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Daytime Games I Spy
Each participant takes a turn. When it is your turn, select an object in sight that has a distinct color. Say to the group, “I spy something ...” For example: You select your blue tent. You say to the group, “I spy something blue.” The group guesses what your choice is. The first person to guess your answer takes the next turn. Go Fishing
This game is great for younger children. Set up an area with a partition, boat or box. Provide fishing poles made from wooden dowel rods and a string with a magnet attached to the end, and have them fish for a variety of objects that have paper clips attached. Offer fun outdoor-related objects as prizes, such as a small flashlight or lantern, child’s compass, magnifying glass and nature books. Nature Scavenger Hunt
Assign a point value to various outdoor items, such as 5 for a live ladybug, 4 for a pinecone, 3 for a leaf, 2 for two rocks that are the same color, 1 for a dandelion. Other ideas are seeds, flower petal, sticks and feathers. Make up a list ahead of time according to what is likely to be found in the area and give each child the list. Have the children scatter and search for the items on the list. Let them know how much time they have. When time’s up, have each child share with the group what he or she found. The child who accumulates the most points wins.
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Nighttime Games Going on a Camping Trip
This is a fun game to play while sitting around the campfire. Each participant goes in order, thinking of items to take on a camping trip that begin with each letter of the alphabet. Every participant must first say the items in the order that they were first mentioned. For example: The first participant will say, “I’m going on a camping trip and I’m going to bring some apples (A for apples).” The next participant has the letter B and will say, “I’m going on a camping trip and I’m going to bring some apples and a ball (B for ball).” The next person has the letter C and will say, “I’m going on a camping trip and I’m going to bring some apples, a ball and a cot (C for cot),” and so on. When a participant forgets the order, he or she is out. Whoever stays in the longest wins. Camping Code
Children of all ages will like this fun sign-language guessing game they create themselves using objects from nature. The first step is to collect objects available in or near the campsite – and creativity when assigning meaning to the objects, even suggesting themes such as circus objects, things at a zoo, etc. Hold or lay out the objects while participants guess what they mean. What does “green leaf, green leaf, rock” mean? If green leaves mean “jump” and a rock means “walk like you’re on a tightrope,” then the sentence means jump two times and walk like a tightrope walker. The more items, the more complex the game becomes, which should depend on the children’s age. The sillier, the better! Flashlight Tag “It” Version: Choose a designated area for the game and for the “jail”; then turn off all the lights. The first child selected to be “It” closes his or her eyes and starts counting slowly out loud to 20 while everyone else hides. Hiders can stay in one spot or move around the designated area. Using a flashlight, “It” searches for the others. The flashlight must remain on and uncovered at all times. After spotting someone, “It” shines the light on the child and call out his or her name. Each caught child goes to “jail” to wait until everyone else is caught. The first person caught then becomes “It.” “Pairs” Version: After choose a designated area for the game, players should pair off and create a secret flashlight signal (one short and one long flash, three short flashes and so on). Adult should make sure each pair has a unique signal. Turn off all the lights and instruct the partners to separate and go to opposite sides of the designated area. Adult should count slowly out loud to 40 to give players time to separate before they are allowed to start flashing signals. Each pair tries to reunite by sending flashlight signals to each other. The first two kids to find each other win.
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