Camping trips should be fun for the entire family. The only thing required of you is that you’re willing to try something new and go about it with an open mind.
For me, one of the biggest benefits of family camping trips is I get to get away with my family.
During the day, it’s all about making sure the kids have a blast, and I have fun watching them have fun exploring nature and enjoying the many things the outdoors have to offer.
Once the kids are down for the night, I get to spend quality time with my husband and any other adult family members or friends who came along on the trip.
I also manage to squeeze a bit of alone time in, which I spend working on crossword puzzles, catching up on magazines I haven’t had time to read at home or perusing a good book.
This article discusses just some of the things people do for fun while camping.
Keep in mind that there are a lot of other things you can do, many of which are unique to the particular area where you’re camping. Some campgrounds have full rec areas complete with miniature golf and pool tables.
1. Baseball
As long as you have room to pack the gear, baseball (or softball, for that matter) can be a fun way to pass time. Don’t have room for all the gear? A broomstick and a couple tennis balls can be just as much fun.
2. Bike riding
You can buy a bike rack that allows you to attach bicycles to the back of your vehicle or you can call ahead and find a place that rents bicycles by the day. Some campsites have bikes available for a nominal fee.
3. Capture the flag
While your kids may have played the video game version of capture the flag in popular video games like Halo and Call of Duty, they probably haven’t played the real-life game it’s based on.
Two groups of kids are split up into teams, each of which has a flag. The goal of the game is to sneak into the opposing team’s base and grab their flag without getting tagged out. When a player gets tagged on the opposing team’s side, the player has to return to their base for a designated amount of time before heading out again.
The winner is the first team to capture the opposing team’s flag and return it to their base without getting caught.
4. Corn hole
Also called bean bag toss and baggo, to play corn hole all you need are 8 bean bags and 2 flat surfaces that are 2 feet by 4 feet with a 6″ hole centered 9 inches down from the top of the platforms.
The back end of the platforms should be raised a foot off the ground, leaving the platform sitting at an angle. Separate the platforms so there is 27 feet between the bottom edges of the platform.
5. Disc golf
I don’t know whether this holds true nationwide, but a number of campgrounds and parks in my area have disc golf courses set up that can be used for free or for a nominal fee.
The game is played similar to golf, but you use a Frisbee instead of a club and balls. The goal is to get the Frisbee into the basket in as few throws as possible.
Don’t have a course near you? Not a problem. An empty garbage can makes a great basket and can be moved around to create different “holes” to play.
6. Hide and Seek
Here’s an oldie, but goody.
Hide and seek is a time-honored game that kids nowadays rarely play. A base is chosen at the start of the game. One person is it and counts to a predetermined number while the rest of the players hide.
When the person who is it finished counting, he or she sets off looking for the hidden players. Players try to make it back to a designated base before they’re caught by the it person. The last person caught gets to choose who is it for the next game.
7. Horseshoes
Tossing horseshoes at a peg may not sound like fun, but it’s actually a great way to pass the time.
Here’s a quick and easy rundown of the rules to get you started:
- Games are either played until someone reaches 40 points or there are 40 shoes thrown by each person.
- Each player gets two horseshoes to pitch. One player pitches his horseshoes, and they’re followed by the next player’s horseshoes.
- Shoes have to be within a horseshoe’s width of the stake to be scored.
- The closest horseshoe to the stake scores one point in each round. If both of your shoes are closer than your opponent’s, you get 2 points.
- Ringers occur when the horseshoe encircles the stake. If you place a straight edge across the gap in the horseshoe and it touches the stake, it doesn’t count as a ringer. Ringers are worth 3 points. A ringer is cancelled if another player throws a ringer on top of it.
- If you have a ringer and the closest horseshoe in a round, you get 4 points.
- Leaners are shoes that are leaning against the stake. They count as one point. Ringers are considered closer to the stake than leaners when considering who gets the points for the closest stake.
8. Ladder toss
This game is played by throwing bolas, which are 2 balls connected by strings, at a PVC pipe ladder that has 3 rungs.
The top ladder is worth 1 point, the middle ladder 2 and the bottom ladder 3. Having a bola on each rung is worth 10 points.
Most games are played to 21 points and some variations of the game reverse the scoring, so the top rung is worth 3.
