Camping is a great way to get close to nature and to get to know each other. Having simple games and things to do on hand will help keep everyone happy and moving. Please find out how much fun it is to hang out at a campsite, around a campfire, or in your tent.
Classic Camping Activities
Campfire Cooking
Meals around the campfire are likely some of the best memories of camping. You can keep it simple with marshmallows, hot dogs, and s’mores, or you can add a tin foil dinner to make it more special. A Dutch oven makes it easy to make a delicious meal after dinner, even if you’ve been cooking all day.
Over the fire, you can cook burgers, chicken, and vegetables. For dessert, wrap the bread dough around a broomstick, cook it over a fire, and then top it with your favorite fruit and a little sugar.
Campfire Songs
Have a friend camping with you who can play the guitar and sing while everyone roasts marshmallows over the fire. Want to turn it into a game? Start playing your favorite songs and call out the name of the song.
Hiking
You should be able to find a good walk near your campsite using Alltrails and Gaia GPS. If nothing else works, take your compass and go bushwhacking to see what’s around you.
Fishing
Fishing is a lot of fun and a good way to get food. Make sure you know the rules for fishing in the area, get a fishing license, and research the kinds of fish you might catch near the campsite.
Survival Challenges
Are you ready to use the skills you learned on Man Versus Wild? Do things that would make Bear Grylls proud, like starting a fire without matches, building a shelter, and finding food in the wild.
Campfire Stories
Download an audiobook or podcast to share with friends for a modern take on campfire stories. Just make sure to bring a good Bluetooth speaker, like the Bose SoundLink Revolve+ or JBL Flip 4, which are waterproof.
Stargazing
To get the most out of your experience, try installing a stargazing app on your phone ahead of time.
Modern Camping Activities
Off Road Vehicles
When camping, having off-road vehicles (OHVs) like dirt bikes, ATVs, and UTVs is always a good idea. If you and your friends don’t already have one, you should look into local rental options.
The majority of rental businesses are located near OHV-friendly trails, and some of them will allow you to rent a trailer so that you can take it out on the trails over the weekend.
Photography
Nature photography is a solo hobby, so don’t expect your friends to want to hang out with you while you quietly take photos with your DSLR. If other campers can bring their own cameras, it’s even better to plan your camping trip around scenic spots where you can take a photo tour. If you want to take better pictures of nature, you should get a drone.
Geocaching
Geocaching is the modern version of treasure maps from the past. If you get a geocaching app, you’ll find hidden caches near popular campsites. You won’t find buried treasure at the end of the map, but you can usually take a picture of a fun symbol and a brag board. You can sign your name.
Movie Night
Background movies take a lot of planning ahead of time, but when they work out, it’s a great experience. You will also need a portable power source, a Bluetooth speaker, and an outdoor projector screen. If you get the Goal Zero Yeti 1400 as your power source, you can even set up a WiFi hotspot for your campsite.
Outdoor Sports
Ladder Golf
Ladder golf, sometimes known as hillbilly horseshoes, is a game that is entertaining for people of all ages to play when camping. You can either buy a kit or create your own.
Set them up in your backyard at home so you can enjoy the great outdoors on the weekends, even when you’re not camping.
Cornhole
Cornholes are a great way for DIY campers to have fun. Follow this easy plan from Rogue Engineer and add a fun stencil or sticker to make it your own. Then your family will always have something fun to do together. Check out the Flag Series Cornhole Set from GoSports. It’s made to last and has fun national and state flags to match your style.
Axe Throwing
Are you going to try throwing an axe for the first time? It’s a lot of fun. Make a homemade goal. Get some knives or tomahawks. Then you’re ready to show your warrior side.
Horseshoes
Riding horses has a long history of being a popular activity at summer camps, and it’s possible that this is the perfect game for grandpa to participate in to prove that he’s still got it.
Frisbee
Learn how to play Frisbee in all the different ways it can be done. Ultimate Frisbee is fun to play with a big group in a big open space. Try playing Frisbee at night with a glow-in-the-dark disc for a new challenge.
Pick a tree far away and play a round of Frisbee Golf with a small group. To play Tic Tac Toss, you only need two campers, but you’ll need a tarp, duct tape, and 12 packs. Small frisbees.
Capture The Flag
To play “capture the flag,” you’ll need a pretty big group, so save this game for your annual family camping trip, when all your siblings, cousins, aunts, and uncles will be there. If regular capture of the flag is too boring for you, try playing at night to let your inner ninja out. Some water balloons, paintball guns, or airsoft guns can change things up.
Volleyball
When you think of volleyball, you might first think of a sandy beach, but playing on grass is just as fun. All you need to play volleyball is a large open space, a portable volleyball set, and at least four people.
Badminton
Bring your badminton rackets and birds so you can play a quick game. The game requires less diving and spiking than volleyball, making it a more relaxed (but still competitive) option for people who can’t move around as much as Goose and Maverick.
Flashlight Tag
Flashlight Tag is a camping game that is a mix of tag and hide-and-seek. It’s a game that adults and children of all ages can enjoy together.
Water Sports
All kinds of water sports in one group. This includes kayaks, canoes, paddle boards, tubing, water skiing, and wakeboarding for those who own a boat or, even better, have a friend with a boat. But if you have the right gear, you can do more fun things at a campsite than spend a day on the water.
Rock Climbing & Rappelling
Near most campsites, if you look hard enough, you can find something to climb, like a big boulder or a real rock wall. If climbing isn’t your thing, you can skip it and try going down the wall instead.
Remember that both of these activities need a lot of planning and practice and special tools.
Paintball and Airsoft
Most adults don’t like shooting, but if SEAL Team, SWAT, and American Sniper are on your Netflix list, this might be your favorite camp activity. You can use paintball guns or Airsoft guns, which don’t make as much mess.
Games
- Cards Against Humanity
- Watch Ya Mouth
- Cards Against Humanity
- Never Have I Ever
- Drunk, Stoned, or Stupid
- Exploding Kittens
- Pick Your Poison
- Secret Hitler
- Pick Your Poison
Conclusion
Camping becomes an annual tradition for many people once they travel with their families or friends. Because participating in it has a habit-forming quality. Camping vacations are the only kind of vacation activity that can compare to the experiences, memories, and relaxation that they provide.