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Family Camping Activities & Recreation
Camping activities and recreation is the fun part of camping. This is where you can put a lot of fun into your camping trip. If you planned your trip near an amusement park, national park, or other points of interest, then use them as your main activities, and plan smaller ones around them.
There are lots of things you can do while camping: games, board games, crafts, hikes, fishing, swimming, etc.
We love to play games when we go. They can be made-up games like 20 questions, the animal game, Simon says (for little kids), or games you bring, such as cards, pictionary, scattegories, etc. Just don't bring all 18 that you own.
Here is a list of some of our favorite store-bought games:
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Here are some traditional games that we like to play:
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Hiking is another great activity, whether you a serious hiker or just like to take casual strolls...Do it! Hiking is great exercise, and a great way to spend family time while enjoying the outdoors.
Go on a nature scavenger hunt. Make a list of plants, animals or animal tracks that you might see. Give a copy to each family member. Go on a nature hike and have everyone check off everything they see.
Geocaching is for the really adventurous. This is where you take your GPS and look up coordinates on a website before going camping. Then, using your GPS, you attempt to find the treasure, which could be anything, but many times is another clue to another site, or it is a log of who has been there. To find out more, go to Geocaching.com.
Crafts are a great source of entertainment for kids, and they are not hard to do. They just take a little preplanning. Some campgrounds even offer summer programs for the kids to do crafts. We have participated in these, and even mom & dad enjoyed doing them.
On one of our trips to Land Between the Lakes, we did a simple but fun craft. Everyone walked near the river/lake and found a rock about the size of a hand. We used white glue to attach glitter and wiggly eyes (bought them at a craft store). We cut out some felt for the bottom of the rock and glued it to the rock. We also painted spots and such on our pet rocks to give them personality. A simple, yet fun craft which involved the nature around us.
If you brought your bicycles, then plan a bike trip and bring your lunch in a small backpack. Bike trips make a wonderful couple-hour adventure.
Fishing is always a great activity if you are near a river, lake or pond. Bring the poles and teach your children how to fish. You did remember to pack the poles, right? Be advised that most areas require a valid fishing license. Children under 12 usually don't require a fishing license. Check with the local authorities about the requirements.
Tell stories about when you were growing up. Or, make up stories. One of our favorite story-games is, I start out a story with one sentence. Then, someone else adds a sentence to it. And then someone else builds upon the story with another sentence. We have told some mighty strange tales this way. Remember the campfire is an excellent place for stories. Learn to share, both memories and experiences. Most of all, HAVE FUN!
You have now mastered the basics of family camping. Be sure to check out our section on Camping Recipes and our buyers guide to Camping Gear.
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