Best Outdoor Camping Games for Kids
One of the best things about taking children camping is watching them rediscover how to entertain themselves without screens.
Give them a field, a bit of freedom, and a few ideas, and most children will find ways to fill hours without any help at all. Having some outdoor games for kids in your back pocket will only make it even better.
That said, having a handful of games to play at a campsite up your sleeve makes the whole trip run more smoothly, especially on that slightly restless hour before dinner or the quiet afternoon when energy starts to flag.
Here are our favourite outdoor games for kids at the campsite, ranging from equipment-free classics to ones worth packing in the car.
Outdoor Games for Kids: No-Equipment Games
These are the ones to have in your head before you go, because they require nothing except children and a bit of space.
What’s the Time, Mr Wolf? A classic for a reason. One child is the wolf, stands with their back to the others, and calls out a time. At midnight, the wolf turns and chases. Works brilliantly in a campsite field and needs no equipment whatsoever.
British Bulldog. One or two children in the middle of the field, everyone else tries to run to the other side without being caught. Simple, physical, and children absolutely love it. Check the site rules first as it can get boisterous.
Hide and Seek. Camping brings this to life in a way a back garden cannot. Trees, tents, caravans, hedges, there is no shortage of hiding places. Set clear boundaries before you start and make sure younger children are always within sight.
Simon Says. Brilliant for mixed ages. The youngest children are often the most enthusiastic players, and older children enjoy the authority of being Simon.
Red Light, Green Light. One child is the traffic light. Everyone else tries to creep forward when the light is green. Anyone caught moving on red goes back to the start. Simple, competitive, and can be played with all ages at once.
Campsite Games for Children Worth Packing
These require a small amount of kit but pack down small and are worth including in the camping bag.
Frisbee. Takes up almost no space and provides almost unlimited entertainment. A standard frisbee is fine, but a soft foam disc is more forgiving for younger children.
A football or soft ball. A flat-pack ball or a small foam football is easy to pack and opens up endless games. Campsite football, catch, piggy in the middle, and keepie-uppies will all get a good run out.
Rounders set. A basic plastic rounders bat and ball set packs flat and provides brilliant fun for mixed ages. Works perfectly in a campsite field and does not need a full team.
Badminton set. A lightweight travel badminton set is one of those things that always gets more use than expected on a camping trip. No net required, just hit the shuttlecock back and forth.
Skipping rope. Endlessly useful and weighs nothing. Skipping competitions, jumping games, and group skipping challenges keep children busy for far longer than you would expect.
Games to Play at a Campsite
These are activities that use the campsite environment itself.
Campsite orienteering. Before the trip, create a simple map of the campsite. Give children a list of things to find and photograph or draw, a particular type of flower, an unusual stone, a bird, the site entrance sign. A simple version works for young children, a more complex version for older ones.
Obstacle course. Use guy ropes, tent pegs, water bottles and camping chairs to create an obstacle course in front of the tent. Time each child and let them try to beat their own record.
Nature bingo. Make simple bingo cards before you leave home, with things children might spot at a campsite, a butterfly, a dandelion, a dog, someone cooking on a stove, a sleeping bag being aired. Works brilliantly for keeping young children occupied and observant.
Getting the Most Out of Outdoor Time
Beyond specific games, the best thing you can do is create the conditions for children to play freely. A campsite is not like a back garden, there is more space, more to explore, and more freedom than most children get in their day-to-day lives.
Resist the urge to fill every moment with organised activity. Some of the best camping moments happen when children are simply given space and time.
A stick, a patch of mud, a stream or a pile of stones can keep children busy for hours if they are allowed to get on with it.
Walk around the site when you first arrive and point out the areas where children can roam safely.
Set clear boundaries, how far they can go, who they need to tell before they go further and then let them explore within those boundaries. The freedom is the point.
Campsite sports day. If there are other camping families around with children of similar ages, a spontaneous sports day can be brilliant. Running races, a long jump marked out with sticks, egg and spoon with a stone and a plate, a throwing competition with pine cones or stones. Children organise these things themselves with minimal adult input once the idea is planted.
Puddle jumping. After rain, a campsite offers unrivalled puddle-jumping opportunities. Wellies on, no restrictions, full commitment. Children who have been allowed to jump in every puddle on a campsite go to bed happy and exhausted in equal measure.
Cloud watching. Low-tech, requires nothing, and can occupy children for a surprisingly long time. Lie on the grass and find shapes in the clouds. Make it competitive if you like, whoever spots the most convincing animal wins.
For more ideas on keeping children entertained during your camping trip, visit our full camping games for kids section, or head to the Camping With Kids homepage to explore everything we cover on family camping in the UK.
