How to Make Camping Fun for Kids (and Enjoyable for the Whole Family)
Planning a family camping trip? This guide is packed with easy, screen-free family camping activities, camping games for families, and camping projects for kids—organized by age and designed for real-life camping trips. Perfect for keeping kids of all ages engaged while enjoying the great outdoors. Save this for your next camping adventure!
Camping with kids can be one of the best experiences you give your family… or it can feel like a long string of “I’m bored,” dirty socks, and someone crying in a sleeping bag at 10 p.m.
The difference usually isn’t the campsite, the weather or how “outdoorsy” your kids are. It’s having a handful of simple, screen-free family camping activities ready to go that meet kids where they are developmentally and make the camping experience feel fun instead of overwhelming.
We’ve camped with babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and older kids. We’ve been in state parks, national parks, and busy campgrounds with RV families and large groups.
What I’ve learned (the hard way) is this: you don’t need elaborate plans or extra cost. You just need a few great camping activities for kids that work in real life.
(And if you’re easing into outdoor sleeping, be sure to check out our backyard camping tips post. It’s a great way to prep kids before heading out into the great outdoors.)
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Why Camping Activities Matter More Than You Think
Camping strips away the usual distractions. No screens. No game room. No city lights. That’s a great opportunity for connection, but it can also leave kids unsure of what to do with all that open space and free time.
Having a loose plan helps:
- Reduce boredom and meltdowns
- Create quality family time
- Build a love of nature instead of frustration
- Make the entire family feel included
And the best camping activities don’t require much space, electricity, or complicated setup. Most can be done right at your camp site, around the picnic table or near the fire ring.
Camping Fun for Kids by Age Group
This guide is broken down by age ranges, includes ideas that work for rainy days, early mornings, and long afternoons, and mixes free ideas with a few optional items you can bring with you that are genuinely useful on your next camping trip.
Toddlers & Preschoolers (Ages 2–4)
This age group thrives on repetition, movement and simple sensory play. Keep activities short, flexible, and low-pressure.
Nature Scavenger Hunts (Toddler Version)
A nature scavenger hunt is one of the easiest ways to turn a campsite into an adventure. For younger children, keep it visual and simple:
- Pine needles
- A flat rock
- Tree bark
- Flower petals
- A leaf bigger than their hand
You can draw pictures on a piece of paper or just call things out verbally. It’s a perfect way to practice observation skills without turning it into a “task.”
Camp Chores as Play
Toddlers love feeling helpful. Gathering sticks for the camp fire, carrying water bottles or helping roll out sleeping bags can feel like a great activity instead of a chore.
Pretend Play + Campfire Stories
Even before kids understand full ghost stories, they love simple campfire stories with silly voices, animals, or friendly ghosts. Bonus: this doubles as a calming transition into quiet time before bed.
Flashlight Play
Once the sun sets, a simple flashlight becomes magic. Try:
- Flashlight tag (small area, clear boundaries)
- Shadow puppets against the tent
- Finding “hidden treasures” near the picnic table
Glow sticks and glow bracelets are another good idea here — no batteries, lots of fun. This is the set of flashlights my own kids had at this age. Sturdy enough to be dropped, and the bright colors means easy to spot when they set them down, too.
Bubbles are another great supply to bring for this age and can easily be picked up at Walmart or a local dollar store nearby if you’re in a pinch.
Young Kids (Ages 5–7)
This is a sweet spot for camping fun for kids. They’re imaginative, capable and eager to explore.
Nature Art & Camping Crafts
Set up a small craft bin with simple supplies and bring it with you:
- White paper or paper plates
- Hole punch
- Popsicle sticks
- Glue (or hot glue gun for adults if you’ll have power)
- Crayons or brown paint
- String
Then add natural materials they can source as their first activity:
- Leaves
- Pine needles
- Tree branches
- Flower petals
Ideas that work well:
- Nature mandalas
- Leaf rubbings
- A camping art project using sticks and bark
- Friendship bracelets
- These camping projects for kids support fine motor skills and creativity without screens.
Classic Outdoor Games
This is the perfect age for classic outdoor games like:
- Bean bag toss
- Ring toss
- Bocce ball
- Soccer balls in open space
- Water balloon fight
These fun family camping games don’t require much setup and work well for large groups or siblings with different skill levels.
