The games and activities to get the fire roaring and keep the ‘camp vibes’ high!

The holiday season brings with it many things; presents, summer barbeques and if you’re lucky, more time beside the campfire. For those who love being in the outdoors, time beside a crackling campfire with friends is memorable and peaceful. But if you're feeling the ‘camp vibes’ are trickling into boredom then here are some epic activities to fuel times around the campfire.

1. S’Mores

Perhaps the true reason we go camping, these delicious, half-melted treats seem to make crowding around a smoky campfire an unforgettable experience. Traditionally, S’mores consist of a melted marshmallow and chocolate wedged between two biscuits; but don’t let this stop you, here are some other S’More recipes.

• Peanut Butter Goodness

Swap out the chocolate with some tasty peanut butter, crunchy is best, and add a fire-charred marshmallow on top! 

• Berry Twist

Pile some fresh berries (strawberries, raspberries, mulberries) into a pot or tray, roast these over the fire or in the oven. Once they are soft and juicy use a spoon to add a heap onto your S’More - you won't regret it!

• Chocolate Sandwich

Maybe you're not the savoury-type or you simply ran out of biscuits, not to worry, simply forget about the biscuits and instead sandwich a marshmallow between two pieces of chocolate. Your dietitian might not approve, but hey, you’re camping!

2. Two Truths and a Lie

The game is in the name, and yes, it is as simple as it sounds. But this is a fantastic game to test how well your family and friends know you, whilst also lets you learn more about them. Simply take turns telling two true facts about yourself and one that is false (a lie), let them guess which one isn’t true. Everyone one votes which they think is a lie, the person with the most correct guesses at the end wins the game. Enjoy watching the chaos unfold!

3. Spooky Stories

Telling spooky stories next to the campfire, probably dates back to before humans invented fire… well, maybe. Regardless, nothing beats having the hairs on your neck stand up as someone spins a spooky story in the flickering light of a campfire. Though you may have your doubts about how true the story actually is, you can be sure you’ll be watching your back on the way to your tent.

4. Good and… Not so good.

If you're looking to take it down a notch, and simply catch up with old friends or build relationships with new ones, then this activity is perfect. Take turns talking about your week (or month, or year), detailing one ‘good’ thing that happened and one ‘not so good’ thing that happened. It might not sound like the funnest campfire game, but you’ll be amazed at the conversations that will grow from this and what you’ll learn about one another.

5. Wink Murder

Okay, this one is an absolute winner! This game requires you to channel your inner detective and solve the question “Who is the wink-murderer?”. To start the game, you must secretly assign someone as the ‘Wink-Murder’, either by allocating someone to choose and sit out for the round or by by handing out playing cards with a particular card signifying you are the murderer. Once you’ve done this it’s time to begin, the ‘wink-murder’ can kill you by making contact with you and winking. If a player is winked at, they need to count to five silently then play dead - either by slumping or slienting leaving the game.

The aim is to figure out who the wink murder is and say “I accuse...”, but you and your group only get one guess so make it count. If you get it right you win, but if you get it wrong or the ‘wink-murder’ kills all but one player then they win. 

Do you think you have a better campfire game? Share your game with us by tagging @wildearthaustralia and #wildearth in your next post.