It’s essential to consider the age of the group you’re camping with, as the spookier activities are better suited for adults.
As exciting as sleeping under the stars and foraging for firewood can be, you can’t embark on a camping trip without any activities. Usually, slipping a deck of cards into your backpack would do, but if you’re looking for something a little more exciting, we have a few suggestions.
Daytime activities
Scavenger hunts
Scavenger hunts are a classic camping activity. You can make this as complex or simple as you want to! One of our favourite types of scavenger hunts are picture ones. Let me explain:
All you need:
- Phone with a camera.
- Piece of paper with a list of objects/creatures found in nature.
How to prepare:
You’ll need to research the camping spot before leaving to make a list of all the items you need to find.
For example, If you’re camping close to water, you can add frogs or waterfalls to your list.
You can even look up what bird species or plants are common in the area.
Once you’ve created a list, everyone planning to participate must ensure their phones or digital cameras are fully charged.
What to do:
- Provide each team or individual with a scavenger hunt list.
- Set off on a quest to discover all the items on the list; once one has been found, take a photo to document it.
- Setting a time limit is recommended, and the person/team who has seen the most items at the end takes home the gold.
Evening entertainment
When the sky turns shades of pink and orange to mark the end of a beautiful day in nature, before darkness surrounds you, it’s time to settle down and share a few thrilling tales around the campfire.
Creepy campfire stories and s’mores
For this one, you don’t need to pack anything but rather do some research and prepare spooky stories.
Of course, you’ll need a campfire and eager ears for this to be a success. As the sun sets, ensure you’ve gathered enough wood and be prepared to share some spine-chilling tales.
What to pack:
- Crackers, marshmallows and chocolates.
- Fire starters
How to prepare:
Luckily, the internet is a gold mine for creepy stories that will haunt everyone’s thoughts for the rest of your camping trip. I wouldn’t advise choosing anything too scary if small children are around; you wouldn’t want to traumatise them.
What to do:
- Ensure all the firewood has been gathered before dark.
- Build a fire and make sure everyone has a seat around it.
- Hand out the s’more ingredients so snacks are available while you listen to all the scary stories.
- Take turns telling your best creepy campfire story; at the end, you can vote on whose tale was the most terrifying.
Nighttime thrills
Once the sun has set and everyone has gone pitch-black, it’s the perfect opportunity to do some star-gazing or say hello to the ghosts of the woods.
An Ouji board experience:
If you’re brave enough to chat with spirits in a dark forest, pack your Ouji board.
Don’t you have an Ouija board of your own? Different kinds of Ouija boards are available on the Spirit Shack website. Take a look and order one in advance to join you on your creepy camping adventure!
Be warned, this campfire activity isn’t for the weak. It’s crucial to remain calm and collected the entire time.
What to pack:
- Ouija board
- Sage
How to prepare:
Research the area; learning more about its history will give you an idea of what kind of spirits might lurk in the shadows. This will give you a clear idea of what to expect and if it’s an excellent spot to attempt communicating.
What to do:
- Gather all participants around the Ouiji board. Everyone should have one finger on the planchetta.
- Start by asking simple questions, eg. “Is there a spirit here?”
- Once you’ve finished asking all the questions, it’s important to remember to end the conversation by saying goodbye to the spirit.
- Burn some sage around the campsite to ward off any evil spirits, just to be safe.
Final thoughts
All these activities are excellent ways to spend your time in nature and won’t take up too much space while packing! It’s essential to consider the age of the group you’re camping with, as the spookier activities are better suited for adults. But don’t worry, you can do many fun things with your teenagers while camping; maybe you can add summoning spirits to the list. So what are you waiting for? Pack your bags and spend some time in nature.
Sources: https://www.greatwolf.com/blog/camping-scavenger-hunt-ideas-for-kids/
Photo by ahmet öktem from Pexels
