CAMPING PARTY

INVITATION IDEAS
On the plain side of a recipe card draw a picture of a tent and a campfire.
Below the picture put the greeting, “You’re invited to a Birthday Cook Out for ______(birthday person).
On the back of the card give all the details of your party: time; date; location, etc.
 
FAVOR IDEAS
Sun Glasses – Cardboard or real sun glasses would make a nice favor for your guests.
Binoculars – Toy binoculars, or let children make pretend binoculars using two clean toilet tissue tubes taped together.
Compasses – Look for small compasses to use as party favors.
  
DECORATION IDEAS

A tent set up in your back yard or front room.

A barbeque and picnic table (or blanket) for sitting on while eating.
 
FOOD IDEAS
Barbeque – You could barbeque hot dogs or hamburgers, and serve them on paper plates with veggies and chips.
Weenie Roast – You could let the children roast hot dogs on a stick and also toast marshmallows over a backyard barbeque.
S’Mores – No campout would be complete without s’mores. Let your children toast some marshmallows and place them along with a flat piece of chocolate between two graham cracker squares.
 
CHILD INVOLVEMENT IDEAS

Compass Walk – Using a compass and a map, take the children on an adventure walk.

Marshmallow Figures – Give the children some toothpicks and some large and small marshmallows. Encourage them to create objects and people with the items. You will be surprised at the unique figures that they will come up with.

 
PARTY GAMES

 
ROW, ROW, ROW YOUR BOAT
Divide the children at the party, into pairs.
Have the pairs of children sit on the floor facing each other.
 

Then have them each raise their knees and press their feet together.

And finally, have them join hands and rock back and forth while you all sing the song, “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”.
 
FISHING GAME

Set up a simple fishing game, using a stick with a string tied on one end.
Then attach a small u-shaped magnet to the other end of the string.
Create fish for catching, by cutting out simple fish shapes from heavy paper and attaching paper clips to the front of each fish.
Set out ten or so fish on the floor and let your children take turns fishing.
You could put a star on the back of two or three of the fish and let each child catch three fish.
If they get one of the fish with a star on it, they could win a small prize.
 
CAMP SNATCHER
A fun hammering game is to drive large nails into a board or stump.
Have children take turns hammering and have them wear protective goggles.
You could let each child hammer one nail and count how many blows it takes to drive the nail totally into the stump.
 
SLEEPING BAG RACE

Give each child a pillow case (for a sleeping bag).

Set up a race area and have children take off their shoes and hop in their bags from one point to another.