Going to summer camp is one of the best parts of being a kid.
When school is out, it’s all that most children can think about. Summer camp is where one gets to explore, make friends, and learn things other than math problems and language arts.
Sometimes, it seems that the worst part of summer camp is when it ends.
Your child may not agree, though. If this is his first year going away to camp, he might not know what to expect.
Talk to them about all the fun you had at camp growing up. This will ease their nerves and start to boost their excitement.
To keep the positive thinking going, share a few specific summer camp activities for kids they can look forward to!
Here are seven examples you can use:
1. Hiking and Outdoor Exploring
One of the main initiatives of summer camp is to get kids away from technology long enough to enjoy the great outdoors.
Whether you live in the midst of a mountain range or near flatter, more open outdoor areas, there is something for your kids to enjoy.
Hikes will take them up and down nature trails where adventure awaits around every corner. Kids will love learning about all the critters and creatures they find.
Other summer camp activities for kids out here include learning how to shoot a bow and arrow, or doing a nature scavenger hunt.
Some activities will vary based on age and supervision, but they are all guaranteed to be a great time.
2. Water Games
After the woods have been explored from the inside out, it’s time to splash in the water.
Most summer camps for kids have some sort of body of water on-site. This could be a lake, a river, or just a swimming pool.
The water-based summer camp activities for kids will vary due to the setting. But there are games like Marco Polo or Sharks and Minnows that kids can play anywhere.
Teach your children the rules, and play these together before they head off to camp. It will get them more excited to go away, and help them make friends while they’re there!
3. Campfire Songs
When the sun is set and everyone is all dried off, there’s nothing more fitting to do than start a campfire.
The actual lighting is something the counselors will handle, of course. But the fire brings everyone together.
Many summer camp songs will have unique variations made for the camp that your children attend. Others are known far and wide.
The best part, though? You don’t have to be a singer to join in on the fun!
Camp songs are for everyone. They get your children out of their comfort shell, and help pass the time while roasting the perfect marshmallow.
4. Movies Under the Stars
As fun as campfires can be, some places like to vary the nighttime summer camp activities for kids.
One of the most common ways to switch things up is to host a movie night once or twice a week. This is not like the regular screenings you show on the TV at home, though.
Weather permitting, summer camp movies are hosted outdoors under the stars.
Counselors set up a projector on a sheet or the side of a building while children sit on blankets to enjoy the show.
It’s a simple twist on a well-known pastime, but it makes all the difference.
5. Camping Olympics
Although most summer camp activities for kids are about encouraging community and friendship, some get a little competitive.
The competition is particularly intense during Camping Olympics.
This event is typically held when camp is almost over. It’s a way to have one last hoo-rah before camp is over and everyone goes in their separate directions.
These kid-centered Olympics are often outdoor and camp-based. They are a mix of traditional sports as well as other things like:
- a ropes course
- a drama and art competition
- tug of war
- water balloon tosses
- potato sack races
- three-legged races
Your child is sure to find an activity they can master, and have fun with all the others throughout the course of the day.
Remind them, though, win or lose, it’s all about good sportsmanship and a great time.
6. Pitching Tents for Overnight Adventures
Some camps like to wrap-up the summer with a special excursion instead of Olympic games.
Most camps have cabins for the kids to stay in during their time away. However, the bunk beds might get traded for tents and sleeping bags as the summer comes to a close.
This is about more than a field trip. It’s an experience your child will always remember.
During this time, they will learn everything from pitching their own tent to camping safety. They’ll enjoy making food over the fire and waking up to the sounds of nature and the morning dew.
It’s a perfect way to say goodbye to their friends as well as the place they’ve called home for a few weeks.
7. Camp Counseling and Working
When a child makes a particularly special connection with a camp, it becomes a second home they never forget.
Many end up returning to their favorite camp as counselors. This means they end up facilitating the summer camp activities for kids they were once trying for the first time!
It’s a beautiful, fulfilling way to bring things full circle.
But, it all starts with their first camp visit. Remind your children to thank their counselors for all they do and to treat them with respect.
Not only does it make running a camp much easier, but it gives your child brownie points should they ever decide they want to try camp counseling.
The Life Lessons Summer Camp Activities for Kids Can Teach
Whether your child returns to camp as a counselor or not, there are some parts of camp they will always have with them.
From the memories of lazy days on the lake to how it feels to wake up to the first morning light, some things never get old.
Plus, many life lessons are learned along the way.
Click here to discover what your child can learn while away at camp!
