Camp Games

Camp games for kids aged 6 to 14, sorted by where the day puts you: press Pick 3 new games.

Camp Games

  1. Cabin Shadow Chain, Longest Unbroken Line1. On a sunny field, each cabin stands in a line with the sun behind it. 2. Campers space themselves so that the head of each shadow just touches the heels of the camper in front, with no gaps and no overlaps. 3. On the whistle, everyone freezes. A counselor walks each chain and paces its length. 4. The longest unbroken chain wins. Try again with arms up, and see what changes. Mark the boundary first, play in buddy pairs and count heads at the final whistle. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 10 to 100. Time: 10 min. Props: none.
  2. Two Storytellers, One Story1. Two campers sit side by side as the storytellers. 2. The first starts a story. When the counselor claps, the second carries on from the middle of the sentence. 3. Each clap switches the teller. 4. After two minutes, the audience suggests one word that must appear in the ending. Everyone stays seated outside the fire ring, and only a counselor tends the fire. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 6 to 40. Time: 10 min. Props: none.
  3. How Many Stars Inside Your Ring of Fingers?1. On a clear night, each camper makes a ring with thumb and first finger and holds it at arm's length. 2. Pick a patch of sky and count the stars inside the ring. 3. Compare numbers around the circle. 4. Wait ten minutes with flashlights off, count the same patch again and compare the two numbers. Everyone stays seated outside the fire ring, and only a counselor tends the fire. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 4 to 60. Time: 12 min. Props: none.

Next step Group games with one leader

How it works

These summer camp games are for a counselor with a cabin group, or a whole unit, at a day camp or an overnight camp. They use what a camp has: bunks, duffels, a field, a fire ring and rain.

Read the full guide

The camp day, in six kinds

The All games menu keeps one kind: Camp circle games, Summer camp icebreaker games and name games for the first afternoon, Field games for a whole unit, Camp relay games, Rainy-day cabin games or Campfire games.

By head count, time and props

More filters, the last entry of that menu, sorts by head count from 8 players to 100 players, by minutes, by Works indoors or Works outdoors and by No props. Every game ends with its supervision line.

Tips
  • Run a name game on the first afternoon and again on the second: names stick the second time.

Questions and answers

What are good group camp games for a whole unit?

Find the Hidden Counselors, Cabin by Cabin and A Hundred Clothespins, Cabins Collect by Color keep a hundred campers busy at once, in cabin groups with their own counselors.

What do you play at camp when it rains?

Choose Rainy-day cabin games. Yarn Maze Between the Bunks and Cabin Games Day: Cotton Ball Shot Put and Straw Javelin burn energy indoors, and Cabin Letter Home, a Line Each is quiet.

Which camp games need no equipment?

Most of the circle games and several campfire games. Whole-Circle Lap Sit, Crouch and Call Your Neighbor and Count Down to a Whisper need only the campers. No props under More filters lists them.

What ages are these games for?

Ages 6 to 14. Younger groups do best with the circle games and relays, and older cabins with the skits, the map drawing and the whole-unit field games.

More tools

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All 58 games

Camp circle games 9

  • Buddy Check Countdown 1. Pair every camper with a buddy and let the group mill around inside the circle of markers. 2. The counselor shouts "buddy check" and counts down from ten. 3. Buddies find each other, hold their joined hands high and stand still. 4. Every pair up before zero scores a point for the cabin. Play it once a day until it takes five seconds. A counselor stands in the circle and stops the game if it gets rough. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 8 to 60. Time: 5 min. Props: none.
  • Bunk Numbers on the Beat 1. Campers sit in a circle and count off, so that everyone has a number. 2. Set a slow beat: two knee pats, two claps. 3. On the claps, number one says "one" and then any other number. On the next claps, that camper says their own number and a new one. 4. A camper who breaks the beat moves to the last seat, and everyone between moves up one number. A counselor stands in the circle and stops the game if it gets rough. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 8 to 20. Time: 10 min. Props: none.
  • Crouch and Call Your Neighbor 1. Campers stand in a circle with a caller in the middle. 2. The caller points at one camper and shouts "duck". That camper crouches. 3. The two neighbors turn to each other and say the other's name. The slower one becomes the next caller. 4. A camper who forgets to duck swaps into the middle instead. A counselor stands in the circle and stops the game if it gets rough. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 8 to 30. Time: 8 min. Props: none.
Show all 58 games (55 more)

