Camping with kids can be a lot of fun! But, if you’ve ever taken your little ones out into those wide open spaces, you also know that it can be a lot of work.
You look forward to getting out into nature, spending your days in the sun and your nights relaxing under the stars while trying out some delicious camping recipes around the campfire.
Inevitably though, the dreaded “mom, I’m bored” line makes its way into your summer fun and you find yourself scrambling to fill the hours.
Fortunately, there are some fantastic, fun (and yes, simple!) camping games for kids that you can throw together to keep not only the little ones, but the entire family entertained for hours while you’re out visiting Mother Nature.
Feel like going a little old school? Sometimes the simple games that we played while growing still provide the most fun!
Hide and Seek
Gather up the kids and set boundary limits so that they now how far away they can hide. With really little ones you may want to make sure that they play in teams or have a buddy that stays with them.
Capture the Flag
An oldie but still a lot of fun! Nothing like a little healthy competition to get them running around (and tired out) before heading into bed for the night. Need a little refresher on the rules? What kid wouldn’t have a blast?!
Take the classics and give them a bit of a twist!
Sleeping Bag Races
A little twist on a classic but perfect for camping in the great outdoors! For an even better time, join in! Parents race the kids! Seriously, what kid wouldn’t love to see their parents hopping up and down in a sleeping bag while trying to beat them across the finish line?
Tic Tac Toe with Nature
Ready to wind down a bit? Need a quiet game while everyone rests? How about Tic Tac Toe? And no, you don’t need any paper or pencils.
Drip, Drip, Dunk
Putting a little bit of a spin on the classic Duck, Duck, Goose, this game is perfect for staying cool and beating the heat on those hot summer days. Check out Parties 4 Me for how to play.
Practice Your Aim
Tarp Toss Game
This tarp toss game not only keeps them busy, but it helps them work their hand-eye coordination and gets some good gross motor skill practice into the mix! It is so easy to make and you could take it along with you on camping trips for many years to come!
How cool is that?!
Target Practice
Make your targets, take aim, and fire! Who knows? Dad might even get in on the action as well!
Try Something New
Light up those wide open spaces with a few glow sticks! Stagger a few bottles in an open area and see who can reach the ones the furthest away.
No matter what you choose to do with them, glow sticks are always a hit with the younger crowd! In fact, if you’re looking for a few more glow in the dark activities, make sure you check out the Think Outside the Toy Box glow stick link up! There are some great ideas over there!
Builders and Bulldozers
A little like capture the flag (but a bit more chaotic), your kids will love this one! Mom and dad will love it too when the kids are happy, worn out, and quietly sleeping away in tent.
Builders and Bulldozers allows them to work as part of a team, while letting out some serious energy.
Not what you would typically think of when someone mentioned S’Mores, but it’s still a lot of fun! Gather the kids around the campfire and play a round or two as you’re settling in for the night. (Or maybe before the real S’Mores come out!)
Looking for more fun camping ideas? Here are a few of our favorites!
Love the tic tac toe game using nature objects
thanks for the idea.
Why won’t the link to the ring toss work? can you tell me what you used as a stake to toss the rings over? Thank you so much!
Ah that stinks! Sorry Emily! It looks like they removed the blog post. I have updated this post with a new link to an updated version. Hope that helps 🙂
You are so welcome Heather! We plan on having a few backyard camping trips of our this summer and these all looked like so much fun 🙂
Thanks Carrie! I’m so glad you like them 🙂 We’ll be trying out a few of them this summer for sure!
We will be doing some backyard camping and these are great ideas for the kids, thanks for sharing 🙂
Some great ideas!! Thank you for sharing at Sharing Saturday!
Great ideas. I remember going camping as a kid. I used to go search the campground for other kids to play with. I also loved exploring and climbing rocks. 😉
Thank you Christy! I loved going camping when I was younger! We haven’t had the chance to go since Skylar was born but hopefully this summer we’ll be able to get out there a little more. Exploring was always my favorite part of the trip 🙂