Do you have teenagers and plan to go on the next camping trip together? Are you looking for activity ideas to do while camping with teen campers?
Do you think it will be hard to socialize and have fun as a family? You can have a wonderful family time together with a little effort and the right activities for teens.
Camping is a great way to enjoy the outdoors, and when you add teens into the equation, it can be even more enjoyable. They’re full of energy and always up for a good time.
There is no way you are going to spend the whole time in the tent together as they will get bored.
So if you’re looking for ideas on how to keep them busy, look no further.
I’ve gathered some of the best teenage camping activities that will keep them entertained all day long, so get ready for some fun for the whole family!
Camp activities for youth
When it comes to teenage camping fun you should know that they want to be challenged. They are eager to use their skills and do things on their own.
This is why most teenagers often like activities that are more difficult than camping fun for younger kids.
Here are eleven fun camping activities for your teenagers to have a blast while spending time outdoors.
1. Camping scavanger hunt
This is one of the best camping activities for teenagers. A camping scavenger hunt will keep them engaged for some time. It will give you time to get some sleep or to cook an evening meal.
Make a competition out of this game whereby the winner is removed from cleaning duties for a day to spice things up. You will need to hide your objects properly to keep them motivated.
Share the GPS coordinates with them and ask them to find the treasures. The treasures should be things that teens love such as cash in a tin, trendy cosmetics, and even concert tickets.
The children will be extra motivated to find the treasures and have fun during the search.
2. GPS treasure hunt
This is an upscale version of the scavenger hunt and it greatly relies on technology. The game is called GPS treasure hunt or geocaching.
You will have to hide certain “treasures” in the woods and then take the GPS location of where you hide them.
A GPS device and the proper software should be provided to each team of two or three teenagers.
This camping activity can even be extended over several days if the tracking device does not have a battery that lasts long enough.
3. Play sports
Playing sports at a campsite can be a good way for teenagers to spend their free time in the fresh air.
What is better than engaging in sports with your kids? Does your teenager play a specific sport? Play it at the camp.
If you attend a campground with lots of sports activities, teens can join in those camping games and also try new ones as well.
Bring all necessary equipment such as tennis balls, volleyballs, soccer balls, and more.
You can also get a net and tie it on two trees for playing some netball. Your boys can enjoy soccer as they will only need a ball and an open field for the game. Join them and teach them some skills.
4. Shirt relay challenge
The goal of this game is to be the first team that a T-shirt made to the last person on the team.
Make two teams. Line one after another. Choose a teenager who will pull the T-shirt from one person to another.
To do this, these two persons must have arms connected. Each team should start at the same time. This is definitely a game that will spice things up!
5. Serial storytelling
This is basically a campfire game that will keep teenagers engaged at night. The game is ideal just before they go to bed.
One person tells a short story and then passes it on to another person. The other person adds to the story and then passes it on to the next person.
Successive storytellers have to change the story and give it a whole new direction. The person coming next will have to get creative to continue the story.
Don’t forget to sing traditional campfire songs while you sit around the campfire and make some roasting marshmallows as they make camping special.
6. Human pinball camp game
This game can be played as one of the fun camping activities for youth at night. It is simple as you just need a ball to do it.
Gather together and step close to each other so you will have your legs linked together. So each of you will stay with your legs wide so the ball can get through.
The goal of this game is to get the ball across the legs of your competitors. It is like playing football but with your hands, so the ball will move on the ground.
When the ball gets through someone’s legs that person is eliminated from the game. You continue to play it until only one person remains who is a winner.
If you want more game ideas that you can play together, check family outdoor camping games for entertainment.
7. Water balloon volleyball
This is a simple game that involves teams playing one against another. This is a volleyball that involves a water balloon and a sheet that a team is holding.
The goal here is to toss the ball over the net to the other team that must catch it with the sheet or blanket. And who wins? The winning team is the one that didn’t lose the ball.
8. Twenty questions
This is more of a thinking game and will come in handy when you won’t be ready to run and jump around. Twenty questions is a nice game in the evening when you sit over a campfire.
Its goal is to figure out what a person is thinking of by asking 20 questions or less. You will have to pick one player that will start the game. He will think of an object or a person, something that you can touch.
Now you will ask yes or no questions starting with one person. When this person asks a question, it is time that the person next to him asks his question. The answering player can answer with yes or no.
The person who figures out the right answer in 20 or fewer questions is the winner and takes the game.
