Everyone loves sitting around the campfire watching the colors of the flames dance among the logs while hearing sounds of crackling bark amid a still, cool night. At Glen Lake Camp, the “Silent Trail” leads you to a peaceful campfire area where you can gather to end the night in nature.
Building the campfire is a group activity where some campers shine. Watch those who naturally gravitate to gathering kindling or breathing into the initial spark. Others will gather together patiently passing the time chatting and laughing, confident the warmth of the fire is soon-to-be. As a leader, this will give you good material to highlight your observations and everyone’s contribution. Surely, there will be ways to relate the experience to the goals of your retreat.
Eating around the campfire is natural. S’mores are a favorite among our groups. It might be fun to play a game where campers earn their chocolate or marshmallows. “Pass the hat” with fun, light-hearted prompts for each person to do. Once done, you can reward the whole group with their ingredient at the same time. Also, you could divide the ingredients among teams and create a game to have them share items until everyone has the fixings they need. You could depart from s’mores and try other desserts that can made around the fire in a tin can or foil. 6 Easy Campfire Desserts.
If someone is musically inclined, invite them to bring their instrument and have a jam session. People are more willing to join in around a campfire than a well-lit meeting room. You might discover some new talent in the group.
When planning your retreat, consider the time around the campfire as another opportunity for programming. Oftentimes, campfire moments are recalled by campers as their favorite moments. You will be grateful for the opportunity to be with this group of people in such a moment. 10 Campfire Games You Have to Play!