Games and Activities

Flashlight Tag . Give the guests flashlights when it gets dark, and have them play tag using the flashlight beams to "tag" other players.

What's That Noise? Tape record sounds, such as a dog barking, a chain rattling, a door creaking, etc. Have the kids listen in the dark and guess what that noise is.

Midnight Hike. Set up an obstacle course in the yard. Then, have the guests hold hands and weave them through the course in the dark.

Ghost Story. Make up a ghost story and pass around "body parts" made from foods, such as peeled grapes for eyeballs, spaghetti for brains, a peach half for liver, and so on. Or, let the kids make up the story as you pass around the parts. Pass around a flashlight for each kid to use during tale-telling.

Have a water balloon fight.

Get a telescope and gaze at the stars a while.

Blow bubbles and gaze your flashlights on them . This activity provides cool effects everyone is sure to love.

Take a long hike/walk through your neighborhood, and even better if you have woods or a park nearby.

Have a sing-a-long around the campfire. Does anyone play guitar?

Provide bug jars and catch fireflies.

Create Personalized Canes. Purchase inexpensive doweling rods from a hardware store and provide the campers with paint, glue, stickers, and glitter to personalize their own walking sticks. Use these canes on your hike.

Boulder Art. Collect some rocks or largish boulders before your party. Provide the kids with paintbrushes and paint and have them design their own rocks. Alternatively, use small pebbles and stick on wool, eyes, and scraps to make rock pets.

Musical Camping Chairs/Rocks. Have the kids dance around the chairs or the painted rocks. Make sure there is one less seat for the number of children. When the music stops each child has to find a chair/rock to sit on. The one who doesn't is out and can help with the music.

Wildlife Trail. Hide a variety of cuddly toys, plastic animals, nature objects (e.g. a shell, pine cone) around the camp area. Split the kids into teams and give each one a list of items to find plus a bag to put them in. First team to complete the list wins.

Snake Pit Tug O' War. Use a large paddling pool or sand box and fill with lots of rubber snakes. Organize the campers into two teams and get them tugging a rope over a snake pit! First team pulled into the snake pit is out. All the kids can then dive in afterwards and see who can get the most snakes.

Feed the Bear. Make a large cardboard bear head with a big opening for the mouth. Hang it from a tree branch or a bush and get the campers to throw plastic food into its mouth. See who can get the most items in.

Bug Bites. Issue each child a strip of bug stickers and then it's each bug for himself! The aim of the game is to 'bite' someone by sticking a bug on their back without them noticing. At the end of the game the person with the least stickers is declared the champion bug, but the person with the most stickers on his back gets to keep them.