If you are planning to go camping any time soon, adding a good number of camping activities for kids to your to-do list will be a beautiful way to spend time, bond with your kids, and create beautiful memories.
It is an opportunity for families to disconnect from digital distractions, take a break from daily life’s struggles, and connect with nature.
During camping, it can be challenging to keep kids entertained and engaged, especially if they are used to a screen-filled lifestyle, and that’s precisely why in this guide, we’ve taken the time to research and bring you a list of the 20 best camping activities for kids.
The activities in this guide are the kinds that keep children engaged, create excitement, and have good, lasting memories.
So, whether you are just planning a weekend getaway or a long adventure, these activities will help boost the bond between you, your kids, and other loved ones.
The Benefits Of Camping For Kids
Most kids have an innate curiosity for the world. They enjoy turning stones and studying anything they come across closely. Camping is an excellent choice because of this. They get a chance to run about in the outdoors and discover everything around them.
They can enjoy carving new routes and exploring existing ones, gathering natural environmental elements, and discovering what should not be disturbed or handled. Your children can understand how to respect nature by learning about its wonders and perils.
Camping offers numerous advantages. In other words, going camping with your kids is healthy for you and your kids because it contributes to physical, emotional, and mental well-being.
It also contributes to relationship building, learning, skill development opportunities, disconnecting from devices and spending time in nature, stress relief, and improved physical fitness.
I could go on and on, but while I’m not here for that, I want to give you the top 20 camping activities you can try with your kids when next you go camping.
Camping Activities You Can Try Out With Your Kids
1. Set Up A Camp Shelter Together
Setting up the camping shelter with the kids is one of the best outdoor activities. You could instruct them on how to decorate and organize the shelter. You would adore sharing that special moment with your children because it encourages the development of their problem-solving abilities.
You would also be amazed at the number of questions they continue to ask and the speed at which many pick up new information. This particular pastime will undoubtedly leave excellent memories in their hearts; they always look forward to outdoor camping.
2. Play Games
Without fun stuff, the concept of camping with children is undoubtedly incomplete. One of the most crucial aspects of camping is playing games since they assist campers in becoming excited and strengthen their cognitive abilities.
There are play structures in many camping places, like a playground. However, I’ll encourage you to play in the natural world. Making your playground can encourage children to be more passionate and to think creatively.
3. Build Up A Camp Fire
With youngsters, building a campfire can be such an exciting pastime. Ensure you send them on errands, show them how to make a campfire, and respond to all their amusing queries. Building a campfire is as straightforward as ABC.
Place the kindling in a tepee-like arrangement over the tinder in the specified fire pit. Light the tinder with a match, then add more twigs and logs as the fire grows. Keep children safe by marking a line in the dirt 3 to 5 feet away from the fire and telling them not to cross it.
4. Scavenger Hunts
This exercise is still one of the greatest for kids and will keep them occupied until it gets dark: Make a list of things to look for around your campsites, such as particular leaves, flowers, and plants, or hide little objects like marshmallows, bottle tops, marbles, and other trinkets.
To teach children about nature identification, look up some local creatures and plants for the location you’re staying in. Then, write objects to gather, like pine cones, Aspen tree leaves, and a fine stone for skimming on your scavenger hunt checklist. They can develop solid cognitive abilities and quick-thinking skills through this practice.
5. Go For Hikes
What better way to learn about your surroundings than to go hiking as a family? Sing or talk while hiking to avoid startling any curious animals; if they anticipate your approach, they will move out of the way.
Additionally, make it a requirement that everyone uses the buddy system, even on quick trips to the bathroom. According to several studies, walking in nature can boost relaxation, self-esteem, and happiness in just five minutes. Improved memory and cognitive function are other advantages.
6. Make Nature Rubbings
Make some nature rubbings by packing some paper and crayons. For example, choose an exciting leaf, place it on a level surface, cover it with a sheet of white paper, then rub the leaf with your crayon by turning it lengthwise.
Preserve flowers and leaves as a keepsake from your camping trip by pressing them into a book. Numerous long-term advantages for academic performance and mental and physical health are provided by nature.
Healthy vitamin D exposure enhances bone health and reduces problems with diabetes and heart disease. In addition, children’s anxiety and tension levels have been demonstrated to decrease even while they play in the dirt.
7. Stargaze At Night
While stargazing is a well-liked camping activity, it can be challenging to recognize constellations. Astronomy has historically been used to calculate time, identify the seasons, and chart the vast oceans.
Astronomy is one of the oldest disciplines and has roots in all cultures. It promises solutions to essential questions while inspiring us with gorgeous graphics. Stargazing is enjoyable when done with children.
Go outside when appropriate; when there is little to no moonlight, and the sky is not clouded, see the stars. Bring some observing equipment and a sky chart to better understand what you see.
8. Host A Puppet Show
Host a shadow puppet show on the tent walls using a flashlight as a spotlight. Make a snake, wolf, or rabbit, and ask your youngster to make up adventures. Children can learn rhymes and songs from puppets as they mimic the puppet.