Camp circle games, continued

  • Eyes Closed, Point to the Dining Hall 1. Campers stand in a circle with room to turn. 2. Everyone closes their eyes and turns slowly around twice on the spot. 3. The counselor names a place in camp: the dining hall, the flagpole, the lake. Campers point to where they think it is. 4. Eyes open, arms still. Look around the circle at the arms, then try a new place. A counselor stands in the circle and stops the game if it gets rough. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 8 to 60. Time: 5 min. Props: none.
  • Eyes Meet, Trade Places 1. Campers stand in a circle looking at their own shoes. 2. On "look up", everyone looks straight at one other camper. 3. Two campers who are looking at each other swap places with a high five. 4. On "look down", pick someone new. Count the swaps in ten calls. A counselor stands in the circle and stops the game if it gets rough. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 8 to 30. Time: 5 min. Props: none.
  • Hand Squeeze Lap Against the Stopwatch 1. Campers stand in a circle holding hands, eyes open. 2. The counselor squeezes the hand on the left and starts a stopwatch. Each camper passes the squeeze on. 3. When it comes back, the counselor calls the time. 4. Try to beat it. Then send one squeeze each way and see where they cross. A counselor stands in the circle and stops the game if it gets rough. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 8 to 40. Time: 5 min. Props: a stopwatch.
  • I Like My Bunkmates, Except 1. Campers sit in a circle of markers, with one camper standing in the middle and no spare marker. 2. The middle camper says, "I like my bunkmates, except the ones who", and finishes with something visible or harmless: "are wearing green", "like pancakes". 3. Everyone it fits walks fast to a new marker, and the speaker takes one too. 4. The camper left without a marker speaks next. Nothing about bodies or families. A counselor stands in the circle and stops the game if it gets rough. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 10 to 40. Time: 10 min. Props: a marker or a spot for each camper but one.
  • Three-Camper Poses: Canoe, Tent, Campfire 1. Teach three poses, each made by three campers side by side. Canoe: the middle one paddles and the outer two make the bow and stern with their arms. Tent: the outer two lean in to make a roof. Campfire: the middle one wiggles like flames and the outer two warm their hands. 2. A caller in the middle points at a camper and names a pose. 3. That camper and both neighbors make it before a count of five. 4. Whoever is slowest or wrong swaps with the caller. A counselor stands in the circle and stops the game if it gets rough. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 9 to 30. Time: 10 min. Props: none.
  • Whole-Circle Lap Sit 1. On grass, campers stand in a tight circle, all facing the same way around, each with hands on the shoulders in front. 2. Everyone takes one small step toward the middle, so that the circle is snug. 3. On a slow count of three, everyone sits gently on the knees of the camper behind. 4. Hold for five seconds, then stand together on three. If the circle wobbles, stand up and tighten it. A counselor stands in the circle and stops the game if it gets rough. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 12 to 40. Time: 6 min. Props: none.

