Sometimes the simplest things can keep children entertained for the longest – and a few games are always worth packing for your holiday.
Bringing a favourite board game from home, a pack of cards or a set of boules is a great idea, particularly when you want to enjoy a little quiet time together on your pitch or beside the river. You don’t need anything complicated either – a simple game of cards can soon turn into a fiercely competitive family tournament!
If you’ve forgotten to bring anything with you, don’t worry. We sell a selection of games and other activities in the Park Shop, so you can always pick something up during your stay.
Of course, you don’t necessarily need a game at all. Hurley Riverside Park has plenty of natural inspiration for children with a little imagination. Fallen leaves, sticks, stones and other things found around the Park can become the starting point for all sorts of games and activities.
And when everyone needs a break, find a spot on the grass, get the cards out and enjoy some good old-fashioned family time. Holidays don’t always need to be packed with organised activities – sometimes a little imagination is all you need.
Take a pack of cards on every camping trip. Some of the best games can be played with a normal pack of cards, while other like Uno have a special pack
These games use a special pack
Finding what you need for this game is part of the fun before you even start!
You need four long, thin sticks to lay out the grid and then collect two sets of five similar items – such as five stones and 5 leaves etc.
Just get three in a row to win!
Take it in turns to say two truths and one lie, and see who can guess your lie correctly.
This has always been a children’s favourite – hide around the park (making sure children stay away from the stream) and start looking when you are ready! Younger kids might not be quite as good….
We have hidden ten Hurbert’s around the Touring and Camping Park – can you find them all?
Just ask the kids to find as many different coloured things as possible including fallen leaves, flowers and pine cones then bring it back to camp and make a collage.
Split into teams and take it in turns to act out a phrase or word without making any noise. Select one at random when it’s your turn and act it out!
All you need is a balloon and a lot of energy. Just don’t let the balloon touch the ground. The only rule is you can’t catch it and can only touch the balloon once!
It’s easy to play and can go on and on! Best out of 3? No wait best of 5? No wait 7!
Come up with a list of things for your kids to find then send them out to scavenge – an oak leaf, an acorn, a pine cone, a stick that looks like the letter Y, a white flower… the list can be as long as you like! Just take a look around for inspiration.
Challenge your kids to find something on the park beginning with each letter of the alphabet, thought you might need to let them pick some stuff from your camping equipment too (especially for z!)
Have you ever been on a a bug hunt? Campsites are great places to look out for wildlife, including insects.
Children can learn simple identification skills from a young age and The Woodland Trust has a good minibeast activity sheet with pictures of different bugs commonly found. This is easiest to download before you leave home!
If you have a pack of cards there are endless games to keep you entertained or if you have the space and want a longer game, board games are a great way to spend quality time with your kids, especially when it’s raining.
This is bit like eye spy but you take it in turns spotting something beginning with each letter of the alphabet. Alternatively pick a theme like animals and take it in turns saying something beginning with each letter, from aardvark to zebra (though you might not see those on the park!)
The Woodland Trust has some great resources including the Nature Detectives page and a woodland log book which you can print out at home and bring with you.