Summer camping with kids is always an adventure! Whether tent camping or cabin glamping, a family camping trip can provide time to decompress, be one with nature, or spend time away from screens.
In addition to prepping all the camping gear, snacks and such, make sure to pack some games and activities to play at night and during downtime. Below, we've included our top 5 must-pack items to ensure fun for both younger kids (ages 4-10) and older kids (ages 10+).
For younger kids, ages 4-10:
- A deck of cards comes in handy for kid-friendly on-the-go games like Go Fish or a sprawling game of Memory when space allows.
-
Uno is fun for little kids, big kids and adults! It's a game the whole family can play together.
- Checkers– the rules of the game are simple for young kids to grasp, the boars and pieces are travel-friendly, and games are usually pretty quick.
- Coloring books and sketchbooks are great for some creative downtime after a day of physical activity.
- Scooters are usually easier for little kids to pick up than a bike. Campgrounds often have bike paths to ride around.
Svolta Mega 3-Wheel Scooter at SkyPark Campgrounds near Lake Arrowhead, California
Svolta Legend 2-Wheel Scooter at El Capitan Canyon in Santa Barbara, California
For bigger kids, ages 10+:
- A deck of cards also works for older kids to play games like Speed, War or Solitaire.
- Exploding Kittens is a fun, interactive game for older kids and adults. Fairly simple to pick up the rules and start playing right away. Tons of laughs to be had!
- Chess is a little more involved and requires some practice. There are learning chess sets out there that make the rules a lot easier to remember!
- A sketch book, journal or instant camera (i.e. Instax) are great for older kids to bring along to help them document memories from the trip!
- Older kids would probably know how to ride a bike quite well at this age. Bikes give bigger kids mobility around the campgrounds. Bicycles move more quickly than scooters and can be ridden on bumpier terrain.
We love this Marin Donkey Jr. bike!
Happy camping!