Small Ways to Have Spontaneous Fun at Camp

By the middle of summer, the days can begin to feel very long, and it is easy to feel like there are no new ways to incorporate spontaneous, fun moments at camp. This post will provide you with some ideas for creating small moments of fun that will keep the positive spirit going even through those hot, mid-summer camp days. Whether it be during transition time, on a rainy day, or during unexpected downtime, here are some simple ways to make fun at summer camp happen!

Call-and-Responses

Using a unique call-and-response can make everyday camp life feel just a little bit more fun, injecting some silliness into the everyday need to get the attention of a group of campers or make sure they are listening. Check out these call-and-response ideas below! You can also have the campers come up with their own!

• “If you can hear me, put your hands on your head.” -- The facilitator says, “If you can hear me, put your hands on your head, on your shoulders, knees, etc.” but as they make the motions, say a different body part. Once you have their attention with this one, you can play it more quickly, turning it into a mini-game!
• Facilitator: “Hocus pocus...” Campers: “...Time to focus!”
• Facilitator: “To infinity...” Campers: “...And beyond!”
• Facilitator: “Can I get a...” Campers: “Whoop whoop!”
• Facilitator: “Freeze! Everybody clap your hands!...” Campers: [7 claps] -- This one is to the rhythm of the Cha Cha Slide! It’s even more fun if the kids know this song or you’ve played it for them. 

Silly Walks!

Plenty of time is spent at camp moving between activities and waiting for the next camp period to start. One small way to make that time more fun is with silly movements or walks! Next time your campers have to walk from Swim to Art or Boating to Dismissal, give them a fun prompt! Something like: “Let’s all walk to the next activity like chickens!” or “Try to get all the way to our next activity like ninjas: without making a sound, even with your feet!”

Jokes and Riddles!

One sure-fire way to bring spontaneity and fun to any situation is to always have a joke or a riddle in your back pocket. Whether it’s during transition time or lunch, jokes and riddles will almost always bring laughs and levity! Below are some examples of silly riddles and jokes that will surely bring a smile to campers faces. You can also always come up with your own, or ask campers to come up with some!

• What do you call a bear in the rain? / A drizzly bear!
• What time did the man go to the dentist? / Tooth hurt-y.
• How many apples grow on a tree? / All of them.
• Why are Teddy Bears never hungry? / They’re stuffed.
• Why does an elephant use his trunk as a bookmark? / So he “nose” where he stopped reading.
• Did you hear about the restaurant on the moon? / Great food, no atmosphere.
• What did the ocean say to the kid? / Nothing, it just waved. 

Music and Movement!

Music is always a great way to bring some energy into a room! Games like freeze dance and musical chairs are easy to play and set up, and most campers will already know how to play them. That means as long as you have a way to play music, these and other musical games can be used as back-pocket games at any time of day, and can be played for any amount of time! For the youngest campers, a good old-fashioned dance party is a hit almost every time.

No matter what your day at camp looks like, remember that you can always go back to these tried-and-true classics to bring some spontaneous fun and laughter to your campers’ day! 

How will YOU bring the summer camp fun?