5 Games to Play Around a Campfire

My family and I love to go camping. In fact, we just came back from a four day weekend of camping. Ever since I have been a child one of the things I enjoy the most when camping is sitting around the campfire. Whether it be watching the flames change colors, eating s'mores or just chatting it is wonderful family time.

Here are 5 games we like to play around the campfire:

1. Who Said That? This is great for a large group of people who are all different ages. Prior to sitting around the campfire, have everyone write down (in their trickiest handwriting) one fact about themselves i.e. I once ate a piece of dog food by mistake (I know gross but someone actually said this when we played it once). Fold up the slip of paper and put it in a hat. When sitting around the campfire, give one person a flashlight to start. This person picks out one slip of paper and has to guess who wrote the fact. If they get it correct, pass the flashlight to the person who wrote it and that person picks a slip of paper. If they get it wrong after three guesses the person owns up to who wrote it and they still go next. Continue until all of the slips of paper have been read.

2.  Five Daily Facts:  Go around the circle and each person says five facts about their day or a few days i .e. today I ate ice cream.  Tomorrow I will go swimming. etc.  When each person has said five facts start at the beginning of the circle and try to remember them all.  Player one says one statement that was not his/her own.  Player two says a different statement.  See how many you can remember.  It is harder than you think.  

3.  Charades:  No fire would be the same without a fun game of charades.  If it is too dark, shine a flashlight on the person. 

4.  Name that Tune:  Depending upon the ages playing, we usually start humming a few bars and whoever guesses it first goes next.  Sometimes we do themes - nursery rhyme songs, 80's tunes, etc.

5.  Pass the Ghost Story:  Player one starts the story with one sentence.  Player two adds the next sentence.  Continue around the campfire with each person adding one sentence.  Try to make it around the circle twice and then finish the story.

Of course, take breaks and eat s'mores!

Waiting Games: This is 22 page download of twenty games to play while on a road trip, waiting for an appointment or sitting around a campfire.  This collection of activities encourages children to develop self-regulation, creativity and communication skills while they wait.  FIND OUT MORE HERE.