Camping with the family is one of my favorite things to do, especially when I plan ahead with our camping packing list. I find that when camping as a family it is a time we can all connect and spend time together. While we are camping we love playing camping games for kids to help reconnect and have fun.
Camping is the perfect escape and I am always looking for new places to camp and time to squeeze camping trips into our schedule.
So next time you are planning a camping trip with your family be sure to try some of these camping games for kids. Your kids will love playing these games and you will be thankful to have a list to pull from when your kids are searching for something new to play or do!
The Best Camping Games for Kids
Flashlight Tag
Tag is such a fun game to play and keeps the kids entertained after sunset and helps burn off energy while camping.
You can add some fun to this old school game and make it a great camping game for kids by playing it in the dark with flashlights.
All you need is some excited campers and flashlights.
Have the kids run around as if they were playing tag, but instead of tagging with their hands they will now be tagging the other person with the beam of their flashlight.
Once you have been tagged with a light you freeze. Once everyone has been tagged the winner is the last one remaining unfrozen.
Scavenger Hunt
A scavenger hunt is always a great idea while camping. Grab an outdoor scavenger hunt or a camping scavenger hunt to take with you!
If you make your own, be sure to include animals, plants, acorns, pinecones, colors, and flowers. Your list can be as long or as short as you want it to be. Just let your surroundings be your inspiration.
Glow In The Dark Ring Toss
Having a camping game for kids to play at night will be a great relief for you when you set them up for some fun after the sun goes down and they are looking for fun things to do!
Glow in the dark ring toss is a great game to play while camping and brings a great twist to this typical carnival-like game.
Take some soda cans or water bottles that you have laying around and set them up. Take your glow in the dark rings and have your kids toss the rings to try to get the ring around the cans or water bottles.
You can make this competitive by setting a time limit for how long it takes to get all your rings on the bottle or split up into teams and keeping score. Just don’t forget to pack the glow in the dark rings!
Campfire Storytelling Game
Camping games for kids should include one around a campfire. There is something about being around the campfire that makes camping so much more fun for kids.
All you do is sit around the campfire while each person takes turns adding a sentence to the story. You will for sure hear lots of giggles and interesting endings as you play the storytelling game.!
I Spy
I spy is a great game to play while camping. The kids will have a great time trying to challenge each other with what they are spying. Since you are typically outdoors while playing this game the sky’s the limit–literally!
Charades
A good game of charades is my family’s favorite game to play while camping. They love it when we add in new categories like “Disney Movies” or “Fast Food Places”. All you need to play are strips of paper with some words from certain categories on them and divide into teams.
Set your own rules before starting such as a time limit and if you can speak or not to speak in order to keep the peace!
Sleeping Bag Race
Grab those sleeping bags and let the fun begin. Gather the kids and their sleeping bags in a straight line and be sure to mark where the race will begin and end with a stick or something bright you have laying around your campsite.
Sleeping bag races are the same as a potato sack race just using their sleeping bags. Just keep in mind where you are racing as you do not want to race in muddy or wet areas because their sleeping bags will become wet.
Card Games
Camping is a great time for kids to learn the rules of simple card games that can bring hours of fun and entertainment. There are so many card games your kids can enjoy like Go Fish, Old Maid, Slap Jack, Uno, and so many more.
Red Light Green Light
Everyone loves a good game of Red Light Green Light. To play this game one person is chosen to be the caller. Have the caller stand about 15 feet away from the players with their back turned to them.
The other players then stand in a line facing then. When the caller calls Green Light; the other players move towards the caller until he spins around, calling Right Light.
Once Red Light is called and the caller has flipped around all the players stop. This keeps repeating until the first player reaches the caller and is the winner. The winner of Red Light Green Light is now the new game caller.
This game is classic just like hide and seek and charades but it is one of those games you do not want to forget on your list of camping games for kids.
Hide and Seek
Hide and Seek is such an old camping game but a good one. This game will for sure keep your campers busy for a long time. Depending on your campsite you might have to set up some boundaries that way your small campers do not seek out hiding places that are too far from the camping site.
Shadow Puppets
Shadow puppets are the perfect camping game for kids once the sun is down. Set up a light in the tent using either a lantern or flashlight and have your kids try to guess what each puppet is being made.
There you have it a great list of fun camping games for kids to try out on your next camping trip. All these games my kids enjoy while camping. We hope you enjoy having a new list to refer to when your own kids are seeking something new to do on your next camping adventure with your family!