Kids at Camp
Boredom-busters for ages 1–12—plus free printables to bring along.
Table of Contents
- 🖨️ Free Printables (print before you leave!)
- Anytime Boredom-Busters
- By Age
- Camp Jobs Kids Love (and that actually help)
- Water & Beach Fun
- Rainy-Day & Tent Time
- Evening & Night
- A Few Grown-Up Reminders
🖨️ Free Printables (print before you leave!)
Print these at home and toss them in a folder or clipboard. Each opens in your browser; use your browser’s Print (or “Save as PDF”) to print. Great for quiet time, car rides, and rainy afternoons.
| Printable | What it is |
|---|---|
| 🔎 Nature Scavenger Hunt | Find-it list for the trails and campsite |
| 🎲 Campsite Bingo | 5×5 bingo of camp sights & sounds |
| 📓 Camp Nature Journal | Draw-and-write page for each day |
| 🎣 Fishing Log | Record every catch (and the one that got away) |
| 🎒 Kid’s Own Packing List | Let kids pack their own bag |
Tip: print a few copies of the scavenger hunt and bingo so each kid (or family) has their own. Bring crayons/markers, a clipboard, and a pencil box.
Anytime Boredom-Busters
Stuff to do that needs little or no gear:
- Build a fairy house / fort from sticks, bark, and rocks.
- Rock painting — collect smooth rocks, paint them, hide them around camp.
- Stick fishing poles — tie string to a stick and “fish” for leaves in the creek.
- Bug safari — magnifying glass + bug viewer; count how many kinds you find.
- Nature bracelet — wrap tape sticky-side-out around a wrist, stick on leaves/petals.
- Pinecone & acorn toss into a bucket (move the bucket back for a challenge).
- Camp Olympics — sack races, balloon toss, ring toss, three-legged race.
- Story chain — one person starts a story, each adds a sentence around the fire.
- Shadow tag / flashlight tag at dusk (with boundaries).
By Age
Littles (1–3)
- Sand/dirt play with cups and scoops
- Splashing at the beach shallows (always held/PFD)
- “Collect the pinecones” bucket games
- Bubble-blowing, board books, a familiar comfort toy
Preschool–Early (3–6)
- Scavenger hunt (picture version), bug viewer
- Beach sand toys, gentle creek wading
- Coloring, sidewalk chalk on the pad, bubbles
- “Help” jobs: carry sticks, rinse veggies, stir (cool) pots
Big Kids (7–12)
- Fishing on their own rod, tandem kayaking
- Bike the easy trails, hike to a bluff view
- Camp bingo, nature journal, whittling a marshmallow stick (with supervision)
- Lead the campfire s’mores, learn a knot (see Savvy Camper)
Camp Jobs Kids Love (and that actually help)
Give kids a “real” job—they love responsibility:
- Firewood crew — stack and count the wood
- Water runner — refill the drink jug
- Table setter — paper goods and napkins for dinner
- Trash patrol — micro-trash pickup (bottle caps, twist ties)
- Tent zipper monitor — keep tents zipped (bug patrol!)
- Camp greeter — say hi to neighbors, learn good-neighbor manners
Water & Beach Fun
(See the Swimming page for safety rules.)
- Beach digging, sandcastles, and “river” channels
- Crawdad and minnow hunting in Big Sugar Creek (water shoes!)
- Float races with sticks/leaves
- Skipping stones
- Tandem kayak “expeditions” around the shoreline
Rainy-Day & Tent Time
When a storm parks over camp:
- Card games (Go Fish, Uno, War) and travel board games
- The printables above (bingo, journal, scavenger hunt)
- Flashlight shadow puppets, story-telling
- Coloring and camp-craft supplies
- A drive to a rainy-day day trip (Hannibal’s cave, St. Louis museums)
Evening & Night
- Firefly catch-and-release (gentle hands, then let them go)
- Naturalist program at the amphitheater (details)
- Stargazing — find the Big Dipper; spot satellites; make a wish on the first star
- Glow-stick games after dark (and on July 4 instead of fireworks)
- S’mores and one last story before bed
A Few Grown-Up Reminders
- Set boundaries on day one: where kids can roam, the buddy system, and “no water without an adult.”
- Headlamp for every kid for night bathroom trips.
- Tick check every night (how-to).
- Sunscreen + water on repeat—outdoor kids in July dehydrate and burn fast.