20 Fun Summer Camp Activities for Preschoolers & Kids

Throughout the academic year, there is hardly any opportunity for children to spend time outdoors; summer vacation is one time of the year when they can experience the soil with their hands, the sun on their faces, and the grass under their feet. Precisely for this reason, summer camps are a popular engagement during the vacations. These camps offer a variety of summer camp activities for kids, ensuring they stay active, creative, and connected with nature. It is vital to pack their time with fun and exciting summer camp crafts and outdoor activities, such as hiking, swimming, arts and crafts, and team sports. These experiences not only keep them entertained but also help them develop new skills, build friendships, and create lasting memories.

Summer Camp Activities for Children

Below is a list of 15 activities that can make their summer vacation fun and educational at the same time for your children.

1. Nature’s Treasure Hunt

What You Will Need 

• Botany books of appropriate age
• Small boxes made out of leaves or small cardboard boxes and camouflage them with painted leaves
• Small paper cut-outs to pen down clues
• A4 size craft papers to draw the maps for the treasure hunt

What to Do 

1. Create a theme-based Treasure Hunt.
2. Look for clues based on flower names, identifying leaves, identifying plants, etc., taken from a specific book which the children can use as a reference to solve them.
3. Identify plants/flowers/spots throughout the route of the treasure hunt to hide clues.
4. Write the clues based on the small cut-outs and place them in small boxes. Hide these boxes at the decided spots.
5. Make copies of the map that the children will need to trace. Hand each team/player a copy of the book for clues.
6. Identify a particular spot to plant a tree or a bush as an award for winning the Treasure Hunt and name the tree after the winners. It is one of the most exciting summer camp games for kids.

2. Outdoor Scrabble

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What You Will Need 

• Thick Craft Paper/Construction Paper
• Black Marker/Oil Paint/Water Color
• Pencil & Paint Brush
• Rope
• Small wooden posts (even numbers)
• A cardboard box

What to Do 

1. Use the craft/construction paper, black marker/paint, and a paintbrush to create letters of the alphabet and score them with points like in a game of scrabble.
2. Fold the paper in such a way that the letters are displayed on one side, and the back is blank.
3. Put all the letters in the cardboard box to be picked up by the players later.
4. Use the wooden posts to tie the rope on both ends and create as many playing stations as needed. Place the playing stations in a circle keeping the space empty in the middle for the game.
5. Use the rope to hang letters picked up by a team or single player such as the opponents can’t see the letters.
6. Simplify the scoring system by doing away with bonus points since the game will be played in a park or a lawn (outdoor) and not on board.

3. Obstacle Course – Relay Race

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What You Will Need 

• Wooden logs (not too heavy) to create different obstacles
• Creepers from old trees around the campsite
• Ropes
• Locate a water body (shallow) if possible near the camp

What to Do 

1. Use whatever is naturally available at the campsite to create obstacles – like wooden logs to create a small bridge over any water body that is available, Use strong creepers to create a loop that kids can cross through, Place a wooden log on two stones on both sides that children can jump over, etc.
2. Divide the children into teams and assign different names to each of the groups.
3. Each participant will be placed at different positions throughout the course for the relay.
4. Set an appropriate award for winning the course.

4. Camping Hacks

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What You Will Need 

• List of outdoor hacks that you can Google
• Items specify in those activities

What to Do 

1. Organize a session with the camp masters displaying different ways of expertly pack items needed for a camp.
2. Demonstrate how to prevent their electronics from getting water-damaged.
3. Demonstrate how, with the help of their parents, kids can create safe containers for toilet paper, tin burners, candle stands, and other useful tools for camping.
4. Create a checklist of things that children should keep handy at a camp, such as an insect repellent, first-aid box, a torch, etc. It could be organized as a summer camp indoor activity.

5. Movies Under Open Sky

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What You Will Need 

• Projector
• A white bedsheet (for an earthy feel)
• Rope
• Two wooden posts

What to Do 

1. Hoist the white bed sheet from two sides on the two wooden posts. Remember to secure the two loose ends of the sheet with boulders or big stones.
2. Place the projector at a suitable position and select age-appropriate movies.
3. Remember to provide camp-side snacks like roasted marshmallows or popcorn to the children.

