Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Activities

NewFolks may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

8 incredible camping activities for your next family trip

Dawn Miller
By

You packed up the car and headed out for a fun camping vacation with the family. Now that the tents are pitched and the campsite is set, the kids turn to you with the same question you hear at home all too often: What is there to do? Just because you changed scenery doesn’t necessarily mean the kiddos will automatically be engaged or entertain themselves even in the great wide open, which is why you need to remember to pack a few camping activities for the kids.

Of course, the wonders of nature offer many wonderful adventures and memories; you just need to help things along with a few fun camping activities geared toward the kids.

Related Videos
family on a fun camping trip
Momkey Business Images/Shutterstock

Collect sticks

Gathering firewood may not sound like an exciting activity, but it is an essential part of camping, especially if the kids want to eat s’mores later. Divide the family into two teams. On your mark, get set, find sticks! The winning team gets to eat the first batch of s’mores.

Related

Nature walks

One of the reasons you want to go camping is to commune with nature. Unlike adults, kids need a bit of motivation to go on a walk or a hike even in the most breathtaking surroundings. Otherwise, the journey just seems like a very long walk without a purpose. So, to turn a nature walk into an upbeat excursion, have a scavenger hunt. Download a nature scavenger hunt online or create one of your own. Typical items for kids to find are squirrels, tree trunks, acorns, snails, frogs, butterflies, berries, birds, and a nest.

Another fun way to add pep into a nature walk is to turn it into a treasure hunt. Before you leave for the camping trip, take a box and have the kids place one of their treasures inside. Make up clues before you leave and designate a specific day on the trip for the treasure hunt. The first and last days of the camping trip are typically too busy. A day sandwiched in between is ideal. While the kids are asleep, set up the clues and hide the treasure. After breakfast, the clues await.

Bird watching

Watching birds and other animals in their natural habitats can be extremely entertaining, especially if your kids are interested in animals. Make watching birds and other animals go about their day more engaging by making your own binoculars. With a binocular-making kit, kids can spend time at the campsite making their binoculars before heading out into the wild to use them.

Night sky watching

Away from the glow of the city lights, the night sky is really breathtaking. It’s even more special when you get to see it through a telescope. Pack a handheld telescope designed for children to look at the stars every night. You can even have a constellation scavenger hunt by giving kids specific constellations like Orion and the Big and Little Dippers to find.

Field day

Consider the campground one big backyard. Take advantage of the open spaces and hold a “field day” much like the kids do in school right before the end of the year. Organize a game of cornhole, ring toss, kickball, and tug of war.

Flashlight tag

Up the classic hide-and-seek game by turning it into flashlight tag. One person is it and is in charge of the flashlight. The other family members hide. The person who is “It” must find the other players by shining a flashlight on them. Be sure to set boundaries before everyone runs and hides, so the kids know where they can and can’t hide.

Storytelling contest

Part of the adventure of heading out on a camping trip is being able to unplug. The WiFi isn’t going to work way out in the woods, but that doesn’t mean everyone doesn’t want to be entertained. Take turns telling stories each night around the campfire. On the last night, vote on whose story was the best. Ghost stories should be avoided if little kids are in the midst. You do want to get some sleep on the trip, after all.

Another way to tell stories is to have one person start a tale with a beginning line and continue the story around the campfire. If you can’t think of a line, “It was a dark and stormy night” always works in a pinch.

Read aloud

If most of the family members are not comfortable being put on the spot to tell a story, bring a fun children’s novel along. Have all the readers in the family take turns reading chapters out loud each night around the campfire or after each meal. Great chapter books to share as a family include:

A family camping trip makes for a different getaway that gets everyone to disconnect and get in touch with nature. Just remember that kids still appreciate the structure of having planned activities even when on vacation. So, when you pack all the supplies for the trip, include a go-to bag of extras loaded with camping activities to keep the kids engaged. In case Mother Nature rains on your parade, toss in a deck of cards, a board game, and prepackaged craft kits as sanity savers.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Make your Grand Canyon family vacation epic with these 5 tips
View of the sunset over the Grand Canyon

Heading to the Grand Canyon for an awe-inspiring family vacation? A Grand Canyon family vacation is definitely a must-do, especially if your family enjoys outdoor adventures. Located in northern Arizona, the Grand Canyon is over 270 miles long, 1 mile deep, and 18 miles wide. Scientists estimate the Grand Canyon to have formed over 6 million years ago, thanks to erosion from the Colorado River.

