10 Fun Activities And Campfire Games For Families With Kids
After the dinner pot is empty and everyone is sitting around the fire pit in their camp chairs watching the setting sun, what’s next … camping games, of course! Families with kids won’t have to hear, “I’m bored” again! These 10 fun activities and campfire games for families keep the kid-friendly entertainment going until the last campfire log has turned to ashes!
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10 Fun Activities And Campfire Games For Families With Kids
We’re assuming you already know how to start a campfire but we have tips for you in case you don’t! 😉
Campfire Activity #1 – Campfire Cooking.
You’ve probably noticed my blog name is “Camping For Foodies” so it won’t surprise you that cooking is my personal favorite campfire activity.
Most family camping trips include a big focus on food. We have a huge list of easy campfire recipes for every meal of the day. Whether you want to use a camp Dutch oven, or cook over coals instead of using a grill, or make individual packets and do campfire meals in foil … we’ve got tons of ideas for you that are simple, yummy and fun!
And, don’t forget about camping desserts to satisfy your sweet tooth! If you want to make the traditional campfire dessert you can make roasted marshmallows or s’mores. Younger kids tend to like the classics but older kids and adults love updated versions of this sweet treat. Try swapping out ingredients like milk chocolate candy bars with dark or white chocolate bars. Graham crackers are easily replaced with cookies to make unique combinations.
Check out my post for inspiration to elevate your s’mores: Campfire Smores Recipes: 10 Mouth-Watering Smore Variations!
Telescoping Roasting Sticks
Pie Iron CookerOpen Fire Popcorn Popper
In addition to roasting marshmallows, hot dogs and making s’mores, consider popping some popcorn or making pie iron campfire pies for an after-dinner snack or dessert. And, check out this really cool campfire cooking equipment you can’t live without!
Campfire Activity #2 – Color Your Campfire Flames.
I asked a few kids … “What are your favorite cool things to do with a campfire?”
By far, coloring the flames was at the top of the list!
It is mesmerizing to watch campfire flames dance throughout the night but sometimes kids get bored with that … BUT … as soon as you add color to the flames, the excitement continues.
You can do this as simply as throwing a little table salt in the fire for a quick burst of bright glow or using fire colorant bags for a bigger array of long-lasting colors.
We normally reserve the charades for rainy day camp games but it’s also fun to play around a fire at night. If the campfire doesn’t produce enough light, you may need to use flashlights and glow sticks to illuminate the actor performing the charade.
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Campfire Activity #3 – Campfire Songs.
Everybody has their favorite tune when it comes to sing-along songs. You can do this campfire activity acapella or add a guitar, harmonica or whatever else is nearby at the campsite.
Campfire Songs: Lyrics and Chords to More Than 100 Sing-Along Favorites
The great thing about singing songs is that the beauty is in the ear of the person listening to the music. You don’t have to be a musician to enjoy campfire songs.
The families we hang out with tend to turn our coolers into drums. It’s a good thing we like boondocking and our campsites tend to be in the middle of nowhere! LOL
Cool Things To Do Around A Campfire
The campfire is a great place to stay warm as you LOOK UP into the night sky!
Campfire Activity #4 – Gaze Upon The Stars.
Some outdoor activities fall into the category of fun for kids of all ages. Little kids can identify constellations with a little help from the rest of the group.
Kids can learn about the expanse of the universe while stargazing with a campfire crackling in the background.
This Learning Journey Glow-In-The-Dark Space Puzzle is one of those “secret” learning activities that combines games and learning … but don’t tell the kids!
Solar System Puzzle For KidsPuzzle Glows In The Dark
Discovering the magnificent creation of outer space happens as the kids play with this space-themed puzzle that is full of color during the day and … even more interestingly … glows in the dark at night!
Kids just LOVE glow in the dark activities on camping trips! You can find more camping games for kids in our post: Fun Camping Activities Kids Love (and adults will too!) which includes a FREE printable camping scavenger hunt (just make sure preschool toddlers stay within a certain boundary and are paired up with older kids when doing nature scavenger hunts as they search for treasures in the great outdoors), board games, toys and active games.
Campfire Activity #5 – Tell Camping Stories & Jokes.
Keep it clean for the kids and let the camping jokes rip. The best campfire activities bring families together with a good “from-the-soul belly laugh!
