Outdoor Camping Activities For Kids And Adults
When you think of camping you most likely envision pitching a tent, cooking over a campfire, and telling stories under the stars. While these are all great activities to do while camping, it isn’t always that exciting for younger generations and you’ll most likely get fidgety too.
And that’s to be expected especially in this age of media and technology.
This is why we’ve put together a list of some of our favorite family-friendly activities that will keep you on your toes and give you the opportunity to create some incredible memories no matter the age group.
Family Olympics
The family Olympics is a great way to get the family together for some fun and bonding. It's a series of outdoor activities and games that the whole family can enjoy. The games are designed to test the skills and teamwork of each family member. As with any game, you can make it work for your group size and the ages within the group, ultimately you just need to have fun!
Some of the different games that can be played in the family olympics include:
Tug of war: This is a classic game that tests strength and teamwork. It's a great way to get everyone involved and working together. Even the little ones can take part in the fun.
Relay races: These are always fun and chaotic. They're a great way to get everyone moving and working together as a team.
Obstacle courses: These are great for testing coordination and problem solving skills. They're also just really fun to do as a family.
Beer pong without the beer: this is a fun one! You can use toilet rolls, muffin pans, cups or any other round dish. The smaller the hole, the more challenging. Bounce the ping pong ball on a table or flat surface to try to get it into the container. You can attach prizes to specific holes or just see who can get the most number balls into the container the quickest.
Toilet paper mummy: this game requires one or two members from each team or family to wrap one person in toilet paper the quickest.
Breakfast Scramble
This is a great one for the kids!
Cut up the front of 2 cereal boxes into smaller ‘puzzle’ pieces and have them race against each other to put the image together again. It’s also an easy and cheap activity for the outdoors. You won’t need to worry about losing precious puzzle pieces and they don’t take up any space at all.
Scavenger Hunt
A scavenger hunt is a great way to add some excitement to your camping trip. It can be as simple or as difficult as you want, making it a great activity for all ages. Here are some tips for creating your own scavenger hunt:
Start by making a list of items that can be found around your campsite. Include both easy and hard items to find.
If you have young children with you, make sure the items on their list are age appropriate.
Hide the items around your campsite before everyone starts looking.
The first person to find all of the items on their list wins!
Stalk The Lantern
This is an old South African scout game that is best played in the dark in a large open area- it’s okay if there are trees but if there are too many then it might make the game too quick.
The idea of the game is to get close to the person holding a light (the lantern) without them seeing or hearing you first. The lantern can shine their torch or lamp in the direction of the noise and if you’re seen in the light then you’re out. The first person to make it to the lantern is the winner and can then be the lantern for the next round, but you’ll want to play until everyone has had a chance to reach the lantern.
Depending on how many people are playing you may need more than one ‘lantern’, but one person as the lantern is usually okay for about 10 people.
Ideally you’ll want to have everyone wearing black so that it’s harder to see when someone is creeping up.
Camping Bingo
This is an easy one for everyone and can be an ongoing activity throughout the day or camping trip. Slowly mark off items on the page as you find them and whoever finishes first or has the most by the end of the trip can win a prize or have a reward, such as getting the first slice of pie or choosing an activity for the next day.
Chubby bunny
Basically, who can stuff the most marshmallows in their mouth and still be able to say ‘Chubby Bunny’. It’s a fun game, it’s a gross game, but it’s always a winner!
Pick Up Sticks
This game requires slow and carefully calculated moves, making it perfect for a lazy afternoon. It will certainly keep you busy for a while!
You can purchase a game of pick up sticks (small and large) online. Alternatively you could DIY the game by using twigs from the campground or use those chopsticks you’ve probably been collecting in your junk drawer for a while.
Blindfolded Nerf: ‘A Quiet Place’ Challenge
This is best played on a flat surface within a designated area. So it can be played both indoors and outdoors, and if you’re camping then just tape off an area of your campsite that can be used for this game.
One person is blindfolded and carrying a nerf gun, the rest of the group needs to try to be quiet and move around the person holding the gun without getting shot. Throw in a couple chairs or tables to the designated area for those running around to be able to hide under and behind.
If you're planning on spending any time outdoors in the future, make sure you have a good water filter with you. Nothing ruins a camping trip or hike like getting sick from drinking dirty water. The Survivor Filter cleanable straw, filtered water bottle and portable water filter pump are great options for anyone looking for a reliable way to drink clean water while enjoying the great outdoors.
They also make for great stocking fillers this holiday season.