Camping Games

[17nut]

Well I am looking for some suggestions on some camping games some of you might play when your out. Besides playing manhunt and shooting with the kids. We are building some Horseshoe pits and also building some "washers" boxes what else does everyone do to pass some time?

[Smokey Mtn. Camper]

My family enjoys card games and Yahtzee for when it rains and Bocce ball when the weather is a bit drier. I also purches books of local history that covers the area we are camping and I read these to the kids around the campfire. They hang on every word.

Currently, we are reading about the people who have been lost or disappeared while camping and hiking in the Smokies. It is a very in depth but interesting and since we mostly camp in the Smokies, the kids can really relate. The last story I read our kids was about Dennis Martin who was 7 years old when he was lost. The largest search in the history of the Great Smokey Mountains was head quartered in Cades Cove, a campground we camp at monthly.

They learn alot about the history of the area and also things to do to be safe and what to do if you are ever lost. My kids simply love it. They look forward to it every camp and have already picked out the next book while we were at the Sugarlands visitor center just this weekend so wwe appear to be set for the foreseeable future.

Another thing my kids really enjoy is night hiking. My 9 year was very scared of the dark but she has not only learned how to over come it, she usually leads the way down a dark and mysterious path. My 2 year old still wants to be carried but thats OK too. Try it out and see how the hikes that we take during the day take on a totally different view after dark.

[renodesertfox]

So what happened to Dennis Martin, that 7 year old who got lost....finish the story Smokey, don't leave us hanging out to dry? Please!

[Smokey Mtn. Camper]

So what happened to Dennis Martin, that 7 year old who got lost....finish the story Smokey, don't leave us hanging out to dry? Please!

:D Sorry, I got all hung up on the entertainment aspect and didnt even think about it.

The story has a sad ending. He was playing with his friends and family one minute and was gone the next to never be seen again. They have never even found a trace of the lil guy to this day. I can remember as a kid watching the local and national news how I was impacted by his disappearance. Now, all these years later, my kids are learning about that fateful day.

Lots of sad stories but ones that we can all learn from. One thing that these stories have taught me and my kids is that it is usually a series of events that cause people to become lost and never found not just ONE single event...usually.

Anyway, sorry to highjack the thread but reading to kids makes them smarter and is a great form of camping entertainment if the story has a meaning.

[renodesertfox]

Thanks Smokey. Yeah my Desert Rose and I play some games too but for us we don't play by the rules. Like with travel Scrabble, points have no meaning cause we only try to spell words with our draw of letters. Nothing less than four letter words. Cards are cards and someone has to lose at gin or rummy. But we never write down scores, we just play until we tire of it. No one wins and no one looses. That's how we play.

[surmisez]

Another thing my kids really enjoy is night hiking. My 9 year was very scared of the dark but she has not only learned how to over come it, she usually leads the way down a dark and mysterious path. My 2 year old still wants to be carried but thats OK too. Try it out and see how the hikes that we take during the day take on a totally different view after dark.

I'm squirming in my seat because I use a battery operated, LCD nightlight in the tent at night. As soon as it starts to get dark, I light 6 tiki lanterns and four or more bucket candles. These are all spaced around our campsite so that I can see. :o

I'm not sure I would care for night hiking, unless I had my battery operated lantern with me. :o

[Bigdog57]

That's why I love camping on full moon nights - it's so bright, you can read a book! A short hike is no problem.

[17nut]

just a follow up here 'WASHERS" is a awesome camping game for anyone who likes horseshoes check out washers, portable and the kids can play as well alot of fun

[Money Man]

Re: Camping Games

We mostly camp in campgrounds that have paved roadways running through them, so we bring a box of sidewalk chalk and let the kids draw in the road. They do pictures, hop scotch, tic tac toe etc. We have even used the chalk to draw boundaries so they know how far they can ride the bikes without one of us with them.

[stally]

Re: Camping Games

My family loves Dominos. Get the plastic ones, they are easy to clean. Also another variation of washers is Ladder Golf. It can be collapsible and easier to store away than washers. I recommend building your own set. This easily done by getting PVC from your local hardware store. Golf balls at a department sore. Plans for either washers or ladder golf can be found by googling it.

[rxcamping]

Re: Camping Games

We received a Mickey Mouse game set a few years back and love it (can you tell I have a 6 year old). It is in a box and has cards for go fish, rummy, uno, with a board for checkers tic tac toe, bing cards and dominoes. We can usually find something to do in the box.

[suzridesahog]

Re: Camping Games

We always travel with a deck of cards. Young to old can play some sort of card game. Lightweight, easily to replace and 1 or many can play.

[Gus@campingwithgus.com]

Re: Camping Games

We have one that will occupy the kids from 15 to 30 minutes, it was called "Find Them" when I first heard about it. You need at least two kids, and the game will help them discover some of things unique to your camp site and surrounding area.

1. You secretly collect from 5 to 20 different items from around your campsite - like an oak leaf or pine cone, or bird feather, or even stuff like a naturally forked stick or shiny rock or a piece of bark, or ... you get the idea. It's a memory game so scale the amount of items to the abilities and age of the kids.

2. lay out all the items and cover them with something, like a jacket.

3. Gather the kids around and explain they will have 5 or 10 seconds to try to remember everything under the jacket.

4. Cover the items, give the kids a time limit, and tell them, "OK - Go Find them" and the kids then try to find matches to as many of the items as they can remember.

Works great at primitive sites, but might not work so well in commercial camp grounds.

Gus

[MikeB]

Re: Camping Games

Is mumbly peg out of the question for the kids?

[17nut]

Re: Camping Games

This year we will be taking the "Risk" board along as well.