Active Camp Games
If your family has lots of energy and doesn’t like to sit for too long, these active camp games are the answer!

After the hike is over, you don’t have to park yourself. There are so many fun camping games for family adventures!
Photo Camping Scavenger Hunt Game

Camping-themed scavenger hunts can be educational in addition to being loads of fun!
- Split campers up in evenly numbered teams with one person on the team being the photo taker.
- Make sure young kids have adequate supervision with an older child or adult being on the team.
- The players agree on a time to return to camp to determine the winning team (usually about an hour) and sets physical boundaries for the game area (you may want to limit the game to the family campsite if really young kids are playing the game and you don’t want them to wander too far away from home base.)
- Each team is given the same list of items to find in their hunt and they head off in different directions to find the items in nature and around camp.
- Once found, the photographer takes a quick picture of the item on the list with a smartphone or digital camera and checks it off the paper list.
- This is a great game to plan for your simple camping trips when you don’t want to pack lots of games and toys!
Print Game Rules
Camping For Foodies Camping Game: How To Play The Photo Camping Scavenger Hunt Game
Equipment
- Printer
- Digital camera or phone with camera
Materials
- Paper to print this camping game
Instructions
- Print several copies of this game before leaving home. Each team will need one copy.
- Split campers up in evenly numbered teams with one person on the team being the photo taker.
- The players agree on a time to return to camp to determine the winning team (usually about an hour) and sets physical boundaries for the game area.
- Each team is given a copy of this game before they head off in different directions to find the items in nature and around camp.
- Once found, the photographer takes a quick picture of the item on the list.
- All teams head back to camp at the designated time.
- The team with the most photos wins the game.
Notes
- Wild animal (examples: elk, deer, eagle, squirrel)
- Dead tree
- Foldable camp chair
- Fish in lake, pond or stream
- Lightning bug
- Bag of charcoal
- Wild berries
- Trail markers
- Campfire shovel
- Wildflower
- Fern
- Pair of hiking boots
- Pinecone
- Pine needles
- Cooler
- Frog
- Spider web
- Tent
- Caterpillar
- Butterfly
- Hiking pole
- Ladybug
- Flying insect
- Tarp
- Bird
- Sleeping bag
- Worm
- Camp Dutch oven
- Animal tracks
- Piece of trash
The Photo Camping Alphabet Game
Split campers up in evenly numbered teams with one person on the team being the photo taker. Make sure young kids have adequate supervision with an older child or adult being on the team.
- The players agree on a time to return to camp to determine the winning team (usually about an hour) and sets physical boundaries for the game area (you may want to limit the game to the family campsite if really young kids are playing the game and you don’t want them to wander too far away from home base.)
- Teams take a photo of an object they see that begins with the letter A (example: acorn, ant, antelope etc.)
- They work their way through the subsequent letters in the alphabet and the first team that gets to the letter Z is the winner.
- Or, whichever team gets furthest through the alphabet when the time runs out.
- These are fun activities for kids during the hunt but they also enjoy looking at all the photos later in the trip!
Charades Camping Game
Each player picks one of the slips of paper with the camping activity written on it. Then, acts out clues (without speaking, of course) until someone guesses correctly.
The winner is the person who guesses the most correct answers. Get a FREE printable copy of the Charades Camping Game for your next trip! This is one of our favorite rainy day camp games that can be played outside or indoors!
High Activity Games

