In addition to your children attending camp, you can do fun camp activities at home. You can invite other children if you’d like, take an hour, or a whole day. Any way you do it, your kids will have fun, and burn off some of that out of school summer energy.
Here we’ve compiled a few ideas that can start you and your kids off on some at home camp fun:
Singing
This activity can be done in a variety of different ways, and times. One option is to form a circle, and play a type of telephone game. Each kid can sing a certain numbers of words, or a line, and then the next person has to continue on with the song. Songs can be used as a reward for kids who like to sing (after other games) or sung together during a campfire. Try not to push kids too much if they are uncomfortable with singing, but getting everyone in on the activity can help that.
Moon Rock Hunt
Make your backyard, or home, into a moon rock scavenger hunt. Use the stones found at local craft shops, and place them in hidden areas all around. You can even label some stone with certain prizes, or use number them to group kids for the next game.
Craft Project
Google can help you with this project. Search “crafts for kids” or something of the like, and tons of ideas will pop up. Often with full lists of what is needed, and how to help the kids successfully create them (even if you’re not a crafty parent).
Dodgeball
A classic gym game, dodgeball, when used with a soft ball, can be a very fun game. It also keeps kids moving around, which is especially important today. It is often best to split kids up yourself, and mix up the teams with each game. Each game can end with a point or time limit. If your yard is big enough, the last part of the game can end with a home run derby of sorts.
Frolf (Frisbee/golf at home)
Similar to disc golf, frolf was designed to be played in backyards, and consists of a Frisbee and randomly marked items (targets). This is a game that can be played individually or in groups, depending on the number of kids.
Relay Race
If you have enough space, or are up for a trip to the park, a relay race is another great physical activity. Bring spoons, eggs (not boiled), cups, and other random objects for kids to carry to and from certain points. At home you can use chairs, stools, stumps and other item for staging. At parks benches, picnic tables, and around playgrounds can be used.
Campfire
A campfire is a great way to sing, tell stories and just share the day’s events. Make sure that if you do it in your yard, it is allowed by the town or local municipality, and take precautions. Keep the fire in a pit, away from any dry or tall grasses. Make sure all children also know about fire safety, and do not leave any of them alone near it. Do make sure to bring out the s’mores!
Horse or Pig (if you have a basketball hoop)
A quick game of horse or pig (or any other animal you so choose) can keep kids moving, maybe after a craft activity or other more sedentary task. This game is better for fewer kids, and typically older ones as well.
Drawing/Painting
Drawing or painting is a perfect activity when the weather is bad or while trying to calm kids down after a long day. Provide paper or canvass, paint or markers, whatever you choose and let kids express themselves. You can let them draw whatever they’d like, or go with a theme.
Board Game Invention
If you have a few board games available, a great way to get kids’ creative juices flowing is to get them to create their own board game. Having them do it as a team is a great start. You can give them all the games at once, and let them create a new game using one or more of the games at once.
Nature Hike
Many parks have separate nature hikes, or areas for bird-watching. If the weather is nice and time allows, pack up the kids and head out into nature. If possible, bring another adult as a chaperone, and take enough time to see things, but not too much as to lose kids’ attention.
There are many more activities online to search, and of course adapt or adjust these to fit your environment and needs. Have fun with it, and enjoy the summer!