Back yard camp out

[sweptaway]

DS is having two friends over on Saturday for a back yard camp out. We have board/card games, glow sticks and flashlights, and some yard games (corn hole, ladder toss). We'll have them cook dinner on the fire.

I want to let them have some freedom to run around and do whatever they want, but last time we did something similar they sort of just bounced around without really engaging with anything for more than a short time, so I am wondering if they would benefit from a structured activity that will take up a little bit of time but, they're 12 and everything I can think of sounds baby-ish. Scavenger hunt? Pumpkin carving, etc. 
Anyone have any fun ideas? 

[shadows]

I think a scavenger hunt is a good idea. Laser tag? I'm assuming that you'll also have s'mores. Do they like to throw the football, kick a soccer ball, etc.?

[sweptaway]

Oct 8, 2024 9:22:33 GMT -6 shadows said:

I think a scavenger hunt is a good idea. Laser tag? I'm assuming that you'll also have s'mores. Do they like to throw the football, kick a soccer ball, etc.?

Smores of course! We actually have laser tag but they never seem too interested, weirdly. DS did say he wanted to play hide and seek in the dark- I was also thinking about getting a glow in the dark football or soccer ball.

Basically I just want it to be fun enough that making them stay outside doesn't feel like a chore or a punishment. 

[shadows]

Oct 8, 2024 9:26:09 GMT -6 sweptaway said:

Oct 8, 2024 9:22:33 GMT -6 shadows said:

I think a scavenger hunt is a good idea. Laser tag? I'm assuming that you'll also have s'mores. Do they like to throw the football, kick a soccer ball, etc.?

Smores of course! We actually have laser tag but they never seem too interested, weirdly. DS did say he wanted to play hide and seek in the dark- I was also thinking about getting a glow in the dark football or soccer ball.

Basically I just want it to be fun enough that making them stay outside doesn't feel like a chore or a punishment. 

Oh, yes, hide and seek in the dark -- kids love that!  I think the glow in the dark ball is a great idea, too.  My son is 12, and he will throw the football with his friends for hours.  When they get bored, they play hide and seek or a game of cards, so I think you're covered!

[melohdy]

Do you have access to a projector to do an outdoor movie? That might be good when they're starting to wind down. There are some that are small enough to project on the wall of a tent. Or we've just put a sheet up against a wall and sat the projector and laptop on a chair (every year on Halloween we project a movie on our garage for the trick or treaters).

[trueblue]

Is setting up an outdoor projector/screen a possibility (ie can you borrow one from a friend) and have them watch a movie after dark? I would also do the scavenger hunt if your neighbors are cool with roaming groups of kids - parents in our neighborhood have done it (with appropriate FB group heads up but invariably the Karen’s in the neighborhood get their panties bunched up that kids are being kids outside).

[icedcoffee]

Lawn games like corn hole? The outdoor projector is a really good idea

Eta I'm an idiot you said cornhole in the OP 🤣

[sweptaway]

Oct 8, 2024 9:46:00 GMT -6 melohdy said:

Do you have access to a projector to do an outdoor movie? That might be good when they're starting to wind down. There are some that are small enough to project on the wall of a tent. Or we've just put a sheet up against a wall and sat the projector and laptop on a chair (every year on Halloween we project a movie on our garage for the trick or treaters).

We do! I asked my H about this and he complained about what a PITA it is to set up. IDK why he has such an elaborate set up, but it is a possibility for sure, if I can convince him. 
Last time we tried to do an outdoor movie for this group, they were not interested in and just ran around the yard screaming at each other instead but to be fair that was two or three years ago. Maybe if we did at the end of the night it would settle them down. 

[sweptaway]

Oct 8, 2024 9:50:13 GMT -6 icedcoffee said:

Lawn games like corn hole? The outdoor projector is a really good idea

Yep. We have cornhole and ladder ball plus giant checkers. 

I guess I do have more than enough, huh? 

[icedcoffee]

Oct 8, 2024 9:51:55 GMT -6 sweptaway said:

Oct 8, 2024 9:50:13 GMT -6 icedcoffee said:

Lawn games like corn hole? The outdoor projector is a really good idea

Yep. We have cornhole and ladder ball plus giant checkers. 

I guess I do have more than enough, huh? 

I missed you said that in the original post haha. My tweens have been playing capture the flag a lot lately also. I think you have a good mix!

