Before you head on a camping trip, it’s good to know how to keep yourself and your camping crew entertained, which games you can play and songs you can sing around the campfire, how to celebrate seasonal holidays when camping, and how to plan a camping party.
How to keep entertained when camping?
There are plenty of ways to keep entertained while camping, from doing popular outdoor activities like hiking, mountain biking, or kayaking to playing games around the campfire, whittling, and card or board games.
What are popular camping activities?
Some of the most popular camping activities are listed below.
- Hiking
- Biking
- Trail running
- Geocaching
- Slacklining
- Scavenger hunts.
- Birding
- Photography
- Climbing trees
- Whittling
- Yoga
- Kayaking
- Swimming
- Paddleboarding
- Swimming
- Beach Volleyball
- Campfire games
- Dodgeball
- Cornhole
What are popular water-based camping activities?
The most popular water-based camping activities are listed below.
- Swimming
- Kayaking
- Fishing
- Canoeing
- Rock skipping
- Kayaking
- Boating
- Fishing
- Tubing
- Paddleboarding
- Boogie boarding
- Swimming
- Surfing
- Tubing
What nighttime camping activities are there?
Below, we’ve listed our favorite nighttime camping activities.
- Stargazing
- Building a campfire
- Campfire sing-a-long
- Campfire games
- Skits
- Toasting marshmallows/s’mores
What rainy-day camping activities are there?
Below, we’ve listed our favorite camping activities for rainy days.
- Reading a book
- Whittling (in the vestibule!)
- Cards
- Board games
- Coloring
- Hiking
- Water-based activities
What organized activities may be available at your campground?
Below, we’ve made a list of some organized activities that may be available at your camping ground.
- Hikes
- Mountain bike tours
- Canoeing
- Paddleboarding
- Kayaking
- Crafts
- Potlucks
- BBQs
- Group campfires
- Bingo
- Scavenger hunts
- Geocaching
- Games
What activities may there be outside the campground?
Depending on where you’re camping, outside your campground you may have access to rafting, hiking, mountain biking, water sports, historical tours, golf, wine tasting, and myriad other activities.
What educational camping activities are there for kids?
Below, we’ve made a list of some educational camping activities for kids.
- Learn how to identify plants, trees, insects, and wildlife
- Make tree rubbings
- Nature scavenger hunt
- Learn navigation
- Leant to make a campfire
- Educational nature hike
- Wilderness skills
- First aid skills
What camping activities involve survival skills?
Some camping activities that involved survival skills include building an improvised shelter, making a fire, orienteering, purifying water, and starting a fire without a lighter or matches.
Why play games around the campfire?
Playing campfire games is a great way to disconnect from those screens, pass the long nights, and have fun with your camping friends, whether you’re telling stories, playing active games, or just having fun with a spot of charades or card games.
What are some campfire storytelling games?
A few great camping games that involve storytelling include the Telephone Game, I Went to Market, Two Truths and a Lie, 20 Questions, Once Upon a Time, The Name Game, and
Fortunately/Unfortunately.
What are some physical campfire games?
A few more active and physical campfire games you and your camping crew can try out include capture the flag, Twister, The Plank Challenge, Bobsledding Bodies, Obstacle Course, Frisbee, and Tug of War.
What are some competitive camping games for adults?
Below, we’ve made a short list of competitive camping games for adults.
- Name That Song
- Geography Game
- Categories
- 20 Questions
- Prisoner Ball
- Cornholes
- Boat Race
What are some adult camping games to spark conversation?
The best camping games to spark conversation are Psychiatrists, Two Truths and a Lie, and Empire, all of which invite participants to share something about themselves that may be unknown to other members of the group.
What are some family camping games?
Some of the best camping games for families include Who Am I?, Numbers, Charades, Skits, The Name Game, Hot Potato, Stick Limbo, I Spy, and Frog.
What are some educational family camping games?
Below, we’ve made a short list of a few educational, family-friendly camping games you can try.
- Bananagrams
- Uno
- Geography Game
- Question Ball
- Alphabet Game
- Buzz
- Quizzes
What are some engaging camping games for teens?
Some engaging camping games for teens include Truth or Dare, Cards for Humanity, 20 Questions, and Who Am I?.
What are some competitive camping games for teens?
Below, we’ve made a short list of competitive camping games for teens.
- Tug of War
- Dance Off
- Name That Song
- Geography Game
- Categories
- 20 Questions
- Prisoner Ball
- Cornholes
- Boat Race
Why sing songs around the campfire?
Singing songs around the campfire is a great way to spend technology-free evenings at camp, to boost camaraderie, to entertain each other, and show off your sweet pipes!
