Campfire Story Ideas for the Younger Crowd

In summer camps around the world, groups of children and youth gather around the campfire to tell spooky stories. However, during your family adventure, you may be dealing with a mix of kids who are easily scared - or too young to handle the anxiety that only a good camping story can spark. While most campers prefer a frightening tale, there are alternatives.

A great way to keep the campfire conversation going amongst smaller children is to start a story where everyone plays a part. Ask them all to stand up and give them each a character name. Start telling the story and be sure to include each of their characters in the plot – kids are usually quick to enjoy this game, since there is no personal storytelling involved. All they have to do is demonstrate the actions of your story.

Another alternative that works great with older children is to have each of them contribute a line to a story. Get the ball rolling by saying a few lines yourself, then have the kids sit in a circle and move from child to child so everyone gets a turn. You and the kids are sure to share a few giggles as their imaginations grow out of control and the story takes on a mind of its own.

Yet one more way to create a great campfire story is by first organizing an exploration. Ask the children to follow you around the campground to see how many unique items you can find - the items can include anything from a beach rock to a leaf to a plastic fork. When you return to your campsite, situate yourselves around the fire and ask each child to pick an item. Start a story that uses each of the items in the storyline. Give each object life by making them ‘real’ – Rocky the rock, for example. Kids love to hear stories that reach them personally, so you’ll be sure to see the delight in their faces when you tell a tall tale about their items.

While being scared doesn’t have to be part of little campers’ adventures, you can still use the ‘flashlight face’ to give your stories that added campfire feel. Grab a light and hold it under your chin while you tell the story, and use a scary voice. Even if the story is about a shy rock, the kids will still wriggle with excitement.