list of questions about nature, animals, and plants specific to camping. You can also ask questions based on your child's interests, whether they are Harry Potter, science, or Disney movies.
17.Cook Up Something New
You can spice up camp fare with these dishes by Catherine McCord, the creator of the kiddie foodie website.
Sunny Start: Cook oatmeal over the fire, then add walnuts and raisins for a protein-packed breakfast that'll keep you going all day.
Pizza Party: Spread tomatoes sauce and mozzarella cheese on a whole-wheat tortilla, and then top them with veggies and shredded chicken. Wrap in foil and cover with another tortilla. Place the foil-wrapped quesadillas directly on your campfire's embers at dinnertime or unwrap and heat in a cast-iron pan or directly on the grill. When the cheese melts, cut the tortillas into wedges and serve.
Fruity Fun: You can grill a banana over the campfire like a marshmallow, by skewering it whole and unpeeled. If the banana is soft, split it down the middle and sprinkle with chocolate chips or sauce. Scoop straight from the peel with a spoon. You'll have your crew begging for more bananas!
Conclusion
Entertaining children during downtime should not be a challenge when camping with children. Between camping and roasting marshmallows, there are many things to do while camping. It just takes a little creativity.
If you are just going camping with your family or bringing a nanny or a sitter, play these 17 camping games for kids.
If you are just going camping with your family or bringing a nanny or a sitter, play these 17 camping games for kids.