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
Recommended for Camping! Recreation Games for Kids (41–50)
Beef Tongue Game
The Gyutan Game is a simple activity that’s sure to captivate everyone from kids to adults.
It needs no equipment and really gets people fired up, so it’s perfect for camp recreation too! Players face each other with their palms together and clap in turn to the rhythm: “gyu, tan, gyu, tan, gyu-tan-tan…” As the number of “tan”s increases, anyone who falls behind the rhythm or messes up the order loses.
Once you get the hang of it, speeding up the tempo makes it even more exciting!
kick the can
The fun thing about can-kicking is that you can enjoy it in wide-open places like campgrounds.
It has elements of tag, so hiding and running away is exciting.
It’s also great to plan strategies with your friends.
The key is to time your kick of the can just right.
The rules can vary by region, so feel free to play with whichever rules you like.
Get moving and strengthen your bonds with friends!
CC family
This is a game that uses the CC Lemon beverage commercial: when the leader calls out, everyone enthusiastically responds with a loud “Yeah!” and then forms the groups the leader specifies.
There are probably several similar types of games, but this one seems especially fun because the energetic call-and-response keeps a good tempo and boosts everyone’s excitement.
It also seems like it would strengthen group unity.
Red light, green light
If there’s a spacious area at the campsite, one game I’d love to try is “Darumasan ga Koronda.” It’s a classic, but it’s something people of any era and any age know and can enjoy, don’t you think? Unlike in ordinary parks or on streets, the ground at campsites or along rivers can be uneven, so it might be hard to freeze perfectly in place.
Do your best!
Stand-up with everyone
Games that you can’t beat unless everyone syncs up are really fun, aren’t they? With that in mind, here’s an idea called “Stand Up Together.” Everyone sits while holding hands, then tries to stand up at the same time.
It works best with about 2 to 10 people.
If you don’t coordinate and stand up simultaneously, your balance will collapse and you’ll fall over.
But when it works, it really gets everyone excited.
The more people you have, the trickier it gets, so start by practicing with a small group.
Trump
Playing cards will likely be a big hit for overnight camping.
You can easily pick them up at 100-yen shops and the like.
Even kids who get absorbed in TV and video games at home will probably focus on this kind of play when there’s nothing else at the campsite.
They might end up learning lots of different card games, like Concentration, Daifugō, and Sevens.
Birdwatching
How many bird names can you say? Hawk, eagle, pigeon, sparrow, swallow, seagull… Hmm, turns out we don’t actually know that many, do we? Since we’re out camping, how about doing a bit of birdwatching? There are plenty of wild birds in Japan: the brown-eared bulbul with cheeks that look like they’re blushing, the sleek, dark-colored white-cheeked starling, and the dazzling orange Daurian redstart that you can’t help but follow with your eyes.
These days there are apps where AI can identify birds for you, so learning their names isn’t all that hard.
But even if you don’t know what they’re called, the time you spend watching birds is priceless and fun! Especially if you’re the type who thinks, “Birds? Not my thing,” give it a try!