Need Indoor Camping Party Ideas
Moms View Message Board: General Discussion Archive: Archive March 2006:
Need Indoor Camping Party Ideas
Our church group for fourth grade girls is having an end of the year camping party which will be held entirely indoors for 1.5 hours. Any ideas for games? We are making real smores with one of those Smores maker you can get at Target. Other than that we have no games or ideas!! Do you? TIA!
Can you do an indoor scavenger hunt?
My dd had a camping theme birthday party once. We did charades with index cards of camping items, like latern, sleeping bag, etc. We sent out invitations that looked like a tent, open the flap for all the info. I looked on Oriental Trading and got some camping themed stuff like the collapisble drinking cups. I set up a tent indoors and they played in that. I can't think of anything else right now but singing campfire songs would be fun and maybe having them tell ghost stories around "the campfire" with the lights turned low?? Good luck!
And hide and seek in the dark with teams and each team has a flashlight.
Invitation: I had invitations printed with her picture and I made tent flaps out of construction paper and glued them over her pic. When you openned the flaps you saw her picture.
Decor: We set up two tents with toys inside for play areas. We made a kid safe "camp fire" using a bowl and red, yellow and orange tissue paper that was blown by one of those little rubber portable fans from the inside (to give the flames "motion") My living room has large patio doors that let in a lot of light so we covered them white christmas lights and then with dark blue plastic tablecloth's to make the night sky. We dotted the table clothes with stick-on stars and made a crescent moon out of yellow poster board.
Food: For food we roasted weenies and marshmallows over a candle. We made "jiffy pop" by covering pie tins with a large bubble of aluminum foil and filling with microwave popcorn. We had a make-your-own trail mix station with all different add ins from granola to M&Ms. We had fried chicken, chili, potato salad, cornbread and scrambled eggs. We had a hot cocoa station with mixin's like marshmallows, mint candies and whipped cream.
Music: My brother played campfire songs on his guitar and I played a CD collection called 101 camp songs with songs like "On top of spaghetti"...
Highlight: For party favors the kids hand printed "flames" on canvas packs that already had campfire logs drawn on by doing 3 prints one yellow one orange one red. The packs were filled with stickers, bubbles, co
I used scrapbook paper that looked like birch bark. Folded in half and cut in the shape of a canoe. I used the log/twig letter stickers also from the scrapbook store for the front to say "Come to a Camping Party!" Inside I wrote the details with color coordinated marker. Also decorated the inside and outside with camping themed stickers. Decorations: We made room in our family room for our big (real) tent. It sleeps 5 so there was enough room for all the kids to play inside. We got all our woodland plush animals and set them around the room and suspended the birds from the ceiling. We also got out all our camping toys. For the one long wall we made construction paper trees and my daughter make squirrels and owls, etc. which we attached to the trees. It was fun having her involved with the decorations. I also bought a forest sounds CD to play in the backgroud
oriental trading has lil gifts for parties too ...
http://www.orientaltrading.com/products/C375307.jsp
My favourite Camping Party Suppliers *
Partybox (UK supplier)
for outdoor coloured (why not try green) tableware, piñatas, glow in the dark goodies.
Makesparties (US supplier)
Our party shop which contains a huge selection of glow in the dark products. Perfect for those night time camping party scavenger hunts.
Birthday in a Box (US supplier)
for superb all in one party packs. Check out the Bugs everywhere party boxes.
Pinatas (US supplier) for camping party piñatas. I was particularly taken with lizard piñata or you could try the monkey or frog which really set the camping scene.
S&S Worldwide (US supplier)
for art and crafts activities to keep those campers happy.
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* Camping Party Invitations *
Your camping party invitations could go something like this:
Calling all ye campers
Camper (name of birthday child) is turning 8
And you are invited to camp out late (use a rhyming word to go with the age)
Camp date: (date)
Report to Camp duty officer at: (address)
Camp opening hours: (time)
Tel:
Latest camping news flash: Skies will be clear and sunny (I advise you to check the weather forecast in advance!)
Essential camping gear: Sleeping bag, pillow, pyjamas, toiletries etc and spooky story
Tent invites. make the invites in the shape of a tent using strong craft paper. Have two front flaps which when opened, reveal the party details.
Bugs Everywhere Using simple plain card, decorate with loads of bug stickers. You can also buy personalized bug invitations from Birthday in a Box (US supplier)
Mini backpacks Buy some mini backpacks (key ring size are ideal). Write the details on oversized luggage labels and attach one to each backpack.
