Best Camping Activities for Kids
Camping with kids presents excellent bonding opportunity for the whole family. Here are the best camping activities for kids to keep them entertained and alert this camping season.
Our kids love camping. My middle child will say ” except for the mosquitoes” but still, these kids welcome every opportunity to spend days in a beautiful campsite.
We have been camping since our children were little. My youngest was 3 when we started. Camping is one of our favorite things to do in the summer. Over the years, we have developed activities to keep us all entertained.
Whether it’s rainy or sunny, these family friendly camping activities are reliable ways to keep the whole family engaged.
Best Camping Activities For Kids
1. Dice and Board games
Dice and board games work well when you want to relax and have downtime while camping. They keep the kids preoccupied without too much physical exertion. Examples include backgammon, Yahtzee, Hive Pocket, scrabble, Bugle and chess.
2. Cards
Kid-friendly card games are our favorite when camping. Good examples include crazy Eight, Go fish, Rummy, I Doubt it, War, and Uno.
3. The Hunt for Ice Cream
This one is probably my favorite! The moment we arrive at any camp site, it has been my habit to look around for the nearest store ice cream store!
4. Scavenger hunt and treasure hunting
A camping trip with kids may not be complete without a scavenger hunt game. It keeps them active and engaged for a long time as they try to spot different specific items hidden in the campsite or the outdoors.
5. I Spy
For us, I Spy begins well ahead while we are driving to the camp ground 🙂
6. Biking
If your campsite allows biking, bring your bikes with you and enjoy biking with your kids.
7. Nature walk/Hiking
Taking a nature walk in the wild can be a refreshing activity. Encourage the kids to explore their vicinity and spot animals, insects, trees, and birds they might come across. My favorite is walking around teh campsite under the moon light.
8. Stargazing
If the weather allows, spend some time exploring the stars at night while camping. Download stargazing apps such as Sky Safari to help you understand the constellations you see.
9. Build a campfire
As you unwind after a long day, create wonderful camping memories by the campfire. Roast s’mores, tell stories and sing silly songs that excite the kids and keep them entertained.
10. Bird watching
Carry binoculars if you go camping in the wild for birdwatching. Buy a journal and let the kids note down everything they see about a bird- color, size, habitat, sound, the shape of the beak, etc.
Try to see if you can identify the bird later by matching the descriptions in a field guidebook.
11. Swimming
Our girls’ favorite! Even if the water is dead cold- they still love it! Fishing
Fishing is a good way to spend time with kids while camping close to a water body.
12. Sketch what you see
Carry notebooks and spend a lazy afternoon with your kids sketching whatever they see. It could be a landscape or a wild animal.
13. Cooking
Allow the kids to help you prepare delicious camping meals. From the basic s’mores, a grilled hotdog to a a scrambled egg, my kids love “cooking” with a scenery.
