Teach your kids how to play these classic summer camp games for an easy group activity without any prep or setup.
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We love a group game that can be played with a wide age range. These camp games are the perfect way to get kids moving and having fun outdoors.
Safety tips for camp games
- Make sure you have enough space to play. Most of these games have running, jumping, and other movement.
- Remind players of any important rules about roughness, such as how to tag softly.
- Designate boundaries for outdoor play. They can be as simple as “don’t go past this tree.”
- In a mixed-age group, you may need to divide kids so that the game doesn’t become big kids vs little kids.
- Feel free to change up rules and create your own to fit your kids’ ages and abilities.
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Kids’ camp games
Most of these games are for a big group of kids to play outdoors, but we’ve also included a few that can be played with just a few or indoors.
1. Red Rover
Red Rover is best played with a lot of people, a dozen or more, in a wide open area. Divide into 2 teams; its okay if one team has an extra player. Teams line up in 2 rows, facing each other about 20 feet apart.
Choose a team to go first. Players on that team hold hands or link arms. They choose a player on the other team to recruit and sing, “Red Rover, Red Rover, let (player’s name) come over.”
That player runs toward the team holding hands and attempts to break through the line. If they succeed, they go back to their original team. If they cannot break through, they join the new team.
Then it’s the other team’s turn to hold hands and recruit someone from the first team. Repeat for each round until one team is down to a single player.
2. Sardines
Sardines is similar to hide and seek, but in reverse. You can play with any number of people. Play indoors or out, as long as there are many hiding places available.
Choose one person to be it and hide somewhere. All the other players close their eyes and count while it hides. Then players search for the hidden person. When a player finds the hidden person, they hide with them. As more players find the hiding place, they must squeeze in like sardines.
The last person to find the group is it for the next round.
3. Freeze Tag
Freeze Tag can be played with any number of players, but the more the merrier, in an open area. Choose one person to be it. All the other players scatter.
The player who is it chases the others and tries to tag them by touch. If a player is tagged, they must freeze in place. To unfreeze, a player must get a high-five from a non-frozen player.
The game ends if everyone but it is frozen, but you may want to change who gets to be it to give everyone a chance.
4. Don’t Laugh
Don’t Laugh is a simple game to play anywhere with at least 2 people. The goal is simple: one player tries to make the others laugh while they try not to. Choose one person to be “the jester” and walk around the space to each other player. When a person laughs they are out.
The jester can do anything they like (within your house rules) to make someone laugh. Try telling jokes, making faces, or any simply saying “ha.” You may want to set a time limit for making players laugh.
5. Duck, Duck, Goose
Duck, Duck, Goose is fun for a group of any size. You’ll need space to run, but this can be outside or indoors. Choose one person to be it and have everyone else sit in a circle.
The person who is it walks around the outside of the circle, tapping each player gently on the head. With each tap, the person says “duck.” At a random time, instead of “duck” they say “goose.” When a player is tapped as goose, they jump up and chase the tagger around the circle. The tagger’s goal is to run around the circle and sit in the goose’s spot.
If the goose doesn’t catch the runner, the runner gets to stay in the circle and play. If the goose does catch the runner, the runner sits in the center of the circle. The goose is now the tagger and the game repeats. The player who is in the center of the circle can’t play until someone replaces them.
6. What Time is It Mr. Fox
What Time is It Mr. Fox is a running game for any number of kids. You’ll need a place to designate as the chicken coop and a spot for Mr. Fox to stand away from it.
Choose a player to be Mr. Fox and have other players line up by the chicken coop. The chickens call out “What time is it, Mr. Fox?” Mr. Fox chooses a number and says it as a time. For example, 4 o’clock. The chickens take that number of steps.
Randomly, Mr. Fox can say “lunch time” and chase the chickens back to the coop. If Mr. Fox catches someone, they are the new fox.
7. Tug of War
To play Tug of War you need a large, sturdy rope and any number of players. First, tie a knot in the center of the rope and spread it out with the knot over a central mark (a hula hoop on the ground is great for this).
Players divide into 2 teams and line up on both sides of the rope. Everyone grabs the rope with both hands and when someone says “go,” both teams pull. The team that pulls the knot over to their side is the winner.
8. Hot and Cold
For Hot and Cold you need 2 or more players. You can play this game anywhere. Choose a player to be the hunter and have them leave the room or close their eyes. The other player choose a small item in the room.
The hunter walks around the room to find the item while the others give directions. As the hunter moves closer to the item, players say words like “warm, hot, burning.” If they hunter moves away from the item, players say words like “cool, chilly, freezing.”
When the hunter finds the item, choose a new hunter and play again.
9. Four Corners
Four corners can be played indoors or outdoors with any number of players. You’ll need an area where you can designate four corners.
Choose a person to be the finder and stand in the center of the space. The finder closes their eyes and all the other players move around the space quietly. When the finder says “stop” everyone stops in one of the 4 corners. The finder chooses one of the corners by pointing, then opens their eyes.
Everyone in that corner is out. The game repeats until there is only one person left. The winner is the finder for the next round.
10. Simon Says
Simon Says can be played anywhere with any number of people. Choose one person to be Simon. Everyone else spreads out in the play area.
This is a game of listening to instructions. If Simon says “Simon says (an activity)” then player do that activity. If Simon says to do something without starting with “Simon says” then players should not do that activity. When a player does something that Simon didn’t say to do, they are out.
For example, if the player says “Simon says sit on the floor” then all players sit down. If they next say “stand up” then the player that follow that direction are out because the instructions didn’t start with “Simon says stand up.”
Some easy activities to get players started:
- touch your right hand to your nose
- hop on one foot
- close your eyes
Remember that player also cannot stop doing an activity until Simon says so! When all the players are out, it’s time to pick a new Simon.
We hope you’ve found some fun camp games to play with your kids! Teach them a new game or get a refresher on the rules of an old favorite. If this post gave you nostalgia, be sure to share it with others.
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