[sweptaway]

My H is hoping they'll just build a fire and like, play with sticks or whatever. But they for sure need something more.

So, we have all the yard games, some board games, and laser tag.
I just bought a light up foot ball and this www.amazon.com/dp/B0B9Q5J84S?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title which is hopefully cool. It would be perfect to round out the more self directed stuff.

[trueblue]

Oct 8, 2024 9:55:07 GMT -6 sweptaway said:

My H is hoping they'll just build a fire and like, play with sticks or whatever.

Fire, sticks, and 12 year old boys left to their own devices is how jousting or fencing with sticks on fire happens.

[sweptaway]

Oct 8, 2024 11:18:59 GMT -6 trueblue said:

Oct 8, 2024 9:55:07 GMT -6 sweptaway said:

My H is hoping they'll just build a fire and like, play with sticks or whatever.

Fire, sticks, and 12 year old boys left to their own devices is how jousting or fencing with sticks on fire happens.

1000000000000000 %

[Sweetjane]

Oct 8, 2024 9:55:07 GMT -6 sweptaway said:

My H is hoping they'll just build a fire and like, play with sticks or whatever. But they for sure need something more.

So, we have all the yard games, some board games, and laser tag.
I just bought a light up foot ball and this www.amazon.com/dp/B0B9Q5J84S?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title which is hopefully cool. It would be perfect to round out the more self directed stuff.

I'm with your H on this one, they will entertain themselves. Ride bikes around, play flashlight tag, burn things in the fire etc

[AmyG]

we did nerf wars once but lots of people don't do nerf guns

One thing we did for boys this age for a campus overnight was bought pvc and a pvc cutter and made marshmallow blowguns.

There was about 6 preteen boys and 1 -14 year old dog that followed them all over the place as they blew mini marshmallows at each other. It takes a puff of air and the mini marshmallows flew everywhere. *slightly stale ones best.

They ate dinner then played for hours and hours. made smores and zonked out.

[FlightView]

I'm cold in my office right now, and thinking of camping outside this weekend makes me shiver. We're hitting freezing temps at night

[sweptaway]

Oct 8, 2024 12:12:42 GMT -6 FlightView said:

I'm cold in my office right now, and thinking of camping outside this weekend makes me shiver. We're hitting freezing temps at night

We are expecting an overnight low of  48 so.... chilly but not too bad. The days are in the 60s/70s still. 

[FlightView]

Oct 8, 2024 12:57:29 GMT -6 sweptaway said:

Oct 8, 2024 12:12:42 GMT -6 FlightView said:

I'm cold in my office right now, and thinking of camping outside this weekend makes me shiver. We're hitting freezing temps at night

We are expecting an overnight low of  48 so.... chilly but not too bad. The days are in the 60s/70s still. 

Nice! We’re getting snow in the next week apparently. Our highs are hovering around 45.

Flashlight tag could be fun but I forget the rules

[roselab]

The projector was always a hit for my kids.
Not sure how old, but you might want to have a plan in place for how to deal with phones if any of the kids have them. The last campout my ds did, his friends had phones and we didn't say anything about it at the start, and after a while they just hung out in the tent playing on their phones, which was not what we had imagined.

[spicysalmonroll]

If they think that hide & seek sounds childish- change the name. When my brother and all his friends were 12-16 they used to play "manhunt" in 2 teams. You try to find others but while not getting caught yourself. They used to literally hide up in a tree and jump down and ambush each other and all kinds of shit lol

[Sweetjane]

I have 10 boys (12-13)yo sleeping here tomorrow night after they go to the haunted house. I plan to put out a ton of snacks and retreat to my room.

[sweptaway]

Oct 10, 2024 9:51:11 GMT -6 Sweetjane said:

I have 10 boys (12-13)yo sleeping here tomorrow night after they go to the haunted house. I plan to put out a ton of snacks and retreat to my room.

10?!?!?

I literally could not do that. My gosh.

[sweptaway]

Ugh well DS is sick so we're a no go for this weekend

I'm bummed now. I think I was looking forward to it more than DS!

[AmyG]

Darn he's sick. Hope for short lived and the camping can take place soon

[sweptaway]

Well we had a do over last night except without the tent cause H is out of town. Also it was 40 degrees last night

But they had a fire, roasted hot dogs and smores, played laser tag, then came in watched a movie and fell asleep at 11 🤣