6. A Soap Volcano

What You Will Need 

• A long table
• Vinegar
• Water
• Dish soap
• Empty Soda Bottle
• Food Color
• Baking Soda

What to Do 

1. Divide the children into pairs. Ask them to line up with their partners against the table.
2. Pour the vinegar, dish soap, water, and two drops of food colour.
3. Make baking soda slurry.
4. Pour the slurry in the solution and wait for a colourful eruption

7. Spray Painting

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What You Will Need 

• Cans of fabric paint
• Sprays or big brushes
• White T-shirts
• Wooden posts and a rope

What to Do 

1. Stretch the rope on the two wooden posts and hang the t-shirts on it.
2. Provide the kids with colour cans and brushes/sprays.
3. Let the t-shirts dry and hand them over to each child later.

8. Rubbing Art – Crayons or Pencil Color

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What You Will Need 

• Crayons and Pencil Colours
• Different objects from the surroundings – leaves, tree bark, flowers,
• Art paper

What to Do 

1. Create a heap of objects from the surroundings at the campsite – pick up leaves with different patterns, flowers, tree bark, stones with textures, etc.
2. Use crayons or pencil colours to trace out the patterns and textures of different objects on an art paper.
3. Ask the children to create different artwork and organize a small award ceremony for the best art produced. Out of all the summer camp arts, this one is unusual and exciting.

9. Outdoor Twister

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What You Will Need 

• Water Colour/ Spray Paint/House Paint – primary colours
• Cardboard box
• A pair of scissors

What to Do 

1. Cut one side of the cardboard into a circle
2. Use the paint to trace out circles of different colours on the ground in rows, preferably on some soft ground with grass coverage. Fill up the circles with the respective colours.
3.  Kids have to place either their hands or legs on these colours. It is a fun activity that also enhances hand-eye coordination.

10. Talent Show

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What You Will Need 

• A stage/a platform – in case one is not available, use a carpet to create a path for the talent walk
• Speakers
• Chairs
• Audio System

What to Do

1. Ask the kids to choose a particular act that each one of them wants to perform; it could be a magic show, anything related to music or dance, a one-act play, storytelling, recitation, etc.
2. Make available any props that they might need for their performance.
3. Make sure the list of music is appropriate for each of their acts.

11. Slime Making – A STEM activity

What You Will Need 

• Slime glue (clear/PVA glue)
• Slime activator (Borax powder/saline water and baking soda/liquid starch)
• Food colour
• Glitter/styrofoam beads/fishbowl beads/or any other decorative item(s)
• Mixing bowl, spoons, and measuring cup

What to Do 

1. Mix ½ cup of washable PVA glue and some water in a bowl.
2. Add ½ tsp of baking soda to the mix.
3. Add food colour/glitter or both to the mix.
4. Take 1 TBL of saline water and it to the coloured mix.
5. Mix and whip all the ingredients till it becomes thick, and the slime is formed.
6. You can add beads, Styrofoam, confetti, other accessories to make it crunchier.

12. Story Telling Around Bonfire

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What You Will Need 

• Logs for the fire
• Some sort of a catalyst for the fire
• Big rocks
• Marshmallows on sticks

What to Do 

1. Create a circle around the fire with big stones.
2. Ask the children beforehand to write stories of a particular length.
3. Each child can narrate her/his story in the circle around the glow of the fire.

13. Hats From Paper Plates

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What You Will Need 

• Paper Plates
• Scissors
• Water Colors, Sketch Pen, Oil Paints, etc.
• Craft/Art Paper
• Pencils and Brushes

What to Do 

1. Ask each child to create innovative designs for a hat with the paper plates. Cut the middle portion of the plates out, keeping the rim intact.
2. Ask them to use different paper cut-outs, colours, and their wacky imagination.

