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It’s time to think about Cousin Camp! We have 26 Cousin Camp themes to get you started with your plans – one for each letter of the alphabet.
We jotted down just a few ideas to go with each, but we are leaving the complete plans up to you.
You know best what will work in your location and for your grandkids. Consider their age and interests as you select your theme, and then of course add camp things to each!
That could include camp shirts, a photo booth, a theme song, and some postcards to send home to their parent.
Cousin Camp is such a great way to get the grandkids together. The memories made all around will last a lifetime!
In This Post
Around the World Camp
Make passports
Choose a country to explore each day.
Learn about the culture.
Play a game from that country.
Prepare a food they enjoy.
Board Game Camp
Gather your board games, and have them bring theirs too. You could also purchase or borrow some more.
Put all the game names in a hat, and pull to see which game will be played next.
Learn the history about a few of the games.
Create and play your own games.
Make simple no mess snacks.
As a souvenir, have decks of cards made with a photo of everyone from Board Game Camp.
Camping Camp
Yep – go camping, even if it’s in your back yard.
Check out our original Cousin Camp post for a schedule and tons of activity ideas.
Dude, It’s Decade Camp
Great for older kids. You could do a whole camp around one decade, or choose a different decade each day.
Research the clothing, music, and activities enjoyed during those times and plan accordingly.
Eat Up! Camp
If you have little chefs in your family, gather them for a few days of cooking and of course eating!
They could design their own aprons with fabric markers, or purchase paper chef hats they can decorate.
Design table centerpieces and menus.
Go on a field trip to a local pottery shop and design personalized plates.
Make grocey lists together and head for the store, or do curbside pickup.
‘Open’ a restraunt with a name and menu they create.
Take a break from the kitchen and check out some cooking shows for kids. You might even want to film your own.
Fiesta Camp
Another theme with lots of online ideas.
Create colorful decorations.
Cook up some great mexican food.
Visit a Mexican bakery.
Locate a place where you can watch tortillas being made.
Check out these Fiesta Party Games from Party Cabin and Gueen of Theme Party Games! But for the record, I would skip the pepper eating contest! Yikes!
Game Show Camp
I’m not up on all the latest game shows for sure, but there are some great classics that you could pull off with older elementary and up.
Family Feud, The Amazing Race, The Price Is Right, Wheel of Fortune, Deal Or No Deal – all could be adapted for some fun competition.
Grandkids could decorate the game show ‘stage’, and take turns being the host.
You could add some fun prizes, or have a set amount of cash they can win that is spent on group activities such as ordering pizza, going for ice cream, or a round of mini golf.
Hawaiian Camp
There are tons of readily available decorations and ideas for a Hawaiian or tropical themed camp that can be found with an online search.
Include lots of water games with this theme!
I Spy Camp/Detective Camp
Gather your detectives, and hunt for clues.
You can give clues for everything – the next activity, what is for dinner, or who leads the next mission.
Do some fingerprint activities.
Have a Guess Who board game tournament.
Check out these fun mystery activities as you plan.
Jet Plane Camp
Tape an ‘airplane’ on your floor and set up chairs. Decide together on your destination, and hop on board.
Take turns being the pilot and flight attendant.
Serve packaged snacks, and small water bottles.
Perhaps watch an inflight movie.
When you ‘arrive’, deplane and do an activity appropriate for your destination.
These 21 awesome airplane activities are sure to make your grandkids fun soar to great heights.
If you have a regional airport nearby, take a trip to watch planes come and go.
Make paper airplanes.
Kingdom Camp
Set up a royal kingdom, and let the grandkids rule, well with a little help.
Make crowns, royal scepters and shields.
They can establish the rules of their kingdom and include lots of dramatic play.
Consider designing a puppet theater and create some awesome puppets.
For more Kingdom activities, look right here at Teaching Expertise.
Library Camp
Head for the local library and check out lots of books.
Set up your library in a prominent area of your home.
You can even add to the reality of this by purchasing this Etsy dramatic play product (My grandkids absolutely love it and we have needed to do multiple re-prints over the last couple of years!)
Design bookmarks.
Take turns reading to each other.
Purchase blank books and spend time writing your own stories.
Play a game called Tell Tale where you take turns adding to the story – it’s fun and so very unpredictable!
Play quiet games.
Create a scavenger hunt using books.
Head for the kitchen and make snacks or a meal that correspond with a favorite book.
Mini Golf Camp
Fun for pre-teens!
