Fun Games and Activities for Family Camping Trips

A camping trip is not a vacation that's all that extraordinary. People do it all of the
time. But when you're packing up the family to do it these days, it can be
hard to have an authentic experience if everyone has their cell phones, laptops and/or
tablets in tow. On the other hand, if you "ban" them from the trip, it might be challenging
to try and come up with ways to keep everyone entertained.

If you're getting a bit nervous about how to pull off a fun camping trip, just think of it
this way: people have been going camping for years. Way before there was an Apple,
Inc. company, way before there was even any electricity and so with a bit of preplanning,
you'll be just fine.

Bring along some card games. If you're going thirty minutes away
from home or you're taking a half-day road trip, card games are a fun way to pass the
time. Uno, Spades, Old Maid, Go Fish are all classics that basically anyone at any age
can participate in.

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Hold camping skills contests. If you're going the traditional
camping route, once you arrive, you'll need to take out an hour or two (or four) to set
everything up. For the kids especially, this will seem more like washing the dishes at
home than anything to get excited over. So, make it fun by having speed (and accuracy)
contests when it comes to pitching tents, finding trails and preparing food items for the
stay. Winners can get monetary prizes or be relieved of some of the packing duties at
the end of the trip.

Host your own cooking show. It's kind of surprising that we haven't
seen a series like this on the Food Network (yet), but if there is one piece of electronic
equipment that might be able to get a "camping trip pass", consider letting it be your
camcorder. Whether it's hot dogs, fried fish or s'mores, pull out your video camera and
tape everyone getting breakfast, lunch and dinner ready. Being that you're not in super-
familiar territory, even though the foods are relatively simple to make, you're still bound
to get a few laughs. Plus, it's something everyone can look forward to watching once you
return home.

Act out your nighttime stories. If you've ever gone
camping before, then you're probably used to people telling stories; especially scary
ones at night. Add a twist to it by actually casting characters for your stories to act out.
If you have, say, seven people on the trip with you, it will be relatively easy. If it's only
three, then may do it as a one man (or woman) show, instead.

Play some old school games. When you're getting ready for
a camping trip, so much time is put into doing things like trying to find an RV dealer and
packing up the vehicle when you do, that you might forget to bring a lot of toys or sports
equipment along. That's OK. That's what games like Hide-n-Seek, Duck, Duck Goose
and Keep Away are for. Another idea is that you can even hold your own field day. A
couple of eggs can be used for an egg toss and a few of the pillow cases can be tied
together in knots for a round or two of tug-of-war. After all, making the most of a limited

supply (of everything but family love and support) is a part of what going camping is all
about!

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