Camping is often a difficult activity to pull off with kids in tow. For those who remember the backcountry experience from their childhood, or are just looking for some new ideas on how to spend quality time together without having to leave home, here’s 21 fun camping activities that will get you outdoors and away from civilization all within your own backyard.
The “family camping activities” is a list of 21 fun activities that you can do at night with your family. The list includes things like making s’mores and playing games.
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Camping with your family is a wonderful opportunity to spend quality time together away from the distractions of everyday life. Your days will be spent hiking, swimming, and cooking over a campfire.
The party doesn’t have to finish when the sun sets! Being outdoors with the stars twinkling above you is a thrilling experience. In the dark, there are lots of amusing and enjoyable activities.
Take a peek at our selection. We’ve compiled a list of 21 entertaining camping activities to do with your family at night. There’s something for everyone, no matter how old your kids are.
In the Dark Activities and Games
Is there still a lot of energy after the sun has set? That’s a good thing, since even in the dark, there are some fun ways to spend time with your family.
1.Fairy lights twinkling
This is a terrific way to start your first night of camping and will appeal to smaller children. While you set up the campground, have your kids wait in the tent.
Throughout the camp, string strands of flashing LED lights. Plant them in shrubs and trees. Drape them over a rocky outcropping. Your children will like the fantastic setting you’ve created.
2. Swimming at night
Swimming in the lake beneath the stars may be refreshing and calming at the conclusion of a long, hot day. Put your swimsuits on and get your towels before heading to the beach.
Being in the ocean at night has a unique vibe. As it echoes in the dark, water seems to sound different. You and your family will enjoy splashing about in the water before returning to a warm fire and hot chocolate.
3. Hiking at night
Dark adventures are enjoyable for people of all ages. Taking a stroll in the dark has a strange quality to it. To begin, use headlamps, lanterns, and flashlights to illuminate your path. Your eyes will soon adapt to the darkness if night is not overcast and the moon is visible.
Explore the environment around your campground by walking along neighboring routes, trails, and roads. Make careful to switch off all the lights every now and again. You could hear the noises of nocturnal animals scurrying around in the dark.
4. Observing the stars
You don’t know how many stars are up there when you live in a city. Now that you’ve gotten away from the city lights, stargazing is a necessity! Simply lie down on some blankets and gaze up at the sky. Locate your favorite constellations and see if you can find them.
Bring an astronomy book if your children are aspiring astronomers so you can identify some lesser-known stars and galaxies. Before calling it a night, spend some peaceful time with your family by gazing at the sky.
Hide-and-seek with a flashlight
In the dark, hide-and-seek is a lot more fun! The flashlight is held by one person who is “it.” Everyone else swiftly moves into the dark, hiding behind trees and shrubs as “it” shuts their eyes.
“It” switches on the flashlight and searches for the others after counting to 50. The first person discovered becomes “it.”
The more individuals that play this hide-and-seek game, the more enjoyable it becomes. If there are other families camping on the same campsite as you, this is a terrific opportunity to include them as well! At the same time, make new pals.
6. Scavenger hunt with a flashlight
Scavenger hunts are always entertaining, no matter where you go. Allow everyone to wait in the tent while you go around the campground hiding various objects. Make sure the things are visible using a flashlight.
Provide everyone with hints and a lamp or lantern. Then it’s time to go hunting! Make sure that smaller children are accompanied by an older kid so that they do not get disoriented and lost in the dark.
7. In the dark bowling
This game is enjoyed by children of all ages. Everyone will have a good time bowling in the dark. You may prepare for this game at home and just carry everything you’ll need with the rest of your camping supplies. You’ll need six 2-liter plastic bottles that are empty.
Put a glow stick in each bottle, if possible in various colors. Place the “pins” wherever that is flat. And then begin bowling. To prevent younger children from becoming irritated, use a bigger ball, such as a soccer ball.
A baseball will suffice for older children and adults. Have rewards ready for the top scorers.
8. Flashlight dance party
When you have torches, a dark night, and the stars overhead, who needs a disco ball? Children should be given flashlights with colorful lenses. Turn up some music and have everyone dancing with a flashlight.
This is an excellent approach to exhaust your children if they still have some energy at the end of the day. Don’t be afraid to speak out. Adults must participate in the dance.
9. Ring toss with glow sticks
Once the sun sets, this is another wonderful game for all ages. By purchasing circular glow-in-the-dark sticks from a discount or party shop, you may create your own glow-in-the-dark ring throw game. Then just pound some craft shop wooden pegs into the ground.
If you don’t want to create your own, glow-in-the-dark games may be purchased online or at a toy shop for a reasonable price. Glow-in-the-dark darts are another wonderful pastime for your camping vacation if you’re purchasing.
