Camping is a chance to get away from your everyday life and spend time making lifelong memories with family and friends. Many RVers especially look forward to enjoying activities like sing-alongs, games and campfire cooking. To help make your next campout an even more memorable occasion, we are offering a few quirky twists on those old special favorites.
A Capella-Style Campfire Karaoke
Fireside sing-alongs are a tradition as old as camping: from cowboys playing a lonesome tune on the harmonica to scouts singing a whirling round of “Row Row Row Your Boat”. In the age of ever-present electronic gadgets and gizmos, a group of family and friends singing together under the stars is a refreshingly analog bonding experience.
For your next camping trip, we suggest you try a fun twist by going all a capella. Each camper picks one song they would like to sing, and then the other campers choose which instrument or backing part they would like mimic vocally: one person can beatbox the drums while another belts out the guitar riffs and someone else booms the bass notes. By the time the solo comes around, everyone will be roaring out the notes out and shredding air guitar.
The Lazy Man’s Pentathlon
Campsite games are generally meant to be a low-key way to unwind while the fire heats up and the burgers cook. When playing, you’ll likely be tired from a full day of hiking, canoeing, swimming or exploring. We feel your pain, so we are suggesting a game where limited movement is key to the challenge. We call it: “The Lazy Man’s Pentathlon”.
This game combines a series of favorite campsite games into one: corn hole, ladder ball, lawn bowling, dodgeball and hula hoop. To set-up, find an open space and set the hula hoop down in the middle. Then, set up each of the other games at four stations around the hoop. A player will step into the hula hoop and proceed to play each game as follows :
- Corn hole: three attempts to toss a bean bag through the hole. 2 points per hole scored.
- Ladder ball: three attempts to toss bolas around the rungs. Regular scoring used.
- Lawn bowling: two rolls of the ball. 3 points for a strike, 2 points for a spare and 1 point if a pin is knocked down without a strike or spare.
- Dodgeball: Another camper will make three attempts to toss a Nerf ball at the player. Player gets 2 points for a catch, zero points for a miss, and -1 point for a hit.
- Hula hoop: Player spins the hula hoop around with their hips. 1 point for 5 spins, 2 points for 7 spins, and 3 points for 10 spins.
The player must keep one foot inside the hoop at all times. If the player steps out of the hoop, they lose 5 points. Add up the points for a winner! You may need to adjust the scoring based on the skills of your players.
Gourmet S’More Competition
S’mores are the gooey reward for a successful day of camping fun. As every RVer knows, the classic s’more is a graham cracker sandwich filled with a roasted marshmallow and a melty milk chocolate bar. While this recipe will always be the definitive camping treat, a little experimentation can liven up your night. How about using a peanut butter cup? Or cookies instead of graham crackers? Maybe even mix some jelly beans in there. The options are as varied as your sweet tooth will allow.
You can even turn this experimentation into a competition. Before your next trip, ask your companions to come up with their own creative take on the s’more, and have them bring the ingredients with them. Make sure there’s enough to share!
The rules: the recipe has to have something gooey, something sweet and something crunchy on the outside, and you must be able to cook it over the fire. Select a panel of (very lucky) judges and get cooking! Have the judges sample each s’more and then pick their favorite. The winner gets bragging rights, and everyone gets some delicious goodies to snack on.