14. Friendship Bracelets

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What You Will Need 

• Stretchable strings (different colours)
• Beads (different shapes and sizes)
• Pictures of DIY bracelets for children to refer to

What to Do 

1. Tie the different colourful strings into various kinds of knots and combinations to create wrist bands. Ask them to see to the pictures to help them with their creative ideas.
2. Create variety by using beads and buttons to decorate the bands.
3. Children can tie these bracelets to each other. It encourages a friendly environment among the participants and can be used as an ice-breaker.

15. Water Dodge Ball

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What You Will Need 

• Balloons
• Colours

What to Do 

1. Divide the children into teams. Assign a particular colour to each team.
2. Fill the balloons with coloured water. Make sure they are soft to ensure no mishaps take place. Also, a volunteer should supervise this game, and only children of a certain age are allowed to play this water game. This could be a great rainy-day summer camp activity.

Summer Camp Activities for Preschoolers

Summer camps are a wonderful way to introduce preschoolers to new experiences, foster creativity, and encourage physical activity. These summer camp activities for kindergarteners not only keep them entertained but also help develop their motor skills, social interactions, and love for the outdoors.

1. Storytime with Puppets

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What You Will Need

• Hand puppets
• A storybook

What to Do

1. Use hand puppets to bring a story to life.
2. Choose a fun and engaging storybook and involve the children by letting them interact with the puppets.
3. This activity enhances listening skills and sparks imagination.

2. Sensory Play with Playdough

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What You Will Need

• Homemade or store-bought playdough
• Cookie cutters and rolling pins

What to Do

1. Provide the children with playdough and tools like cookie cutters and rolling pins.
2. Let them create shapes, animals, or anything they can imagine.
3. Sensory play with playdough helps develop fine motor skills and creativity.

3. Mini Gardening

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What You Will Need

• Small pots
• Soil and seeds
• Watering cans

What to Do

1. Let the children plant seeds in small pots and water them.
2. Teach them about how plants grow and encourage them to care for their mini garden.
3. This activity introduces preschoolers to basic gardening concepts and fosters a sense of responsibility.

4. Musical Chairs with a Twist

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What You Will Need

• Chairs
• Music player

What to Do

1. Arrange chairs in a circle, one less than the number of children.
2. Play music and have the kids walk around the chairs.
3. When the music stops, they must find a seat. The twist? Instead of eliminating a child, give them a fun task like dancing or making a silly face.
4. This version keeps everyone engaged and avoids disappointment.

5. DIY Craft Station

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What You Will Need

• Coloured paper
• Glue
• Stickers
• Markers
• Safety scissors

What to Do

1. Set up a craft station with materials like coloured paper, glue, stickers, and markers.
2. Let the children create their own masterpieces, such as greeting cards, paper animals, or collages.
3. This activity encourages creativity and fine motor skills while allowing kids to express themselves artistically.

FAQs

1. How can I ensure the activities are inclusive for children with different abilities?

To make activities inclusive, choose games and crafts that can be adapted to various skill levels. For example, sensory-friendly activities like playdough or bubble art work well for children with sensory sensitivities. Always have alternative options and ensure volunteers are trained to support children with diverse needs.

2. What are some quiet activities for kids who may feel overwhelmed by high-energy games?

Quiet activities like storytime with puppets, DIY craft stations, or nature-themed colouring books can provide a calming break. These activities allow children to recharge while still participating in the camp experience.

3. Are there any activities that can help shy kids come out of their shell?

Group activities like team-based water dodgeball or collaborative crafts can encourage shy kids to interact with others in a low-pressure setting. Pairing them with a buddy or volunteer can also help them feel more comfortable.

4. How do I handle conflicts or disagreements during group activities?

Establish clear rules and expectations at the start of each activity. If conflicts arise, address them calmly and encourage problem-solving among the children. Having a designated “cool-down” area where kids can take a break can also help de-escalate tense situations.

You could include all or only a few of these activities depending on the camp duration and the nature of the camp. However, each one of these activities can help you in organizing an exciting and fun-filled summer for your children.

Also Read:

Benefits of Summer Camp for Kids
Fun and Easy Summer Activities for Kids
Why Your Child Must Attend Summer Camp