If no one figures out what the object or a person was then the answering person reveals the answer to the players.
9. Camping Olympics
How about organizing the outdoor Olympics? This is a great idea where you will hang out together and have extra fun.
Gather all the players and brainstorm the camp games that you want to play. Each of the family members should tell one suggestion of the game.
To make things more interesting, take a list of a paper and write the name of the game and members on it. Decide how many points will the winner and others get and start the games.
I love playing them as you can make a competition with different kinds of games (boat paddling, throwing a ball into a basket, running, weight lifting, biathlon, shooting on a goal with binding eyes, passing the water, hurdles, paper discus, etc.) where everyone will enjoy.
10. Play a meme card game
This is a great game that you can play around the campfire, or in a tent on rainy days.
You will compete with your loved ones for the funniest MEME. The game is full of laughter and is perfect for the time when you are bored.
11. Slackline walking
For this camping activity, you will need to have a thick rope that you tie tightly around two trees.
The whole point of the game is to walk across the rope without falling down (yes, it’s a balance game).
To get on the slackline, tell your child to stand with their feet shoulder-width apart. Their hands should be out in front of them for balance.
When they are ready, encourage them to take small steps until they can find a comfortable pace.
Think of a prize that you will give the winner that will come to the end of the rope or the one that walks the longest distance.
How can you make camping fun for teens?
Ask your child to bring a friend to the camping trip. Teens easily influence each other and seek a company that they can engage with.
When one of them seems interested in a certain activity, the other is more likely to gain interest as well. They can play their favorite games and stay entertained for the entire family vacation.
We all love fun and so do teens. You will have quality time together if you pick fun and active games that will include imagination, creativity, thinking, brainstorming, and action.
If you will provide such games for your children then I am sure they won’t sabotage the family camping trip and make you gray hair.
What to take camping with teenagers?
When it gets to camping with teens you should consider different kinds of fun camping games and activities that will make them excited to play.
Make sure you pack cards, board games, sports requisites to make your outdoor stay worthwhile.
I also suggest that you play games that you played with them when they were little. Think of the ones that they had great fun playing.
If you know what your child is excited about, try to implement it while you camp and I am sure he/she will appreciate the effort.
Can teenagers go camping without adults?
State parks won’t allow teenagers to make a camping reservation unless they are 18 years old. So, there is an age restriction that needs to be taken into account.
Another thing to mention is that teenagers can go camping without their parents when they are ready for the responsibilities that come with camping.
Camping is not only about sleeping in tents, fishing, and hiking.
Some of the tasks include cooking, cleaning up after meals, pitching your own tent, taking care of gear to ensure it is safe and functional, setting up chairs and a picnic table for dinner, setting a campfire, etc.
So, if you have a teenager that turned 18 and he knows how to take care of himself and others, he can go camping with friends.
Talk to him before he goes on a camping trip so you will know if he is prepared or not.
Should your kid take a mobile phone camping?
The only thing that teens want to do these days is to log in to their social media accounts and play video games.
These kids don’t know the fun that awaits them outdoors and that is why you will always find them online.
As a parent, spending time with your teens is important as it allows you to get to know what is going on in their lives and the problems that they are facing.
Camping is one of the fun activities that you can engage in as a family, but to make your camping trips a success you will need to come up with a large tent and camp activities for teens.
You may be wondering why children can’t occupy themselves when camping. Well, teens of today’s digital era aren’t thrilled by nature as much as we were back in the day.
Therefore, they may not know what to do outdoors without their favorite devices.
If you don’t guide them on the right activities, you’ll have to deal with grumpy children throughout your outdoor camping trip.
I’m sure this isn’t something that you are looking forward to so go ahead and show them how spending time in the great outdoors can be a new way of having fun without the phone.
Camping with your teenager
Planning camping trips is crucial if you want to have a good camping experience. Sometimes it is hard to entertain a child but it is even harder to entertain a teenager.
If you’re looking for fun and exciting activities that you both will enjoy, then look no further than camping! Camping provides an opportunity to unplug from technology while reconnecting with nature.
It also has plenty of activities in store for all ages including hiking, fishing, swimming, and more.
If your teen is a rebel, don’t worry as he will soon relax during fun outdoor activities full of laughter that you have prepared for him.
A grumpy and bored teen is the last thing that you want when you are camping.
Remember, to keep your child engaged, use my teenage camping activities that are appropriate for different ages, and don’t forget to have fun.
Which of the teenage camping activities is perfect for your crew?
