Don’t go to bed when the moon comes up, just plan for different fun!
When we go camping, we can think of all kinds of things to do during the day. There’s hiking, fishing, swimming, etc. But when the sun goes down, many of us retreat inside our tents and dream about the coming day and all we can do when the sun graces the land once more. However, if we only come out to play when the sun is up, we’re missing a ton of unique experiences and fun we can have during the night. So, what can you do?
Get spooky with ghost stories
Or any story, it doesn’t have to be scary, but scary is fun! Our senses are already heightened and cued into the new sounds and experiences around us, tap into that edge a bit. Make it even more fun and research information about the woods you’re in or the campsite you’re visiting. See what urban legends or ghostly tales people have recounted online and use them. If you can’t find anything and still want to use your campsite as the base for a scary story, get creative and make something up!
Make delicious snacks
S’mores are a staple of every camping trip, and you can spruce them up however you like, but there are more foods to enjoy! For instance, you can roast hotdogs over the fire, make muffins in orange peels, put popcorn kernels in aluminum foil and set them near the fire for a tasty treat, or even make pigs in a blanket using a skewer and the open fire. There’s a lot you can do for camping foods that don’t take a lot of prep. You can also prepare snacks ahead of time if you’d rather spend more time enjoying other items on this list.
Midnight jam session
Are you and your friends musically inclined? Bring your instruments along and play your favorite songs around the campfire. This is a fun way to bond with the people you care about and share songs that are personal to you. There’s also plenty of room for laughs if someone messes up, or you can get even more creative and create your own songs!
Strolling and stargazing
But don’t do these at the same time, or you could get hurt. Stargazing is a favorite pastime for us. We love how our minds wander and how connected we feel to people we’re with. Stories and truths come out that make for some great conversation and you may learn something about your friends you didn’t know before. Take your stargazing into the water for even more relaxation!
Walking at night is another way to have fun. Just be sure you bring a flashlight, so you don’t trip over debris in the path. To make this a spooky hike, try it after you’ve all shared scary stories!
Flashlight tag and hide and seek
These two are very similar with one difference. In flashlight tag you don’t have to touch the person. If you catch them on their way back to home, shine your light on them and they’re out! These are fun games to play at night because our senses are heightened, and the darkness gives us many more places to hide. Again, just be careful of unseen obstacles while you’re running!
Reading and games
Not many people think of reading as a group activity, but it’s something that can be a lot of fun if you take turns reading aloud. You can read from a Choose Your Own Adventure book and let your friends decide on what actions they want to take and see if they survive. Bring several of these books in case your friends have the tendency to fail early on in the story.
Board games can be just as much fun around the fire as they are at home. If you’re going to play board games, you may want to pack a table and a lantern, so you don’t lose pieces on the ground, and you all have plenty of space to play, set snacks and drinks, and relax.
As you can see, there is a lot of fun to have when you go camping and night falls. In fact, nighttime may be your new favorite time to camp with all the fun in store.
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