Camping Left Right Game – Stories for the Campfire

Short: Pitching the Tent

Uncle Walt said the tent would take ten minutes. It said so on the bag: sets up in ten minutes. The bag did not say whose minutes.

They found a flat spot at Pine Hollow, between two pines. Uncle Walt shook out the tent. It had a LEFT pole, a RIGHT pole and one pole that belonged to some other tent.

"Hold this corner," said Uncle Walt. Theo held it. The other three corners blew away.

They pegged down the LEFT side. The RIGHT side came up. They pegged down the RIGHT side. The LEFT side came up, with the peg still in it.

"There is a trick to it," said Uncle Walt, and read the instructions, which were printed on the inside of the tent.

By sunset it was standing. It leaned a little to the LEFT, toward the lake, like a tent that was thinking of leaving. The door faced a tree. Nobody mentioned the door.

They got in. They zipped it up. It was the best tent in the whole campground, and it stayed up all night, until Theo sat up.

Good morning, campers. There is nothing LEFT to pitch. Whatever you are holding is yours to keep.

How it works

A camping left right game is a gift swap run by a story: everyone round the fire holds one small wrapped gift and passes it at each LEFT or RIGHT. Press Start: give me 3 words to set the first story at your campground.

Read the full guide

How to play

Sit round the fire, three campers or more, with a small wrapped gift apiece. One person reads. On each LEFT or RIGHT in capitals, all the gifts shift one seat in that direction. At the end of the story, open the one you have.

Pick a story

Pitching the Tent is the short one: about 2 minutes and 8 passes. The Hike That Went the Wrong Way and The Raccoon and the Cooler run about 3 minutes. The Campfire Rhyme is 13 couplets about marshmallows, smoke and one tall tale.

Tips

In a circle of three or more, nobody ends up opening the gift they brought.
No signal at camp? Make the story at home and press Print before you leave.

Questions and answers

What do you pass in a camping left right game?

One small wrapped gift for each camper. With no gifts, pass a single prize, such as a bag of marshmallows: whoever holds it at the last line keeps it.

How many passes are in each story?

Pitching the Tent has 8 passes, The Hike That Went the Wrong Way 9, and The Raccoon and the Cooler and The Campfire Rhyme 7 each. The list under the tool gives the LEFT and RIGHT counts.

Does the story name our campground?

Yes. Each story asks for the campground, park or lake you are at and for two names, and puts them in the text before you read or print it. Two of the stories also ask for a food.

All 4 stories

Show the list

Short: Pitching the Tent Short, about 2 minutes. LEFT 5, RIGHT 3. A ten-minute tent, three poles and a breeze. Gifts end two seats left of where they started. Asks for 3 words: 2 × name, 1 × campground.
Long: The Hike That Went the Wrong Way Long, about 3 minutes. LEFT 5, RIGHT 4. A one-mile loop, a map held upside down and a spinning sign. Gifts end one seat left of where they started. Asks for 4 words: 2 × name, 1 × campground, 1 × food.
The Raccoon and the Cooler Standard, about 3 minutes. LEFT 4, RIGHT 3. Four nights, one cooler and a raccoon with a system. Gifts end one seat left of where they started. Asks for 4 words: 2 × name, 1 × campground, 1 × food.
Rhymed: The Campfire Rhyme Rhymed, 13 couplets, about 2 minutes. LEFT 4, RIGHT 3. Marshmallows, smoke and one tall tale. Gifts end one seat left of where they started. Asks for 3 words: 2 × name, 1 × campground.

The kinds of words the game asks for

Name a first name; a made-up one is fine. More examples: Sir Reginald, Professor Plum, Doctor Noodle.
Food something to eat, like porridge. More examples: pickles, custard, cheese.

How these stories were written: All four stories were written for this site in October 2026. None is adapted from a circulating left right story. The names are the ones you type, or samples; no real person appears. Pass counts are counted by script from the final text. Licence: own work