Summer camp icebreaker games and name games 10

  • Cabin Flag With Every Initial Hidden in It 1. Give the cabin one old pillowcase and a box of markers. 2. Together, campers design a flag with a picture and a cabin motto. 3. Each camper hides their own initial somewhere in the drawing. 4. At the next meal, another cabin gets one minute to find every initial. A counselor joins in and sees that no camper is left out. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 6 to 14. Time: 25 min. Props: a plain pillowcase and markers.
  • The Cabin Is an Instrument 1. Each camper chooses one sound: a click, a hum, a pop, a whoosh. 2. They say their name, then make the sound. 3. The counselor plays the cabin like a keyboard, pointing at campers to build a rhythm. 4. Campers take turns as conductor, and must say each name as they point. A counselor joins in and sees that no camper is left out. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 6 to 20. Time: 8 min. Props: none.
  • Duffel Roll Call: Name Plus What You Packed 1. Sit in a circle on the first afternoon. 2. The first camper says their name and one thing they packed: "I am Maya, and I packed a harmonica." 3. The next repeats that and adds their own. 4. When the chain gets long, the whole group helps. Counselors go last and must name everyone. A counselor joins in and sees that no camper is left out. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 6 to 16. Time: 10 min. Props: none.
  • Introduce Your Trail Buddy in Three Words 1. Pair campers who do not know each other. 2. Give them three minutes to walk a short loop and talk. 3. Back in the circle, each camper introduces their buddy by name and exactly three words. 4. The buddy may swap one word for a better one. A counselor joins in and sees that no camper is left out. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 6 to 30. Time: 12 min. Props: none.
  • Nature Name for the Week 1. Each camper picks a word from nature that starts with the same sound as their first name: River Riley, Maple Maya. 2. Go around the circle saying the new names, with a move to match. 3. The whole group repeats each name and move. 4. The names stay for the week. A camper who uses someone's nature name at dinner earns a nod from the counselor. A counselor joins in and sees that no camper is left out. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 6 to 24. Time: 10 min. Props: none.
  • Return the Shoe, Learn a Name 1. Every camper puts one shoe in a pile in the middle. 2. On go, each takes a shoe that is not theirs and finds its owner. 3. Before handing it back, they ask the owner's name and one thing they hope to do at camp. 4. Back in the circle, each camper introduces the owner of the shoe they held. A counselor joins in and sees that no camper is left out. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 8 to 30. Time: 10 min. Props: none.
  • Six Names Before the Cap Comes Back 1. Campers sit in a circle and pass a cap around as fast as they can. 2. One camper in the middle closes their eyes, then calls "stop". 3. Whoever holds the cap must say the names of six campers in the circle before the cap, passed on again, gets back to them. 4. Make it or not, they take the middle next. A counselor joins in and sees that no camper is left out. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 8 to 24. Time: 8 min. Props: a cap.
  • Stand Where Home Is 1. Name one spot on the field as the camp, and point out which way is north. 2. Campers stand where their home town would be on a giant map, near for near and far for far. 3. They compare with neighbors and shuffle until the map makes sense. 4. Each camper says their name and their town. Nearby campers find they are neighbors at home too. A counselor joins in and sees that no camper is left out. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 8 to 60. Time: 10 min. Props: none.
  • Step Into the Circle If You Also 1. Campers stand in a wide circle. 2. One camper steps in and says something true and harmless: "I have never slept in a tent before." 3. Everyone it is also true for steps in, looks around and steps back. 4. Go around the circle once. First-time campers find out they are not the only ones. A counselor joins in and sees that no camper is left out. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 8 to 60. Time: 8 min. Props: none.
  • Whose Card? Three Facts From a Hat 1. Every camper writes three harmless facts about themselves on a card, with their name on the back. 2. The counselor draws a card and reads the first fact. 3. Campers who think they know point at someone. Then the second fact, then the third. 4. The camper stands and takes a bow. Read five cards a night until all are done. A counselor joins in and sees that no camper is left out. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 6 to 30. Time: 10 min. Props: cards, pencils and a hat.

