23 Fun Summer Camp Games - Ultimate List
We have put together a huge list of summer camp activities, summer camp games and summer camp ideas to make sure your summer camp is the Greatest Of All Time. Whether you are a camp director, camp counsellor, or just a kid heading to summer camp, these summer camp game ideas are sure to impress the other campers and the staff.
You will notice that many of the camp activities listed below feature some crazy and messy camp games. That's because we could think of no better place to have some messy fun than a summer camp (hopefully with a lake nearby for a quick clean off dip afterwards). The products recommended to use in these games are are all non staining to clothes and safe for kids, animals and the environment.
We have broken our huge list into smaller groups of outdoor camping games and indoor summer camp games. Click the links down below if you'd like to jump ahead.
Top 10 Summer Camp Outdoor Games
We want to make sure whatever summer camp you are attending is the most memorable and most fun, therefore to make our list of summer camp outdoor games, each game must be exciting, challenging, unforgettable or hilarious. Most of the outside games below are all of those things combined.
- Color War with Slime
- Slimageddon Utlimate Games Pack
- Tug of War with a Twist
- Pass the water over your head game
- Mud Run Obstacle Course Race
- Water Slide Kickball
- Water Balloon Catching Games
- Spin the Bottle Water Balloon Game / Spin the Gun and Run
- Yard Pong - Slime Pong
- Summer Snowball Fight
- Race to find the Object Game
- Capture the Flag
- Summer Camp Games Indoor
- Glow Party Games for Camps
1. COLOR WAR WITH SLIME
A color war with slime takes water fights to a whole new level of awesome. Rather than simply spraying each other with water using a water gun, water balloon or bucket, you use slime instead. The slime will hit your opponents with a colorful splatter that lets you clearly see when you’ve made a hit.
Party GOAT Instant Slime is a specially designed powder that when mixed with water creates gallons and gallons of a colorful, sloppy, liquid slime. This slime is available in 6 colors allowing you to have epic slime wars with up to 6 teams, each with their own color of slime. The slime in non staining, non-toxic and safe for kids. After the slime battle, simply throw your clothes in the washing machine and they will come out good as new.
If you are planning a slime war the new Slimageddon slime games set is the perfect tool to help you set up the battle. It includes 12 buckets that can be used for mixing slime, 2 slime blaster guns, a slime grenade and 60 water balloons (that can be filled with slime using the slime guns). Additional water blasters can be purchased to add more players to the game and ensure everyone has their own slime gun.
Buy color war slime here
Also available on Amazon!
2. SLIMAGEDDON ULTIMATE GAMES PACK
This leads us on to our next game (which is kind of 20 games in 1). Slimageddon is an epic games pack that makes setting up summer camp game rotations a breeze. The slime games pack includes more than 20 funny outdoor games all of which are perfect for making memories at summer camp. The twist with these summer camp games is that the loser of each round gets slimed in a range of hilarious ways.
With a few Slimageddon game sets, you could easily set up multiple game areas and have the kids rotate through all the different slime challenges. The overall aim of the slime games pack is to see who can survive the longest without getting slimed.
Some of the games also work well in a knockout tournament style competition which is bound to get kids cheering with excitement. Here are instructional videos for a few of the games but there are so many great summer camp game options to choose from in this awesome pack.
3. TUG OF WAR WITH A TWIST
There's nothing quite like a classic game of Tug of War for some friendly camp competition. All you need to play tug of war is a thick rope and some markers. Split the group into teams with relatively equal body strength. Position a team at either end of the rope and see which team can pull their opponent’s team across the marker first. This is a fun camp game that most people will be familiar with.
To make a common game that many of the kids may have already played extra exciting, we recommend you raise the stakes. Rather than using a marker at each end we suggest filling an inflatable pool with Party GOAT easy set Jello and placing it in the centre of the rope. The losing team gets pulled into a huge pool of chunky jello. This extra addition will be sure to add a huge amount of laughter and excitement to your tug of war competition. After-all, what kid wouldn't want to dive head first into a pool of jello?
Party GOAT's specially designed jello is non toxic, non staining, non sticky and safe for the environment. After the event simply bucket the jello into garden beds where it will naturally break down over time.
