Family Camping - Six Activities For The Whole Family
Six ways to build memories on your next family camping trip!
Every time I begin to pack for my next camping adventure I always think about those family camping trips I took as a kid. I remember the stress that my brothers and I put on my parents not only while packing for the weekend, but also while at the campgrounds.
As a kid, my brothers and I were always on the go. We constantly wanted my parents to play some game or do something besides sit and relax. I also remember my parents struggling to find activities that we could do as a family on our camping get-a-ways.
It's interesting because I still play the following games and continue to pack the gear/equipment every time I go camping. Below is a list of 6 personal favorite family camping activities of mine.
Ladder Golf
Ladder golf is a game that is played by 2 - 4 players or 2 teams of 2 players. The object of the game is to toss the bolas (the 2 golf balls tied together by rope) onto the rungs, or steps, of the ladder. Ladder golf is great for camping trips because it's easy to play, easy to set up, easy to transport and can be played by anyone on virtually any surface.
The game is played by having two teams, each have their own set of colored bolas, and they each take turns tossing the bolas at the ladder. Each bola that stays on the ladder receives a point. Tossing a bola on the top rung is 3 points, the middle rung is 2 points and the bottom rung is worth 1 point. The two ladders are normally 15 feet, or 5 paces, apart. Each player/team will alternate tossing the bolas until one team reaches exactly 21 points at the end of his/her turn.
Bean Bag Toss/Cornhole
Bean bag toss (or https://prediksibola69.com/ commonly referred to as Cornhole in the Southern U.S.) is a childhood favorite of mine. This game is similar to Ladder Golf in that it's played by 2 - 4 players. This great camping game is extremely easy to play by men, women and children of any age.
Essentially, all you do is take turns tossing your bean bag (corn bag) onto the platform and the team that reaches 21 points first wins. One point is scored when a player tosses his/her bag onto the platform and it stays there. Three points are scored when a player gets the bag into the hole within the platform. Each platform is roughly 30 feet apart and teammates stand by opposite platforms tossing bags back and forth.
Croquet
Croquet is not a traditional camping game but can be even more exciting when played at campgrounds as compared to a grass court. Croquet is not only a lawn game but also a competitive sport. This game can be played with 2 - 4 players in which each player tries to hit plastic or wooden balls with a mallet through a series of metal loops that are stuck into the earth.
Why is playing croquet at a campground more exciting? Well, normally you play this game on a grassy field without obstacles. Think of the exciting challenges that await you and your family/friends if you have to play around trees!
Bocce Ball
Bocce ball is another game that is not only played for leisure but also professionally. I personally love bocce ball because, like croquet, it's very exciting and challenging when playing at a campground.
The game is played by 2 - 8 players. The goal of the game is to throw/toss a bocce (a wooden or plastic ball) at a pallino (a smaller ball). The person/team to get their bocce closest to the pallino scores a point. The team that scores the point gets to toss the pallino in a new location. Now just repeat. The first team to 13 wins the game.
Wildlife Identification
This fun camping activity is great for any family. This isn't really a game but more of an educational adventure to explore and discover the natural beauty in the great outdoors. This gets you and your family out of your campsite and exploring the surrounding area.
The goal of this little adventure to get out and see how many different types of wildlife you can identify. You can search for mammals, insects, plants, flowers, tress, birds, etc. Wildlife identification can be extremely rewarding not only because you get to see some incredible wildlife, but you're also learning about the great outdoors.
You will need to purchase some sort of wildlife ID kit or booklet in order to fully enjoy this activity. I'd recommend purchasing a book from a local bookstore so it will contain wildlife that is relevant to your area. You can also order kits online by doing a simple Internet search.
Geocaching
Geocaching is my latest hobby. This is an exciting outdoor treasure hunt that uses GPS technology to locate and find hidden containers (caches) that were hidden by some other geocacher. The basis of this activity is to go online and find and download latitude and longitude coordinates which will get to very close to the cache. Once you're close, it's up to you to find the hidden container. After you find it, you sign the log book, leave a little trinket for the next geocacher and then replace the cache exactly how you found it. Once you return home, you go back online and write a brief log about your adventure for the rest of the world to read.
The above 6 activities are only several camping activities that you and your friends/family can enjoy on your next outdoor adventure. Please remember to always be courteous of other campers and obey all park/campground rules when enjoying any of these activities.
Remember, it's not what you do on your camping adventure that's important, it's the memories that you create and share that are what will bring you to fully enjoy everything Mother Nature has to offer.
