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Caret Right

· Posted 22 hours ago

27 Outdoor Activities You Can Bring To Entertain Your Kids On A Family Camping Trip

This guarantees you’ll have a bunch of, well, happy campers.

by Kathleen Shea-Porter BuzzFeed Contributor

I've been a BuzzFeed Contributor since 2020 and I'm always on the lookout for products that are the perfect blend of form and function — especially if it's in the realms of parenting, travel, and home goods and décor.

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1. A scavenger hunt card game because you have no trouble finding a good time. This is exactly what you're seeking. 

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Promising review: "My 4-year-old and 7-year-old absolutely loved playing this scavenger game while we were out camping." —NagChampa

Get it from Amazon for $9.99.

2. A camping set perfect for an 18-inch doll, so she, too, can live her best life in the great outdoors. And honestly? Her tent might be cuter than yours.  

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Promising review: "This set is perfect for the American Girl doll lover! My daughter loves it and brings it along on our family camping trips!" —Amy Howie

Get it from Amazon for $28.99.

3. A triceratops LED headlamp to light the way, because you're trying to have a dino-mite time, and that does not include tripping and falling. 

www.amazon.com

Promising review: "I purchased this for my nephew to use on his very first camping trip. He LOVES dinosaurs, and he was the coolest kid in the campground with flashing colored lights on his head! He loved the different light options, and it fit him very well (6 years old)." —Rikki Gates

Get it from Amazon for $16.99 (available in five colors).

4. A binocular set that also comes with a compass and a magnifying glass, so they can start exploring and navigating the amazing world around them.

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Promising review: "I purchased three sets of these to give to my younger grandkids when we go camping. They are the perfect size for them. Simple to use and sturdy. I am sure they will get years of use out of these!" —Judy

Get it from Amazon for $25.95(available in six colors). 

5. A six-piece set of glow-in-the-dark bracelets, which, in addition to just being super fun, will also help you keep track of your little ones while they run around at night. 

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Promising review: "This set was the hit of our camping trip with the kids! They had a blast!" —Emilie

Get it from Amazon for $9.89+ (available in five quantities).

6. A copy of Would You Rather: Campfire Edition to keep the conversation — and the giggles — going. With more than 160 questions to ask, you'll get to know each other even better. First question: Would you rather laugh out loud with your family or sit in cranky silence? 

www.amazon.com

Promising review: "I recommend this book to anyone that has kids and is going camping. This book was perfect for the family traveling on the way to a campsite or near the campfire. We had a blast reading these 'would you rather' questions together. Some were very funny, and we had good laughs. Highly recommend for camping." —Linda

Get it from Amazon for $10.99.

7. A five-piece set of absolutely adorable outdoor play figurines because these open-ended toys encourage kids to get creative using natural elements — like leaves, flowers, and twigs — they find during outdoor play. As if you needed another reason to go for a hike! 

www.amazon.com

Promising review: "These were so fun! I brought these camping, and everyone from age 1–9 was filling these up with sticks and leaves. This is an amazing item for imaginative play!" —J. Smith

Get it from Amazon for $27.99 (available in six color combinations).

8. A bug catcher kit, which includes a net, binoculars, a magnifying glass, and a cage. Send the kiddos on a special mission to capture some critters, safely observe them, and then let them loose (but NOT inside the tent)!

Amazon, www.amazon.com

Promising review: "My 2.5-year-old is obsessed. I purchased this for her for a camping trip to give her something to play with. Little did I expect how much fun I would have. We spent hours looking through the woods for bugs and birds, bringing back all of my childhood memories of camping! Now that we are home, she insists she put on her adventure vest, and we catch grasshoppers. The vest is a little big on her, but at her age, she has plenty of time to grow into it, and it doesn't bug her at all." —Spidervalve

Get it from Amazon for $24.99 (available in five colors/prints).

9. A set of two walkie-talkies that are begging to be used for a game of spies... A game so fun that it somehow grows from two kids to the whole campsite — and nothing is better.

www.amazon.com

Promising review: "I purchased the Selieve Walkie Talkies for my kids, and they’ve been a fantastic addition to our outdoor adventures. The devices are user-friendly, making it easy for my 3- and 10-year-olds to operate independently. The sound quality is clear, and the 3-mile range allows them to communicate effectively during neighborhood games and camping trips. The backlit LCD and built-in flashlight are thoughtful features that enhance usability in various lighting conditions. The color is beautiful. While the build quality is generally good. Overall, these walkie-talkies have provided hours of entertainment and are a great value for the price." —Beresford Edwards

Get it from Amazon for $18.99+ (available in seven color combinations).