Jello Tug of War is an awesome outdoor game for groups. If you have large numbers you can play in a knock out style competition, with winning teams advancing to the next round. The best part about a Jello Tug of War is that watching the game is as much fun as playing it. Teams that have been knocked out of the competition will still have a great time watching, laughing and cheering for their friends.
Tug of War Supplies
Buy Bulk Jello on Amazon
CAMP GAMES FOR LARGE GROUPS
4. PASS THE WATER OVER YOUR HEAD
Pass the water over the head is a hilarious water game that is perfect for cooling off kids and staff during summer camp games. Pass the water over head is also one of the best team building games for summer camps.
Players are blindfolded (or instructed to keep their eyes shut) and have to use buckets to pour water over head from one player to the next. The team that is able to catch the most water in the final bucket is the winner. As each player is unable to see what they are doing, they need to communicate well to catch all the water, otherwise they will accidentally splash their teammates.
To play, split your group into teams of at least 4 people. Have each team form a line standing or sitting behind one another. The first person is given a bucket filled with water and all the other players are given an empty bucket. Each player is then blindfolded. The first person pours the water over, their head and the second person in line tries to catch as much water as they can, before pouring it over their head to the third person, and so on.
Once the final player on each team catches as much water as they can, the buckets are compared to see which team caught the most water. This is a great summer camp game for large groups as there is no limit to the number of teams you can have.
How to make this summer camp game even more fun
To add even more intensity and excitement to the game try playing with Instant Slime in your buckets. If you misjudge the pour you will slime your teammate. Kids love slime and will get a huge kick out of finding out who got slimed. The Slimageddon slime game set comes with 12 equal sized buckets perfect for this game.
5. MUD RUN OBSTACLE COURSE RACE
An obstacle course race is a fantastic summer camp activity that can entertain a large number of kids. An obstacle course is a physical activity in which contestants navigate their way through a series of running, climbing, crawling, balancing, and jumping challenges. Summer camp is a great place to let kids get a little dirty. The most popular obstacle course races usually involve a mud challenge where participants have to get down and crawl through a pool or pit of mud.
How to set up an obstacle course race
Helping to create the course can be a fun summer camp activity for kids and teenagers. Get their help to design a course and set up some of the challenges.
Arrange the obstacles in a way that creates a logical flow and sequence. Make sure that the course is safe and that the obstacles are secure and sturdy. Use cones, flags, or other markers to clearly define the boundaries of the course and direct the participants.
Finally, establish rules and guidelines such as no pushing or shoving, and emphasizing sportsmanship and fair play throughout the course.
How to make a mud pit for a mud run race
All you need to create an awesome DIY Mud pit for your summer camp mud run race is a large inflatable pool, some rope (or cargo netting) and a pack of Party GOAT Instant Mud.
Simply fill the inflatable pool with water and add one package of Instant mud Powder for every 60 Gallons of water. Give the mixture a quick stir and it will quickly transform into a thick, sloppy, dark brown imitation mud that is perfect for fun runs. This mud product is non-staining and non-sticky so clean up after the event is simple. The product is also environmentally friendly so there are no issues with kids cleaning off in a lake after the big race.
To complete the mud obstacle put the ropes or cargo net across the pool and instruct the campers to get down low and crawl or slide through the mud. Click here for a full guide to setting up a mud run.
Buy Mud Run Mud
CAMP GAMES FOR TEENS
6. WATER SLIDE KICKBALL
Water Slide kickball adds an exciting and crazy twist to the classic game of kickball. This outdoor game for campers is probably best suited for camping teens as it requires more skill and co-ordination than other games on the list. In waterslide kickball the diamond is set up using rolls of plastic sheeting in between the bases. The bases are made using small inflatable pools that can be filled with water (or slime). The plastic is made slippery using soap suds or Party GOAT Instant Slime (this slime is super slippery on plastic).
Instead of running the bases, as you would in a regular game of kickball or baseball, the players get to slide to the bases across the slippery or slimy surface. To make it safely onto a base they need to dive into the inflatable pools.
Slip and Slide Kickball Demonstration
Watch the video to see water slide kick ball in action.
