A performance to liven up the campfire
How do you like to enjoy a campfire?
It’s nice to relax while watching the flames or chat with your friends, but it’s also fun to put on performances or play games together!
In this article, we’ll introduce some activities you might want to try during a campfire.
Along with skits, songs, and dances, we’ll also share plenty of easy games that everyone can enjoy—be sure to use them as a reference!
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- Songs you can dance to around the campfire. A roundup of recommended tracks for dancing.
- [Elementary School Rec] Recommended Games and Performances for a Fun Party
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Activities to liven up a campfire (21–30)
Rock-Paper-Scissors Relay
I also recommend a rock-paper-scissors relay that lets you practice teamwork.
First, split into two teams and have each team form a line.
The person at the front holds the baton and plays rock-paper-scissors with the next person.
If they win, they get to take the baton.
Repeat this, aiming to pass the baton all the way to the last person before the other team.
Of course, cheating is not allowed, but try to predict what your opponent will throw as you play.
By the way, a rolled-up newspaper makes a good baton.
Unchaka
There’s no gameplay to it, but it’s a great act to kick off and liven up a campfire.
Just the name “Unchaka” gives off a cheerful vibe, doesn’t it? The leader slaps both knees and shouts, “Unchaka!” Everyone else should copy the leader.
Next, the leader says, “Unchaka! Rakachaka!” so imitate that and slap your knees the same way.
Repeat that twice, and when the leader says, “Unchaka! Rakachaka! Rakachaka! Poo,” while thrusting both hands forward, copy that too.
That’s all there is to it, but it surprisingly gets everyone hyped.
You can also add your own twists, like mixing in different moves during the repeated parts.
Performances to liven up a campfire (31–40)
Camp Bingo
Let us introduce “Camp Bingo,” a game that uses bingo cards illustrated with camping items like campfires, tents, and lanterns.
Participants check off the items on their cards as they find or experience them at the campsite.
It’s enjoyable for both kids and adults and helps build observational skills in nature.
Because it feels like a game, it easily livens up the atmosphere and gives participants a chance to break the ice.
Preparation is simple, and the charm lies in how everyone can have fun together in a lively, social way.
Puzzle-solving game
When you think of campfires, songs and dances are the classics, but a great new staple we recommend is puzzle-solving games.
They’re an intellectual recreation you can enjoy even in the dark, ranging from simple to aha-moment challenges—like wordplay puzzles that ask what a string of hiragana is pointing to, or cipher-style questions using arrows and kanji.
They’re fun for everyone from kids to adults, and you can adjust the difficulty to suit the group size and age range.
You can tackle them solo or enjoy them as team competitions—there are many ways to play.
Give them a try!
the next one over
It’s an icebreaker game that makes the most of a campfire circle.
One person starts by sharing their name and some info like things they like.
The next person repeats the previous person’s introduction and then adds their own.
This continues around the circle, and everyone enjoys seeing how long the chain of introductions can go.
The goal is to make it through the whole group, but it gets harder as the number of people increases.
It’s also a great way to learn about the other participants, so it’s especially recommended when there are people meeting for the first time.
True or False Quiz
A true-or-false quiz that anyone can enjoy intuitively, even with a large group.
You often see it on TV quiz shows.
Since you answer with either O (true) or X (false), no one gets bored just because they don’t know the exact answer.
Think on instinct, move, and go to the side you believe is correct.
Those who get it wrong are eliminated, and only the winners remain to play another round—using this last-person-standing format to decide the champion can really hype things up.
If there isn’t space to move around, you can still have fun by having those who think it’s O raise their right hand and those who think it’s X raise their left hand.
Hoka-hoka Janken
When you want to get everyone pumped up in a team competition, “Hokahoka Rock-Paper-Scissors” is also recommended.
It’s like a team-based version of rock-paper-scissors.
First, a representative from each team comes to the front and plays.
The losing side then swaps in a new representative.
During each round, there’s a rule for the chants: the winning team says, “We won, we won, Hokka Hokka Jan,” while the losing team says, “Don’t lose next time, Hokka Hokka Jan.” Letting each team adapt the chant can also help strengthen team unity.