Games & Activities for Teenage Kids at a Campout

Make a bonfire, which is something that most teenagers will want to participate in together.

If you are taking a group of teenagers on a campout, then you may choose to ask them to leave behind their electronics, iPods, cell phones and other mobile devices in order to enjoy being around each other in the great outdoors. However, it is advisable to have some games, activities and tricks up your sleeve so that your teens do not cry out from boredom.

Campfires

Having a fire is an activity that requires teamwork and cooperation, while providing hours of heat, enjoyment, reflection and maybe even cooking. Fires require gathering firewood, which is a teamwork activity that all teenagers can cooperate in completing. You may even want to have them stack their own piles of wood to see who gathers the most, in return for having the honor of lighting the fire. You can also plan other activities around the campfire such as storytelling, ghost stories, having a question of the day, or cooking hot dogs or smores.

Webbing

Tie a piece of webbing together in order to use it as a teambuilding prop for teenagers. You can have each of the teens grab a different part of the webbing and instruct them to sit as a group. Alternatively, you can use the webbing as a get-to-know-you activity by having them rotate the webbing and stopping the knot at each person randomly, who then has to share their answer to an ice-breaker question.

Hide and Seek

Use hide and seek while out in the woods to encourage the teens to explore the world around them, once you have set appropriate boundaries for the game. Alternatively, you may want to use another popular camp game called Sardines, which is the opposite of the traditional Hide and Seek. When playing Sardines, one person hides and everyone else tries to find him or her. The objective is to not be the last person to find the rest of the group that is hiding together.

Campsite Sweep

Although it may not be as fun as some of the other activities, a campsite sweep is an activity that can teach teenagers how to care for and act as a steward for their environment. Have the teens form a line so that they are standing a few feet apart. Instruct them to walk across the campsite in order to look for missing gear, clothing or trash. Using the campsite sweep is a good way to make sure that no piece of equipment is left behind and that the environment is not negatively impacted by your group's presence.

References

• "Silver Bullets: A Guide to Initiative Problems, Adventure Games and Trust Activities"; Karl Rhonke; 1984
• Wilderdom: Index to Group Activities, Games, Exercises and Initiatives

Resources

• Ultimate Camp Resource: Camp Games
• Camp Games: Home