Water Slide Kickball Materials
Water Slide Kickball Rules
The rules of water slide kick ball are similar to traditional kickball. The pitcher rolls the ball towards the kicker, who attempts to kick it as far as possible. They then try to slip and slide around the bases without being tagged out by the ball. The fielders attempt to catch the player out, tag the player with the ball, or return the ball to a base before the kicker can get there. The sliding makes this game so much fun. The kickers slide around the bases, while the fielders slide around the field trying to catch the ball or tag a player out. This is a game that camping teenagers and adults will love to play.
Watch our slime slide video below to see just how awesome it is to use slime on a slip and slide.
WATER BALLOON GAMES FOR CAMP
7. WATER BALLOON CATCHING GAME
Water Balloon Catching is a perfect outdoor camping game as it can be played with a large or small group of campers. The object of the game is to toss a water balloon back and forth to a teammate without, dropping or popping it. Each time you complete a successful catch you take one step backwards, increasing the difficulty of the throw and catch. Whichever team of two can make it the furtherest distance apart before poping or dropping their balloon is the winner. Click here for more epic water balloon games.
Slime Balloon Toss
Want to make it more fun for campers? The Slimageddon slime games pack includes two slime guns that can be used to fill water balloons with slime. Playing with slime balloons adds an exciting twist to the game, as anyone that doesn't catch their balloon with soft hands will likely get colored with a gooey splat of slime, as their slime balloon pops on them.
8. SPIN THE BOTTLE WATER BALLOON GAME
The spin the bottle water balloon game is another fun game that is probably best suited to teenagers camping as it requires a good throwing arm. With a few modifications however, this can also be a fun camp game for kids.
To play all you need is an empty water bottle and a bucket full of water balloons. Players stand in a circle facing each other with the bottle in the centre of the circle. Players take turns spinning the bottle, when it stops spinning, whoever the mouth of the bottle points at gets to grab a water balloon from the bucket and launch it at the other players. Whoever the bottle doesn’t point at should turn and run away from the circle as fast as possible to avoid being bombed.
This is super exciting game as you never know if you will be the person throwing the water balloons or one of the ones running for cover.
If you are playing this game with younger kids it can be a good idea to slow down the runners so that they have a chance to throw the distance and hit their target. You can do this by making each player pick up an object as they run away from the circle, or do some star jumps before they are allowed to run.
Click here for more fun outdoor games for teenagers.
SPIN THE GUN AND RUN GAME
Spin the gun and run is the slime themed alternative to the spin the bottle water balloon game. The Slimageddon Slime Games set can be used to turn water balloons into slime bombs, and the slime guns are a great alternative to using a plastic bottle. Someone spins the gun and whoever the nozzle is pointing at gets to grab a slime balloon and throw it at their opponents. Watch the video for more details.
Buy Slimageddon
CAMP GAME FOR SMALL GROUPS
9. SLIME PONG
We all know how much adults and college kids love a classic game of Beerpong. While the kids and teenage campers may be too young for this adult classic, they can still enjoy an exciting variation.
Slime Pong is played in the same way as Beerpong with the same objective of shooting ping pong balls into containers to eliminate them from the game. Rather than using cups with drink in them Slime Pong is played with buckets full of slime.
Every time a team lands a shot in one of the opposing team's buckets, a member from the opposing team has to tip that bucket of slime over their head, before the bucket is eliminated from the game. The first team to eliminate all of their opponent's buckets is the (much less slimy) winner! Click here to buy Slime Pong.
Click here for detailed Yard Pong Rules.
10. SUMMER SNOWBALL FIGHT
You may be thinking we have our seasons mixed up when we suggest a snowball fight as a fun summer camp activity for kids, but the fact it is summer is part of what will make this game so amazing for the kids.
To have a snowball fight in Summer or any other season, all you need is a group of friends and a box of Party GOAT Instant Snow. Just add water to the Instant Snow powder and it will immediately transform into a light and fluffy snow substitute that looks near identical to real snow. This special product is perfect for compacting into snowballs that can be used for a snowball fight any time of the year. A snowball fight encourages teamwork and strategy as they work together to dodge incoming snowballs and aim their own. This is a fun camping game, particularly in July, as you can have a Snowball fight as part of a Christmas in July summer camp celebration.
