10 At Home Summer Camp Activities Your Kids Will Love

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These 10 at home summer camp activities are really fun ideas your kids will love. Very doable and adaptable for any family.

There are so many reasons your kids can’t go to summer camp this year. Perhaps camp was cancelled. Or, maybe you just can’t afford the expense of a summer camp. No matter the reason, there are so many ways you can recreate the summer camp fun at home!

You can easily put together a ton of camp-themed fun for your kids without much effort at all. With these 10 at-home camp activities, your kids will have an amazing summer camp experience without ever leaving your yard.

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Ice Cream Social

One of the most fun parts of summer camp is enjoying a cold treat and meeting all the other campers. This summer, kick off your kid’s summer camp at home with a fun ice cream social.

Set up a sundae station on your kitchen counter with a few different ice cream flavors, fun toppings like hot fudge and sprinkles, and some colorful bowls. Then have fun talking about all the activities you’ll be doing during your at-home summer camp.

Tie Dye

This classic camp activity is a great option for at-home summer camp. To make your own camp t-shirts, set up some tubs of dye in the yard and pass out shirts to all your kids.

Use rubber bands to tie off sections of the shirts, then dip the sections in the dye. Allow the shirts to try completely, then remove the rubber bands to check out your cool tie dye designs.

Field Games

Your kids can recruit friends to compete against or you can have a blast playing games with parents against kids. This is a great way to make camp games a little more competitive.

To keep with the summer camp theme, set up camp-themed games like tug of war, potato sack races, or relay races. Then, compete against your kids to see who’s the best.

Crafts

Making crafts is another great camp pastime that’s perfect for at-home entertainment. When thinking about the types of crafts your kids can make, consider the projects that are done during camp.

Birdhouses, nature art, or paper lanterns are all great options for your camp craft. Or consider tying your craft into your camp’s theme to make your kids’ at-home camp experience even more fun.

Here are some fantastic craft ideas for summer:

Water Activities

You can’t have an at-home summer camp without some water activities. While your kids may not be able to go for a swim in the lake at your at-home summer camp, they can enjoy some water fun in different ways.

Water gun battles, water balloon fights, or swimming in the family pool are all great alternatives for camp water activities.

Go on a Hike

Just because your kids can’t head to their favorite camp this summer doesn’t mean your family can’t enjoy some time in the great outdoors. During your at-home summer camp, make sure to give your kids plenty of opportunities to enjoy nature.

Taking your kids on a hike on your favorite hiking trail is a great way to enjoy some fresh air, get some exercise, and take in the beauty of nature on a summer afternoon.

Obstacle Course

You don’t need any fancy equipment to set up a fun obstacle course for your backyard camp. Use chairs, cones, jump ropes, balls, picnic tables, and other outdoor toys to create a challenging obstacle course in your yard.

The kids can each race through the course to see who’s fastest to add a little competition to your at-home summer camp.

Bonfire

There’s no way you can skip this iconic camp activity! Make your own backyard bonfire during your at-home summer camp, then enjoy all the other fun activities that go along with it.

Let your kids cook their own dinner by roasting hot dogs over the fire and enjoy a fire-made dessert by providing all the ingredients they’ll need to make s’mores. And when the sun goes down, take turns telling spooky campfire stories before heading to bed for the night.

Backyard Campout

While you may be hosting your summer camp at home this year, your kids can still get a taste of camp living. Pitch a tent in your backyard and hold a fun backyard campout during your at-home summer camp.

Your kids can enjoy some time outdoors and have a little camping fun without the need to leave your house for the week.

Scavenger Hunt

Your kids can have a fun scavenger hunt whether you are at home or in your neighborhood, just like they would at camp. Create your own scavenger hunt by listing off different items for your kids to find, then sending off into the hard or throughout the house to search for everything on their list.

If you’re hosting a themed summer camp, keep the list of items within the theme to make it a little more interesting. Or use a nature theme for your scavenger hunt and let your kids search the yard for different items found in nature.

10 At Home Summer Camp Activities Your Kids Will Love