I am always on the look-out for fun and new activities for kids while camping. Being out in nature offers so many possibilities for kids to engage in the natural world in fun and new ways. The whole experience of camping is fun and with a little creativity and planning there are tons of new activities for kids that can be part of your next adventure. Here are some ideas and games/toys we have done with our kids.
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.
- Riding bikes and scooters
- Nature hike with Outdoor Adventurer Kit – having these fun backpacks filled with explorer items like a hat and vest, binoculars, flashlight, and bug catchers is a great addition to make the kids nature hikes more involved and interesting. We like to add patches and pins from parks we visit to personalize the vests.
- painting rocks or making nature pictures – bring along a baggie of some washable paint and have the kids paint rocks to hide around the campground or find some interesting leaves and brush on paint to press onto paper to make some unique art
- yard games – you can find some inexpensive yard games to keep with the camping supplies to keep the kids entertained while you actually relax at the campsite!
- stomp rockets – this is one of our favorites! The kids will have a blast (literally) playing with the rockets, they generate the lift off by jumping on the launcher and they even light up for nighttime fun
- putting together the s’mores box – have the kids get involved with this camping tradition. I found this cute S’mores box with labeled dividers and kids love to help fill it with the goodies of their choice. You be can as creative as you want with your s’mores: milk chocolate, white chocolate, Reese’s cups, and Fudge Stripe Cookies are great to try.
- sidewalk chalk – kids can create some campsite art
- baby pool for the littles – keep the kids cool in the summer with a small pool and some beach toys
- glow necklaces – kids love to have these at night to wear or create custom bike accessories with
- rainbow campfire – another very cool addition to the campfire, but cook your food or s’mores first before adding this to the fire
- extra tent fort – we like to bring along an extra tent for the kids to have as their fort
I hope these ideas can be added to your next camping trip with kids. Enjoy and please check out some of our other posts about camping, cooking, and creating!