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5 Fun Camping Games and Activities for Kids

8 June 2016

children-games

Camping is the perfect way to bring the whole family together and enjoy the great outdoors. The British countryside offers so many beautiful camping spots, abundant with wildlife, plants and natural wonders.

Enjoying nature with the kids has never been easier either. There are loads of fun games and activities that you can all do together when you’re camping, and you don’t have to spend a penny! Here are some great camping games for kids to get you started.

Go Nature Spotting

Head into the woods, wander along the beach or go for a walk through the fields and spot all the wildlife, plants and trees you see along the way. Use a wildlife and plant handbook to help you identify what you see – this could be telling the difference between a blackbird and crow, or distinguishing between badger and fox footsteps, or even telling a maple tree from an oak.

This is a great way to teach the kids about nature, and you never know, you may learn a thing or two as well! You could jot down everything you see throughout the day to keep a record for when you next go nature spotting.

Get Creative with an Art Journal

If the kids love arts and crafts then you don’t need to leave that at home! Make your camping trip an especially memorable one by getting the kids to create an art journal of their holiday. It will give the whole family something to look back on when the trip is over – and in years to come, when the little ones aren’t so little anymore!

Take a sketchpad with you when you’re off exploring the area so the kids can create some pictures of nature and landscapes. Drawings offer a fun alternative to photographs. You could also ask the kids to collect things when you’re all out and about, such as leaves, feathers and shells, and stick these in the journal.

Become Explorers on a Scavenger Hunt

Let the kids become little explorers and go on a scavenger hunt together. The great outdoors is the place to have a wander and explore. Think up a few things for the kids to search for, such as a pine cones, feathers and leaves. You can be more specific for older kids to make the game extra challenging, and set simpler goals for younger ones, for example finding something that is a certain colour or shape.

Write down an individual list for each of them and be sure to take some pens and bags to collect everything. At the end of the day you can celebrate as a family by enjoying some hot chocolate and marshmallows.

Think Up Your Own Campfire Stories

Get the kids’ imaginations running wild by asking them to conjure up their own stories. You can join in too and enjoy a night of stories around the camp. They can be as silly, as spooky, or as funny as you like. It’s a great chance to let the kids get creative and will help them improve on their literacy skills.

Another way of thinking up a good story is by playing the ‘What’s Next?’ game. One person starts off the story with a sentence and each person around the circle adds another sentence to build on the story. It may be completely ridiculous or a fine masterpiece!

Compete in Camping Olympics

One of the good things about camping is that it’s a chance for the whole family to get active. Let the kids burn off some of their energy by setting up your own Camping Olympics, full of camping games for kids. Think up a few sporting challenges for the kids to compete in – and the parents too if you’re feeling sporty!

Set up a relay or sprint race, a long jump along a sandy beach, a team tug of war, a skipping rope challenge, or even a swimming race to build their confidence in water. Make sure the activities are more playful than competitive, and encourage the kids in their efforts. You could plan ahead as well and buy some medals or prizes to present at the end.

Book Your Family Camping Holiday

Family camping trips are fun all year round. Many of our parks across the country have camping facilities, so take a look to find the best one for you, and book your stay on our bookings page. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with any queries – just give our team a call on 01524 888368.

Which of these camping games for kids and activities will you be trying out on your next camping trip? Let us know!