While the kids are on holidays, now is the time to create some memories that will last a lifetime. Find that perfect campsite, pack the camper or caravan with all the necessary supplies – but be careful , it can all go down the toilet if you haven’t prepared for the inevitable and dreaded announcement, “I’m bored!”
Camping is a great activity to help get the kids outdoors and spend less time indoors plugged into a screen. There are so many benefits to being out in the fresh air – it helps to manage stress and reduce restlessness and boredom. It’s up to you however to show them, so check out some of these great ideas to keep kids entertained these holidays and hopefully you will be camping as a family for years to come—complaint free!
1. SING AROUND THE CAMPFIRE
Whether your family is musical or not it’s still fun to get the whole family singing around a campfire. Pick up a guitar if you know how to play, or simply just go it cappella – it may even help scare any nearby animals away!
2. TRY SOME CAMP COOKING
Microwave and stove- free – bring along some easy recipes to enjoy creating and watch them have fun learning invaluable cooking skills. Some tried and tested favorites could be good old damper, pigs in a blanket or yummy strawberry s’mores. Either way, make sure you have a backup meal planned in case it all turns to S##t.
3. GO FOR A HIKE
Taking a long family hike out in the wild is a sure- fire way to fill up a day. Not only do you get your kids out to enjoy some exercise, but they explore the outdoors and develop appreciation for nature.
4. GO GEOCACHING
If you are looking for an enjoyable activity for kids to do when camping, then geocaching is ideal. It’s an activity that you can ONLY do outdoors. First, hide a treasure for your child to find, then use a GPS device to find the exact coordinates of the treasure. Register the coordinates on https://www.geocaching.com and then give your kids the GPS, a map and clues to help them find it. If you’re looking for someone else’s cached item, make sure to replace it with one of your own at the end of the hunt so the fun can continue.
5. FLASHLIGHT TAG
Flashlight tag is like regular ol’ tag, only better, because no one gets tagged too hard by an older sibling and starts crying (sound familiar?). Choose which family member will be “it,” send everyone off to hide and then watch as your entire family scrambles around to get away from the dreaded flashlight beam. Don’t forget extra batteries in case your tagging tool runs out of juice!
6. CAPTURE THE FLAG
You will need brains, speed and stamina to win at this one. In case you don’t remember the rules: Split up into two teams and designate an area for each. Each team hides a flag in their own area, and the object is to find the other team’s flag and bring it back to your team’s territory.
7. SCAVENGER HUNT / MAP MAZE
Get kids to really appreciate nature by challenging them to spot different animals, trees, leaves and plants , or hide a small item you got from the cheap shop around the campsite and draw a simple map for kids to find it. Map-reading skills will stick with them their whole lives, even in this GPS-ready world.
So banish that boredom with these family friendly activities on your next MDC adventure. It will keep the kids entertained, the parents relaxed and you will be going offroad as a family more often.