10. A Nerf Vortex football, which you will recall from your own days of playing outside, while the parents socialized and the kids ran ALL over. This is a screamin' good time.

www.amazon.com

Promising review: "We took ours on a weekend camping trip. The boys had a great time with it. It provided hours of entertainment, and it didn’t cost much. Held up pretty well after getting stuck in the bushes and bouncing off structures." —Amazon Customer

Get it from Amazon for $11.29+ (available in four colors).

11. A camping-themed sticker and activity book for moments where you need a little bit of quiet time. Stick to this plan and everyone will have the best time. 

www.amazon.com

Promising review: "Fun for a road trip!! We bought this for a camping trip, and the quality is good. Many pages and kept the attention off the drive for a good amount of time." —Hschultz

Get it from Amazon for $14.98+ (available in 47 themes). 

12. A light-up LED flying disc that has blue light... But the good kind that makes you run around in the dark, laughing, and chasing the flashing disc with all your friends.

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Promising review: "We got this as a fun gadget to take camping to have an activity for nighttime and the kids had a blast with it!" —Maquel Twedell

Get it from Amazon for $15.95+ (available in six different colors and multi-packs).

13. A 2-in-1 toss game with a bean bag throwing game on one side and a Velcro target game on the other. Tablet? What tablet? This is the good old-fashioned fun they really love.

www.amazon.com, Amazon

Promising review: "Super easy and cheap entertainment for toddler-preschool age. Bought it camping, and my 2- and 3-year-olds spent hours playing. It can even be educational with motor coordination and colors, and numbers. Makes a great gift, too. Easy to set up and doesn’t knock down or break apart too easily. The instructions say that you fold it and put it into a bag. I didn’t get a bag with mine, but maybe that’s separate, and I missed it. We just put it back in the box." —Sam H

Get it from Amazon for $24.99+ (available in four styles).

14. A set of 12 ribbon wands, which are amazing for many reasons — one of which is that they appeal to such a wide age group. Even your phone-obsessed teens and tweens will want to give these a whirl.

www.amazon.com

Promising review: "Some kids had these at the campground playground. My granddaughter was having a blast playing with these (4.5). An older girl was helping her learn. We bought some to take camping and share with other kids. They are a big hit!" —juliedreams

Get a set of 12 from Amazon for $8.99 (also available in a two-pack).

15. A pack of reusable water balloons that are an eco-friendly way to make a real splash. These make it easy to take out everything you brought into the campsite. Oh, and all those new core memories? You can bring those home with you, too. 

www.amazon.com

Promising review: "These are great. We bought them to use at campsites so that we wouldn't have to pick up all the pieces of broken balloons. The kids had a blast with them, and it was so easy to clean up and store for our next trip." —Zach McGregor

Get a 12-pack from Amazon for $26.99 (also available in seven other quantities).

16. A classic catch ball set, because nothing says good weather more than telling the kids to go outside and throw a ball. And because the ball sticks to the mitt, it's easier for littles to catch, too!

www.amazon.com

Promising review: "We put these in our camper. They are easy to store and a great game to play while camping. It makes it easy to catch, even for our youngest. Fun for the whole family and worth every penny. We have used them for a whole camping season, and they look like they are still new." —Robert Whalen

Get it from Amazon for $25.95+ (available in four quantities).

17. A ladder toss game, which is a real rung up from some of those other lawn games. You could put this one away at the end of the day... or you could leave it out and have some fun with your friends after the kids go down for the night. 

www.amazon.com

Promising review: "Keep it in the camper, and the kids and grandkids play this every time we go camping! Good quality, and it breaks down in a small carry bag." —Tim Draughon

Get it from Amazon for $39.99+ (available in two sizes).

18. A camping-themed memory match game, so the kids can still beat you at memory match, but this time it's at least on theme. Why are they so good at it?!

www.amazon.com

Promising review: Cute camping version of classic memory game. I appreciate the sturdy box with a 'hinged' lid. Instructions are printed on the bottom of the box, so you can’t lose them. Cards have colorful images and are of good thickness for younger kids. Should last many years. This game will stay in our travel trailer for use on vacations." —Diane Ostrem

Get it from Amazon for $15.87 (available in three styles). 

