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Campground Games for Kids

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Kids Camping |Talk Like a Pirate

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Talk like a PirateCelebrate Talk Like a Pirate Day


Each year on September 19 people around the world celebrate International Talk Like A Pirate Day. This year you can celebrate this fun day with a few of these fun activities. So, this September 19, put on your favorite pirate costume, learn to talk like a pirate and have a fun and silly day.

The first step in celebrating International Talk Like A Pirate Day is to learn how to talk like a pirate. Most pirate lingo is no longer used and is fairly unfamiliar to most of us. Before the actual day spend some time researching the lingo and practice using it on your own. With the help of an adult look up some appropriate children's pirate lingo. You can find songs, glossaries of words and more that are excellent resources for practicing your pirate talking skills.

Next you will need to have a proper pirate costume to wear on International Talk Like A Pirate Day. This year the day falls on a Monday, so you should make sure to check ahead if its ok to wear  your costume to school. If you can't wear the costume to school you can have a fun after school celebration where you and your friends can all wear your pirate costumes.

Your costume can have wooden legs, pirate boots and hat, an eyepatch, a parrot and many other classic pirate items. Just be sure to make your pirate costume suit your pirate personality, using the fun costume options you have.

There are also plenty of fun games and activities you can do with your parents and friends to celebrate this special day. One great activity is to design a treasure hunt, which could also be a scavenger hunt. Find a good pirate prize, like chocolate gold coins, or other suitable pirate booty. You can also have a variety of small items to hide at clue locations. Place the treasure in a good hiding spot and create a set of pirate clues. You can even create a treasure map with an x marking the spot that is missing the key points, so you have to fill it in as you solve clues. You and your friends can follow the clues to find the hidden treasure and claim the prize.

Other fun activities include making fun pirate hats, making pirate themed decorations like treasure chests and more. If you want to have a really fancy party you can even serve pirate-themed food, like a cake shaped or decorated with a pirate ship.

There are endless ways to celebrate International Talk Like A Pirate Day. The key to having a great celebration is having fun and being silly spending a day talking like a pirate.
 

Scavenger Hunt

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A great way to introduce your kids to a new campground or camping area.

Take a family trip through nature when you go on this self-designed scavenger hunt.  First, make up a list of things you want to look for.  Then, head out on a nature hike and have each person check off the items they see.  If you'd rather (if you're hiking with smaller kids), search as a team and point out what you see so everyone can take a look.
If you're camping with another family, you can divide into teams and race or give prizes for the most unusual finds.  However you play, be sure to leave nature where it is.  As long as you only take away memories, written notes, drawings, and photos, everything will still be there for the next scavengers to find.

Ideas for your Scavenger Hunt list:
Three different bugs
Three different flowers
Three rocks of different colors
Three trees with different leaves or needles.

Variations for older campers:
One set of tracks (draw on a piece of paper)
Two different habitats
Something red
Something blue
Something white
Something yellow
Something purple
A bug that flies
A bug that walks
A bug that slithers, wiggles, or crawls
In a pine forest, three different kinds of conifer trees
In a deciduous forest, a tree with oval leaves, one with pointed leaves, and one with blade-like leaves

 

The Listening Game

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The Listening Game


This is a great campfire game, or a fun thing to do during a day hike break. 

Everyone finds a comfortable place to sit and closes their eyes.  Silently, to themselves, they should count the sounds they hear until they reach ten sounds.  Then everyone can open their eyes and share the sounds they heard. 

You’ll be amazed at how well you can tune out certain sounds once you’ve already counted them, moving on to the faintest sounds of nature. 

A variation of this game involves counting things in nature that are a particular color, such as orange, purple, or red.


Courtesy of Camping.com
 

Artist, Model, Clay

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Artist, Model, Clay


This game requires three players and some open space.  One player is designated as the Artist, one as the Model, and one as the Clay.  The artist should close their eyes (or blindfold themselves with a bandana).  The Model then strikes a pose, something that puts their body in an unusual shape. 

The Clay leads the Artist up to the Model, so the Artist can use his/her hands to see what shape the Model is in.  Without looking, the Artist must move the Clay’s arms and legs until the Clay is in the same position as the Model.  It’s important that the Clay be somewhat limp and flexible, allowing themselves to be molded. 

Once the Artist is finished, he/she can remove the blindfold and see how they did.  Then everyone can change roles and play again.


Courtesy of Camping.com
 

Hug-a-tree

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Hug-a-tree


This game requires two players and one blindfold or bandana.  The players must be old enough to lead one another blindfolded, and you might want to start with some guiding tips—to move slowly, hold the blindfolded person securely by the arm, and use words to guide them over roots and other obstacles.

One player is blindfolded and gently spun around three times until they lose their bearings.  The other player then leads the blindfolded player through the woods, taking a wandering route so the blindfolded player is even more confused about where they are.  They should stay within sight of the starting place.  The leader picks a tree and leads the blindfolded person up to it.  They say, “This is your tree,” and put the blindfolded player’s hands on the trunk. 

The blindfolded player can take as long as they like getting to know their tree, feeling its trunk, learning where the branches are, and checking out the roots or other distinctive features.  Once they’re finished, the leader guides them back to the starting place and removes the blindfold.  Then the player can try to find their tree!


Courtesy of Camping.com
 
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