15+ EPIC FUN CAMPFIRE GAMES

Campfire games that will enhance the soul gratifying pleasures, everlasting memories and good fun times you share with your friends on your next camping trip.

Campfires are synonymous with laid back camping chairs, marshmallows, nighttime noises, bugs, twinkling stars, staring at the night sky, the sharp shoots of wood sparks flying thru fresh air, bread-on-a-stick and the smell of other great outdoor food and drinks… and of course fun, laughter, and good friends!

That in mind, spooky ghost stories or short jokes usually surface around a bonfire… but when its time for fun campfire games and activities, you cannot go wrong with this list:

15 FUN CAMPFIRE GAMES AND ACTIVITIES

Mosquito Bites – Give each player a sheet of dot stickers preferably red, like mosquito bites! As the evening progress, try to get rid of your stickers by giving the others players “mosquito bites”! Do this by secretly placing stickers on other players. Be careful…if you get caught you have to keep your mosquito bite sticker and receive another from the person who caught you out. The first player to get rid of their sheet of stickers is the winner!

Dead Fish – What do dead fish do? NOTHING! ... Exactly! The aim is to be the best Dead Fish so explain that the rules are to be as “lifeless” as possible. When the game starts, one person walks around and tag people ‘OUT’ that are moving or making any sounds. The fun starts when those that are out now help you to get the other people to laugh or respond!

Night hikes - Tired of sitting around the fire every night? Most nature parks have night hikes specifically for finding owls or viewing the stars and planets at night. Take along a flashlight and at times when flashing over the plains or through the trees, you might think you are back in the city with all the shining eyes from deer and other animals closely watching you. Always hike in groups for safety.

Frog – Sitting in a circle around the campfire the first person says: ONE FROG, the second person says: 2 EYES, the third person says: 4 LEGS, the fourth person says: IN THE PUDDLE, the firth person says: KER-PLOP. See how many frogs you can get into the puddle without mistakes.
Alternatives:

You can play this campfire game to the beat of claps for more fun.
If someone makes a mistake everyone shouts “FROG” and he or she is OUT and the rest continue until there is an ultimate winner!

Tap Stick - This is a fun campfire game to see how well people pay attention to others and how quick they catch on to the right way to tap a stick.

The first person gets a stick, clears their throat and says “I can tap the stick just right” and begins tapping the stick on the ground. They pass the stick to the person sitting next to them, so they can try to tap the stick "just right".

The object of this game is for a player to realize that the clearing of the throat before tapping the stick is the key to tapping the stick "just right", in order to correctly copy the first player.

The first player can let each player know if they are tapping the stick right as it is passed around the campfire with just a simple yes or know. Don’t reveal the secret until everyone had a chance to play.

Players will try to hold the stick like the first player, tap the same tune or number of times etc.

Hot Seat – Place one person’s chair facing the group – this person is in the ‘HOT SEAT’! Write a funny or strange word on a piece of paper and hold it up behind the prospect in the hot seat for everyone to see. The group must try to get the hot seat member to guess the word by giving hints and clues. If the person gets the word after everyone gave a hint, they are safe, if not the group decides on a fun punishment such as performing a song or silly act.

Fish Bowl - The fishbowl game (or salad bowl game as it is also known) is a fun memory game played over 3 rounds that combines the games Charades, Taboo and Password all in one. It is one of our favorite, easy indoor or outdoor group games. Find the playing details here.

Telephone – The first person think of a phrase, which he then whispers to the next person in line. This person now pass the message on to the person next to him, the passing of the message continues to be whispered from one person to the next until it reaches the last player, who calls out the final message that he or she received. This fun campfire game does not have a winner, the entertainment comes from the final message received compared to the original message sent.

Match Spear – Pick an object, bread roll or a left over piece of meat. Draw a line on the ground as far as you wish from the object. Throw an ordinary fire lighting MATCH at the object (as you would a spear not a dart!) without overstepping the line. Choose the winner judging by three throws or a hit.

Shoeking! – Sitting around the campfire on your camping chairs, everyone balance a shoe on his or her toes! The aim here is to flick the shoe backwards over your head! Not into the fire! The person who manages to throw the shoe the farthest over their head is declared the winner! Try it its so much fun!

Marshmallow Maverick – How many times can you roast a crust around a marshmallow on a stick in the fire, pulling the little crust off and roasting it again until there is NO marshmallow left? The record is 12 times, you will have to show us if you want us to believe that you can do it more times!

Camping Charades - I don't know why, but playing charades around a campfire out in the open air is just so much more fun. Find everything you need including free printable cards, rules, gestures and more over here. If you are a large group, the time moved on and you need to start quieting down, then this charades game will be what you need to keep the bonfires burning and out of trouble.

Nature Scavenger Hunt - A game for day time, kids of all ages and adults alike will have super fun making a list of items commonly found in nature, such as mushrooms, rocks, flowers, feathers, leaves, etc. The race is on, see who can collect the most items on the list in the shortest time!

Wink Slayer - Also known as wink murder or wink assassin, play this game around the campfire at night or during the day while relaxing with a group of friends..

The objective of the game is for the wink slayer to kill players one after the other by secretly winking at them without the other players noticing and for other players to discover who the Wink Slayer is before everybody is killed.

The person in charge is the director, he picks the assassin (wink slayer) by tapping them on the shoulder when no one is looking or after having everybody close their eyes. The assassin then “kills” the other players by winking at them – when no one else is looking. When you are winked at or “killed” you can quietly just nod your head over or dramatically fall to the ground.

You need to be making eye contact and looking at the other players so you can get winked at. If everybody avoids looking at each other nobody will get murdered. But be careful if you suspect someone is the Wink Slayer. You can accuse someone of being the Wink Slayer after closely observing some “deaths” by calling out "suspect", the other players then get a chance to make the first call if they think they know who it is and then you may point out your suspect. Some rules say if you are wrong you are out of the game. If you are right the game ends.

Be sure to change who the person in charge is (the director) so everybody has a chance to play or place pieces of paper in a bowl, the same number as there are players, with one piece marked with an axe (this will then be the Wink Slayer) and no director is needed.

Campfire Games Bonfire Games Camping Games

Image Credit: DepositPhotos

Having a ‘Mallow’ time around the campfire!

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New Campfire Ideas and Games From Visitors Like You!

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Wink Assasin
Wink Assassin is the perfect game for around campfires, nothing besides eager players, a hat and pieces of paper needed (toilet roll paper will do)! …

Watermelon Seed Spitting Contest
All you need is a nice big watermelon to have a little fun by the camp fire. Keep the seeds from the pieces of watermelon you eat, they are your entries …

Make Me Laugh Game
One of our favorite games to play around the campfire, you don't need anything to play! This camp fire game is simple: make people laugh while not laughing …

Chubby Bunny
The chubby bunny game is so funny. One player at a time puts a marshmallow in their mouth then says "chubby bunny". They continue adding marshmallows …

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