Field games for a whole unit 10

  • A Hundred Clothespins, Cabins Collect by Color 1. Before the game, counselors clip a hundred colored clothespins to fences, benches and low branches inside the boundary. 2. Each cabin is given a color. 3. On the whistle, cabins collect only their own color and bring the pins back to their bucket. 4. After ten minutes, count the buckets. A pin of the wrong color takes one away. Mark the boundary first, play in buddy pairs and count heads at the final whistle. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 16 to 100. Time: 15 min. Props: a hundred clothespins in several colors and a bucket for each cabin.
  • Cabin Cheer-Off on the Field 1. Each cabin gets ten minutes to write a cheer of four lines, with moves. 2. Cabins perform one at a time, facing the rest of the unit. 3. Three counselors judge togetherness, not volume. 4. The winning cheer opens tomorrow's flag raising. Mark the boundary first, play in buddy pairs and count heads at the final whistle. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 16 to 100. Time: 20 min. Props: none.
  • Cabin Mail Run Through Four Stations 1. Set four stations across the field, each with a counselor. 2. A runner from each cabin is told a message of ten words at the first station and carries it, in their head, to a teammate waiting at the second. 3. It passes from runner to runner. The camper at the last station writes down what arrived. 4. One point for every word that survived. Runners stay inside the cones. Mark the boundary first, play in buddy pairs and count heads at the final whistle. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 12 to 60. Time: 15 min. Props: cones, paper and pencils.
  • Cabin Shadow Chain, Longest Unbroken Line 1. On a sunny field, each cabin stands in a line with the sun behind it. 2. Campers space themselves so that the head of each shadow just touches the heels of the camper in front, with no gaps and no overlaps. 3. On the whistle, everyone freezes. A counselor walks each chain and paces its length. 4. The longest unbroken chain wins. Try again with arms up, and see what changes. Mark the boundary first, play in buddy pairs and count heads at the final whistle. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 10 to 100. Time: 10 min. Props: none.
  • Compass Call to Four Bandana Trees 1. Tie a bandana to four trees or posts and name them north, south, east and west with a compass. 2. The caller stands in the middle and shouts a direction. 3. Cabins walk fast, together, to that tree. The last cabin to have every member touching it gives its cheer. 4. Speed up, then call "northeast" and see who works it out. Mark the boundary first, play in buddy pairs and count heads at the final whistle. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 16 to 100. Time: 8 min. Props: four bandanas and a compass.
  • Find the Hidden Counselors, Cabin by Cabin 1. While the campers eat, six counselors hide inside the camp boundary. Each carries a card worth points: the harder the hiding place, the higher the number. 2. Cabins search together, each with its own counselor. 3. A found counselor signs the cabin's sheet and stays put. 4. After twenty minutes a horn sounds. The cabin with the most points chooses the next evening activity. Mark the boundary first, play in buddy pairs and count heads at the final whistle. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 16 to 100. Time: 25 min. Props: point cards, a sheet for each cabin and a horn.
  • Litter Sweep by Grid Square 1. Divide the field into squares with cones, one for each cabin. 2. Each cabin gets a bag and gloves, and five minutes to clear its square of anything that does not grow there. 3. A counselor inspects every square. 4. A clean square earns a point. Sharp things are pointed out to a counselor and never picked up. Mark the boundary first, play in buddy pairs and count heads at the final whistle. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 12 to 100. Time: 10 min. Props: cones, bags and gloves.
  • Pool Noodle Field Hockey With a Beach Ball 1. Mark two goals with cones and give every player half a pool noodle. 2. Two teams of six play at a time. The beach ball may only be pushed along the ground with a noodle. 3. Noodles stay below the knee, and there is no goalkeeper. 4. Swap in six fresh players from each cabin after every goal. Mark the boundary first, play in buddy pairs and count heads at the final whistle. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 12 to 40. Time: 15 min. Props: half a pool noodle each, a beach ball and four cones.
  • Silent Walk to the Shelter, Beat Last Time 1. Tell the unit that this is the weather drill, run as a game. 2. On the horn, every cabin walks in silence, in buddy pairs, to the storm shelter and sits down by cabin. 3. A counselor times it from horn to the last camper seated, and each cabin counselor counts heads. 4. Beat last week's time without anyone running. A cabin that talks adds ten seconds. Mark the boundary first, play in buddy pairs and count heads at the final whistle. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 16 to 100. Time: 10 min. Props: a horn and a stopwatch.
  • The Unit Spells the Camp Name 1. A counselor stands on a porch or a hill with a view of the field. 2. The whole unit has five minutes to spell the camp's name on the grass with their bodies, in letters big enough to read from there. 3. No counselor gives directions. 4. The spotter calls down which letters can be read. Take the photo when all of them can. Mark the boundary first, play in buddy pairs and count heads at the final whistle. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 20 to 100. Time: 12 min. Props: none.

