Summer Camp Activities for Kids at Home When They’re Missing Camp

Bring the Glory of Camp into Your Home

There’s a countdown to camp featured prominently on the Pali Adventures website for a reason – and it’s because we positively love summer camp, and we can’t wait for it to start again! Your kids, especially if they’ve been to camp before, are likely counting the days until they come back. While recreating many summer activities for kids at home can be a bit challenging, it is a great way to bring the many joys and adventures of camp into the rest of the year.

“Campsickness” is indeed a real thing. Unfortunately, we can’t do anything to make the calendar move any faster, and neither can parents. But, we can offer a few easy ways to help make the time seem to go by faster, and with a bit more camp fun. If the missing-summer-camp blues strike your child in the months when they’re away from camp, try out these summer camp activities for kids at home to help cure their “post-pali-syndrome” right away.

1. Mini Camp Out!

It would be irresponsible not to mention this simple idea to beat back the missing-summer-camp blues. If you have a yard or a living room, you can recreate a few aspects of the summer camp experience right in your own home.

Start by building a tent in your living room or backyard, and you’re halfway to creating a mini camp out. You can even make homemade s’mores in the oven, sing songs and do a few entertaining skits, or maybe even have a campfire in the backyard (or bring one up on the television instead). With a little bit of creativity and effort, summer camp won’t seem so far away after all.

2. Camp Scrapbook!

Gather up some of your child’s camp memorabilia and print out photos of their camp friends, activities, and favorite staff. Find some crazy scissors and construction paper and put them to work making an art project, where they can put together a scrapbook of camp memories to look through whenever the missing-summer-camp blues strike.

3. Go Hiking!

One great way to recreate summer camp activities for kids at home is to take them for a hike out in nature. Rain or shine, the woods (or grassland, or desert) await! Take a hike at a local park or on a local hiking trail, and let your child show off the outdoor skills they learned at camp as they teach you everything they learned about nature.

4. Back-to-Camp Countdown!

Create a back-to-camp countdown! You can do it digitally if you have the computer skills, or you can get creative with traditional art supplies and join together for a fun art project that shows them camp isn’t as far away as it may seem.

5. Stay in Touch!

Your child’s friends from camp may seem like they are all far away, but thanks to the Internet and social media, they are only as far away as your family or their personal computer, tablet, or smartphone.

Your kids can keep in touch with camp friends through social media channels, where they can compare what they’re working on at school, and crafts they’re pursuing at home. They can also stay connected with camp by checking out the Pali Adventures blog and social media posts.

Summer Activities for Kids at Home

Constantly coming up with fun activities for kids at home can be challenging, and dealing with the “post-pali-syndrome” or the missing-summer-camp blues can be even more challenging. Creating fun summer activities for kids at home, and other activities that celebrate the camp experience and strengthen the ties made during the summer, can be great ways to fight those blues. It only seems like it will be forever until the next summer camp – but it’s really just right around the corner.