When I think of camp-site games I played with my family as a child, I always have a strong memory of fading light, the smell of barbecues and snatches of laughter carrying across the camp-site as other families played their own games; to me, they are still the best games I ever played. Games that you have invented yourself take on the status of family traditions and the most successful stay in the memory to be recalled many times in the years that follow. All of the games listed here can be adapted for all ages and cost nothing or next to nothing.

Head Torch Frisbee

Some of the best fun I have ever had on a camping trip was playing head-torch Frisbee. The Frisbee needs to be one of those that lights up as it spins and each person playing needs to be wearing a head-torch in order to be located by the thrower.

The rest is up to your imagination and how the game naturally evolves.

Once-in-a-lifetime Plastic Games

Dubbed ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ as the chances are they won’t see out the holiday. Cheap plastic game sets come in a hundred varieties – cricket, badminton, croquet, short tennis, skittles, rounders and the list goes on.

Unique family versions of a particular game often evolve out of a basic principle and it is part of the fun that the equipment is flimsy and miniature. It makes for a more even playing field as well because dad can’t thwack the ball as he normally would.

The plastic versions are light enough for even the smallest child to join in and cheap enough to gather a whole stack of them for variation during your holiday. If they last the holiday but you don’t fancy carting them all home again then pass them onto an arriving family.

Hacky

A hacky sack is a small ball normally made out of crocheted cotton and filled with dried beans. They are common in playgrounds throughout Australia, New Zealand and the United States but don’t seem to have established themselves in the UK as of yet.

Their most basic use is for a game of keepy-up with everything except the forearms and hands being allowed for use. They can be played with by individuals or as a group. In the group setting the hacky can be passed instantly or juggled as many times as possible by the individual before passing.

Again, you may well come up with family variations for hacky sack games and a set of three is great for juggling. Be warned, hacky is highly addictive.

I-Spy

This game is one of those timeless classics that seems to see a revival craze every few years.

I’m not talking here of the game where one person picks a mystery object they can see beginning with a certain letter which others have to guess.

This is the catalogued I-Spy which works as a form of collecting. Many books are available on certain themes which may be applicable whilst camping such as ‘I-Spy Creepy Crawlies’, ‘I-Spy at the Seaside’ and there is even an ‘I-Spy Camping’. If budgets are tight then make up your own. These are often more fun, certainly more personal and can be geared to particular ages and interests.

The Lazy Parent Game

This is a great one for wearing out the kids while not moving an inch yourself. If the sun is shining and that new camp chair you bought especially for the trip is just too comfortable for words then try this. “When I say go, run and touch something green/blue/yellow/round/alive/fluffy/warm/cold” or any other adjective you can think of. Another version is to ask to be bought something green/blue etc. which may keep the kids busy for a bit longer. It is probably sensible to make other people’s camps out of bounds to avoid children raiding tents in their eagerness to win each round.

The game can run until your kids are exhausted or you have run out of ideas. It very rarely ends through boredom with the game.

Silly ‘Obstacle’ Courses

This probably wouldn’t suit if you don’t like drawing attention to yourself. I have started this game on a camp-site and ended up with practically every child and adult camped there wanting to join in. The trick here is to make it as silly and fun as possible with limited resources.

Sticks, stones, ropes and poles mark particular stations where a certain feat has to be performed. This could be something as simple as ten star jumps, singing a song, rolling like a log for 10 metres, pushing a marble with your nose or as elaborate as cutting a bar of chocolate into squares with a plastic knife and fork while wearing an oven mitt!

It will be dependant on what you have to hand and your own imagination. Kids come up with great ideas once they get the gist of what is being asked. Competition can become very fierce – be warned.

Foot Volley Ball

A piece of dry ground and a beach ball are all that is needed here. The more people playing this the better as it is actually quite difficult. Make sure as well that all the players are lying well separated  to avoid kicking each other. Moves are allowed from sitting and lying and feet only are allowed for shots.

Stories

If you have never tried this with your children (of any age) then give it a go and prepare to be amazed. There are many, many versions to story telling games but here’s a couple of ideas to get the imaginative juices flowing.

Everyone writes ten things on ten small pieces of paper. For example – pirate, jellyfish, ghost, spoon and so on. The pieces of paper are all put into a container. Somebody starts telling a story for a set period, of say one minute, and when the next person’s turn comes they take out a piece of paper and have to continue the story, incorporating whatever is written on the paper, for the set time allowed.

Another story game sees one person telling a story and another person having to mime it out as they go along. There is absolutely no point to this game whatsoever but if the story teller is imaginative enough they can get the mimer into a good tangle. The mimer and story teller of course swap places to allow the ‘victim’ to get his own back.

Don’t save the stories just for the children either. Try this – go through the alphabet in turns recalling some-one from your past whose name begins with the letter A. Tell a funny, memorable or anecdotal story about that person. Then move to B and so on. People can be old school friends, teachers, ex-work colleagues or whoever you choose. These stories often begin very stilted but end up with everyone present clamouring to tell their next tale as the memory gates open wide.

Rainy Day Options

Be prepared for the highly unpredictable British weather. Have a stock of things that you can do if you are stuck at camp. A few basic craft supplies such as paper, glue, crayons, glitter pens, paper plates and card will see you through a rainy day. The Internet is a wonderful resource for ideas for simple craft projects for all ages.

A simple pen and paper can be used for literally thousands of games. Again, if your imagination lets you down, dive into the vast depths of the Internet which will have enough ideas to keep you busy for a whole year of rainy days if you need them.

Board games are always a good fall back plan too.

The big bonus with all of the games here is that they are either low cost or completely free.

If you are really stumped and none of the suggestions here appeal, there are some excellent books on camp-site games for children and families.

You are more likely to find however, that once you introduce one or two games of the nature suggested here, your children will come up with endless ideas and variations on a theme.