Children can develop various motor skills by using puppets as they play. For example, dexterity is aided by the precise movements needed to wear a puppet, and fine motor coordination is enhanced by manipulating the puppet with the fingers.
9. Tell Campfire Stories
A traditional camping trip is only complete with telling stories over the fire. So, try out some scary stories with older children. Younger children typically prefer tales that aren’t as terrifying.
Kids might also be encouraged to make up stories while gathering around a fire. It fosters children’s inventiveness and their ability to follow directions. In addition, storytelling helps kids build communication skills, which are crucial for success. Another advantage of family storytelling is that it fosters closeness and is enjoyable.
10. Ask Questions
Camping is an excellent family-bonding activity because there are no electronics or other distractions. In your spare time, pose some thought-provoking queries to your children, such as:
What names would you choose for the family members?
What destinations would you wish to visit in the future?
What brings you joy as a child?
When we ask kids questions, especially big, open-ended ones, we encourage their language and critical thinking growth. They can be encouraged to introduce themselves and discuss the tools they are using, their thoughts, and their reflections.
11. Quiz Them With Trivia
Improve your child’s knowledge by asking them some entertaining trivia questions. For example, make a list of inquiries about wildlife, the environment, and plants unique to camping.
You can tailor the questions to your child’s interests, whether in science, Harry Potter, or Disney films. In addition, kids can become wiser by learning new information, honing their reasoning abilities, and improving their grasp of the world around them through challenging trivia questions.
12. Teach Them To Fish
Both the parent and the youngster must be patient when fishing with children. However, it benefits educating children about the origins of their food and offers a chance for some peaceful family time.
Eight out of ten teenagers who go camping also go fishing, making it a fairly common activity. To increase your chances of success, if it’s your first time taking the kids fishing, try to find a spot with lots of fish.
Children may become discouraged if they don’t catch any fish, but it may become monotonous if no one in the family catches anything. Children are curious, so be sure to explain the procedure to them, including how to use the float as a bite indicator by keeping an eye on it.
Kids are more likely to comprehend that learning to fish takes time the more knowledge they have about the sport.
13. Water Sports
When introduced to watersports like canoeing at a young age, they can also help your children feel at ease near the water. However, water sports will need some planning. While some hobbies, such as kayaking, don’t require much moisture, some won’t leave you as dry.
Depending on the water’s temperature, you might need to buy wetsuits for the youngsters to go waterskiing or paddleboarding. However, even though you can rent them, wetsuits are not required for all types of water sports.
However, they allow your kids to play in the water longer if it’s chilly (as it often is in Scotland! ). For some watersports, sandals or shoes you don’t mind getting wet should be considered.
14. Kick The Can
Like tag or hide and seek, kick the can is a game. First, you must determine which individual will first be “it” and set a can in the center of a clearing. (drawing sticks is usually a fair way to decide). Then, the ” it ” individual must try to capture everyone else.
When caught, players are taken to “jail,” which is a designated holding place (often a bench) where they must wait. Other players can kick over the can to release them before being caught.
15. Wink Murder
To choose the murderer for each round, you can use a straw or deal cards. The murderer must wink and make eye contact with their victims to “kill” them. They want to eliminate every player without being discovered.
The victim should act dead after around five seconds to alert other players (be as dramatic as you like!). Then, the victims must make an effort to identify the murderer.
Players can make accusations throughout the game by saying, “I accuse,” but they are not allowed to talk to one another about their suspicions! The player wins the round if their guess is accurate! If they are mistaken, they “die” and are eliminated for the remainder of the round.
16. Skimming Stone
Finding the perfect rock and trying to perfect your technique can keep kids (and big kids) occupied for hours if you’re near a body of water. If you have already finished your scavenger hunt, use the excellent skimming stone that was one of the items!
17. Two Truths And A Lie
The other player must identify the falsehood after one player (the liar) states two truths and a lie. Then, you can agree on whether or not you want to permit inquiries of the liar.
As players attempt to maintain the liar’s lie, it often can make things more difficult for the liar but also make the game more intriguing. You can jumble things up by using two lies and the truth.
18. Charades
While the other players try to decipher what they are miming, one player must do an action without speaking. Teams with points are allowed, or you can play alone to kill time.
You can also choose whether or not players act out the answers that have been given to them. But, again, keep the recommendations simple for minor children, such as “brushing teeth” or “swimming.”
19. Camping Trip
The game begins with one player declaring, “I went to the shops, and I bought…” before listing an item that starts with the letter A. The player after them must continue with their chosen object and add one that begins with B, and so forth.
I visited stores and made purchases… A carrot, a banana, and an apple. The game is over when a player guesses incorrectly, forgets the next item or hesitates for too long before guessing.
20. Board Games
You can borrow a classic from a friend, take one from home, or hunt for a good purchase in secondhand shops. Camping board games should be portable, robust, and free of little, easily lost parts.
