Getting outside, breathing in the fresh air, and being in nature are all fabulous for your physical and mental health! One great way families can do that is to go camping.
But sometimes, the kiddos can get a little bored and want something to do more.
That’s exactly why we made these printable campfire games for kids!
They’re a quick, low-prep activity you can prepare before you leave on your family trip to have some camping activities for kids.
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Free Camping Printables
Inside this campfire game set, we’ve included a camping word search, camping themed charades, and camping themed Don’t Eat Pete.
These activities are perfect for younger children in preschool, kindergarten, and early elementary school.
Camping Don’t Eat Pete
If you’ve never played Don’t Eat Pete, you’re in for a treat! Literally, that is.
In this game, one member of the family goes out of earshot and waits for the rest of the the family to gather around the Don’t Eat Pete printable and choose an object to be “Pete”.
Next, you place a sweet treat (think M&M’s or mini marshmallows) on each of the spaces of the printable.
The person who is “it” comes back and begins to eat the treat off each of the spaces. When the “it” person grabs the space designated as “Pete”, the family shouts, “Don’t Eat Pete” and that round is over.
The person who gets to eat the most treats is the winner. You can repeat this game over and over (and believe me, the kids will want to!).
Camping Word Search
This printable camping word search is perfect for elementary children. We’ve included common camping terms like backpack, map, and nature.
Since we’ve geared this set towards younger children, all of the words to find are written forwards and there are no diagonal words.
If you have younger kids, have older siblings help the littles find and circle the words.
Camping Charades
This might be our favorite game of all! These camping charade printables are just like the regular charade game except they’re all camping themed!
Simply print out the pages (we’ve included 3 pages for a total of 30 cards), cut them out, and you’re ready to begin.
One member of the family will draw a rectangle and act out the object or action listed on the card.
Wondering what some of the cards have on them? Here’s a sample of what’s included:
- going fishing
- canoeing
- playing a guitar
- snorkeling
- hide and seek
- gather firewoood
- collect fireflies in a jar
- geocaching
Again, we’ve tried to keep these ideas simple so the whole family can play together!
Which game will your family want to play first?
Camp Themed Unit
Do you want to create a whole camping-themed unit to go with these printables? If so, keep reading. We’ve got lots of great ideas to get you started!
Books are a great way to get even further in a theme! On top of that, reading to kids helps them develop a stronger vocabulary and helps them learn to focus. It’s a win win situation!
Below are some of the top camping themed books for kids.
The Little Book of Camping- Teach young kids all about what goes into camping with this cute and simple book!
Pete the Cat Goes Camping- This book is great for little readers who love Pete the Cat. Read it before going camping to get the kids excited for their trip!
A Campfire Tail- This sweet book is a great way to talk to kids about empathy and friendship. Kids love the fun illustrations and storyline.
For some fun camp themed crafts, try out this paper campfire craft. It’s simple, comes with a free printable, and looks colorful when it’s completed!
Add in some fun animals with this easy bear craft for kids, this paper plate skunk craft, or this simple fox craft!
Finish up with some hands-on, sensory play with this camp themed playdough kit.
More Camping Ideas For Kids
Free Camping Printables
Sam is the crafter and founder of Simple Everyday Mom. She has been featured in Oprah Mag, Good Housekeeping, The Spruce Crafts, Country Living, The Bump and more. Read more.