What are some classic camping songs?
Some classic camping songs include “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen, Wild Mountain Thyme, “Take Me Home Country Roads” by John Denver, “Brown Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison, “Stand by Me” by Ben E. King, “Ring of Fire” by Johnny Cash, “Wagon Wheel” by Old Crow Medicine Show, “American Pie” by Don McLean, and “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond.
What are some modern camping songs?
Below, we’ve made a short list of some popular modern camping songs.
- Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol
- Upside Down by Jack Johnson
- Long Train Runnin’ by The Doobie Brothers
- Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) by Green Day
- Ho Hey by The Lumineers
- Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen (forgive us…!)
- Riptide by Vance Joy
- I Will Wait by Mumford & Sons
What are some classic campfire guitar songs?
Some of the most classic campfire guitar songs include Redemption Song by Bob Marley, House of the Rising Sun by The Animals, Hey Jude by The Beatles, Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison, Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond, and Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd.
What are some good sing-a-long campfire guitar songs?
Some great sing-a-long campfire guitar songs include American Pie by Don McLean, Let It Be by The Beatles, Take Me Home Country Roads by John Denver, I Walk The Line by Johnny Cash, Free Fallin’ by Tom Petty, Like a Rolling Stone by Bob Dylan, Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da by The Beatles, Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol, Down on the Corner by Creedence Clearwater Revival Stand by Me by Ben E. King, Upside Down by Jack Johnson, Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen, Mrs. Robinson by Simon & Garfunkel, Heart of Gold by Neil Young, and Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) by Green Day.
How to celebrate seasonal holidays when camping?
Whether you’re celebrating Christmas, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Easter, or anything else, the best way to celebrate at camp is to bring lightweight and brightly colored decorations, pack camp-friendly food and drinks, make a campfire, play games, and find a volunteer to crank out a few songs on the guitar.
How to decorate your campsite for Halloween?
Giving your campsite a touch of Halloween spookiness is easy to do. All you need are a few lanterns, a few decorations (have the kids make these at camp!), the obligatory pumpkins (also a job for the kids), a tombstone or two (cardboard or wood works), and some atmospheric string lighting.
What are some Halloween-themed camping games?
Below, we’ve made a short list of some fun, Halloween-themed camping games.
- Dunking for apples
- Spooky treasure/scavenger hunts
- Campsite trick or treat
- Pumpkin carving competition
- Pumpkin bowling (with glow sticks)
- Eyeball egg toss
How to decorate your campsite for Christmas?
You can decorate your campsite for Christmas with string lights, lanterns, and tying strips of tinsel between trees or attaching them to your RV.
What are some Christmas family camping games?
A few Christmas family camping games you might want to try include sled races, snowball fights, heads up, a Christmas scavenger hunt, and Christmas movie bingo.
What Christmas food can be cooked over a campfire?
Almost all Christmas food can be cooked over a campfire with a little creativity. Turkey (breast and legs) and roast beef can be cooked in a Dutch oven, while your veg and potatoes can be boiled in a pan. As for the stuffing and cranberry sauce, we recommend you prepare these at home!
How to decorate your campsite for Easter?
To decorate your campsite for Easter, bring along some colorful bunting, paint some hard-boiled eggs around the campfire and distribute them around camp, and have your kids make Easter bunnies with colored card or fabric.
What Easter food can be cooked over a campfire?
Below, we’ve made a list of Easter food you can easily cook over a campfire.
- Cooked fish
- Crockpot/Dutch oven pork roast
- Deviled eggs
- Split-pea soup
- Roast beef
- Frittata
- Cooked ham with maple and brown sugar
- Baked potatoes
- Roasted asparagus
- Skillet hot crossed buns
How do you plan a camping party?
Below, we’ve listed the steps to take to plan a great camping party.
- Consider the interests/tastes of all members of your camping crew
- Bring decorations
- Delegate duties to share cooking and baking responsibilities
- Plan games and activities
- Keep cooking simple
- Plan for cake transportation
- Don’t forget the music!
What are some camping party food ideas?
Below, we’ve listed some great camping party food ideas.
- Hamburgers and Hot Dogs
- Grilled Corn
- Campfire Pizza
- BBQ Chicken
- Campfire Nachos
- Pigs in a Blankets
- Campfire Toasted S’mores and Marshmallows
- Forest Berries
- Campfire Cones
- Fruit Skewers
What are some camping party game ideas?
Some of our favorite camping party games include The Telephone Game/Chinese Whispers, I Went To Market, Once Upon a Time, Whistling Crackers, Stick Limbo, Hot Potato, The Name Game, Two Truths and a Lie, 20 Questions, and Fortunately & Unfortunately
What are some campfire activity ideas for a camping party?