Activities in the Tent at Night
Plan things to do in the tent on rainy evenings. Or if everyone has settled inside the tent but isn’t quite ready to sleep.
charades and shadow puppets
Make shadow puppets using a flashlight and empty space on the tent wall. Play a game of shadow charades with older children. Pick a topic, such as movies. Allow one person to hold the flashlight while another acts out the hoax for the rest of the group to guess.
This is a simple exercise, but it’s a lovely way to spend some quiet time together before the lights go off.
Board games (nine)
Pack a couple board games if you have space. If you have small children, use simpler activities, while older children should play lengthier games. There are so many to select from, but since room is limited, bring family favorites like Yahtzee, Snakes and Ladders, and Trouble.
Or, why not surprise everyone by picking up a new game just for your camping trip? Because you’ll all be sleeping in the same tent, you’ll have a lot of fun and everyone’s complete attention!
12. Bingo with tents
Download and print camping-themed bingo cards before leaving home. Print out photos of the objects on the cards you’ll be calling out. Place them in a basin after cutting them up.
To use as markers, gather some tiny rocks and stones from about the campground. And get ready to play tent bingo!
This is a fun game for younger children. It’s a simple and soothing game for them to enjoy at the end of the day.
Reading with the family
Bring a couple books with you and prepare to read aloud. Prepare everyone for bed by tucking them into their sleeping bags for the night. Choose one person to read by lantern or flashlight.
Before your camping excursion, go to the library and look for literature about camping. The books you choose will be determined by your children’s ages.
“Scaredy Squirrel Goes Camping” and “Curious George Goes Camping” are good selections for younger children. “The Camp-Out Mystery – The Boxcar Children” is a fantastic choice for older kids.
14. Alone reading
If your family likes reading, have everyone bring the book they’re currently reading. This is similar to family read-aloud time, only you’ll be reading on your own.
Before the lights go off, the atmosphere in your tent will be warm and comfortable, with everyone reading their own book.
Around the Campfire Laughter
One of the most enjoyable aspects of camping is the campfire. The sound of the fire crackling and roaring. Flames glowed in the night. While you’re all sitting around the fire at night, there are several fun things you may perform.
15. Songs and music
It’s a terrific way to get everyone engaged by making music and singing songs around the fire. If someone in your group plays the guitar, bring it along on your camping vacation. Bring any other instruments you have, such as bells, triangles, and harmonicas, if you have them. Alternatively, use a pot as a drum.
Half the joy is improvising with what you have. Popular campfire tunes like “The Bear Went Over the Mountain” and “Do Your Ears Hang Low” will get you moving. Alternatively, sing any well-known tune. Any song that is performed over a campfire is a campfire song!
16. Telling stories
You’ve probably sat around the campfire telling tales as a youngster if you’ve gone camping. It may seem quaint, but sharing stories is just as enjoyable now as it was then.
Have a few of ghost stories on available if your kids are interested. In the dark, everyone enjoys being a bit scared. Tell tales to smaller children that will not keep them up all night!
The ark of Noah
This game is perfect for small ones who like a good laugh about animals. The first player enters the ark by selecting an animal that begins with the letter “A,” such as an alligator. For the ark, the next player must choose two “B” animals, such as two bears. It goes on and on.
This game may need some assistance from the younger players. Allow youngsters to make up their own creatures to make things even more ridiculous.
18. Using a flashlight, I spy
Another game to play in the dark with a flashlight. Give everyone a flashlight or a headlamp. The first participant in the game uses their light to spy something around the campfire and campground for the others to locate while everyone else has their eyes closed.
Use flashlights with colorful lenses to add to the excitement!
19. Fireside activities
After a hard day, you may simply want to relax and spend some quality time with your family. It’s a lovely way to conclude the day by playing games around the fire. Choose games that don’t need any setup and can be played while everyone is seated around the fire pit.
Here are some basic game ideas for all ages:
Charades
Dare or truth
Uno, Go Fish, and Old Maid are examples of card games.
20. Family gossip
We don’t frequently get the chance to just sit down with our family and talk…about whatever comes to mind. Camping keeps you active and on the move even throughout the day as you walk, ride, and swim.
The greatest moment to simply interact with each other is at night around the campfire, with no other noises around save the fire. Talk about your camping experiences. What was the highlight of the day for everyone?
This is why you decided to go camping in the first place: to spend quality time with your family.
21. It’s time for marshmallows!
After a good day outdoors, what youngster or adult doesn’t like toasting marshmallows over the campfire? Prepare chocolate and graham crackers to create s’mores after the marshmallows are sufficiently roasted.
These marshmallow sweets that melt in your mouth have become a camping staple.
The Best Time to Have Fun is at Night!
You won’t run out of things to do with your family with these 21 camping activities to do at night! Plan a few of new activities for each night if you’re camping for a few nights.
With so many enjoyable activities, the greatest part of your camping vacation could simply be as the sun sets… The moon and stars shine brightly!
The “summer camp night games” is a blog post that features 21 fun camping activities to do at night with your family. The activities are for both adults and children.