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* Camping party Costumes *
The campers don't really need to come dressed up but suggest they arrive in clothes suitable for the weather plus a change of clothes should they get wet.
As the campers arrive you could give them a cap or visor which they could decorate with stickers. Stick to two colours and the colour of their cap will decide their team for the team games later on. Alternatively a bandana or arm band made of strips of coloured cloth would be just as popular and won't cost you much.
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* Camping Party Decorations *
Erect the tents in advance unless you want to make it a team activity for older kids. Place the tents near to the house (if in your backyard) and near a door for easy access to the toilet. If setting up camp indoors, clear the room of all furniture to give as much space as possible. I find it is more fun and causes less anxiety if you can get have the kids in just one or two tents.
Make a large wooden sign at the entrance to the "Camp Site" and have other signs pointing the way to the toilets and showers, picnic area and wildlife trail.
Put up a chalk board with the "Camp Rules". Make rules such as "No playing with matches", "Throw away rubbish", "Be gentle with the animals" and so on.
Set the tents around a central seating area with the campfire as a centerpiece. Lay out low benches for sitting on or just use mats or planks of wood balanced on rocks.
Decorate the inside of the tents with streamers and balloons
Around the edges of the camp, erect some citronella torches. These will keep the bugs away and add to the camp atmosphere.
Place cuddly toys in the tress and bushes for the younger kids to discover or for the older kids, hang plastic bugs around the camp. Use glow in the dark bugs and stars which will be fun later on when it gets dark.
Hang multi colored Chinese lanterns around the garden. Some kids just can't help playing with candles so be careful where you place them.
Set up a food table and cover with green or camouflage cloth. Use plastic tableware or tin plates and cups. Provide bug stickers for each child to personalize his/her own plate and mug. It saves muddling them up.
Jitterbugs (US supplier)
Bugs Everywhere (US supplier)
Go Green (UK supplier)
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* Camping party food *
For kid camping party food, go for convenience and food that can be eaten off laps.
Spider Hotdogs Make a I" cut lengthways at the end of each sausage. When cooked over the barbeque, the ends will curl like spiders legs.
Anything BBQ Go for hamburgers, corn on the cob, chicken, kebabs, jacket potatoes and of course lots of ketchup and mayonnaise!
Bug juice Lemonade colored green with the odd plastic bug floating on the top.
Roasted marshmallows Perfect for a late night snack and one of my kids favorites. Place a marshmallow on the end of a wooden skewer (soak for one hour in water beforehand as it stops them burning) and hold a few inches about the camp fire flame until the marshmallow starts to melt. Remove from the flame and allow to cool for 30 seconds or so – the marshmallow can get extremely hot. I advise this to be an activity for older children only and under adult supervision.
Camp site cake Great if your pressed for time but always looks impressive. Using a packet cake mix, make one square or rectangular cake. Cover with green frosting to resemble grass and decorate with a small plastic camping set or you could just use plastic bugs. Make sure each child gets one with their slice of cake.
Log fire cake Make or purchase three or four chocolate log rolls and cover with chocolate frosting. Cover a plate or cake board with green dyed desiccated coconut for the grass and then prop the logs up in the centre of it so they resemble a log fire. For the flames, insert some red, orange and yellow sweets such as M&M's around and under the logs and then place the candles around. Once lit it looks very impressive. More kid party food ideas
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* Camping Party activities *
Personalized canes These are always extremely popular with boys and girls. Buy some cheap doweling rods from a hardware store and provide the campers with paints, glue, stickers and glitter to personalize their own walking stick.
First Aid kits Using empty film containers (clear are best) get the kids to design them with permanent marker pens. Make two small holes in the lid using a compass point and then thread through some string using a needle so that they can be worn around the neck. You might need to do that bit in advance as it is a bit fiddly. The kids can then insert a couple of Band-Aids and small cotton wool balls.
Boulder Art These are great for decorating the perimeter of the camp. In advance get some rocks or largish boulders. Provide the kids with paintbrushes and paint and get them to design the rocks. This is a great starter activity. Use water based paints if you don't want the grass to look too multi colored as it will wash off. Alternatively you could use small pebbles and stick on wool, eyes and scraps to make 'rock pets'.
Ghost story bonanza When it is getting dark, sit everyone round the camp fire or in a tent and get everyone to tell a ghost story. Some of the kids might not have one so make sure that you have a few up your sleeve. NB Watch out for kids who are not enjoying it and suggest another activity.
Campfire sing-along Dust off your vocal cords and get out the guitar (if you have one) and sing to your hearts content. If you have any portable musical instruments let the kids use them or make your own from tin cans and sticks.