11. RACE TO FIND THE OBJECTS BURIED IN SLIME
We had so much fun making the video above that we had to include this game in the list of most fun summer camping games. Race to find the objects buried in slime is a game in which contestants scramble around in a pool of slime trying to find an object to prevent themselves from being eliminated from the round.
To play, fill an inflatbale pool with slime using Party GOAT Instant Slime Powder. Next hide small objects in the pool such as coins or dice. Include one less object than the number of players.
On go, all contenstants must race to the pool and try to find an object. If they are able to find an object they advance to the next round. If they miss out, they are elimated from the game.
Each round there should be one less object than the previous round placed back in the pool so that there is always one less object than the number of players. At the end of each round a new contenstant will be elimated until only one winner remains.
This game is very exciting and it is much harder to find small objects in a pool of slime than you may think.
Watch the video above where we played this game using the pool at the end of an inflatable water slide covered in slippery slime.
12. CAPTURE THE FLAG
Generations of camp goers have enjoyed games of Capture the Flag. This is a great camp game for kids that is played with two teams. Each team has a flag that they need to protect and defend while trying to capture the other team's flag. Depending on the rules you decide to play, tagged players may be sent back to their own base, out of the game, or frozen in place until a teammate unfreezes them by crawling between their legs.
Players can be tagged out in a variety of ways depending on how you decide to play. It is lots of fun to play with water guns and water balloons where getting hit with water is classed as a tag. To make it a colorful experience and clearly see when players have been hit, you could also use Instant Slime and tag each other out with Slime Guns or Slime balloons.
For a more simple version of the game, players can be tagged out by simply touching another player, like in a game of tag.
Top 10 Summer Camp Games Indoor
While outdoor activities are an essential part of summer camp, indoor games can provide a much-needed break from the heat and sun. In this portion of the article, we will discuss the top 10 indoor games for summer camp.
- Summer Camp Board Game
- Charades
- Camp Bingo
- Minute to win it games
- Indoor Scavenger Hunt
- Glow Party Games
- Spotlight
- Sardines
- Murder in the Dark
- Write Draw Write
- Pass the Story
1. SUMMER CAMP BOARD GAME
Board games are always a fun indoor activity for campers and what better game to play than a game themed on summer camps.
Summer Camp the board game is a competitive deck-building game where players race to earn merit badges and collect the most experience points to win. Each player has their own deck of cards to play, and as the game progresses you will add new cards to your deck to make it even stronger. But look out! Other campers have the same goal!
If this game is not for you, make sure your camp cupboard is stocked with some of the all time classic board games. We have featured a few for your reference.
2. CHARADES
Charades is a fun indoor camp game that encourages creativity and imagination. Participants take turns acting out different words or phrases without speaking. The other players attempt to guess the answer. Whoever guesses the answer correctly gets the next go at acting out a word or phrase.
3. CAMP BINGO
Bingo is an indoor camping game that can be enjoyed by all ages. Players mark off numbers on their bingo card as they are called out, and the first person to get a complete row or column wins.
You can also theme your bingo cards to make them more related to camping. Rather than have cards with numbers make cards with symbols that may be found around a camp ground e.g. trees, birds, lakes etc. Rather than call out numbers, call out the objects or nature items until someone gets a row.
4. MINUTE TO WIN IT GAMES
Minute to Win It games are short, high-energy games that can be played in under a minute. These games are great for keeping children engaged and entertained while camping. You can set up rotations where the kids move through different minute to win it challenge stations to see who can win the most.
5. INDOOR SCAVENGER HUNT
A scavenger hunt is a game where players search for hidden objects around the house or room based on clues or a list. Simply have someone create a list and hide the objects. The player, or team, that finds the most objects in a set timeframe is the winner. This game can also be played outdoors and is great for getting kids outside and exploring in nature. Click here for more great outdoor games for teenagers.
NIGHTTIME CAMPING GAMES
Our sumer camp games list continues below with some of the best camp games to play at night.
