This past August, I hosted a 20 person adult summer camp with a long time group of friends: Happy Worm Summer Camp. I had no idea what I was doing. Ahead of camp, I had brainstormed a long list of ideas for what we could do with our three and a half days of nostalgic, summer camp glory. I was still nervous. What if it was a dumb idea? What if there wasn't enough to do? But it was a major success. (In my opinion). I've compiled a list of 35 summer camp activities for adults, many of which we did and many more that we could have done. Next year! Enjoy!
1. Capture the Flag
2. Hide & Seek
3. Sardines
4. Friendship Bracelets
5. Olympics (think opening ceremony, teams, a series of games throughout the week and a trophy)
6. Fishing
7. Volleyball
8. Clay Building + Painting
9. Scavenger Hunt
10. Puzzles
11. Cornhole
12. Poker
13. S'mores
14. Campfire Songs
15. Photography Class
16. Tie Dye
17. Slackline
18. Cops & Robbers
19. Swimming
20. Yoga
21. Cooking Class
22. Talent Show
23. Skits
24. Outdoor Movie Screening
25. Water Balloon Fight
26. Hiking
27. Dodgeball
28. Disc Golf
29. Mafia
30. Ooni Pizza Party
31. Kayaking
32. Chess
33. Karaoke
34. Kickball
35. Croquet
BONUS TIPS:
- More than likely, not everyone in your group will be keen on all of the more physical activities, balance it out by having quieter activities as well
- Make a loose agenda and send it to campers ahead of time so that people have an idea of what to expect. You most likely won't fully stick to it, and that's perfectly okay, people just like to know what to expect
- Encourage campers to bring or plan something to camp. An activity that they're excited about. For instance, one of our musically inclined friends volunteered to organize campfire songs, which were a huge hit. Another camper led a yoga class each morning which was also extremely popular
- Kickoff the weekend with custom name tags. Have everyone pick their own summer camp name. People will come up with goofy names that will get laughs and it'll help campers quickly get into the spirit of camp
Have fun planning your summer camp! And reach out to me on Instagram at @heyhappyworm if I can help.