Summer means camping, and camping means waking to birdsong, sausages cooked on an open fire, laying back in the sunshine, and trying to occupy your kids for 16 hours a day.
Rest easy and scroll through our list of fun games and interesting activities for kids of all ages. Learn how to identify types of trees, play glow in the dark baseball, and end the day with campfire songs.
Jump to:
- Ring toss
- Tree identification
- Make a toy teepee
- Sun printing
- String walk
- Campfire popcorn satchels
- Campfire songs
- Bubble station
- Wildflower goop
- DIY beanbag toss
- Pinecone painting
- Glow in the dark baseball
- Camping treasure hunt
- Acorn necklaces
- Tin can lanterns
- Stone balancing
- Tree stump tic tac toe
- Camping printables
- Painting with smores
- We're going on a bear hunt
- Shadow drawing
- Nature name art
- DIY paintbrushing
- Flower crowns
- Capture the Flag
- Hide and Seek
- Mapmaking and navigation
- Butterfly drawing game
- Simon says...
- Pinecone crown
- Campfire wishing stones
- Rainbow leaf prints
- Nature weaving
Ring toss
Sometimes the simplest games are the best. Old school games like ring toss are even more fun when you're away from home under canvas. You can buy a ring toss game here, or they're pretty easy to make on your own.
Tree identification
Camping trips are great ways to get your kids' brains working. Help them explore nature with a tree guide like this one. You'll have a tree hugger on your hands in no time.
Make a toy teepee
It doesn't have to be only full-size people who get to go camping. With these toy teepees from Craft on Sea, your kids can bring their Sylvanian Family figures along with them.
Sun printing
Leave it to Mombrite to come up with the perfect STEM activity for a holiday camping trip. With a sheet of paper and a few pennies, you can learn about the power of the sun.
String walk
We all know that getting the kids to go for a walk can be tricky at times. So, Get Out With The Kids has a trick of their own to solve the problem. Using a blindfold and a long length of string you can get them moving for as long as you need to!
Campfire popcorn satchels
Once you've walked them all over the forest you'll have to feed them something! Try these popcorn satchels from Real Simple for a fun way to serve snacks by the fire.
Campfire songs
The best way to end a day? Singing songs around the campfire, of course! Fatherly.com has 8 great campfire songs to teach your kids.
Bubble station
With a simple and effective bubble recipe, your bubble station will be the talk of the campsite. La-La's Home Daycare will take you through the process to perfect fields full of bubbles.
Wildflower goop
This is a good at-home camping activity as well as great holiday fun. All you need are 3 ingredients and Craft on Sea's instructions.
DIY beanbag toss
Having a box full of ready-to-go camping activities is a pro-mom tip. This bean bag toss game from Chica and Jo is easy to make with recycled denim.
Pinecone painting
Create your own art to bring home from your camping trip with this pinecone painting idea from Crafts on Sea. Art straight from nature!
Glow in the dark baseball
Sure, Little League is fun, but the best baseball games happen on vacation! Continue the fun into the night with this DIY glow in the dark baseball game from How Does She.
Camping treasure hunt
These printable camping treasure hunts from Blimey Box are a great way of keeping your kids busy on long afternoons. Send them off to find the clues and watch them learn about their environment.
Acorn necklaces
For the crafty kids among you, these DIY acorn necklaces from Rhythms of Play will make your family feel like flower children running through the forest!
Tin can lanterns
You could make these tin can lanterns from Kids Craft Room at home before you leave on your trip and decorate your campsite with them, or you could make them with the simple resources right in your tent. Just be careful with the candles!
Stone balancing
Getting hands-on with nature is the best part of family camping trips. Drawing on ancient cultures these stone piles or cairns are a beautiful way of making art from your surroundings. Head to Rhythms of Play for more.
Tree stump tic tac toe
You can whip up a quick tic tac toe board with things lying around your campsite, or you can come prepared and make your own with The Pragmatic Parent's instructions.
Camping printables
Not every day under canvas is sunshine and flowers. For the wetter mornings, a sheaf of printables is your savior. Crafts on Sea have some great ones on their site.
Painting with smores
You know, not everyone loves 'smores. I know, it seems unlikely, but it's true. Even if you have a kid or two who would rather not munch on the sweet treats, they can still have fun with them. This 'smore painting activity from Views From a Step Stool is a lot of messy fun!
We're going on a bear hunt
We all love the gorgeous book We're Going on a Bear Hunt. Now you can make your own binoculars and treasure map with Buggy and Buddy for lots of growly fun!
Shadow drawing
Another opportunity to dust off those brain cells with this STEM activity from Rookie Parenting. Learn about light and how it works with this shadow drawing experiment.
Nature name art
Mrs Jones' Creation Station has a fun activity to encourage creativity and letter recognition. Gather some natural materials from the campsite, grab your glue, and you're set.
DIY paintbrushing
This simple craft from Apple Green Cottage will get your kids running around to collect materials and finessing their fine motor skills. A perfect early evening activity.
Flower crowns
Turn your kids into the kings and queens of the forest with these beautiful flower crowns from The Craft Train. Just remember to practise your curtsey.
Capture the Flag
It's hard to beat the classics and Capture the Flag is a must to play if you're in a wide-open space. If you've been hiding under a rock for a few years you can find the instructions here.
Hide and Seek
Another classic outdoors game, best played in areas with a bit of cover. For fun variations on the theme, check out Fatherly.
Mapmaking and navigation
Learning to find your way around the great outdoors is an important life skill. So grab your compass and a map and find out which way is North!
Butterfly drawing game
We love this fun family drawing game for the cooler nights hiding inside your tent or motorhome. Find the printables and instructions here.
Simon says...
Simon Says can be fun, but children quickly run out of ideas. Never fear; we've got 89 silly game phrases to make the fun last even longer!
Pinecone crown
Another one for the craft lovers, this crown and wand will have everyone bending a knee. Learn how to make them here.
Campfire wishing stones
This ingenious craft from Carla Schauer Studios is a really clever way of encouraging creativity over the campfire. You only need some stones and some wax crayons to make beautiful and unexpected designs.
Rainbow leaf prints
One for at home as well as out in the field, this leaf printing activity from The Kitchen Table Classroom is suitable for kids of all ages. All you need are some leaves and some washable markers.
Nature weaving
We'll end with this slightly more complicated craft activity from Craftiments. You can make these frames with some twigs and string and then collect interesting natural materials to weave into them.
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