A few fun activities you can do at a camping party include charades, storytelling, stargazing, roasting marshmallows, card games, and sing-a-longs.
How to organize a scavenger hunt at a camping party?
The best way to organize a nature scavenger hunt at a camping party is to make a list of all items that the ‘hunters’ may find in the area before leaving home and make a printout of these items (with images for young kids). Once you get to camp, create groups of two or three (one adult per group with kids) and then get the hunt underway after establishing a firm return time.
What are some scavenger hunt ideas for a camping party?
Below, we’ve made a short list of nature scavenger hunt ideas.
- Sensory scavenger hunt
- Alphabet scavenger hunt
- Nighttime scavenger hunt
- Photo scavenger hunt
- Experiences scavenger hunt
- Tick the picture scavenger hunt
What other activities are great when going camping?
Some of our favorite camping activities are listed below.
- Campfire dessert cook-ups (s’mores, marshmallows, chocolate-banana melts)
- Stargazing
- Fishing
- Building sandcastles
- Cornholes
- Geocaching
- Tag
- Capture the flag
Where to camp for the best stargazing?
Below, we’ve included a short list of some of the best places for stargazing in the US.
- Headlands International Dark Sky Park, Michigan
- Glacier NationalPark, Montana
- Craters of the Moon National Park, Idaho
- Chiricahua National Monument, Arizona
- Alaska
- Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
- Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
- Canyonlands National Park, Utah
- Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
- Cherry Springs State Park, Pennsylvania
- Joshua Tree National Park, California
- Big Bend National Park, Texas
When is best for camping stargazing?
The best times for stargazing are in the days immediately before and after each new moon, when moonlight is less bright, thus making the stars more visible.
The ‘stargazing season’ runs from fall through early spring. While stargazing is possible in summer, fewer hours of darkness means there’s a shorter window for observation.
What equipment is needed for camping photography?
Below, we’ve made a short list of the equipment needed for camping photography.
- Tripod chair or sit mat
- Sturdy camera tripod
- Comfortable camera strap
- Camera with interchangeable lenses
- Lenses covering a wide range of focal lengths
- Lens filters
- Waterproof camera backpack
- Shutter release remote
- L-bracket
- Umbrella
- Camouflaged clothing
- The Ten Essentials
- An empty, dry cooler to store your gear in
How to protect camera equipment when camping?
These are our top tips for protecting your camera equipment while camping.
- Never change lenses in a dusty or sandy environment
- Bring a rain cover for the camera body
- Bring hoods for your lenses
- Store your camera in the shade (use an empty cooler at camp!)
- Store equipment in airtight, resealable plastic bags
- In humid conditions, place desiccant packs inside your camera bag and keep your camera in an airtight bag
- In cold weather, keep batteries close to your body to prevent energy drain
What is camping birding?
Birding is simply the act of observing or searching for different species of birds in the outdoors, often using binoculars or a telescope, and traveling to different locations at different times of year to catch certain species during migration.
Can you attract birds to your campsite?
The easiest way to attract birds to your campsite is to hang a few feeders in the surrounding trees. Be warned, however, that doing so may invite other opportunistic guests from the animal kingdom!
Why journal when camping?
Journaling is a great way to record your camping adventures and give yourself (and family members) something to look back on years down the line. The journal itself could also become a cherished keepsake. Lastly, journaling has practical value in helping you learn from mistakes and successes and by providing something you can refer to if returning to the camping locations you’ve written about.
How to start a camping journal?
To start a camping journal, simply buy a portable journal and find somewhere safe (and dry) to stash it, then begin recording your camping experiences, from planning and prep all the way through to post-trip cleanup!
What can you forage when camping?
Below, we’ve made a list of some foods you might forage when camping.
- Ground elder
- Stinging nettle
- Wild garlic
- Dandelion
- Plantain
- Blackberries.
- Huckleberries
- Blueberries
- Blackberries
- Strawberries
- Raspberries
- Salmonberries
- Ramps
- Nettles
What shouldn’t you forage when camping?
The main thing you should avoid foraging for is mushrooms. Although some mushrooms are harmless and edible, many are poisonous, so should be avoided unless you are an expert.
Why whittle wood when camping?
Whittling is a fun, meditative, and harmless (if you use dead wood and watch those fingers!) activity that may even lead to the creation of a few practical or ornamental items. Best of all, learning how to whittle is easy and requires no special tools!
How to maintain whittling tools when camping?
To maintain your whittling knife when camping, bring a sharpening or whetting stone or a honing rod, or do it the old-fashioned way with a rock.