Scout Jokes: A collection of clean jokes and stories related to Scouting, camping and hiking
The Scout Jokes Collection of camping jokes and stories might be a little corny but it is good wholesome fun fit for families with kids of all ages.
Campfire Activities #6 – #10 – Play Fun Games Around The Campfire.
The rest of our list consists of campfire games for kids and adults. We don’t have one favorite game because it really depends on who is in the crowd! Let the friendly competition begin!
Campfire Activity #6 – Next Line Please Game.
This is one of those uber fun campfire games for families who have a favorite movie or TV show.
Pick one movie or TV show episode everyone is familiar with and go around the campfire with everyone adding a line from memory until someone can’t think of a line. Our go-to choice is Christmas Vacation with Chevy Chase.
We have created a really fun trivia game about the Cousin Eddie RV that includes fun facts and quotes from the movie that featured the most famous RV of all time!
Campfire Activity #7 – Name That Tune Game.
Don’t all families have “camping playlists”? I know we do. We don’t always agree which playlist is our favorite but we do love music around the campfire!
For this game, we let one person control the music player; they play a song while everyone else tries to guess the name and artist of the song. The first person to get it right wins the authority to “thumbs up or down” the song.
So, if it is your favorite song and you want to listen to the entire thing, you better be fast with your imaginary buzzer! Oh, and if everyone is stumped, the music player gives clues until someone answers correctly.
Bluetooth Boombox, CD Player, FM Radio
You can always use your music player to accompany some super fun camping yard games you play by the light of your campfire!
Campfire Activity #8 – Twenty Questions Game.
Personally speaking, this is one of my favorite campfire games! I like the strategy of coming up with unique questions that provide lots of information.
With this game one person is designated as the “thinker” and thinks of a subject (person, place or thing); the rest of the players ask one “yes or no” question at a time.
After the thinker answers with a “yes” or “no”, the “guesser” has one chance to guess the subject. Each player around the campfire takes a turn until someone guesses correctly or 20 questions have been exhausted.
Campfire Activity #9 – Camping For Foodies® Super Hero Camper Game (yes, it is our very own invention)!
Do you ever make up your own campfire games? We did … and we had a great time doing it!
Campers play a classic game of “add to the story” with our FREE printable camping story. The first player adds a word to the first blank in the story, the second person adds a word to the second blank in the story, the third person gets the third blank and so on. The next player must build on the story the previous players have written. This game is a blast and filled with laughter as the entire group creates a new story about one of the most fun summer activities … camping.
You can find it and other totally cool camping games in our Camping Games: Prove You Are A Super Hero Camper post!
Campfire Activity #10 – Two Truths And A Lie Game.
This game is played as one person announces two facts and one lie about themselves.
Everyone sitting around the campfire has a chance to guess which one is the lie.
This is one of those campfire games that can get a little dicey (if you know what I mean), so make sure the families playing it are on the same page … especially if you have a mix of younger and older kids. This is NOT intended to be a “How to buy beer with a fake ID” (or other illegal/undesirable event) training session!
As long as it is kept clean, this campfire game is fun and causes people to get to know each other better.
Large Group Campfire Games
If you are looking for really fun campfire games for large groups, we’ve got those too. If you’re in the mood to be put on the hot seat, you can find a popular game or find others that are a little more laid back and great for team building. P.S. The Camping Candy Confessions Game and the Camping Alphabet Game are great ones!
Pre-Campfire Activity Kids Will Love
Kids love doing camping-related crafts … especially when they can build a campfire with their finished project!
Check out our How To Make Homemade Fire Starters Using Dryer Lint Easy DIY Camping Project post to see why these camp fire starters are so fun for kids and adults!
Our outer wrapping has fun trivia questions about Smokey Bear which makes our DIY fire starters cute and inexpensive gifts too!
If you are more interested in playing the games around the campfire than you are in starting the fire … check out our Fire Starters Camping Enthusiasts Must Have post for some really cool options!
If your next camping trip includes a long road trip, you should check out our 10 Fun Camping Road Trip Games To Play In The Car! You won’t be disappointed as the miles go whizzing by without one person asking, “Are we there yet?”
FREE Printable Camping Trip Planner
Make your next trip stress-free with a little pre-planning. Get your copy of our FREE printable camping trip planner template!
More Camping Tips
One way to make sure everyone has a good time is to keep their bellies full of yummy meals!
If you’re looking for awesome ideas for yummy camping food, you’re in the right place! Here’s our entire camping recipes list.
What do you think?
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