[Campfire] Carefully selected fun games recommended for recreation!
For many of us, campfires stand out as some of the most vivid memories from childhood.
Whether you were startled by the leaping flames or found yourself gazing at them in quiet contemplation, the magical glow has a way of lifting your spirits.
In this article, we’ll introduce recreational activities that will liven up any campfire gathering.
These ideas work even in dim outdoor settings and are suitable for groups of all sizes, from small to large.
May they help create joyful memories for everyone gathered around the same fire.
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[Campfire] Carefully selected fun games recommended for recreation! (21–30)
Quiz tournament
Just because it’s a campfire doesn’t mean you have to stick to outdoor recreation—why not try some games you can enjoy indoors, too? A quiz contest works even if it’s a bit dark, and you don’t have to worry about the number of participants.
Questions about popular anime, history, or fun facts that become handy trivia are great because they’re enjoyable regardless of the group’s age range or interests.
Use a show-of-hands rule, and let the person who raises their hand first answer!
Catch
Let me introduce a game called “Catch” that’s fun with either a small or large group.
It’s a very simple and easy game, but you’ll find yourselves getting surprisingly fired up as you play.
Everyone stands in a circle.
Make your right hand into a tube, like a fist with a hole, and point it toward the person on your right.
With your left hand, extend your index finger and insert it into the tube made by the person on your left.
When the caller shouts “Catch!”, everyone must try to catch the finger of the person on their right with their right-hand tube, while at the same time pulling their own left index finger away to escape—so your two hands do opposite actions simultaneously.
Be careful: the caller will try to fake you out by saying words that start with “ca-” instead of “catch”!
[Campfire] Carefully Selected Fun Games Recommended for Recreation! (31–40)
Tree and Squirrel
Do you know the game called “Tree and Squirrel”? Everyone except the tagger forms groups of three.
Two people face each other and hold hands to make a “tree,” and the third person becomes the “squirrel,” standing between the two, inside the tree.
The tagger calls out one of three phrases, and everyone moves accordingly.
If they say “The hunter is coming,” the squirrels leave their current trees and go into different trees.
If they say “The woodcutter is coming,” the trees break apart, find new partners to form new trees, and let a squirrel in.
If they say “A storm is coming,” both trees and squirrels disperse and form new groups of three with new trees and new squirrels.
The tagger can jump into a trio the moment everyone moves, becoming either a tree or a squirrel.
Whoever is left without a spot becomes the next tagger.
Shiritori
Let’s play shiritori, the classic of classics among recreation and time-killing games! Shiritori can go on forever as long as the word doesn’t end with “n,” but there are rules like not repeating the same word.
The more people you have, the tougher the game gets, right? And if you think regular shiritori is too easy, why not try “themed shiritori”? Setting a theme—like only animal names or only bird names—adds a fun constraint, makes it much harder, and really livens things up!
Let’s go hunt wild beasts.
Let’s play the sing-along game “Let’s Go Hunt Wild Beasts”! It’s a recreational game that people of all ages—from small children to adults—can enjoy together.
Like a round, you proceed while singing the same lines repeatedly, and at the end you form groups based on the number of syllables in the last named wild animal.
Anyone who can’t join a group gets “eaten” by the beast.
For example, if the named animal is “raion” (lion in Japanese), you form groups of four.
Try featuring lots of wild animals like tigers, gorillas, lions, Asian black bears, and more!
Child of Abraham
A singing-and-movement game called “Abraham’s Children.” Many of you probably sang and played it as kids.
The lyrics are very simple and go up to verse eight, with new parts of the body added only at the end of each verse.
It goes right hand, left hand, right foot, left foot, head, bottom, then in the seventh verse you spin around on the spot, and finally it ends with “The end!” Each movement is added as you go, so by the time the song finishes your whole body is moving.
It’s easy to add your own original lyrics, and it’s a game that even very young children can enjoy.
Unchaka
It doesn’t have any game-like elements, but it’s a great act to kick off and energize a campfire.
Just the name “Unchaka” gives off a cheerful vibe, don’t you think? The leader slaps both knees and shouts, “Unchaka!” Everyone else should imitate the leader.
Next, the leader says, “Unchaka! Rakachaka!” so copy that and slap your knees the same way.
Repeat this twice, and when the leader says, “Unchaka! Rakachaka! Rakachaka! Poo,” while thrusting both hands forward, follow along.
That’s all there is to it, but it actually gets surprisingly lively.
You can also spice it up by adding different moves during the repeated parts.
