Great for camping! Recreation games for kids
Many families are probably planning to take their kids camping over the summer holidays.
Camping is exciting in so many ways, and in this article we introduce activities and games that will make your trip even more fun.
From active, physical play to popular everyday games kids already love, and nature experiences that even little ones can enjoy—there’s plenty to choose from! Take this opportunity to savor the special moments you can only experience at a campsite.
If you go over this with your child before you leave, you’ll surely hear, “I want to do this!” Get fully prepared, have a blast, and make the best memories!
- Outdoor games and recreational activities recommended for children
- [Play Right Away!] Exciting Recreation Games Recommended for Elementary School Students
- Fun recreational games that liven up outdoor activities
- Recommended for upper elementary grades! Exciting indoor recreation and games
- Play ideas kids can enjoy from 1st to 6th grade [indoors & outdoors]
- Outdoor Recreation Popularity Rankings
- Fostering Cooperation: Recommended Games to Enjoy in the Boy Scouts
- [Elementary School] Games and Recreational Activities to Enjoy at a Forest School Camp
- [Children’s Club] Easy and fun indoor games. Exciting party games
- Recommended outdoor games and recreational activities for lower elementary school children
- No worries even in the rain! Fun recreational activities you can do in the gym
- Recreation Activities That Excite Kids’ Clubs! Plans and Ideas Children Will Love
- [Elementary School] Indoor Games and Recreational Activities Recommended for Upper Primary Grades
Recommended for Camping! Recreation Games for Kids (1–10)
human disentanglement puzzle
Have you ever tried a disentanglement puzzle? It’s a toy where you separate two interlocked rings, and the “Human Knot” is the version you play with people.
Here’s how it works: First, participants form a circle and each person grabs the hands of two different people who are not standing next to them.
You can’t hold both hands of the same person.
Once everyone is connected, the game begins.
Work together to untangle the knot by ducking under and stepping over each other’s arms without letting go of hands.
The more people you have, the more fun it gets, so it’s a great recommendation when you’re looking for a game for a large group.
Let’s go hunting for wild animals.
If we don’t plan a few recreational activities for the camp, it’ll probably turn into a sluggish gathering.
This game is called “Let’s Go Hunting Wild Animals.” The leader says the name of an animal, and everyone forms groups based on the number of letters in that name, then sits down.
Anyone who can’t form a group and sit loses.
It also seems like good practice for young children to learn counting.
Finger Smash
This game started being called “Yubi-suma” after it was featured on the TV show SMAP×SMAP.
While regular Yubi-suma can be enjoyed with as few as two people, “human Yubi-suma” is a version where you play it using your whole body.
It’s more fun with a larger group, so it’s perfect for occasions like camping.
Starting from a bent position, you raise your upper body—but getting up quickly is surprisingly difficult.
[Great for camping!] Recreation games for kids (11–20)
Mölkky
Have you heard of “Mölkky,” which has been slowly catching on in Japan? Mölkky is a game where you throw a wooden stick to knock down pins marked with numbers, and you win by reaching exactly 50 points.
Originating in Finland, it’s now enjoyed as a sport with even a world championship.
It may sound very simple at first, but the rules are: if you knock down exactly one pin, you score the number written on that pin; if you knock down multiple pins, you score the number of pins knocked down, regardless of the numbers written on them.
Pins that fall but end up leaning on or overlapping with other pins don’t count.
And you’re not allowed to exceed 50 points.
It seems simple, but it’s surprisingly deep—easy to get hooked on!
Let’s make giant soap bubbles
This is an activity that children of any age can enjoy.
The items you need are a flat container such as a washbasin or plastic tray, dish soap, and frames made from wire.
Choose a flat container large enough to submerge the entire bubble-blowing frame at once.
You can make the frames from unused hangers or similar materials.
water balloon
Perfect for camping: let’s have fun with water balloons! You can easily buy them at 100-yen shops and the like, and kids love them.
You can fill them with water, blow them up, and throw them around, or even play with them like juggling balls—it’s fun either way.
You can also grab a bowl or a colander from your camping gear and play a game to see if you can catch the thrown water balloons.
If you catch it but it bursts, you’re out.
But honestly, it gets even more exciting when they pop (lol).
Collecting creatures with a bug-catching net
Fishing in a river is fun, but it might be a bit difficult for small children.
In that case, how about using a net to collect aquatic creatures? This way, you can easily gather small waterside animals and plants.
If an adult is present to explain what you’ve caught to the child, it can increase their knowledge and spark greater interest in aquatic life.