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
- [Children’s Club] Easy and fun indoor games. Exciting party 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
- 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
- [For Kids] Fun Indoor Game Ideas for After-School Day Services
- Recreation Activities That Excite Kids’ Clubs! Plans and Ideas Children Will Love
[Great for camping!] Recreation games for kids (11–20)
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.
Treeing (tree climbing)
Tree climbing using a dedicated rope attached to a large tree branch.
Even small children can enjoy climbing trees.
You can grab the rope and swing through the air like Tarzan, or connect two ropes and sway like on a swing—there seem to be many ways to play.
Field Bingo
When you think of bingo, you probably picture a classic recreation game—but have you heard of Field Bingo, which you can enjoy out in nature? You fill in the blank squares with things, sounds, or phenomena you can find in the natural environment.
For example: birdsong, the names of insects like ants or grasshoppers, scents, nuts or fruit with signs of being eaten by animals, or spiderwebs.
Write these in the squares, then take your card with you as you explore outdoors.
When you find something you wrote down, mark it, and just like regular bingo, you complete the game when you line up a row vertically, horizontally, or diagonally.
After you’re done, share your thoughts—what you noticed, what was fun—and keep the excitement going.
slacklining
Slacklining is a game where you have fun balancing on a narrow, belt-like line.
It’s said to help develop balance and concentration, which can benefit other sports as well.
You simply string a slackline between two trees and walk across it, so setup is easy.
Beginners should start low and over short distances.
Kids are often surprisingly nimble, and many seem to be quite good at it.
Frisbee Target Game
Have you ever played frisbee? You might think, “You just throw it, right?” But since it’s a game that’s hard to play without a fairly large open space, many people may not have tried it yet.
That’s why it’s perfect for camping, where you’ve got plenty of room! There are various competitive sports that use a frisbee, but how about playing it as a game of target practice? Hang something that can serve as a target—like an empty can—from a tree branch with a string, then throw the frisbee from a distance and try to hit it.
It’s the kind of game that could have adults getting seriously into it (lol).
Recommended for Camping! Recreation and Games for Kids (21–30)
Gorilla Game
In elementary school, there are overnight study trips, right? At night, you sometimes have a campfire.
A great recommendation for a recreation activity at times like that is the “Gorilla Game.” The rules are simple: split into a questioner and an answerer, and the answerer must reply “gorilla” no matter what they’re asked.
Questions like “What’s your name?” or “What did you have for breakfast today?” are fun because answering “gorilla” makes everything hilariously mismatched.
It’s a popular activity with kids, so be sure to give it a try around the campfire!
