Screen Free Activities for the Kiddos
By now the term “IPad kid” is well known, probably not always for the best reasons, but tablets and other tech are great tools for busy parents from time to time and there’s no shame in that. So the iPad might come out on the next family trip, it’s a great way to keep the kids happy and parents sane on the drive. But if that’s all they’re doing at camp? What, why? Everyone deserves a break, but that doesn’t mean that screen time is required.
Here’s a couple camping activities for the kids that aren’t electronics, and can double as family bonding!
1. Rock Painting
This has become a really trendy activity for kids recently. Now remember that in some campsites (particularly National and Provincial parks) you should not change anything in the environment, that includes stones. However, when you can, gather large rocks, and have paint and paint brushes on hand. Make sure you’re using no-toxic paints to avoid toxins in the environment and are easy cleanups for your true abstractionist artistes. Lots of kids craft paints are safe for this.
2. Nature Art
Another project for the budding artist, gather sticks, leaves, flowers, and other items from the area to create a piece of art by gluing them to paper or cardboard. You can give the kids a prompt (like: what dream did you have last night, a mythical creature they could find around camp, a character from a book you’ve been reading together or a show they’ve watched) You can supply crayons or coloured pencils as well. We recommend avoiding ripping plants or killing vegetation out of respect for nature. Use downed trees, fallen leaves or other vegetation past its prime.
3. Stick Mazes
Collect downed sticks to create a walkable maze around your campsite to entertain the kids. Include plenty of dead-ends and confusing loops. It’s a fun and easy way to entertain your kids and get them active. It can also be a fun way to bring out your own inner child and see if you can make an unbeatable maze.
4. Hiking
Choose kid friendly hiking trails to get the whole family active. Look up some local flora and fauna and make a list (with pictures if they’re still on their reading journey) and give them things to look for throughout to keep their minds occupied.
5. Coloring books
You can get a few inexpensive coloring books and a box of crayons for lazy days at camp or when the weather turns. Kids love to chat about what they’re coloring and it’s a great way to bond with your kids and let them express themselves. You can find a lot of camping themed coloring books online or in stores, as well as free coloring pages online that you can print at home.
6. Scavenger Hunt
If you aren’t sure what to put on a scavenger hunt for kids, you can find pre-made lists for camping online or buy reusable Bingo-style games as well. With a little research you can adapt a scavenger hunt list to wherever you go! You can even add another interactive element by buying disposable cameras for them to use while they search!
7. Bean Bag Toss/Corn Hole
You can buy collapsible set ups for this game (or make your own with some bean bags and some sticks or a small bag). They don’t take up a lot of space and are a great game for all ages.
8. Board/Card Games
Every family has at least one board game that is a staple. Get a set for the RV so you never forget it and spend some time as a family playing. You can make an ongoing scoreboard for your whole trip if you want to make it more competitive.
