Telling Tales: Campfire Stories Bring Everyone Together

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.