Family Activities for Your RV Trip
Games, Adventures and Excursions to Experience While Camping
Having fun without depending on technology is a great part of RV travel. Meeting new people and exploring new places will leave lasting memories for your family to share.
Activities for inside your RV or camper: These types of activities are typically reserved for rainy days or relaxing time before bed.
- Board Games: games are a great way to laugh and have fun is an easy and playful way with your family. From the classics to the new DVD based games, playing family style could turn a ho-hum rained out day into something fun. Instead of hauling a variety of games in their original boxes onto your RV, try pulling out the vital pieces to the game and keeping them in a zipper bag marked with the name of the game. This will save a ton of space and allow your family to have more choices.
- Card Games: individual games like solitaire or those that require a group such as poker or euchre, and even go fish for the little ones, are an easy way to pass the time. A deck of cards takes up such a small amount of space and can easily fit anywhere in the RV or a backpack.
- Spoons: this is a game that requires nothing but one less spoon than the number of players and a table. Spoons is such a simple game, easy for anyone to learn and play, and is guaranteed to make you laugh and bring out the competitive side of even the most timid person. Spoons are placed on the table and everyone stands around the table in a circle, when it's time to go, everyone grabs for a spoon. Each round one more person is out and one more spoon is removed until it's down to the final two people and just one spoon. Sounds silly, but it's a riot to try, especially with a number of people cramped around a table in an RV.
- Puzzles: one rainy day would not be the time to pull out the 1000 piece puzzle your family has been meaning to tackle, unless you are speedy experts. Instead, opt for a smaller and more manageable puzzle that can be completed throughout the course of the day, or a few nights before everyone heads to bed.
- Stuff for the kids: It's a great idea with school age children to have a backpack or bag of emergency fun. Fill it with anything your children love: plastic dinosaurs, dolls, crayons and coloring books, scissors, construction paper, tape, markers, glue sticks, play dough, toy cars, play makeup, and so on. This assures you that if it's pouring outside your children won't be staring at you complaining of being bored.
- Books and music: the summer road trips are a great time for kids to catch up on their assigned reading, or for mom to finally get to read the novels she's been saving up. Pack along favorite CDs for the whole family to enjoy together, fun magazines for kids, or silly word games.
Activities for your campsite
- Campfire: On a cool summer night there is nothing like sitting next to a crackling fire roasting marshmallows for s'mores.
- Music: If your family is musically inclined or can't carry a tune, a fun activity to make you laugh is singing. Bring along a guitar or some cymbals and relax and play together as a family.
- Games: such as horseshoes or handmade games with the same purpose. The target of these games is to throw an object close to the designated point. Families across the country have their own versions, use your families favorite, or design your own. Catch, frisbee, hackysack, there are plenty of simple activities to have fun doing around your camp.
- Bike rides or walks: there are beautiful views to be seen biking or walking around state parks, national parks, woods, beaches, mountains, deserts. RV travel is an amazing way to see the country and the differences in each state and area.
- Activities from inside the RV: most anything that you can do inside your camper, you can bring outside to enjoy.
- Absolutely nothing: take some time to sit and enjoy being where you are and not preoccupied with what to do next, enjoy the moment.
Excursions
- Mountain biking: search out special trails for beginners or untouched places if you're more advanced.
- Boat trips: relaxing or sporty, so much fun can be had in the water. Take a gentle ride to see your area from a different angle or have an adventurous day on the water. Tubing, skiing, knee boarding or wake boarding are all great exercise and fun.
- Rock climbing and rappelling: this isn't an activity to try on your own without experienced professionals. If you are in mountainous areas, ask around for instructional adventures to take your family on.
- White water rafting: this activity holds the same precautions. Seek out professionals to lead a group along with instruction.
- Fishing: an activity for any age, fishing is a great way to catch dinner for your family, or relax in a boat or standing at the bank. For a different feel, look into fly fishing and the opportunity to try something new.
- Hikes: a hike can be exploring anything off the beaten path or even walking through trails in parks. You never know what you may see deep in the woods or on top of the hills. A hiking trip is definitely a place to be prepared and to pack necessary emergency supplies and snacks/water.
- Horseback riding: take a short instructional class or refresher and hit the trails for a one of a kind experience.
- Hunting: this may be the main reason for your trip, the reason you chose your destination, or a main activity for your family to build into your trip. Be assured of all restrictions on season and areas and always use the extreme precaution.
- Snow skiing and snow boarding: as long as your RV or camper has a good heating system, it is completely viable to go camping year round to seek out winter activities.
- Swimming: head to the beach for a day of swimming and playing in the sand or find a lake open to the public for swimming.
- Wildlife walks: head out for a quiet walk to look for birds, deer, rabbits, any wildlife. Take a camera or binoculars along to enhance your trip.
- Explore the town: go into the town near your camp or adventure out into surrounding towns with the purpose of exploring what is local to the area. Family restaurants and quaint shops, or even a little main street or downtown would be a great place to find fun in the simple things.
- Special attractions: for a more adventure packed trip, seek out the big attractions near your destination and plan a day for the experience. Whether it's an amusement park, race track, museum, sporting event, or any other type of adventure, take advantage of the chance to see something special to the area and unlike what you live with every day.
Visit GORP for a complete online resource with detailed information about scheduling your next outdoor travel adventure.
The copyright of the article Family Activities for Your RV Trip in RV Culture is owned by Elizabeth Borer. Permission to republish Family Activities for Your RV Trip in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
