| Do you like camping? Do you love your family? Why | | | | Â- Family tent games: Have kids use pantomime |
| not combine your two loves into a family camping trip? | | | | to act like someone the whole family knows, and then |
| Our hectic schedules are full of business meetings, | | | | guess who they're mimicking. In another activity, sing |
| junior league basketball games, and cleaning-spring or | | | | fun songs and use whacky actions along with the |
| otherwise. A family camping trip can be the perfect | | | | songs. |
| getaway to help your family relax and bond. It can | | | | Â- Flag Football |
| include traditional camping activities, such as hiking, | | | | Â- Duck Duck Goose |
| bicycling, swimming, kayaking and fishing. But | | | | Â- Frisbee |
| remember that your kids naturally have a "Are we | | | | Â- I Spy: One player begins describing something |
| there yet?" attention span, which has become shorter | | | | that they see in their immediate environment. The |
| in today's Information Age. Wherever you camp, | | | | wilderness provides an excellent setting for this game, |
| including Berlin Ohio, you'll want to keep your children | | | | as the number of plants, birds, rocks, and things are |
| engaged in activities that will make their camping a | | | | almost unlimited. |
| memorable experience. | | | | Â- Save spot: Use a soft toy, such as a stuffed |
| You can center your camping trip around a place that | | | | animal. One child is the "bad guy." He or she runs away |
| becomes the main activity. This can include a national | | | | with a soft toy, called "Spot." After the other players |
| park, an amusement park, etc. When you return to | | | | count to ten, they chase the bad guy. The first person |
| your family camping tent at the campground, you can | | | | to touch the bad guy, has saved Spot. |
| use other minor activities that will keep your little ones | | | | Â- Tag |
| busy whenever they're not sleeping. | | | | Â- Treasure Hunt: Hide a wrapped prize within |
| Prevent boredom with board games | | | | the campground area. Draw a basic map that includes |
| Board games never become outdated. Many of them | | | | major things in the area, such as rocks and trees; and |
| are basically the same games that we played as | | | | footprints to get to the prize. Then give the map to |
| children. Rolling dice, spending play money and sinking | | | | your kids, and have them read it in order to find the |
| play warships can be just as fun for children in the | | | | prize. You can guide them, but let them do the |
| wilderness, as at home. | | | | exploring on their own! |
| Good games without boards | | | | Â- 20 Questions: One person, the "answerer," |
| Many non-board games can be played with little or no | | | | thinks of a thing. The other player(s) can ask 20 |
| equipment. Here are some suggestions: | | | | questions to guess what the answerer is thinking |
| Â- The Animal Game: This uses the reverse | | | | about. This game is not only fun for kids in Berlin Ohio |
| logic of the 20 questions game. In the Animal Game, | | | | and other locations; it improves their creative and |
| one player continues to give clues about a particular | | | | reasoning skills. |
| animal. The player who guesses the animal first is the | | | | Whether you live in Berlin Ohio or Berlin, Germany, |
| winner. | | | | camping can be fun for your kids. Kids love games, so |
| Â- Catch (i.e. baseball, football, etc.) | | | | they're a fantastic way to keep them busy during rainy |
| Â- Counting Games: During hiking trips with your | | | | days in the family camping tent, or while waiting for |
| camping backpacks, you can have kids count things | | | | dinner to be prepared. Whether they're played on a |
| such as birds, orange flowers, etc. At night, you can | | | | board or need no equipment at all, games can be a |
| have your kids count the stars in the sky, and visually | | | | parent's most important camping gear. |
| connect them to form pictures. | | | | |