Going camping with the kids this summer? Then you’re going to need plenty of ideas about enjoyable activities. If you can spend time in the sun having fun, the kids will have the best summer ever – trust us on that one!
But if you’re not quite sure how to make the days pass without the kids complaining of being bored, and you’re worried you’re not going to get any time to relax yourself, we’ve got some great ideas to try down below. Keep them in mind for when you pitch up the tent and everyone will have a camping trip they can enjoy!
Play Baseball (or T-Ball)
Seeing as you’ve got a lot of open space around you, why not bring your own baseball or t-ball set along to the campsite with you?
Once you’re all set up and you’ve got the camping stove on, the kids can put the glove on, grab the bat, and have a little game of their own. And seeing as these games tend to take a good while to get through, you know they’re going to be occupied for at least a good couple hours yet!
That can pass a good chunk of the afternoon before dinner time, allowing the kids to waste some energy, have some fun, and give you time to make the tent as cozy and comfortable as possible.
Try Out Hide and Seek (but make sure you set boundaries)
If there’s a forest or woodland nearby, why not set up a game of hide and seek for the kids? Of course, you’re going to need to set boundaries to make sure no one gets lost, but otherwise this can be a lot of fun.
For example, tell the kids that they’re not allowed to go beyond a certain tree marker in order to hide, and if they hear you say a certain word, they have to come out of hiding and come back to the tent. Once you’ve set those ground rules, count to 100 and let them go off! Last one to be found wins, and then let them be the seeker and go and hide yourself.
Go Paintballing
Is there a paintball center near the campsite? If so, book in a session for the whole family. Paintballing is a very fun way to spend a couple hours, and seeing as most centers cater towards families, you won’t have to worry about whether or not the activity will be safe for them. Indeed, if the kids have never handled air rifles or paintball guns before, this is a safe and fun way for them to explore their use and have fun, and even improve their aim!
Paintballing is also a good way to teach kids about how to use the outdoors, and can help fit in a bit more exercise for the whole family. When it feels fun, it doesn’t feel like exercise, and sometimes that’s all you need to get the kids away from the screen! Pack everyone into the car, drive along to the shooting range, and get the family involved in an afternoon of good fun.
Show Them How to Light a Campfire
Building and lighting a campfire is a great skill to have, but it’s not just the scouts who should be able to learn it! If you know how to do these things yourself, get the kids to gather around and show them how it’s done. Kids will love knowing what it takes to get a fire going (and safely), and they’ll be keen to write about it in their vacation diary ready to present when they go back to school.
You can send the kids off to find kindling and appropriate firewood, after you’ve shown them what those are, and you can even let them take it in turns to get some sparks going. Use proper equipment for this, and make sure anyone who has a go is over the age of 10.
Then Tell Ghost Stories Around it
Once the fire is up and running and you’ve got the s’more kit out, it’s time to gather round and tell some ghost stories to each other. You might want to read up on a few that are appropriate for kids before you go, but you can give the kids the floor and let them come up with ‘spooky’ stories to tell each other as well. Remember, no camping trip is complete without a few ghost stories!
And if you run out of ghost stories, start telling funny ones, or start sharing some riddles and see if the kids can come up with the right answers.
Catch Bugs and Draw Them
Bugs are going to be aplenty in the campsite where you are! As such, get the kids some jars to catch them in, poke holes in the top to allow for air, and make sure you pack pencils and paper as well.
Once you’ve arrived, send the kids off bug hunting – although make sure they know to stay away from dangerous bugs – and then have them all come back to draw the bugs once they’ve managed to capture a few. Bring coloring pencils along with you to make sure the kids can capture the true essence and spirit of the critter as well!
Go Late Night Star Gazing
Star gazing is a lot of fun, even if it sounds like it might not be. After all, all you’re doing is looking up at the night sky for an hour or so – how can that be something the kids are going to find enjoyable? because the stars above us are quite magical!
And when you spend time staring up at them, you can start to draw shapes, watch the clouds as they move, spot the moon and say hi to it, and teach the kids about the actual constellations that are out there.
Plus, it’s always fun to stay up past bedtime! For that alone the kids are going to want to try this out.
Encourage Playing Pretend
If you’ve got some laundry to do or a meal to cook or a million other things that need to happen when camping, get the kids to use their imaginations by encouraging them to play pretend.
If there’s plenty of camp site to roam around, they’re not going to run out of room to run and play and pretend to be characters they’ve come up with. If you can bring along a few costumes for them to wear, this will be even easier to encourage!
Explore the Nearby Area on Foot
Camping is all about getting back to nature, so why not leave the car at the campsite and head around the nearby area on foot? If there’s plenty of hiking trails around, you won’t run out of pathways to go down or fields to frolic through!
The kids themselves will be especially excited to explore and discover what’s going on around them, so frame the activity as an adventure and they’ll be roaring to go. Let them pick up leaves and flowers on the way, make sure you pack some snacks, and make the afternoon ahead a fun use of your time and legs.
Camping can be a lot of fun when you’ve planned the right activities. If you’re taking the kids along for their first camping trip, or you’ve been before and it was a bit of a disaster, it’s fun things that’ll turn the trip into something worth remembering.
Feature photo credit: https://www.pexels.com/photo/family-inside-the-tent-6482320/