Card Games & Board Games
Bring a deck of cards or one compact board game for downtime. Simple card games are great on a rainy day or during quiet afternoons at the picnic table.
Older Kids (Ages 8–12)
Older kids crave challenge, friendly competition and independence.
Camping Games for Families
These family camping games work especially well with older kids:
- Ladder toss
- Cornhole boards
- Tug of war
- Relay races
- Limbo (use a stick!)
You can split into teams, rotate the first player, and adjust rules so everyone feels included.
Photo Scavenger Hunt
A photo scavenger hunt is a fun twist that feels modern without screens. Use a printed list or write one on scratch paper:
- A bird
- Animal tracks
- A body of water
- A cool tree branch
Kids can describe what they found instead of taking photos if you’re avoiding devices completely.
Campfire Word Games
These are lifesavers when you’re sitting around the fire:
- Telephone: A phrase is whispered from person to person around the circle to see how much it changes by the end.
- Sound Train: Players agree on a starting sound (e.g., “sh”) and take turns saying a new word beginning with that sound. If someone can’t think of a word, they’re out or a new sound is chosen.
- Fortunately/Unfortunately: Players build a story one sentence at a time, alternating starting with “Fortunately” and “Unfortunately” (e.g., “Fortunately, I brought a boat. Unfortunately, it was full of beetles.”).
- Twenty Questions: One person thinks of a person, place or thing, and others ask “yes” or “no” questions to guess the answer within 20 tries.
- Name That Song: A player hums or whistles a tune, and others guess the song title.
- I Went to Market (Alphabet Game): The first player says, “I went to market and bought an…” (something starting with A). The next person repeats it, adds a B item, and so on.
- Word Associations: The first person says a word (e.g., “campfire”), and the next person says the first related word that comes to mind (e.g., “warmth”).
They’re quiet, creative, and perfect for winding down.
Teens & Tweens (Yes, Really)
Camping with older children can still be fun! In fact, you might even have MORE fun because this age is ready to do many of the activities the grown up’s might be interested in.
Family Hikes with Purpose
Long hikes can feel endless unless there’s a goal for kids:
- Bird watching with binoculars
- Spotting animal tracks
- Finding the best flat rock for skipping
- Give them leadership roles like map reader or trail spotter.
Campfire Conversations
Sometimes the best camping activities aren’t games at all. Sitting around the fire with snacks, ghost stories, or meaningful conversations often becomes one of the best parts of camping.
Rainy Day & Backup Camping Activities
Always plan for rain. A few backup plans can save the whole trip.
Good options for rainy day activities include:
- Card games
- Board games
- Reading a good book in sleeping bags
- Indoor-style scavenger hunts inside the tent or RV
- A fun craft
- Coloring books
- Camp games in the rain, as long as there’s no lightning or bad weather
Rainy days don’t have to ruin the camping experience. They often become favorite memories that kids look back on.
Simple Items Worth Packing for Family Camping Activities
You don’t need much, but these are great options that earn their keep on family camping trips:
- Glow sticks or glow bracelets
- Deck of cards
- Binoculars
- Bean bags
- Bubbles
- Coloring books and markers or crayons
- Craft kits for nature art (or one you DIY)
- Flashlights for each kid
- First aid kit (trust me on this)
- I also love these lanterns. They’re super bright, and they also have come in handy at home many times for us when the power has gone out.
A Note on Backyard Camping
If this is your first time camping as a family, or you’re traveling with younger kids, practicing in your own backyard is a perfect opportunity to test sleeping bags, nighttime routines, and expectations before your next family camping trip. I share some of my favorite tips for backyard camping here.
Final Thoughts: What Actually Makes Camping Fun for Kids
The truth? Kids don’t need packed schedules. They need:
- Time
- Open space
- A little structure
- Permission to play
Some of our favorite camping memories came from the simplest moments, like a treasure hunt at the campsite, laughing through a classic game or telling stories until the fire burned low.
Camping doesn’t have to be perfect to be meaningful! Fun camping activities can help make all the difference.
If you have a favorite camping activity for kids or other fun ideas for the whole family, I’d love to hear it. Drop it in the comments so other families can add it to their next camping trip.
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