19. A copy of Camp Daze Mad Libs because all kids deserve to have the belly laughs that come from making and then reading the most ridiculous sentences. Also, is this how anyone else really learned the parts of speech? Grammar nerd here, but I totally love it for that too!

www.amazon.com

Promising review: "Took it for a family camping trip. Everyone loved it!! Kept everyone laughing for hours by the fire and while driving to and from Yosemite. There were two adults in 30s and 40s, young adult 19, then seven boys ages ranging from 11–15 and a girl 14 and everyone seriously loved it!! Busting up laughing the entire time! When the younger kids were around, we kept it G-rated, and when they were asleep, the older teens raised the rating a bit, and it was great fun!!" —Melanie 78

Get it from Amazon for $5.57.

20. AMelissa & Doug lantern that will give cutie campers the light they need as they talk under stars or maybe even tell some ghost stories (eek!). 

www.amazon.com

Promising review: "My kids love this. They have used it in their rooms, when making forts, and have brought it camping. The light is bright, the different sounds and colors provide a good variety, and it has held up well to two kids throwing it around. It was worth the money." —Amazon Customer

Get it from Amazon for $22.68.

21. A pair of night vision goggles because they're not afraid of the dark... nope, not even a little bit... primarily because they have these. 

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Promising review: "We gave this as a birthday gift for a 2-year-old during a camping trip. The kids had a blast looking at everything in the dark and would not put this down for hours. Seems to be durable, and the price is reasonable. Note these are not real binoculars since you can’t adjust anything, but it works just fine for toddlers." —Anonymous

Get it from Amazon for $21.99.

22. A kids' digital camera so you can see the world through their eyes. You can still expect a fair amount of up-the-nose selfies, but at least they aren't on your phone!

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Promising review: "This is awesome! We took it on our first family camping trip, and my son had so much fun taking pictures and saving memories from our trip!!!" —J. Hudson

Get it from Amazon for $20.87 (available in two colors). 

23. An OK Play travel game that's durable, waterproof, and comes on a carabiner, which is all the proof you need that this was made for your camping trip. Oh, one more thing... It's very fun, too! 

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Promising review: "This is such a simple concept of a game, but so much fun. I bought this for a camping trip, and we played it many times. It might sound silly, but I love the sound the titles make when you snap them together. Easy game to follow. Sometimes it goes fast, and sometimes it takes a while, depending on who and how you’re paying attention and on the skill level of the players. Love how it is set to fit together when you don’t use it too. Easy to transport and takes up little room. Vibrant colors!!" —A.C.

Get it from Amazon for $21.99.

24. An insect and butterfly net so the kiddos can catch bugs, fish, and anything else their little hearts desire. And they can catch you hanging out by the firepit, relaxing, watching them enjoy their childhoods.

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Promising review: "Love the different length options on this. Nice and sturdy! Put together in less than a minute. My son wanted a net to catch frogs in when we go camping. This is perfect!" —Bre

Get it from Amazon for $14.99+ (available in five sizes).

25. A set of mini Magna-Tiles in a travel case, because we all know these are the G.O.A.T. of kids' toys, and the thought of leaving behind your kids' full-size set is almost unbearable.

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Promising review: "The best for traveling, diaper bag staple for toddlers and kids. The set has a perfect amount of tiles to build and play with. Case is metal so the tiles stick. Case shuts solid and we don’t worry about loosing pieces. Love it." —Caitlin

Get it from Amazon for $19.99 (available in three styles).

26. A KlutzCat's Cradlebook that can entertain older kiddos for hours and hours on end with nothing but a piece of string and some really great instructions. (Turns out, kids don't need much!) The Klutz books played a big part in my childhood, and I can't wait to share this with my own kids.

www.amazon.com

Promising review: "I loved string games like this when I was a little girl, so I decided to give this book a try with my daughters. They basically obsessed over it for a few weeks... and then the book disappeared. Overall, a good distraction for good old-fashioned fun. It would be perfect for a road trip or camping trip to keep kids busy when technology isn't available or wanted." —Sarah Autumn Procunier

Get it from Amazon for $9.95.

27. Aboomerang toy, which is GENIUS because if they use it right, then you won't be called on to go get it from the woods — it'll just come right back to them!

www.amazon.com

Promising review: "We brought this on a camping trip, and it was a hit! The kids and the adults all had a great time, and it is small and compact, so it didn’t take up any space!" —Mel Fran

Get it from Amazon for $13.95(available in eight colors).

Want to see even *more* of our recommendations for parents? Try these:

* Are You A Tidy Parent With Messy Kids? These 27 Organizing And Cleaning Products Are Here To Save The Day

* If You Have Kids *And* Pets, These 22 Products Will Seriously Come In Handy

* Wagons, Strollers, And Baby Carriers To Haul Your Kid Around In All Summer Long

Plus, outdoor toys and finds for long car rides.

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Reviews for this post have been edited for length and/or clarity.