GoCampingAmerica.com | Posted July 2nd,
    2016

    Telling Tales: Campfire Stories Bring
    Everyone Together

    Happy Camper Blog

    Gathering
    around the campfire at the end of the day is a longstanding tradition that
    people have engaged in for centuries. It’s a great time to bond and talk
    about the day, and it’s also the ideal time to tell stories of all kinds —
    whether they’re scary or funny, are steeped in history or folklore or even
    have a moral to tell. There’s just something about sitting around a
    flickering fire under a starry sky that awakens everyone’s imagination as a
    story is being told.

    Naturally, you can just make up stories as you go along, but
    if you need a little inspiration, you’ll find it as close as the Internet or
    your local bookstore where plenty of other campers have willingly shared
    their tried-and-true tales. Just commit a few of your favorites to memory
    before you leave on your camping trip, then embellish them as you see fit as
    you share them around the campfire.

    Here are a few helpful tips. When you’re the storyteller, don’t be
    afraid to act silly or be theatric whenever the story calls for it. Feel free
    to use funny voices, hand gestures and vivid descriptions for dramatic
    effect, and be sure to make plenty of eye contact with your listeners. The
    more you get into your story, the more they will, too. And don’t rush – pace
    yourself so everyone sits in anticipation, waiting to hear what comes next.
    Just remember not to scare the little ones so much that they can’t sleep. A
    story that sounds just a bit spooky during the day will be all the more so
    when it’s dark outside and there are shadows all around.

    You can also get the whole group involved in storytelling with
    this fun activity. Simply start a story with a sentence like “Once upon a
    time there was a boy named Charlie who went hiking in the woods. He came upon
    a cave, and when he crawled inside, he couldn’t believe what he saw!” Then go
    around the campfire and have each person add a sentence or two to the story.
    Everyone will be amazed and amused by how many twists and turns the story
    will take.

    Above all, have fun. The legendary filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille once
    said, “The greatest art in the world is the art of storytelling.” When you
    practice this art on your camping trips, you’ll see just how many smiles (and
    gasps!) and memories you’ll create.