14 Summer Camp Activities to Enrich Kids' Experience
It’s time to get ready for summer camp! Summer camp is a group life training activity held during the summer vacation for children or teenagers that is both educational and entertaining. Participants can combine learning with entertainment from the activities, which has a certain educational significance.
Why Should You Draw Importance to Summer Camp's Activities?
For Kids: Many kids look forward to having adventures at camp and return each year to see their favorite counselors and friends. Summer camps give kids an opportunity to create fun memories.
For Parents: Be sure to choose the right camp for kids and pack all the gear that they will need for a fun and safe summer camp adventure.
For Camp Organizers: You will spend months planning before all those kids arrive, and activities are an exciting part of any summer experience. Whether you need a quick game to fill time or you’re looking for a more involved activity that will keep them busy for hours, there are plenty of ideas here for you and your campers.
Here are 13 fun ideas for the summer camp that include active outside games, water activities, crafts, drama, and even indoor options.
13 Summer Camp Activities to Enrich Kids' Experience
1. Water Ballon Dodge Ball
It’s going to get hot outside this summer. Water games are a fun way to keep kids cool and busy. Water balloons are easier than ever to inflate, thanks to sets like this that allow you to inflate dozens of water balloons in seconds. Then, place buckets of water balloons around a designated area, and have kids get in position for a simple dodgeball game! Any kids that are tagged are “out” or you just let them go until all the water balloons are used up.
Playing dodgeball is more fun when it involves water balloons. This is an excellent activity for those hot days at summer camp when the kids want a fun way to cool off. You can give teams different colored balloons and track which one has the most hits. Then have the top two teams square off for a final dodgeball war.
2. Campfire
Camp wouldn’t be complete without a campfire. It’s a time to make s’mores, sing camp songs, and hear ghost stories. There are also fun campfire games that are great additions and don’t need a lot of prep work to play. Some of our favorites are:
- Telephone – Have kids pass a sentence from kid to kid and see if they can go all the way around the fire without it changing
- Two truths and a lie – Let each kid share facts about their life and see if the others can identify which isn’t true
- Name that tune – Have a resident guitar player at camp? Let them strum a few chords and see if the kids can guess the song.
Enjoy camping during the day by making teepees, doing a nature scavenger hunt, and making s’mores using a solo stove or firepit!
3. Treasure Hunt
In the treasure hunt game, kids are all pirates and they want to find the treasure! Lead up to the hunt by letting kids create their own pirate hats. Then, create a treasure full of treats, play jewelry, and gold coins and put the items in a little treasure chest or box. Alternatively, hide supplies needed for their next game as treasure.
When they open it, you can seamlessly move on to the next activity. Hide the treasure somewhere within your camp and design a treasure map that kids can use to work in teams and find it. Be sure to discuss the limits of the hunt, so kids don’t wander off the property or into an unsafe area.
Mention: If there are any poisonous plants that campers might come into contact with, train them on how to identify and avoid them before you get this activity started.
4. Fireman’s Relay
A slightly more organized water game that is still fun, kids will enjoy playing Fireman’s Relay. To start, form a line with the first player 10 feet from a water hose. Every kid has a large plastic cup. A large bucket sits at the end of the line. The first player uses the hose to fill a cup. Then, they pour their cup into the second person’s cup, who does the same. Kids continue to pour their cups into the next person’s until the end when the last person dumps the water into the bucket.
5. Talent Show
Kids love showing off their incredible talents. All you need is a stage and a place for your audience to sit. Give the kids free time to plan their acts and rehearse, then hold your talent show in the evening after dinner. Make it even more fun for the kids by supplying an assortment of props they can use in their act.If you’re worried that some of the shyer campers might not participate, encourage a few counselors to suggest a group activity for their whole cabin.
6. Storytelling
Kids are natural storytellers. This game requires no prep or props, so you can use it anytime you need a quick activity. Have everyone sit in a circle. A counselor starts a story that sets the scene, such as, “Last summer, right at this camp, something mysterious happened…” Then, each camper adds a sentence until the story ends. If the story ends before each player has a turn, start a new story.
Or you can let the kids write their story ideas on a piece of paper, then fold them up and put them in a jar or a hat. You could separate the kids by cabins or let them choose their partners to work together to act out the story prompt they pick. Again, provide plenty of props to help them be creative and explore their theatrical sides.
Another variation of this is writing collaborative stories. Have each camper write two sentences on a large piece of paper. Then have them fold over the first sentence and pass the paper so the next camper can only read the second sentence. As the paper gets passed, each camper can only write a new line based on the one they see. In the end, have campers read the stories aloud to see how silly they have become throughout the activity.
