Every year, a bunch of students wait eagerly for their schools to close for the summer vacations. And the biggest attraction of the vacations is none other than the colourful and vibrant summer camps, beaming with promises of endless laughter, lots of fun, frolics, engaging and learning activities, crafts, games and so on. If you are planning to enrol your munchkins on any such summer camps, it is advisable that you first go through the checklist of summer camp activities that they are going to organise for the kids.
Here’s a detailed list of summer camp activities for kids of different age groups. Have a look at them and plan with your children to make their summer camping days fun-filled and memorable.
Top 15 summer camp activities for kids that they will thoroughly enjoy!
For all the water babies out there!
1. Water balloon dodgeball: Combine dodgeball with water balloons, and it will turn out to be one of the best summer camp activities for kids. Fill colourful water balloons with water. Divide the campers into two teams. The main goal of the activity is to hit the maximum number of opponents with water balloons. Decide the prizes for the winning teams as well as the runners-up. Water balls will not hit hard, and the splash of water will keep the kids wet and agile.
2. Battleships and submarines: Make the most out of the pool area at your camp. Divide the kids into two groups, where one plays the role of battleships, while the other one acts like the submarines. One of the kids from the submarines group will dive underwater and try to touch the kids from the battleships group. If they succeed in touching a battleship kid, then that kid will join the team of submarines. A great water activity for summer camps, it adds the element of fun to otherwise mundane swimming lessons. Kids love to indulge in this water game and enjoy the company of their friends.
3. Kayaking: Another great summer camp activity for bit older kids, Kayaking has always been quite popular among the children. Kayaking allows them to explore the water body more closely. Kids get to observe and learn about aquatic plants and animals and their natural habitats. But the guardians must be extra cautious with the safety of each and every child. Every child must wear a lifejacket before they get onto the boat.
4. Cream wash: Summer camp activities are meant to be fun. One such hilarious activity that is literally loved by every kid is Cream Wash. Divide the kids into two teams. Choose one person each from both teams. A scoop of whipped cream is smeared on the face of both the kids. And they will have to get down on their knees. Their teammates will use squirt guns to wash off their faces clean. The team that manages to clean their teammate’s face in lesser time turns out to be the winner.
For the creative rockstars out there!
5. Finger painting activity: If you are searching for a creative option to keep the munchkins busy on the very first day of the camp, then finger painting can be one of the best options. Kids, especially those below the age of 5 years, love to get themselves painted with colours. And they will not leave this golden opportunity at any cost. Give them white sheets of paper or canvas, and you will be amazed to see these young “Picassos” at work. Ensure that their hands are wiped clean once they are done with the activity.
6. Classic tie and dye: No summer camp can be complete without this creative and engaging activity. Let the kids choose the colours of their choice and use them creatively on white tees, hankies, scarves and so on. Of course, they will require your guidance. But once they understand the process thoroughly, get ready to witness fabulous tie and dye print tee-shirts. Let these tee shirts dry naturally. Get the kids to wear their hand-made tie and dye tees and click some amazing pictures.
7. Scrapbooking and journaling: Let each child outpour their mind in a creative manner in their journal at the end of the day. Encourage them to be expressive and creative with their journal entry. This activity will be helpful for every child, especially the introvert ones. Scrapbooking is another great way to immortalise the memories that they are making at the camp every day. Decide the prizes for the winning teams as well as the runners-up. An Instax camera can be used to capture pictures of the kids. The kids can paste their pictures creatively using lots of decoration in their scrapbooks. Also, they can paste any and everything that amazes their inquisitive minds, such as flower petals, dry leaves, images and so on.
8. DIY Friendship bands/bracelets: Summer camps can lead to some everlasting, lifelong friendships. And what’s better than friendship bands or bracelets to commence on a new friendship journey! Bracelets can be made using different stationery knick-knacks – beads, strings, ribbons, buttons and whatnot. Distribute some of the products to each kid. Give them a time limit and encourage them to come up with the most stylish and innovative friendship band for their partners. Once they are done, let them tie these bands or bracelets to their friends’ wrists and celebrate this new bond.
Also Read: Tips for Planning an Awesome School Break With the Family
For the adventurous ones!
9. Hiking your way up: Let the campers explore a kid-friendly hiking terrain. Guide them with proper instructions. Ensure that each of them is wearing comfortable clothes and shoes and carrying water bottles. The elevation should not be way too steep. The children will cherish this group hiking experience for the rest of their lives!
10. Treasure hunt: This old-school summer camp activity is still insanely popular among kids of all age groups. Simply hide a few objects like caps, pens, books, earphones, a pair of socks, a hanky and similar stuff. Leave hints in the form of notes, puzzles and hand-made maps. Make sure that the winning prize is attractive enough.
11. Tug-of-war: You can never go wrong with this age-old summer camp activity. Form two teams and let the kids sweat their way out to victory. A simple game that requires great strength and coordination, tug-of-war always hypes up campers. The adrenaline rush and energy that you can feel in this summer camp activity is simply next level.
12. Miniature archery practice: If you can arrange for miniature bows and arrows for every kid in the camp, this can be one of the most popular summer camp activities for kids. Let them practice their aim at distant objects like tree branches, hanging bottles, cardboard cut-outs, apples and so on. Their excitement will know no bounds as they will feel themselves to be the Robin Hood of the camp.
Wrapping up!
Summer camps can give some of the best memories to your children that they are going to cherish for the rest of their lives. Choose the best summer camp for them and make sure that they have at least a few of these above-mentioned summer camp activities for kids. What are you waiting for? Enroll your munchkin on one such summer camp now!
