To make your campsite a lively and enjoyable place for your campers, you need to be organised and creative when planning the entertainment activities so that all campers are at ease. From the choice of meals to the activities, the theme of the evenings, the season and the weather, there are many elements to consider to offer the best entertainment on your campsite. You should also remember that a campsite brings together people of different ages. Therefore, you must organise activities for children, young people, adults and seniors. Offering a unique experience will be essential to distinguish yourself from the competition and to build and maintain a reputation.
To help you make your campsite’s entertainment activities a success, discover this non-exhaustive list of key elements:
Summary
1. Define your goals
As with any event, it is essential to carefully plan the objectives for organising your entertainment activities.
Do you want to entertain campers, introduce your campsite on the first night, reward some of your most loyal staff and campers or increase food and beverage sales?
2. Tailor the entertainment to the audience
Define your campers’ profile, ages, origins, and interests and adapt the activities accordingly. A daytime sporting activity may not suit older people, just as spending an afternoon playing cards may not fit younger people. Establish a clear and detailed agenda for each camper category and its activities.
3. Communicate entertainment activities to campers
Ensure all campers know the activities and timetables for the whole week. Use different communication channels such as social media, emails, posters, newsletters, your website or even voice announcements within the campsite.
Don’t forget to adapt your communication to the different camper categories. Older people will find it more difficult to access your website or social media to learn about upcoming events. For example, you can handout the weekly activity programmes upon the campers’ arrival.
4. Diversify activities
Offer a variety of activities to suit the preferences of all campers, such as sports, cultural activities, music, etc.
Also, do not offer repetitive or similar events in the same week. Try to vary and offer diverse and original activities.
Entertainment ideas for a campsite
Here is a list of possible original entertainment activities for all categories of campers and all budgets:
- Sports tournament: Organise a sports tournament for campers, with prizes for the winners.
- Barbecue night: Especially in the summer, barbecues are often an excellent time for campers to interact with each other.
- Cooking workshops: Bring a chef to lead cooking workshops and teach campers how to prepare local or original dishes.
- Hiking: Organise guided walks in the surrounding area to discover the local landscape.
- Fishing competition: Organise a fishing competition for campers, with prizes for the biggest fish caught.
- Open-air cinema night: Screen a film on a giant outdoor screen for campers.
- Creative workshops: Organise workshops for children to learn how to create objects with natural materials.
- Karaoke night: Rent a karaoke machine and throw a party for campers who want to perform in front of others.
- Yoga or meditation: Bring a teacher to give yoga or meditation classes to campers who want to relax.
- Individual or group sports sessions: Organise sessions with sports trainers (fitness, tennis, swimming, aqua bike, etc.)
- Role-playing games: Organise a board game night for the campers, and possibly role-playing games for more interaction.
5. Plan activities with your budget in mind
Because not everyone can afford the best DJ in the area, or the most famous artists, adapt your activities to your budget. Estimate monthly resources based on bookings and average seasonal expenditure on ancillary services (food, beverages…) and adjusts activities and costs accordingly.
6. Catering service
If you offer evening activities, make sure you offer adequate, but above all, original and, why not, themed food options. Although often neglected, catering services are part of entertainment activities. For example, offer meals based on specific culinary traditions (Mexico and chilli con carne, Spanish paella, pizza night…). Add music to match the theme for guaranteed immersion.
Finally, opt for cashless payment solutions for ancillary catering services (food trucks, etc.) and simplify management for you and your campers!
7. Pay attention to security
Ensure that activities are organised safely and that attendees are informed of safety instructions.
8. Get the appropriate material and equipment
Before each activity, ensure you have all the necessary equipment: balls, rackets, chairs, tables, speakers, etc. Also, ensure that you have sufficient staff and that they can supervise these activities safely.
9. Create partnerships
Consider partnerships with other local businesses or organisations to organise activities or get sponsorship for materials, gifts, etc. This can help you reduce costs and attract more attendees while supporting local commerce.
10. Offer an online registration service
To facilitate registration and the organisation of entertainment activities (often with limited space), offer an online registration service so that campers can plan and register for the activities they or their children like best.
Weezevent helps you easily organise your camping animations thanks to its online registration system and cashless payment solution.
