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 best ideas of camping activities to help make the most of your surroundings and connect with nature:-
- Go hiking
- Explore the local countryside
- Geocaching
- Climb trees
- Build a den
- Bushcraft (building a shelter, foraging, fire building)
- Nature photography
- Sketching nature
- Birdwatching
- Search for bugs and mini beasts
- Scavenger hunt
- Blackberry picking
- Fly a kite
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. Often when you 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*
*Many campsites are very safe for cycling and gives the kids some independence. Or you could, take a bike ride in the local area. If you don’t want to take your bikes away, you could hire some locally for the day. I’d definitely recommend it, as cycling is one of the best activities when camping.
Play games at the campsite
Of course, a camping trip is the perfect opportunity for a break from technology. Leave your phones and ipads behind and use the time to enjoy being outside with nature.
You could enjoy some quality time playing outdoor games with your friends or family. Or just relax with a book and enjoy some quiet time.
Our favourite family games for the campsite include:
- Boules
- Mölkky
(a Finnish throwing game like skittles)* - Swing Ball
- Nerf guns
- Juggling
- Quoits (Ring toss)
*Molkky is a brilliant outdoor game for older kids and adults. Although it has the same concept as skittles, you get to throw a lump of wood rather than a ball. Plus, it’s a lot more strategic, as you have to score. This is always a winner and one of the best games to take on a camping trip.
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
- Stone skimming
- 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
A camping holiday is a brilliant way to discover new destinations on a budget. Make the most of cheap accommodation, whilst you explore the local area.
Although, you could entertain yourself at the campsite all day, many 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 – friendship bracelets/make a suncatcher/loom bands
- Books
- Colouring/art
- Relaxation
- Noughts & Crosses (Tic tac toe)
- Hangman
What are your favourite games for a rainy day at the campsite?
Click here for 15 best travel games for families.
Things to do in the evening when you're camping
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!
Our best ideas for things to do in the evening when camping 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
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
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