Camping Decathlon for the Kiddos

With the Big Event just around the corner, what better time to celebrate the great outdoors and the awesomeness that is sports! And why not bring along the spirit of teamwork (and a little friendly competition) along on your next camping adventure with the kiddos’ We’ve put together this fun list of 10 champion-inspired activities that you can easily do at a campground or RV park ‘ a mix of track and field, water sports, games of skill, and feats of strength and endurance. A camping decathlon, if you will.

Go for the gold and #BringBackWildhood!

1. Skipping Rocks on the Pond (in the spirit of Discus)

See how far you can toss a tiny stone across the pond, creek or lake (bonus points for more than two splashes per throw). Best of five rounds. Chances are, your kiddos will already be naturals at skipping rocks, so this event will whiz by in no time.

2. Flashlight Relay

There’s nothing quite like trail-running in the great outdoors. Find an easy, flat trail with a clear path. Divvy up into small teams of two or three participants.

A flashlight makes a great baton ‘ easy to grab onto and pretty durable in case you drop it. If you don’t have a flashlight handy, a water bottle does the trick, too.

ps ‘ Even though you’re toting a flashlight as your relay baton, this activity is best to do in the daylight.

3. Arm-Wrestling

Take a seat at the picnic table or the dining nook in your RV. Game on.
ps ‘ Not too rough though. This is a friendly competition. 😉

4. Cartwheel Competition (in the spirit of Gymnastics)

Balance, flexibility and grace ‘ all rolled up in one cartwheel (or two). Just make sure you find a grassy area or sandy beach that’s free of debris.

5. Dance-off (in the spirit of Rhythmic Gymnastics)

Blast your favourite tune from your #RVplaylist. Do the twist. Do the Macarena. Shake it off. Show off your best dance moves. Bonus points for creative choreography.

6. Swimming

Pick a reasonable distance from A to B, ideally in warm waters. Do your favourite swimming technique ‘ front crawl, backstroke, breaststroke or doggie paddle. Fastest one to the finish line wins.

7. Rowing

This one’s pretty simple. Canoe, kayak, rowboat, paddleboat ‘ whatever floats your boat.

8. Long Jump

Farthest jump wins. A sandy beach area is best for this activity.

9. Badminton

Try to keep the shuttlecock in the air for at least four rallies. Repeat until you get bored or tired (whichever comes first!).

10. Tug of War (in the spirit of Weight Lifting)

This one’s a pretty fun group activity for siblings, buddies and cousins alike. Tie some bed-sheets tightly together to create a makeshift rope (it’ll be easier on little hands than pulling on an actual rope). Then, tie a hacky-sack or tennis ball to the halfway point of the ‘rope’ and place a twig on the ground (about 50cm away from either side of halfway point). Winner is the first team to pull the hacky sack (or tennis ball) over the twig. Best of three.

After completing all 10 events in the Camping Decathlon, we’re guessing that your crew will be ready for a champion-size snack afterwards. Celebrate with s’mores and high-fives all around!

Looking for more family-friendly activities for your next road trip’ Check out this blog post on 14 Family Games for Your Next RV Vacation. Enjoy!