Family-Style Cousin Camp

Hosting a family-style cousin camp may be the perfect solution if you have a large number of cousins and a fun, competitive family!

For six years, my husband and I hosted our grandchildren at Camp CeCe, a fun-filled, high-energy cousin camp. We began with Bug Camp, which was perfect for preschoolers. Then we formed a Secret Agent Camp. For two years we took our young guests to a lakeside cabin at nearby Jellystone Park. Then we travelled to Biloxi, Mississippi before returning to Jellystone Park.

Then Covid struck. The quarantine limited our options, so we contemplated cancelling Camp CeCe. But our grandchildren were devastated.

We knew a beach venue would provide a safe place to stay with plenty of open air. But safeguarding seven kids at the beach (our eighth grandchild wasn’t potty-trained yet, so he still wasn’t eligible for camp) was more than we were willing to take on.

That’s when we created a family-style cousin camp!

In the interest of safety, we invited our daughters and their husbands to join us. Normally they’d have been hesitant, since Camp CeCe is their ticket to multiple date nights. But a trip to the beach provided just the right lure. They agreed to join us, and we held our first Family-Style Cousin Camp At The Beach.

Our Camp CeCe At The Beach was such a big hit, we did it again!

Family-Style Cousin Camp

I wanted Camp CeCe At The Beach to be more than just a family beach trip. The kids were accustomed to a fun-packed week, so I wanted to keep the same level of excitement. So, I formed teams and made a full schedule of competitive games for the pool and the beach.

The trick is finding games that are fun for both adults and kids. Our grandchildren range in age from 2-13. The youngest wasn’t included in the games. The oldest is athletic and competitive, so his skill level rivals the adults in the group. So, I tried to choose games that everyone had a chance of winning.

Points were scored for winning games, and a trophy was awarded at the end. What makes Camp CeCe At The Beach so much fun is that my family is all-in!

Small details

First, we rented a 10-bedroom house at Santa Rosa, Florida with a private pool. The pool was a great addition. It allowed us to play our pool games whenever we chose to, without any interference from other guests.

Since our youngest grandchild was still too young for family competitions, I enlisted her as my helper.

Beach Games

I formed three teams, assigned them a color, and gave team members corresponding bandanas. I split family members up as much as I could while still maintaining a fair balance of skill levels. Then we piled into vehicles and headed to the beach to start the competitions!

The closest beach access to our beach house required us to cross a lagoon. We all considered it an adventure, and the lagoon proved to be a perfect spot for the little kids!

Our days were packed with competitive beach and pool games. We built sand castles and asked three beachgoers to judge them.

Team members played “fill the bucket with a Frisbee.”

We played some rowdy rounds of “Hand Hip Cup.”

One of their favorite games is “Drop the Clothespin in the Jar,” one of my childhood birthday party games!

We also played a challenging game of “Sand Pictionary.”

Each team built an erupting sand volcano and once again we asked three random beachgoers to serve as judges.

In the meantime, there was plenty of time for seashell gathering.

The beach in the evening is a favorite time of day.

Meals

Each family hosted dinner at night.

Lunches were up for grabs!

A birthday surprise

We surprised our birthday girl with custom T-shirts made in her honor.

Pool Games

Our pool games were a huge hit.

We played “Blind Ping Pong Hunt.” I painted goggle lenses black, threw ping pongs into the pool, and with help from their teams, team members had to gather the balls and place them in a bucket.