Design your own mini golf course – add a new hole or two each day – there are tons of ideas online.
Decorate golf balls with sharpies.
Take a field trip to a ‘real’ mini golf place.
Create some golf tee porcupines or some snowflake tee ornaments that will bring gret memories when they hang it on the tree next winter.
Get ready to par-tee!
Newsy Newspaper Camp
The perfect camp for young journalists who can read and write.
A fun way to learn about the way news ‘used to be’!
Name your family newspaper.
Set up opportunities for grandkids to ‘interview’ and then write an article about family members.
Write stories about people whose careers they are interested in.
Make official news reports about the activities you do while you are together accompanied by photos of course.
Don’t forget all the different areas like comics, cooking and sports!
Ornament Camp
It’s time for Christmas in the summer!
Get out the Christmas tree, play Christmas music and bake some sugar cookies.
Make lots of ornaments for grandkids to take home.
Who knows, the Elf on the Shelf might even make a surprise appearance.
And of course, watch Elf.
Puzzle Camp
My husband would love this one!
Purchase puzzles ahead of time or go on a shopping trip together so grandkids can choose a few themselves.
They will love designing their own puzzles using these blank chip or wooden bases.
Old puzzles with missing pieces can be used for lots of crafts.
These ideas for an amazing puzzle party will get you off to a great start!
Quick Camp
Maybe you don’t have much time to do a multi day camp. It’s time to be quick!
How about a Minute to Win It camp? Search on line for challenges that must be completed in one minute.
Set up an obstacle course outside and time everyone.
Eat fast food, or cook minute rice for a veggie stir fry.
Instant oatmeal for breakfast?
Have spontaneous one minute dance parties.
READ: Five Minute Connection Ideas for Grandparents
Rocket Camp
For your space loving grandkids.
Build and launch a rocket.
Collaborate and create a model of the solar system.
Search solar system bingo for a variety of purchasable games.
And check out these 28 addditional ideas fron We Are Teachers!
Sensory Camp
Make playdough or slime.
Crete a mystery box each day.
Listening and identifying sounds (check online for ideas).
Make a sensory bin.
Create art using cookied spaghetti noodles. (It’s fun!)
Bake bread.
Create homemade musical instruments.
Include lots of water play and head to the park to swing.
Beading can be enjoyed by young and older grandkids.
T – Camp. It’s ’T-rific’
A fun idea for young grandkids.
Choose a different item each day that begins with the letter T and build the day around it.
Tigers, toucans, tulips, tractors, trees – so many possibilities!
And of course enjoy sone tacos and tater tots too!
Camp USA
How fun! Take a virtual trip around the good ol’ US of A.
Choose some specific states to focus on – perhaps states where family members live, or used to live.
States with National Parks is another fun option.
Learn about that state, and center the day’s activities around it.
For example, our state of Washington is the only state with a green flag, a history that includes an erupting volcano, and produces the most apples in the U.S.
The info you find will inspire lots of crafts, activities and snacks!
Volunteer Camp
Spend a few days serving others.
Do some research on places kids can serve and what that looks like.
They could make cards for retirement centers.
Donate toiletry kits to a shelter.
Check the sales at local grocery stores and purchase items that can be given to a local food bank. If your neighborhood allows, they could have a bake sale or lemonade stand to raise money to purchase the food.
Walking a dog at a local pet shelter is sure to be a hit.
Write thank yoou cards to first responders and deliver them with a plate of goodies.
And don’t forget to check right around where you live. You may have a neighbor who could use help pulling weeds, or someone who is lonely that would love a visit.
Wild West Camp
There are a ton of ideas online for a western themed camp. This theme is always fun to put together and a hit with kids. Yee-haw!
X Marks the Spot – it’s a treasure hunting camp!
It’s treasure hunting time!
You might select a new theme and location each day.
Your home, outside, or a variety of local parks.
Keep clues a bit challenging, but not so tough that kids lose interest.
Here are some great ideas from BookEventz.
Yard Game Camp
There are so many great yard games in existence. And so many great games that could be created by grandkids!
To get you started here are 47 games from Play Party Play.
Zoo Camp
Kids love the zoo!
Think animal-themed games, crafts, and snacks – animal crackers anyone?
Birthday Party Ideas 4 Kids has these great ideas you can expand on.
And of course, if you live anywhere near a zoo, a field trip is in order!
No matter what Cousin Camp theme you choose, your grandkids are going to love the time spent together, and the memories created will last a lifetime!