6. GLOW PARTY GAMES
If you want to really amaze and excite your campers with some fun indoor camping games, set up a glow party in one of the cabins, and play some glow in the dark party games!
The easiest way to set up a glow party is using LED black light strip lights. They attach to the walls with an adhesive backing so there is no need to screw fixing clips into the walls. Once you have the UV blacklights in place and turned on, neon and white colored objects and decorations will glow (fluoresce) underneath the lights. Now you can set about making a range of fun glow in the dark games.
Use neon paints to paint large colorful circles on a plastic sheet to create your own glowing twister mat.
Give the kids highlighter pens so they draw on each other and make glowing "tattoos".
Use fluorescent colored dodgeballs for indoor games of glowing dodgeball, or play tag where the person has to hit someone with the glowing ball to make a successful tag.
Click here for more information about setting up a glow party for kids.
7. SPOTLIGHT
Spotlight is an exciting game that's played at night with flashlights. The game can be played indoors or outside. Spotlight is similar to hide-and-seek, but with a nighttime twist.
One person is designated as the "spotter" and holds a flashlight, while the other players hide in the dark. The spotter must find the hidden players by shining their flashlight on them and saying the word "spotlight" when they see someone. The hidden players try to avoid being caught. If a player is spotted, they are out of the game, or they can join the spotter in helping to spot the other players.
Spotlight ends when all the players are found or when a predetermined time limit is reached. The player who was found first is usually selected to be the next spotter.
8. SARDINES
Sardines is another camp game that can be played indoors or outside. In a game of Sardines, one person hides while the others try to find them. As each person finds the hidden person they secretly join them in hiding in the same place. This continues until only one person is left searching.
Sardines is a funny camp game to play inside as you can't help but laugh when you find 10 people all trying to hide in the same cupboard.
9. MURDER IN THE DARK
Murder in the dark is a classic party game that has been enjoyed by kids for generations at summer camps and sleepovers.
There are several variations of the game but typically it involves a group of people, with one person secretly designated as the "Murderer" and another player secretly designated as the "Detective". You can do this using a deck of cards. Create a small deck with the same number of cards as players, but only one Ace and one King in the pack. Deal each player a card. Whoever gets the Ace is the murderer and whoever gets the king is the detective.
The lights are turned off, and the murderer must try to "kill" other players by tapping them on the shoulder without being detected. Players that have been murdered may choose to cry out and fall to the floor for added dramtic effect. Players try to protect themselves by staying together or using various tactics.
The detective must try to figure out who the murderer is. If they guess wrong or the detective gets murdered then the murderer wins. The game is often played with suspenseful music or sound effects to add to the excitement. It is a fun game because it encourages quick thinking, teamwork, and suspenseful play that keeps everyone on edge.
CAMP GAMES WITH PEN AND PAPER
10. WRITE DRAW WRITE
Write Draw Write is a hilarious fun indoor game for campers that only requires a pen and a few pieces of paper.
The first player writes a sentence without letting anyone see it other than the second player. The sentence could be something like - A frog sat on a log blowing bubbles. Underneath the sentence, the next player attempts to draw a picture illustrating the text. He then folds the text over so the next player can only see the picture. Based on that picture, this player has to write a sentence explaining the picture. They then fold the picture over so that only the new text is showing. This continues on and on with one player writing and the next player drawing.
When the final player has contributed, you can unfold the paper to see how far away the final text or drawing is to the original sentence. The results are usually very funny as often people's drawings will be misinterpreted sending the sentence in the wrong direction.
11. PASS THE STORY
Pass the story is another game played with pen and paper but this one does not involve any drawing.
To start this game the first person writes two lines of a story. They then fold the page over so that only the second line is visible. The next player adds two more lines to the story and folds it over so only their second line is visibile. This continues on and on with players contributing to the story based on the small amount of detail they can see.
After each player has contributed to the story you can unfold the paper and read out the complete story. The end result is bound to get a few laughs.
SUMMER CAMP ACTIVITIES
We hope our list of summer camp activities above has been helpful in helping you plan your schedule of summer camp games. If you need even more game ideas be sure to check out our lists of the best water games, best outdoor games for teens, and best youth group games.
SUMMER CAMP GAMES SUPPLIES
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