9. Lawn bowling
In this game, players roll 4 bowls in an attempt to get them the closest to a smaller white ball, known as a jack. Points are scored for each bowl the player has that’s closer to the jack than the other player’s bowls.
10. Rock climbing
Inexperienced climbers should take lessons before attempting to climb on their own. Rock climbing is a fun, albeit rather demanding, way to kill time. It isn’t for the faint of heart, but those in good shape with an adventurous side will love this pastime.
11. Spelunking
Hire a guide and go exploring local caves. You’ll be amazed by some of the stuff you find underground. Stalactites, stalagmites and all sorts of other interesting rock formations can be found deep beneath the surface of the earth.
12. Tag
Tag is a playground games that you can play while camping. It involves one player or a team of players chasing other players in an attempt to tag them. When an opposing player is tagged, they either become “it” or are out of the game until the next round.
13. Washers
The rules vary depending on where in the nation you’re playing washers, but the basic premise is the same. Toss washers into a cup to score points.
1″ washers are the washers of choice and the cups are set into a platform or dug into the ground so they’re level with the surface around them. Paint them different colors in groups of 4, so you’ll be able to tell them apart during a game.
Here’s a general scoring system you can use to play the game of washers:
- Washers that land in the cup are worth 5 points. If a player throws a washer in the cup after an opposing player lands a washer in it, the score is cancelled out and neither player scores.
- A hanger is a washer that hangs over the edge of the cup, but doesn’t fall in. These are worth 2 points if the hole in the washer doesn’t extend over the edge of the cup and 3 if it does.
- If no one gets a washer in the cup or a hanger, the player with the washer closest to the cup is awarded one point.
- The winner is the first person or team to reach or pass 21 points.
14. Card Games
Not into activities that are physically exerting? Don’t worry; you don’t have to sit around bored. Card games are a great way to pass time without ever having to leave the campsite. They’re a fun way to wrap up a long day and wind down before bed.
Get out a deck of cards and gather around the campfire. These games are fun for the whole family and easy enough that all but the smallest members of the family should be able to join in.
15. Boating
Rare is the campsite that doesn’t have some type of water nearby. Rivers, lakes, ponds and swimming pools all offer unique activities you can partake in to stave off boredom. There are literally thousands of things you can do in, around and on bodies of water.
If you have a boat, you’re probably no stranger to the long list of activities a boat opens up to you. You can find a quiet cove away from the crowded areas those without boats frequent where you can hang out and swim, fish or just relax for as long as you’d like.
You can explore the body of water you’re on, looking for something that piques your interest. Also, you can go skiing, tubing or wakeboarding, which are more strenuous, but are good ways to keep older kids and teenagers entertained.
No boat? No problem—many of the larger lakes and waterways have places you can rent a boat from.
16. Diving and Snorkeling
Tired of being above the water? Get below it by taking a diving or snorkeling trip. In a clear body of water, the vegetation and sea life there is swimming below the surface will amaze you.
17. Fishing
If you’re near a body of water that’s been around for a while and is at least a few feet deep, there’s a pretty good chance there’s fish in it.
New bodies of water can be tough to fish.
Bring your children with you to a local tackle shop and ask for help. Locals are much more likely to divulge information to a woman with children in tow, so ladies, this one’s up to you. You never know… the tips you get may help the kids catch dinner.
Be sure to check with your local fish and game agency to see if there are heavy metals or other contaminants in the water. You don’t want to eat the fish if there are.
18. Float around
Procure something that floats. Anything big enough to hold you afloat will work. A raft, a life vest, an inner tube, etc. Hop in the water and float around for a while. Be careful you don’t float too far out to sea or you’re going to have a tough time getting back.
19. Rafting
If there’s a river with a decent current nearby, floating down it in a raft can be a ton of fun. Some rivers are slow enough to enjoy in an inner tube, while others require large rafts and aren’t for the faint of heart.
20. Skipping rocks
Want a quick detour to the water to distract bored kids?
Find a body of water—pretty much any body of water will do—and teach your kids to skip rocks. Flat rocks work best.
Throw the rock so it hits the water and the flat side skims across the water. Skilled stone skippers can get a rock to skip 20 or more times before it sinks below the surface.
How many times can you get a rock to skip? We keep records for the day, the trip and there’s an all-time record of 10 skips set by my husband that no one else in the family has yet come close to.