Camp relay games 10

  • Bandana Worn Five Ways Relay 1. Each team has one bandana. 2. The first camper ties it on in any way, such as around the wrist, and walks fast around a cone. 3. The next must wear it a different way: headband, neckerchief, around an ankle, through a belt loop. 4. No way may be used twice by a team. Team members may help tie it. Never over the eyes. A counselor stands at each end of the course, and every leg is on grass. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 8 to 40. Time: 8 min. Props: a bandana and a cone for each team.
  • Four-Corner Tarp Raise 1. Each team of four gets a small tarp with a rope on every corner, lying flat. 2. On go, each camper takes a corner. Together they lift the tarp and walk it to four marked stakes or trees. 3. They tie each corner at shoulder height. 4. The first tarp that sheds a cup of water poured by a counselor wins. A counselor stands at each end of the course, and every leg is on grass. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 8 to 40. Time: 12 min. Props: a small tarp with four ropes for each team and a cup of water.
  • Lace the Boot Relay 1. Set one hiking boot at the far line for each team, with its lace pulled out and lying beside it. 2. The first camper threads the lace through the bottom two holes and comes back. 3. Each camper adds one more pair of holes. The last ties a bow. 4. A counselor lifts the boot by the bow. If it holds, the team is done. A counselor stands at each end of the course, and every leg is on grass. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 8 to 40. Time: 10 min. Props: a hiking boot with its lace for each team.
  • Log Cabin Stick Stack Relay 1. Give each team a pile of sticks as long as a forearm at the start, and a hoop at the far line. 2. One at a time, campers carry one stick and lay it in the hoop to build a square stack, two sticks one way and then two across. 3. A stack that falls is rebuilt by the camper who toppled it. 4. The first stack six layers high wins. Sticks are carried pointing down. A counselor stands at each end of the course, and every leg is on grass. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 8 to 40. Time: 12 min. Props: a pile of sticks and a hoop for each team.
  • Make the Bunk Relay 1. Lay a camping mat at the far line for each team, with a sheet, a blanket and a pillow in a heap beside it. 2. The first camper spreads the sheet and comes back. The second adds the blanket, and the third sets the pillow. 3. The fourth smooths everything flat. The fifth strips it back to a heap for the next round. 4. A counselor judges the neatest bunk as well as the fastest. A counselor stands at each end of the course, and every leg is on grass. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 8 to 40. Time: 10 min. Props: a mat, a sheet, a blanket and a pillow for each team.
  • One Knot Each, Then Untie Them All 1. Tie a rope to a post for each team. 2. Each camper in turn walks fast to the rope, ties one simple knot in it and comes back. 3. When everyone has tied one, the order reverses and each camper unties one knot. 4. The first team with a smooth rope and everyone seated wins. A counselor stands at each end of the course, and every leg is on grass. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 8 to 40. Time: 10 min. Props: a rope and a post for each team.
  • Pack the Duffel Relay 1. Each team has an open duffel at the far line and a pile of ten things at the start: a towel, a flashlight, a rain jacket, a water bottle and so on. 2. One at a time, campers carry one thing to the duffel and pack it. 3. The last camper zips the bag and carries it home. 4. A bag that will not zip is repacked by the whole team. A counselor stands at each end of the course, and every leg is on grass. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 8 to 40. Time: 10 min. Props: a duffel and ten things to pack for each team.
  • Swat the Paper Mosquitoes 1. Tape twenty paper mosquitoes to a fence or a wall for each team, at camper height. 2. One at a time, campers walk fast to the wall with half a pool noodle and swat one mosquito off. 3. They bring it back and hand over the noodle. 4. The first team to clear its wall wins. The noodle is for the wall only. A counselor stands at each end of the course, and every leg is on grass. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 8 to 40. Time: 8 min. Props: paper mosquitoes, tape and half a pool noodle for each team.
  • Thread the Rope Down Every Sleeve 1. Each team stands in a line with one long soft rope. 2. The first camper threads the end up one sleeve and out of the other, then passes it on. 3. The rope travels through every camper's sleeves until the whole team is strung together. 4. Then pull it back out the way it came. First team free wins. Campers in short sleeves hold a loop instead. A counselor stands at each end of the course, and every leg is on grass. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 8 to 40. Time: 10 min. Props: a long soft rope for each team.
  • Two-Camper Canoe Carry 1. Each team has one pool noodle, or a long cardboard tube, as its canoe. 2. Two campers carry it overhead, one at each end, around a cone and back. 3. They hand it to the next pair without letting it touch the ground. 4. A canoe that touches down is carried back to the start of that leg. A counselor stands at each end of the course, and every leg is on grass. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 8 to 40. Time: 8 min. Props: a pool noodle and a cone for each team.

