Are you planning a camping trip, but not sure how you’ll fill your days? Are you trying to think of camping activities for adults? Or fun things to do whilst camping with the family? Then, this is the perfect guide for you.
If you’re reading this, you probably know that camping is a great way to escape from everyday life. However, for the best trip, you really need to make some plans for when you get there.
Don’t worry if it’s your first time, this guide to the best camping activities will give you plenty of ideas on what to do whilst camping, both in the daytime and at night. We even have some good things to do in the tent while camping in the rain.
Read on for our best suggestions for camping activities and ideas how to have fun whilst camping.
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Enjoy the great outdoors
One of the best things to do when camping is enjoy the great outdoors. Camping really is the perfect opportunity to ditch the screens and enjoy some fresh air. If nothing else, it will make you appreciate your home comforts afterwards.
Here are some of our ideas for camping activities that will help you make the most of your surroundings and connect with nature:-
- Go hiking
- Explore the local countryside
- Geocaching
- Climb trees
- Build a den
- Bushcraft
- Nature photography
- Sketching nature
- Birdwatching
- Search for mini beasts
- Scavenger hunt
- Blackberry picking
- Kite-flying
Get sporty
One of the best things to do when camping is enjoy some outdoor sports. Most campsites have plenty of open space, which is ideal for sport and ball games.
Another advantage of enjoying sports whilst camping, is the chance to socialise and meet new people. We usually find when we start a game, other campers come along to join in. Here are a few ideas of sports that are ideal for the campsite.
- Football
- Cricket
- Rounders/baseball
- Badminton
- Tennis
- Basketball
- Gymnastics
- Bikes (can hire)
Play games at the campsite
Of course, a camping trip is an ideal time to leave your screens behind and take a break from technology. Instead, spend some time playing some outdoor games with your friends or family.
Our favourite family games for the campsite include:
(a Finnish throwing game like skittles)
Alternatively, kids will love these campsite games that don’t require any equipment at all. Camping provides the perfect safe playground, where the children can run free. It’s also a time when they can let their imaginations run wild and invent their own creative games.
- Tag
- Mini olympics
- Hide and seek
- Duck, duck, goose
- Sardines
- Capture the Flag/Back to base
- Make a dance routine
Splashing about on the water
Next on our list of top camping activities is spending time on the water.
If you’ve chosen your campsite by a river, lake or sea, there will be endless opportunities to have fun getting wet. Many campsites have a swimming pool, or if you’ve gone glamping, a hot tub! Some of the best camping activities on the water are:-
- A boat trip
- Paddle boarding
- Kayaking or canoeing
- Fishing
- Swimming
- Paddling
- Surfing
- Water Guns
- Garden Waterslide
- Hot Tub
Make the most of campsite facilities
Campsite leisure facilities vary from absolutely nothing except a tap in a field, to a full leisure park with evening entertainment thrown in. Obviously, this will be a key factor when choosing your campsite and will influence what you do each day. Today, some campsites have more on-site camping facilities than you’d ever imagine possible. These include:
- A swimming pool
- Ping pong table
- Climbing wall
- Playground
- Sandpit
- Games room
- BMX track
Fun on the farm
Nowadays, one of the best camping experiences is a stay on a working farm. As well as bonding with nature, you will be able to get up close to the animals.
On some farms, the farmer may even let children feed the animals. One of our most memorable camping moments was seeing one of the boys chasing some cows with the farmer.
Other activities on a farm campsite include:
- Animal petting
- Feeding the cows
- Horse-riding
- Collecting hen eggs
Day trips out
Camping is a fantastic way to discover new destinations on a budget. Although, you could stay on the campsite all day, most campers like a change of scenery and a chance to explore locally. You could go for a hike in the local countryside, discover a new city or attraction.
Some of our favourite day trips when camping are:-
- A day at the beach
- Crabbing (Click here to find out about crabbing at Mudeford in Dorset)
- Fossil hunting
- A visit to a castle
- A visit to a local attraction
Rainy day activities for camping holidays
Unfortunately, if you choose to camp in the UK, you can’t always expect good weather. Therefore, it’s useful to have some ideas for fun things to do at the campsite if it rains.
The simplest idea for rainy day camping activities is games you can play in the tent. Choose small, light travel games which don’t take up much space.
If you’re camping with kids, these activities are also great for down time at the end of a busy day.
Here’s our best ideas for rainy day camping games:-
- Card games – Uno/Happy Families/Monopoly Deal
- Travel games – Yahtzee/Dobble/Scrabble
- Crafts
- Books
- Colouring/art
- Relaxation
- Noughts & Crosses (Tic tac toe)
- Hangman
Click here for 15 best travel games for families.
Evening entertainment
Camping can be a very social activity and many of the best camping activities for adults and children happen in the evening. In fact, for many adults chilling by the campfire with a cold beer is the main reason for going!
Other evening camping activities include:-
- Building the campfire
- Campfire cooking
- Marshmallows on sticks
- Schmores (chocolate and marshmallow toasted between 2 cookies)
- Glow Sticks
in the dark
- Mystical Fire
- Wink murder (see below)
- Campfire songs
- Two truths and a lie
- Flashlight tag (hide and seek in the dark!)
- Ghost stories
- Stargazing
in the dark
How to play wink murder:-
Everyone sits in a circle with their eyes shut and a selector chooses a “murderer” and a “detective”.
The game then proceeds by the murderer winking at people to kill them. If you are winked at, you die and are out of the game for the rest of the round. Meanwhile the detective has to determine who the murderer is.
Pin for later: Camping activities – 77 fun things to do when camping
1 comment
Great post! so many activities to try while camping. I’ve done some o of these, of course, but I’ll have ti throw in some games next time.
Anda