Many of these race games are great to play during the day when you have large groups of people. Here are some low-activity campfire games for large groups to play after dark.
Camp Olympics Camping Obstacle Course
It is fun to run an obstacle course that is set up at camp. Just create the course with items that are already at the campsite or gear you brought with you.
- One person is in charge of the stopwatch (most phones have this function) and when he/she yells “go” one player runs the obstacle course and then the timer is stopped and the time recorded.
- The person with the fastest time through the course is the winner.
- A designated amount of time is added as a penalty to the player’s stopwatch time for each obstacle that is not completed.
Here’s an example of a camping obstacle course:
- Jump over the firewood log
- Run around the picnic table 3 times
- Throw the beach ball and hit the tree branch
- Sit in the camp chair and count to 10
- Pick up the pie iron and place it on the opposite side of the campfire ring
- Tie the rope around the tree trunk
Flag Football
Flag football is one of those outside yard games that active families like to play because it adjusts with all different skill levels. It can get really serious when the ex-college athletes compete but it can scale down to be a more casual game with multiple generations on the field.
- Campers are split into two teams with even numbers of players and similar abilities.
- Each player wears a flag.
- This game is played just like regular football but instead of tackling, the player is considered tackled when his/her flag is pulled by a player of the opposite team.
- When a player’s flag is pulled, they are out of the game. The pulled team’s flag is set on the sideline and represents a point for the team who made the tackle.
- Play continues for an agreed upon time. The team with the highest flag capture number is the winner.
Relay Races
Relay races are fun, fast and familiar active camp games. Players start at one end of the field and race to the other end.
- The first player (or team) to the finish line is the winner.
- It is a toss-up between the adults and kids when it comes to deciding who enjoys playing this game the most!
There are so many versions of relay races it is hard to pick a favorite so here are the classic top three.
3 Legged Race
- Teams consist of 2 players each (it is best if their legs are similar in length).
- Use a scarf, cloth or bungee to tie two of their legs together at the ankle area.
- Now, the “two become one” with three legs.
- At the count of “3-2-1-GO!” the teams race across the field with their “3 legs” and the first team to cross the finish line is the winner.
- No cheating … the joined legs must remained joined for the entire race … even while getting up from a tumble.
Egg and Spoon Race
- Each player is given a spoon and a hard-boiled egg.
- At the count of “3-2-1-GO!” the player races from the start line to the finish line with the egg resting in the spoon.
- If they drop the egg, the player must use the spoon only (no hands, feet or other objects) to scoop the egg up and continue the race.
- The first player to the finish line wins the race.
Potato Sack Races
- This classic relay race game had players stand inside a potato sack and hop from the start line to the finish line.
- Traditional potato sacks are not easy to come by nowadays so using an old pillow case or plastic garbage bag will work as a substitute.
Hula Hoop Marathon
This retro toy is still fun, especially when people do fancy tricks with them.
- For this game, each person needs a hoop.
- Turn on some fast pop music and let the hula marathon begin.
- The first person to drop their hoop is out of the competition. Stop the music and let the player exit the play area.
- Start the music again and let the players continue to hula until the next person drops their hoop.
- Keep going. The last person standing is the winner.
Add a teamwork twist to the game by dividing the group into smaller groups with an equal number of people. The team shares one hula hoop. Each time a person drops their team’s hoop, they step to the side of the playing area. That person is out of the game but their remaining team members continue to play.
When all of the opposing team members are out of the game, the team with remaining member(s) is the winner.
Water Games
Water-featured team games are a great way to cool off during hot summer temperatures.
Water Balloon Volleyball
This game is similar to the classic game but the ball is replaced by a water balloon and players use a beach towel rather than their hands and wrists. You’ll need some sort of net or simple rope, small water balloons and two beach towels to play this game.
- Players split up into two teams.
- Each team has one beach towel and all of the players grab the sides and corners of the towel to create a sort-of slingshot type of net.
- The first team places a small water balloon in their towel and they “serve” the balloon by launching/flicking it over the net to the other team.
- The other team catches it in their towel and then “volleys” launches it back over the net.
- The objective is to keep the balloon in play.
- The team that misses the balloon (meaning it hits the ground a bursts) loses that round and a point goes to the other team.
Water Balloon Dodgeball
This is one of those summer camp games you look forward to on hot days.
- You’ll need a designated area to create a playing field that’s about 40 feet long and 20 feet wide.
- Mark the area with some sort of visible markers, cones, tape or buckets work great.
- Mark a 2-foot central zone that crosses the field at the halfway point. This divides the sides for the two teams.
Have someone volunteer to be the time keeper.
- Split the group into two teams with an equal number of players on each team.
- Fill one-time use water balloons with water, or use re-usable sponge water balloons and place them at the side line in the central zone.
- When the timekeeper says “Go” the game starts.
- A few players at a time are runners who grab a few balloons and take them to other players on their team.
- A player with a balloon throws it across the field aiming to hit member of the opposing team.
- When a water balloon hits a player on their body or they step out of their team’s court boundaries, they’re out of the game and must leave the field.
- The game continues until all of the players on one team are our or 15 minutes elapses. It the game times out, the team with the most number of players still on the field is declared the winner.
For groups with different ages and physical abilities you can adapt the rules. Let the smaller and younger kids start the game and have the bigger kids ready on the sidelines. Each time a player is out, rotate in the next player of the kids on the sideline. This allows the younger kids to start the game at a slightly slower pace.
Water Balloon Fight
Want a fun game for a hot day at the campsite? Try water balloon fights!
- They can be played as individuals or campers can split up into teams.
- You just fill small water balloons and give each team the same amount of balloons.
- Then, launch away!
- Play continues until all of the balloons have been used, the winner is the team (or individual if not playing as teams) that stayed the driest.
Squirt Gun Cup Elimination Game
You’ll need some plastic drinking cups and squirt guns filled with water to play this exciting game.
- Just place the empty cups on a level surface … the edge of a picnic table, level log on the ground or even the ledge of a level rock all work well here.
- The cups are the targets.
- The designated judge shouts “3-2-1-GO!”
- Each player stands in the shooters line and uses a squirt gun to shoot at the cups in an attempt to knock them off of the surface they are sitting upon.
- Whoever knocks the most cups off the surface is the winner.
Nighttime Games

Flashlight Tag Game
Tag games are often played by younger campers during the day but nighttime tag is another story. How fun is a hide and seek game after the sun goes down!
- Each person hides while they are also hunting to find other players.
- Flashlight tag is similar to the normal version of tag but instead of physically tagging a player, the tagger shines a flashlight on them to tag that player out of the game.
- When all but one player has been tagged out of the game, the person left as the final player is the winner and becomes the next tagger.
- Be careful because playing in the dark is tricky and you don’t want a player to trip as they play this game.
Talent Show
Another fun after-dark camp activity is to put on an old-fashioned talent show.
- Each player can demonstrate their talent for a few minutes.
- After each player has performed, the crowd votes for winners.
- It’s fun to create different categories for voting like:
- Best singer
- Funniest skit
- Highest skilled
- Set the ground rules about using props and other resources before the game begins. If you want to do advanced coordination, it helps for each player to know what they might want to bring on the trip. You don’t want your star ukulele musician to leave their instrument at home!
Classic Yard Games
Ok, so when you are ready for a cool down period, you might want to try a few camping yard games that keep you moving but at a much slower pace!
If you get a little tired and decide you want to slow the pace down, or it’s raining and you want to head indoors, consider playing some of the best board games for camping!
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