It's one of the U.S.'s most popular national parks and is on many a bucket list. Planning a Grand Canyon vacation for the family can be a bit overwhelming. There's so much to see and do, but if you're looking for something different, rather than just checking out the views, here are five awesome activities to make your family Grand Canyon vacation memorable.

Read more
Now is the perfect time for your family to exercise together – here’s how
Mom and daughter playing musical game

Any time is the ideal time to get the family exercising together. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 73 percent of adults over the age of 20 are overweight. Statistics also show 20 percent of kids ages six to 11 are overweight. Even kids as young as two are battling with obesity. A great way to get the entire family healthy is do incorporate daily exercise into the schedule for everyone. With work, school, and extracurricular schedules, setting aside time to exercise can be challenging. Getting the family moving doesn't have to take up a lot of time, and working out with kids forces adults to squeeze in daily exercise too. Now, you don't have to go to the gym to get a great workout or spend a fortune on gear. Here are some fun and easy ways to add exercise to your family's day.
Walk to school
If you live within close proximity to school, walking to and from school is a perfect pick for getting in the daily steps. Don't let inclement weather deter walks to and from school either. Kids love to walk in the rain and snow. All you need is a pair of wellies along with an umbrella to keep everyone dry.
Walk at practice
Younger siblings and parents spend a lot of time waiting around at practices. Make the most of those minutes by bringing the sneakers and a stroller if needed. Instead of standing around on the field or sitting in the car steaming shows in the parking lot, take a walk.
Take an after-dinner stroll
Once the dinner dishes are done and the kitchen is clean, have the whole family take a walk around the neighborhood. Bring the dog if you have one. An after-dinner walk doesn't have to be long, especially during busy work and school weeks. Aim for 15 to 20-minute walks, and make the after-dinner stroll longer on weekends.

Take a family bike ride
Change up the after-dinner walks with a family bike ride. A bike ride is a great way for the whole family to exercise. On weekends, try and explore bike paths in your area for more miles.
Dance
Don't let rain clouds or chilly temperatures keep the family from exercising. If the weather is bad, turn on upbeat music and have a family dance party. Aim for about 10 minutes or three songs.
Hold sports nights
Just like game or movie nights, hold a family sports night. If your kids are into hockey, soccer, basketball, baseball, or football organize the family into a fun game a couple of nights a week. To keep things fresh, try playing different sports kids don't usually play like dodge ball or badminton.
Tag
You're it! Tag is a universal game kids love to play, and when parents and caregivers get involved, it makes the game so much more exciting for kids. A few rounds of tag outside after dinner is a workout for everyone even the family dog.
Hide and seek
Another popular kids' game, hide and seek, can be a workout. Get multiple families involved to get those steps in.

Read more
What to do on Labor Day with your kids
What to do on Labor Day weekedn with your family

School may already be in session or just about ready to begin, but for kids and adults, Labor Day signals the unofficial end to summer. While many families pack up and head out for one final three-day weekend of summer fun, others choose to stay close to home. Just because you decide to have a laid back Labor Day doesn't mean you and the kids have to be bored. If you're looking for fun activities for the family on Labor Day, there are plenty of ways to relax and enjoy a day off before September school, sports, and extracurriculars amp up. Here are a few family-friendly suggestions about what to do on Labor Day.
Go to a local parade
Many towns across the country host a Labor Day parade to honor the origins of Labor Day. The federal holiday was created to celebrate the nation's workforce.

See a movie
Blockbuster movies traditionally aren't released on Labor Day weekend, but a day off from work and school is earmarked for a matinee and a bucket of movie theater popcorn. See what's playing at your local movie theater.
Take a hike
Lace up your sneakers and take a hike. There are always plenty of kid-friendly hiking trails within driving distance to explore. Whenever you take kids hiking, make sure to pack plenty of snacks and water.
Head to a national park
With 400 plus national parks and monuments across the United States, every state has a least one national park and probably more. Check out a national park in your state. To find one, visit the National Parks website. Labor Day is a federal holiday and national parks are run by the National Parks Service. Some like Gateway National Recreation Area in New York and New Jersey are open on Labor Day. Be sure to check the national park you're heading to is open on Labor Day.
Paddle a kayak
An afternoon in a kayak is a fun way to spend Labor Day. When kayaking with kids, an hour rental is usually enough. If you decide to go longer, come prepared with a picnic lunch to enjoy along the way.

Read more