7. Children’s Theatre
Kids love to take the stage! Separate kids into groups and let them create stage play scripts (or get some play scripts to follow) showcasing a story such as “Three Little Pigs” or “Little Red Riding Hood.” They’ll need plenty of time to practice before the big show. Simple costumes and props can be used, or their performances can tell the story. You can even involve campers in setting up props and costumes for the play. Plan activities leading up to the plays, so they are familiar with the stories.
8. Stone Painting
There are likely plenty of stones near your camp and they make for an excellent and easy craft activity. Have kids select the smoothest stones they’d like to paint. Then, provide materials to paint them. After the stones have dried, kids can place them around the camp area for other campers to find, near a nearby river bed, or leave them anonymously around their neighborhood as gifts.
9. Cat & Mouse
In this popular game, everyone but two kids form a circle — standing far enough apart so that players can stretch their arms to hold hands. The two players will be running through these spaces between players. One of the two is the cat and the other is the mouse. The cat tries to catch the mouse. They can run between players, but once one of them runs between players, those players close up so there is no space.As the game proceeds, more spaces will close up. If one of the two players gets trapped inside the circle, the other player wins. If both are trapped inside or outside, the group counts to ten and the cat tries to catch the mouse. If they do, they win. Otherwise, the mouse wins. Select two new players and play again.
10. Eagle Catch Chick
Choose a player to be the eagle and another player as the mother hen. The rest of the players will be the chicks. The aim of the game is for the eagle to try to catch one of the chicks and the mother hen aims to try to protect the chicks from the eagle.
All the chicks must hide in a line behind the hen and hold on to the shoulders of the person in front of them. They cannot break away from the group or they will be out of the game. The eagle and the mother hen and chicks will start at two different starting points opposite of one another.
Set a time for the eagle to try to get as many chicks from the mother hen as they possibly can. The eagle cannot let the hen tag them or they will have to return to the starting point.
The eagle can catch the chick by tagging the player who is the chick. When the chasing begins, the eagle is free to run anywhere to catch the chick. The mother hen can protect the chicks by spreading their arms shoulder-high and trying to move the group in circles away from the eagle.
If the eagle catches a chick, this game will be over and that chick will be the eagle in the next game.
11. Play with STEAM Robots
A. mBot Ranger
mBot Ranger is a Robot Tank, a Self-balancing Robot, also a racing car in one set. Kids can use coding skills to control Ranger via the app. They can also play with their friends or pets, holding an exciting game between them, Ranger could perform well! While playing with Ranger, your kids can understand Scratch & Arduino C to program, then they can find more ways to play with Ranger!
B. mBot Ultimate
mBot Ultimate by Makeblock is an advanced programmable robot kit that is more suitable for kids aged 14-16 years old who have some basic knowledge of coding and robotics. The kit consists of over 550 mechanical parts and provides a comprehensive range of features. The kit also includes 10 custom robots that genuinely make the possibilities for maker combinations infinite—everything a kid needs to make their ideas come alive.
C. mBot Mega
The Makeblock mBot Mega is an advanced 2-in-1 robot kit and electronic kit. It is equipped with mecanum omnidirectional wheels and is based on the powerful Mega AT2560. This allows you to connect to more than 10 servos, 4 stepper motors, and 8 DC motors. mBot Mega is equipped with 7 sensors, 4WD mecanum wheels, and 1 Bluetooth module. It is ideal for Arduino beginners and pros for learning electronics, robotics, and programming languages.
12. Enjoy Nature Art
This easy activity just requires basic art supplies and paper. Take kids outside and give them a designated area to wander and find something in nature that inspires them. Then, they can recreate the object or area using their drawing or painting supplies. When they’re finished with their art, make sure to display them inside so kids can enjoy everyone’s creations.
13. STEAM Activity Program Camp
STEAM programs emphasize creativity and critical thinking, teaching kids to approach challenges with an innovative mindset. They learn how to think outside the box and find unique solutions to problems. By exploring various fields, STEAM activities ignite curiosity and foster a love for learning. Kids are naturally inquisitive, and these programs provide them with opportunities to ask questions and experiment in a fun environment. Also, STEAM programs demonstrate how subjects like math and science are used in everyday life, making learning more relevant and engaging. Kids get to see the practical application of what they learn in school.
14. Woodshop
Kids love working with wood and learning how to handle woodworking tools. Here is a collection of comfortable woodworking projects kids can make. You can start with simple projects, and as the children master safely using woodworking tools, you can move to more complex projects like birdhouses or hanging planters. It can be fun for kids to have several wood projects from their summers at camp.If you don’t have a woodshop at your camp, popsicle stick projects can be the next best thing. Check through this list of 50 popsicle stick projects to do with kids. A few of suggestions are:
- Bookmarks
- Marble mazes
- Picture frames
- Miniature hockey sticks
