Camp games for teens can be just as much fun as camping games for younger kids.
Getting children involved in camp activities helps them to socialize, problem-solve and have fun. Having a variety of camp games for kids to enjoy should not be difficult and will create a memorable camp experience.
Marshmallow Stuff For A Great Time
Making s’mores and roasting marshmallows by the campfire are classic favorites for children. A great way to incorporate marshmallows into a camp game is to have a marshmallow-stuffing competition. Messy but fun, this game requires only a few bags of marshmallows and a hearty appetite. Children all receive a plate full of jumbo-sized marshmallows. The objective is to see how many marshmallows the kids can fit in their mouths before one falls out. The game requires a sense of humor and will teach the children how to have a healthy competition.
Wild Charades Are Fun Activities For A Large Group
A camp-inspired twist on this game is to have younger kids guess people, places and things associated with camping. This could include acting out a hiking trip, roasting marshmallows, setting up a tent or things one might find on a journey through nature. Having the younger children act out the actions of a squirrel or a grizzly bear will give them a chance to have fun and be creative. The classic game can be played as an entire group, or by dividing children up into competitive teams. As a reward for the winners, give away some items they can use on a camping trip, such as a water thermos or a compass.
Pass The Parcel Is A Fun Way To Spend The Day
Pass the parcel is a great way and a good game to get the older kids involved and familiar with each other’s personalities. This great game is set up by preparing several envelopes with different tasks that the team members have to do. For example, you might have “Bark like a dog while jogging in place” written on a card. Much like “Hot Potato,” the envelope is passed around until the leader calls to stop. Whomever has the envelope must open it and complete the task inside. This fun game for small groups can also be adjusted for a camping theme.
Games are a structured way of interacting with other people. Ray adds that games have one or more players, a set of rules and a goal. Icebreaker games allow people to become acquainted or to strengthen and renew existing ties. Team-based games provide opportunities for everyone to participate. Skills contests, challenge everyone to reach beyond perceived limitations to set a record or reach a personal milestone. All of the suggestions here can be adapted to suit any number of people or can be used by all age groups.
Check out my book A Year of Nature Walks and Games for tons more outdoor fun ideas
Head Torch Frisbee For Smaller Groups – more camp games for teens
Each participant will need a head torch and the frisbee will need to be of the type which flashes when it is thrown. Perhaps it is unnecessary to add that the simple game is the most fun when played in the dark. It is so much fun!
One-Trip Toys For Your Family Camping Trip
This term describes the type of plastic beach toys and sets which cost next to nothing and can be passed onto arriving campers on your departure, if they last that long. One of the joys of these types of toys is that they are often so light-weight that even the youngest and smallest of the camping party will be able to handle them easily. Conversely, the frail nature and often under-size equipment means any adults participating will be on a more equal footing with the children to prevent things getting too serious or competitive. Toys come in endless varieties – baseball, skittles, cricket, soft-tennis, badminton and so on.
Hacky Or Foot Sack Is A Great Outdoor Game
These small bean filled bags are a common sight in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand although UK campers will be less familiar with them. Intended to be used for ‘keepy-up’ they can also be utilized for a variety of other purposes including throwing and catching games. Because they are small and light they are unlikely to cause any damage should they go astray in your own or some-one else’s camp. As a family with young kids you may invent your own special brand of hacky variations which often naturally evolve into more complex versions as you go on your next camping trip.
I-Spy Is One Of The Best Outdoor Camp Games for teens
There have been different versions of this game doing the circuit for many generations. Pre-printed books are available with such titles as ‘I-Spy Creepy Crawlies’ or ‘I-Spy at the Seaside’ allowing children to spot and record those things they see around them. The best I-Spys are those which are made up by the families themselves. This avoids any outlay but also allows for greater relevance to your own trip and to the interests of the children participating.
The Lazy Parent Game Is For Larger Groups
This game allows the parent to relax at camp while simultaneously keeping the children amused. On a given signal the child has to run and touch something warm/cold/soft/white or any other adjective can be substituted. A variation on this is where the child has to bring an item, as suggested above, back with them. It is perhaps sensible to set a few ground rules before this game starts to avoid your children ransacking other people’s camps or picking wild flowers in their enthusiasm. This game works best where more than one child is involved which introduces a race element to the game.
Make Do Obstacle Course And Relay Races
Anything which you can find about camp or is a natural feature of your site can be utilized here. Poles, string, dead wood – all can be used to mark a particular spot where a given task has to be done. You can make this as silly or as serious as you like with such tasks as whistling a tune, drinking a glass of water or jumping on the spot. This game is only limited by your imagination and often the children’s suggestions for additions are the best of all once they have grasped what they are expected to do.
Lazy Volley Ball For Teen Campers
This game is surprisingly hard. Ask all participants to lie on their backs and well separated to avoid kicking each other. The object of the game is to pass a beach ball or other light-weight ball from person to person using only the feet.
Camp-Fire Stories For The Whole Family
There are so many possibilities of games involving stories that they could easily entertain families for the whole open space trip. Adults seem to enjoy these types of games as much as children although they may often be a little stilted to begin with. One of the versions involves each person writing down a few items -such as shark, Father Christmas, fork, guitar and so on – on separate pieces of paper which are all then put into a bowl or other container. Somebody begins a story. You will need to set a time limit and often the most fun can be had from very short limits of around 30 to 40 seconds. When the time is up the next person takes a piece of paper and continues the story that has begun but has to incorporate what is written down into the story.
Another story perfect game can be done in pairs with one of the two narrating and the other person having to mime whatever is being related. This summer camp trip game can get really silly as the narrator finds ever wilder ways to tie the person miming in knots. Places must then be exchanged to allow fair play.
It is always a good idea to have a back-up stock of board games and basic craft supplies such as glue, card, paper, crayons etc in case the weather keeps you indoors although many of the suggestions here can be adapted for rainy weather too. The Internet is a great place to get ideas for easy craft projects for a small group of campers or the almost endless game possibilities for just pen and paper.
Tent Games!
Camp Games for Teens – final thoughts
Many of the fun camping games for teens suggested here may finish up very differently to how they started out and the trick with all of them is to let that happen. You may be surprised at how many suggestions and variations of these campfire games children will themselves come up with once a few seeds of ideas have been planted.
You might also like my post on things to do with teen sons
More camp games for maximum fun
