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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
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The Listening GameThis 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. 
Artist, Model, ClayThis 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.
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Hug-a-treeThis 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!
Murder
This is a game for older kids.
Everyone sits in a circle, and closes their eyes. One pre-designated person, maybe the grown up, tiptoes around the circle and pats on child on the head. This is the “murderer.” The adult touches two other kids on the arms. These are the “detectives.”
The game begins as everyone opens their eyes and looks around at each other. The murderer’s job is to wink at other people in the circle without being seen by the detectives. If the murderer manages to wink at someone, they flop over, playing dead (they remain “dead” for the rest of this round).
The detectives try to guess who the murderer is before all the players are dead (decide in advance how many guesses the detectives will get, depending on how many kids are in the group). If they don’t get it right, the murderer wins. If they do, they win.
The murderer becomes one of the detectives in the next round.
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