Summer Camp Glory: Not Just For Our Childhoods
Whether you grew up going to camp, or just always wanted to- the good news is, there’s no reason to leave the fun for our yesteryears. Camp is about so many things- arts and crafts, the water, meeting new friends, and building memories in the process. These activities can be done over weeks and months with your kids in the backyard, or for a day of adult-only shenanigans. Whatever your stage of life, just know you’re never too old for canteen.
Arts & Crafts Track
1 | Boat-Making Competition
Before STEM was a thing, we did arts and crafts just because they were fun- physics lessons aside. This activity challenges people to design and create their own miniature, water-faring boats. The goal is to have the boat that stays afloat the longest, and can be tested using a rock or any other test captain/victim of your choice. You can design the rules however you want- our family did it with the requirement to only use natural materials (no tape, glue, or human-made materials). It was a super fun challenge for both functionality and design alike.
2 | Portrait Challenge
You’ve probably seen the viral videos where partners draw each other with hilarious results. In this group version, each person draws the person to their right (not allowing anyone to see the works in progress!) Using a timer set to 15 minutes, at the end, everyone reveals their works of art. If wanting extra competition, have everyone vote for the best (or worst!) with the rule no one can vote for themselves.
3 | Part A: Nature Scavenger Hunt
Go for a walk outside, even better in a park or nearby local woods.
Gather tokens like small pine boughs, grasses, ferns- whatever will work well for the second part craft below and suits your fancy.
4 | Part B: Nature Print Making
Use your collection gathered above and return home for the crafts portion. Using your found items, you can create art prints using paint and cardstock to create negative-space prints.
Supplies:
Paint (can be acrylic, watercolor, etc.) (color of your choice, but if go with a lighter color or white if using a darker paper, and vice versa)
Art paint brushes (bigger is easier)
8”x10” frames
Instructions:
Paint one side of the object.
Arrange it painted side down on the paper as you wish (it could be an arrangement of multiple per sheet or a series of one shape per paper).
Place another piece of paper or paper towel over the object and use rolling pin to gently press evenly.
Remove the top sheet and discard and let dry before framing.
Sports & Leisure Track
5 | Have an Archery Tournament
The classic camp sport. There are a spectrum of bow and arrow sets for varying types of activities. For pure recreation, there are cheaper alternatives and they are probably fine, but you get what you pay for. If you or your family are genuinely interested in the sport, I’d recommend a beginning compound bow. It’s not for young kids as it’s definitely got force behind it (and should always be treated as such, not used with pets or other people in the area). But it’s much easier and more enjoyable to use, and therefore more likely to actually be used.
Supplies:
Option A) All-purpose bow and arrow set
Option B) Beginner Compound Bow set
Target Block (Having one is important and very helpful)
Instructions:
You can either play casually and for the fun of learning how to improve, or set up a tournament bracket style.
Water Carnival
A series of water-related festivities that are best when donning a swim suit. Could be great for a family over the course of the summer, or as an adult afternoon fueled with Hard Seltzers.
6 | Water Balloon Toss
A series of water-related festivities that are best when donning a swim suit. Could be great for a family over the course of the summer, or as an adult afternoon fueled with Hard Seltzers.
Supplies:
Mini water balloons specifically designed to be filled en masse with a hose (any parent will recognize these already)
Instructions:
Form two lines, pairing with someone on the other side. On the count of 3, all the people on one side (who start with a balloon) toss to their partners in the other line.
Each pair that loses a balloon sits on the ground while the remaining duos each take a step back and continue the process until there’s a winning pair.
7 | Put out the Fire
Supplies:
2 Big buckets
2 Bowls
Body of water (lake, kiddie pool, etc.)
Instructions:
Form two lines, people facing the person in front of them
At a whistle, both lines start with the person in front grabbing a bowl full of water (from the water source) and handing it back over their heads to the person behind them (without looking or turning around!)
This continues with each person until the person at the end of the line who dumps it in the bucket behind them.
They person at the front runs to the back of the line upon passing the bucket, so the line continues shifting forward.
When the whistle blows (by a bystander), the team with the most water in the bucket wins.
Shown here is a ‘Banana S’mlit”- honestly one of the best desserts I’ve ever had. I may not be able to go back.
8 | Iron Chef - S’mores Edition
Once the evening rolls in and it’s time for the campfire-what’s better than s’mores? Finding creative ways to add upon the recipe.
Instructions:
Either individually or in teams, source unique ingredients to add to your s’mores sandwich.
9 | Ghost stories around the Campfire
I take it back. The only thing better than a good campfire and s’mores, are a campfire, s’mores, and a good ghost story.
Instructions:
Ask your friends to come prepared with a ghost story or an urban legend. They’ll enjoy the challenge of a new tale, and if not, there are hosts of great short scary stories out there.
Some highly rated collections of short scary stories if needing inspiration:
The Dangers of Smoking in Bed: Stories by Mariana Enriquez (Author) and Megan McDowell (Translator)
Tiny Nightmares: Very Short Tales of Horror by Lincoln Michel
Eight Ghosts: The English Heritage Book of Ghost Stories by Sarah Perry