Sparklers Always popular especially when it is dark.
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* Camping Party Games *
Tent builder If the kids are old enough, get them to erect the tents in teams. Alternatively they could make totem pole tents out of bamboo canes and sheets (get old sheets from car boot sales).
Musical camping chairs/rocks Get the kids dancing round the chairs or the painted rocks (see camping activities) but make sure there is one less seat for the number of children. When the music stops each child has to find a chair/rock to sit on. The one who doesn't is out and can help with the music.
Wildlife trail In advance of the camping party, hide a variety of cuddly toys, plastic animals, nature objects (e.g. a shell, pine cone, homemade straw birds nest) around the camp area. Split the kids into teams and give each team a list of items to find plus a sack to put them in. First team to complete the list is the winner.
Flash light treasure hunt When it is just getting dark give each child a flash light and send them off in search of glow in the dark bugs. Use plastic ones that you have surreptitiously hung around the camping area. Do this game in pairs if the kids are a bit nervous of the dark.
Snake pit tug o' war Use a large paddling pool or sand box and fill with lots of rubber snakes. Organize the campers into two teams and get then tugging a rope over a snake pit! First team pulled into the snake pit is out. All the kids can then dive in afterwards and see who can get the most snakes.
Feed the bear In advance make a large cardboard bears head with a big opening for the mouth. Hang it from a tree branch or a bush and get the campers to throw plastic food into its mouth. See who can get the most items in.
Bug Bites Issue each child with a strip of bug stickers and then it's each bug for himself! The aim of the game is to 'bite' someone by sticking a bug on their back without them noticing. At the end of the game the person with the least stickers is declared the champion bug but the person with the most stickers on their back gets to keep them!
Lucky dip tent Fill a small two man tent with loads of balloons and amongst them put some small prizes. Each child takes it in turns to be blindfolded and to enter the tent and to try and find a prize.
Fishing for gold Fill a paddling pool with water and a number of goldfish. Issue each child with a jam jar and net and get them to catch a fish which they can take home. Don't forget to provide small bags of fish food.
Flashlight Tag All my kids love this and on holiday usually a group of older teenagers will join in too. When it gets dark, give each child a flash light and split into two teams. The aim of the game is to tag as many players from the opposing team by shining a light at them. Once caught, they are take to base and need to be watched over by a chosen guard. However thy can be rescued by their team mates so the guard needs to be on the lookout with his flashlight. If the guard spots the rescuers, they too are put in the base camp.
Piñata Having a piñata is always a great success at kids parties. For some inspiring camping party animal piñatas, take a look at
Party Box pinatas (UK supplier)
Pinatas (US supplier)
More kids camping party games
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*Camping Party Favours and Prizes *
Glow in the dark bugs and geodes
Fflashlights
Inexpensive plastic lanterns
Anything that glows in the dark
Bug nets
Compass
Water canteen
Mini sparklers
Caps
Mini battery fans
Bug stickers and tattoes
T-shirts with the name of the camp and date of the birthday camping party
Shopping for camping party favor ideas
Party Box (UK store) always has a huge supply of good value party products and everything is always in stock.
Our US party store
We have a huge selection of Glow in the dark products and camping party favor items. Below is just a small selelction of what we offer. Prices are always kept to a minimum as we buy in bulk.
Ladybug Lip Gloss
$12.95 12 per pack
Candy Watch
$4.25 12 per pack
Ladybug Necklace
$10.95 12 per pack
3" Jumbo Squirt Frogs
$20.95 36 per pack
4.5" Compass Keychains
$12.95 24 per pack
Compass Necklace
$11.95 24 per pack
Child's Wrap Sunglasses
$9.95 12 per pack
Growing Water Creatures
$17.95 24 per pack
Stretch Turtles 2"
$14.95 48 per pack
Kids Dance Along Video
$15.95 each
1.5" Soft Asstd Goldfish
$10.95 72 per pack
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Did you know?..... A Wickiup (or wikiup) is domed hut-like dwelling used by the semi-nomadic Native American tribes of the arid regions of the west and southwest North America, such as Arizona, new Mexico, Texas, Utah, Idaho, California and northern Mexico. The term Wigwam also refers to a similar domed structure but the difference being in that wickiup refers to the dwellings of peoples mostly in the American Southwest while wigwam refers to the dwellings mostly in the American Northeast
this sounds like fun to me. good luck and enjoy.
Check this website out they have tons of ideas!
Camping Themes
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