There is nothing worse than bored or whinny kids around the campsite. As parents we often think just being in the great outdoors should be more than enough to keep little ones occupied for days, but sometimes (most times) it just doesn’t work out that way. Here is list of ideas to keep the kids happy on your next camping trip.
Get Mobile – Minimize the downtime by going for hikes, boat rides, bike rides or just walking around camp.
Capture Chipmunks – All you need is a long rope, some peanuts and a shoe box (a small clear Rubbermaid container works even better). This one can lead to hours of entertainment.
Dinosaur Dig -Buy a small pack of plastic Dollar Store dinosaurs. Use a shovel to loosen a patch of soil and hide the dinosaurs. Then just let the kids dig.
Kiddy Pool – If there isn’t water near by or don’t want the little ones in a big lake or fast moving river all day, a small inflatable kiddy pool is a great alternative.
Start a Collection – You can use an egg cartoon for you kids to collect rocks, shell or even pine cones.
Log Cabin Camp Fire – During the day use stick, twig and some twin to build a log cabin. At night you can use the campfire to burn it down.
Glow Sticks – Bright and colorful glow sticks are a great and safe way to entertain the kids after dark. I love them because they make the kids easy to spot in the dark.
Bubbles, Bubbles and More Bubbles – An automatic bubble gun is a great way to entertain kids and keep them near by.
Make Your Own Maps – All you need is some paper and crayons for this one. You can have them map out the campground with your campsite, the nearest bathrooms or where other friends and family members are staying. For older kids you can do larger maps and mark the different place you will be visiting. This is a great activity to teach your kids about their surroundings and you can even teach them how to use a compass.
Treasure Hunt – This is a fun activity if you have older and younger kids. Have the older ones hide a treasure (a box of toys or treats) and then have them help the younger ones try to find it. They can draw a map or play the hot cold game.
Leaf Rubbings – Time to break out the crayons again. Use crayons to make rubbings of the the different leaf shapes and textures.
Scavenger Hunts – Make of list of items the kids can find around camp and send them out searching. For younger kids you can have them find items that are different colors.
Hope you found something fun to try on you next outdoor adventure. Along with planning fun activities for kids make sure they get enough sleep, eat plenty of good, healthy food and wear sunscreen and bug repellent.
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