Rainy-day cabin games 9

  • A Story From the Lost-and-Found Bag 1. Borrow the lost-and-found bag, or fill a pillowcase with a dozen odd things. 2. The first camper pulls one thing out and starts a story about it. 3. After three sentences, the next camper draws a new thing and must bring it into the same story. 4. The last thing out of the bag has to end the story. A counselor stays in the cabin for the whole game. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 4 to 16. Time: 10 min. Props: a bag of a dozen odd things.
  • Cabin Games Day: Cotton Ball Shot Put and Straw Javelin 1. Mark a throwing line with tape down the middle of the cabin. 2. Run three events: a cotton ball shot put, a paper straw javelin and a paper plate discus. 3. Each camper gets two throws in each event, and a buddy marks the landing with a sock. 4. Add the places across the three events for an all-around champion. A counselor stays in the cabin for the whole game. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 4 to 16. Time: 15 min. Props: cotton balls, paper straws, paper plates and tape.
  • Cabin Letter Home, a Line Each 1. Start one letter on a big sheet: "Dear families, today at camp". 2. The sheet goes from bunk to bunk, and each camper adds one line about the day. 3. Nobody reads the lines above theirs until the end. 4. A counselor reads the whole letter aloud, and it goes on the cabin door. A counselor stays in the cabin for the whole game. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 4 to 16. Time: 12 min. Props: a large sheet of paper and a pen.
  • Counselor Tales: True or Tall 1. The counselor tells three short stories from past summers. Two happened, and one is invented. 2. Campers may ask three questions about each. 3. Everyone votes for the tall tale with a show of hands. 4. Campers who want to may tell three of their own tomorrow. A counselor stays in the cabin for the whole game. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 4 to 20. Time: 10 min. Props: none.
  • Draw the Camp Map From Memory 1. Give each bunk pair a sheet of paper. 2. In eight minutes, they draw a map of the whole camp from memory: every cabin, the dining hall, the paths, the flagpole. 3. Pin the maps up side by side. 4. Check them against the real camp map. A point for each building in roughly the right place. A counselor stays in the cabin for the whole game. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 4 to 16. Time: 12 min. Props: paper, pencils and a camp map.
  • How Much Rain in the Cup? Marked Guesses 1. A counselor reaches out of the door and sets a straight-sided cup on the step, in the open rain. 2. Inside, each camper sticks a strip of tape on a matching cup and marks with their initials how high the rain will reach in ten minutes. 3. Play something else while the cup fills. 4. The counselor brings it in and holds it against the marks. The closest mark wins, and the cup goes back out for a second round. A counselor stays in the cabin for the whole game. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 4 to 20. Time: 15 min. Props: two matching straight-sided cups, tape and a pen.
  • Kim's Game With Things From the Trail 1. A counselor lays fifteen things from the day on a towel: a pine cone, a feather, a bottle cap, a compass, a trail map. 2. Campers study them for one minute, then the towel is covered. 3. Each camper, or each bunk pair, writes down everything they remember. 4. Uncover the towel and check. Then remove two things in secret and ask what has gone. A counselor stays in the cabin for the whole game. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 4 to 16. Time: 10 min. Props: fifteen small things, two towels, paper and pencils.
  • Skit in a Bag, Five Props 1. Fill a bag for each group with five odd things from around camp: a spatula, a life jacket whistle, a sun hat. 2. Groups of four get five minutes to plan a skit of one minute that uses every prop. 3. Each prop must be used as something it is not. 4. Perform bunk to bunk. The audience names the best use of a prop. A counselor stays in the cabin for the whole game. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 6 to 20. Time: 15 min. Props: a bag of five props for each group.
  • Yarn Maze Between the Bunks 1. A counselor strings yarn back and forth between bunk frames at knee, waist and shoulder height. 2. One at a time, campers cross the cabin without touching a strand. 3. A watcher at each end calls "touch", and the camper starts again. 4. Time each crossing. No climbing on the bunks. A counselor stays in the cabin for the whole game. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 4 to 16. Time: 15 min. Props: a ball of yarn.