While traditional games like Uno, Jenga, and Yahtzee are fantastic for families, older children, and adults will enjoy Exploding Kittens.
Other Benefits Of Camping With Kids
1. Builds Enthusiasm And Self Confidence
The development of self-esteem is aided by teaching your kids survival techniques and new skills that will help them feel in control of their environment.
Children need the freedom to solve problems independently, make mistakes and learn from them, and succeed without constant adult supervision.
You must assist your kids in developing competence in their various contexts if you want them to grow up with self-confidence. For example, you and your kids might experience new challenges and adventures when camping.
2. Helps Foster Technology And Social Media Detox
The ubiquity of tech addiction can be alarming if you step back and think about childhood, even as recently as the 1980s. Today, more than 90% of two-year-olds in America have digital footprints.
And the issues around kids and technology only keep getting worse. Overuse of screens has been connected to eating and sleeping problems. Children are likelier to be overweight if they watch two or more hours of television daily.
The usage of cell phones by children has been associated with ADHD, and consuming too much multimedia is associated with reduced attention spans. The use of computers and televisions, in general, is associated with declining psychological well-being.
Technology has many benefits, and you must acknowledge all types of technology to your children. But taking a break from the internet and going outside is an excellent approach to achieving a healthy balance.
3. Spending Time With Nature
Not of their age or culture, people simply enjoy being in nature. In one study, researchers discovered that two out of every three respondents chose a natural location for a retreat when under stress.
Your body reacts to the outdoors in much the same way that your mind does. For example, breathing in fresh air improves your mood, lowers your blood pressure, reduces stress, and strengthens your immune system.
Looking at natural features like plants, water, and wildlife might help you focus more, which may be especially beneficial for your kids.
4. Family Bonding
Although you prefer spending time with your family in front of the television, doing so by a campfire is far more fulfilling. You share your own stories, real or imagined, among the dancing flames instead of having them read to you from the flickering screen.
This establishes links. While camping is fun, it can sometimes be stressful. However, lasting relationships and memories are created when shared struggles are overcome.
More than another night in front of the TV or, even worse, with everyone glued to their screens and no interaction, you are more likely to remember hiding out in the tent and amusing yourselves during a downpour. In addition, you and your kids might meet new people if other campers are nearby.
5. Learn Outdoor Survival Skills
While your kids may never have to hunt for food or defend themselves from a bear attack, camping with your family teaches them the fundamentals of survival. Unfortunately, since many people don’t spend much time in nature, they fear it.
The likelihood that your kids may lose their love of nature and possibly even develop phobias toward it increases if you lock them inside to keep them safe. On the other hand, your children will develop healthy regard for nature if you teach them how to behave in it.
Knowledge offers a sensation of authority over the environment. So your kids should learn fundamental outdoor safety, fire safety, how to make a fire, which plants are edible and which will have dire consequences when eaten or even touched, and other skills specific to the camping experience.
6. Regards For Nature
When you camp, you slow down to another pace of life altogether. As a result, your youngsters get a chance to acclimatize to this new pace and appreciate the environment surrounding them more deeply.
They can enjoy carving new routes and exploring existing ones, gathering natural environmental elements, and discovering what should not be disturbed or handled. Your children can understand how to respect nature by learning about its wonders and perils.
7. Peace & Solitude
Unplug so you may appreciate nature’s simplicity. Instead of charging your tablets, smartphones, or game consoles, consider recharging your batteries.
When you return to work, you will feel better for it in the long run and be more refreshed and energized. So turn off the news, emails, and the internet. One fully charged phone stored somewhere and kept off-grid is all you need.
8. Reduces Stress
One of the significant health advantages of camping is that it lessens stress by taking away usual stressors like work pressure, traffic, and the hustle and bustle of city life and substituting the relaxing effects of bird song, the sound of waves breaking on the beach, and the wind in the trees. The real thing is much more refreshing than anything on your phone.
9. Fosters Better Sleep
Melatonin is a natural hormone that helps control your sleep and wake cycles. However, the blue light produced by artificial sources like incandescent bulbs can reduce melatonin levels if you spend much time in an office under artificial light.
Camping outside exposes you to melatonin-friendly yellow light, which might help you align the sleep-wake cycle more naturally with sunrise and sunset.
10. Vitamin D Boost
Your body absorbs a ton of sunlight when you’re outside. The sun gives the skin a healthy outdoor shine, and the body uses it to create vitamin D, which aids in absorbing calcium and phosphorus, two nutrients necessary for strong bones and teeth.
Conclusion
Finally, having listed these 20 camping activities for kids, you can be sure that your next camping experience will improve significantly for you and your kids.
From exploring the outdoor options to developing new skills and making lovely memories with your kids, there is something for everyone on our list.
All you have to do is to incorporate the ones that suit your preference, and you’re good to go. Also, always remember to prioritize safety while exploring any activity you choose to do.