Campfire Guessing Games

One of the enjoyable elements of camping is sitting around the campfire. Families that camp often build these fires, and they are also a staple at many camps for children during the summer months. As you sit around the campfire, playing guessing games can make the experience more entertaining.

  1. Hidden Objects

    • Similar to a scavenger hunt, campers can play a guessing game about where an object is hidden around the campfire. You can either hide the object before the others arrive at the campfire or you can select someone to hide the object while everyone else closes their eyes. Because many campfires take place after dark, the number of hiding places increases due to the shadows created by the fire. Hide the object within the reaches of the light to avoid campers wandering off into the dark. To make the game more of a guessing game, ask campers to guess where the object may be hiding rather than physically searching for it.

    Name It

    • Play a game around the campfire similar to "Name That Tune." You can use music just like "Name That Tune" where players either hum a short excerpt from a song or give a clue about the title. Other players then ask questions about the song until someone can guess what it is. The same type of game can be played using camp-related objects, such as a tent, fishing rod, marshmallows or movies. Give a clue and then allow the others to ask questions in hopes of guessing the right answer.

    Tell The Lie

    • Guessing which fact is a lie out of three facts given by a player is a way for campers who do not know each other well to get to know each other better. Commonly called "Two Truths, One Lie," players each come up with three unusual facts about themselves, one of which is not true. Players take turns telling their three facts and allowing the other players to guess which one is the lie. This game works best if players use facts that no one else in the group knows.

    Taste Test

    • Some people enjoy snacking around the campfire -- particularly roasted marshmallows, Smores and hot dogs. Take advantage of the snacking to create a guessing game. Purchase jelly beans that are flavored to match typical camping fare, such as marshmallows or chocolate, and give each camper a bag with one of each flavor. Campers must guess what each flavor is and how it relates to camping. If you want to pick colors that represent camping, choose a brown, green, opaque white, red and orange to represent the colors in your campfire and allow the campers to guess the actual flavors.