Campfire games 10

  • A Wish on a Twig 1. Each camper is handed a small dry twig on the way to the fire circle. 2. During a quiet minute, campers think of one wish for the rest of camp. 3. A counselor walks the circle with a basket and collects the twigs. 4. The counselor alone lays them on the fire, a few at a time, while the circle watches. Everyone stays seated outside the fire ring, and only a counselor tends the fire. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 6 to 100. Time: 8 min. Props: a twig each and a basket.
  • The Circle Echoes a New Chant 1. A leader, seated, chants one short line made up on the spot about the day: "We paddled to the island!" 2. The whole circle echoes it, with the same rhythm and the same volume. 3. The leader adds a second line, and the circle echoes both. 4. After four lines the leader passes the job to a camper across the circle, who starts a new chant. Everyone stays seated outside the fire ring, and only a counselor tends the fire. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 6 to 100. Time: 8 min. Props: none.
  • Count Down to a Whisper 1. To close the campfire, the whole circle counts down from twenty together. 2. Twenty is as loud as a cheer. Each number is a little quieter. 3. By five, the count is a whisper. One is only mouthed. 4. After one, nobody speaks until the cabin door. Cabins that manage it get a thumbs up at breakfast. Everyone stays seated outside the fire ring, and only a counselor tends the fire. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 6 to 100. Time: 3 min. Props: none.
  • Guess the Voice Across the Fire 1. One camper closes their eyes and covers them with both hands. 2. The counselor points at another camper, who says "Good evening, camper" in a disguised voice. 3. The guesser has two tries at the name. 4. Right or wrong, the speaker guesses next. Everyone stays seated outside the fire ring, and only a counselor tends the fire. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 6 to 30. Time: 8 min. Props: none.
  • How Many Stars Inside Your Ring of Fingers? 1. On a clear night, each camper makes a ring with thumb and first finger and holds it at arm's length. 2. Pick a patch of sky and count the stars inside the ring. 3. Compare numbers around the circle. 4. Wait ten minutes with flashlights off, count the same patch again and compare the two numbers. Everyone stays seated outside the fire ring, and only a counselor tends the fire. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 4 to 60. Time: 12 min. Props: none.
  • One Good Thing, One Hard Thing, by Firelight 1. A stick is passed around the seated circle. Only the camper holding it speaks. 2. Each says one good thing from today and one thing that was hard. 3. Anyone may say "pass" and hand the stick on. 4. The counselor goes last and names one thing the whole cabin did well. Everyone stays seated outside the fire ring, and only a counselor tends the fire. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 6 to 30. Time: 10 min. Props: a talking stick.
  • One Plate, One Kind Deed, Cabin to Cabin 1. Before the campfire, each cabin makes one award on a paper plate for a camper in another cabin, for something kind or brave seen that day. 2. A camper from each cabin reads the award aloud. 3. The winner stands where they are for the applause, and the plate is passed around to them. 4. Counselors keep a list, so that by the end of the week every camper has had one. Everyone stays seated outside the fire ring, and only a counselor tends the fire. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 12 to 100. Time: 12 min. Props: paper plates and markers.
  • Sing-Down by Cabin 1. The counselor calls a word, such as "sun", "river" or "home". 2. Cabins take turns singing one line of any song that has the word in it. 3. A cabin that cannot think of a new song within ten seconds sits that word out. 4. The last cabin singing picks the next word. Everyone stays seated outside the fire ring, and only a counselor tends the fire. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 12 to 100. Time: 10 min. Props: none.
  • Thirty-Second Commercial for a Camp Chore 1. Each cabin draws a chore from a hat: sweeping the cabin, wiping tables, sorting the lost and found. 2. Cabins get five minutes to plan a commercial that makes the chore sound like the best activity at camp. 3. Perform seated or standing in place, well back from the fire. 4. The unit votes by applause. The winning cabin is excused from that chore tomorrow, if the director agrees. Everyone stays seated outside the fire ring, and only a counselor tends the fire. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 12 to 100. Time: 15 min. Props: chore slips and a hat.
  • Two Storytellers, One Story 1. Two campers sit side by side as the storytellers. 2. The first starts a story. When the counselor claps, the second carries on from the middle of the sentence. 3. Each clap switches the teller. 4. After two minutes, the audience suggests one word that must appear in the ending. Everyone stays seated outside the fire ring, and only a counselor tends the fire. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 6 to 40. Time: 10 min. Props: none.

How this list was compiled: Written by the Game Night Generator editors on 2026-10-03 for a counselor running a day camp or an overnight camp for ages 6 to 14, in our own words. Player ranges and minutes are our estimates. Every game carries its supervision line, no game uses a blindfold or a food race, and water games are left out. The memory game was checked on 2026-10-03 against English Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim%27s_Game. Licence: own work