Fun Games Around the Campfire

It’s officially summer (cue kids cheering)

Life slows down a bit in the summer, at least it should, leaving you with more time to spit watermelon seeds, dip your toes in a swimming pool, and savour the sweet refreshing taste of freshly squeezed lemonade. Mmm!

If I had to pick out a centerpiece of summer, though, it would have to be the campfire. They have a magical way of bringing people together, inviting them to laugh, sing, and tell secrets. The sparkling golden hues of the fire, the crackles of the wood popping, the bright constellations above, and the warmth of people gathered around a central focus… I love campfires. (And let’s not forget about this yummy S’mores!)

So much of our life is spent moving in different directions, but the summertime campfire grabs you by the hand and asks you to sit and relax… together. Enjoy these five campfire games you have to play…

1) Truth Or Dare

Back in 1712 a game was played in which a commander would bid his subjects to answer a question that was asked. If the subject refused, or failed to satisfy the commander with his response, he’d be forced to follow a command or have his face “smutted” (aka dirtied)

A few centuries later, Madonna made this game more popular than ever. These days, the game involves fewer smutted faces, but players are still given a question to answer. If they don’t want to answer it truthfully, they can perform a “dare.” The questions are usually embarrassing, and the dares can be equally so. After answering the question or completing the dare, that person asks “Truth or Dare?” to another player and the game continues

2) Telephone

Telephone is a game played around the world in which one person whispers a short message to someone else. Easy peasy. The fun begins when that person quietly whispers the message to another person. This secret message is passed from one person to another until the last person announces it to the entire group. Thanks to the errors that usually arise in the retellings, hilarity usually ensues. An oldie but a goodie!

3) Twenty Questions

Twenty questions is a popular game that starts with one person selected to be an answerer. He or she chooses an object that is kept secret. Every one else is a questioner, and they take turns asking questions that can be answered with a “yes” or “no.” If appropriate, “maybe” is also an acceptable answer, but the answerer may not lie

A traditional questions could be something like, “Is it bigger than a breadbox.” Although who knows what a breadbox is these days, let alone how big one is? Perhaps another question could be, “Is it heavier than a davenport?”

In any case, if the questioners can’t figure out the subject in 20 questions, the answerer wins and gets to remain in that role for the next round. If someone figures out the subject before the 20 questions have been asked, that person is declared the winner and takes on the esteemed role of answerer

4) Two Truths and a Lie

Everyone in the group shares three facts about themselves. Here’s the catch: two of the things are true, but one is a complete farce. The other players have to try to guess which one is the lie. Now to make this fun, don’t say something like “I grew up in Brooklyn” if you really grew up in Queens. That’s not a big difference and nobody cares. Everybody has had experiences in their life that are borderline unbelievable. Use those. Stuff like, “I used to be a belly dancer.” “I went to grade school with Bill

Gates.” “I wrestled an alligator.” The more creative you are, the more fun the game, and the closer you all become!

5) There Once Was a Skunk

This game is an exercise in silly yarn spinning. Someone in the group begins a story by saying, “There once was a skunk who…” finishing the sentence however they wish. Then the person points to someone else in the group who has to keep the story going with a new sentence starting with, “Fortunately…” Then that person points to someone new who continues the story starting with “Unfortunately…” Continue the story as long as you can, rotating between sentences starting with “fortunately” and “unfortunately,” For instance, the story might unfold like this:

“There once was a skunk who took ballet lessons.”
“Fortunately, he looked very good in a tutu.”
“Unfortunately, he got dizzy very easily and often tripped on his tail.”
“Fortunately, a drink of root beer always cleared up his dizziness.”
“Unfortunately, root beer sometimes made him flatuate uncontrollably.”