Are you looking for quick and easy cheer camp downtime activities? Cheer camp is fun… until everyone suddenly has an hour of downtime and no plan.
Maybe practice ended early. Maybe you’re waiting for the next session to start. Maybe the team is stuck in a hotel conference room with low energy, dead phones, and awkward silence starting to creep in.
That’s usually the moment coaches and team moms start scrambling for something to keep everyone engaged.
The good news? You do NOT need elaborate camp games or hours of prep to keep the team connected and entertained.
These are the easy cheer camp downtime activities that work when you need something quick, low-stress, and actually fun for the whole team.
1. Play a Quick “Find Someone Who” Icebreaker
If the team doesn’t know each other well yet, this is one of the easiest ways to get everyone talking without making it awkward.
Instead of putting athletes on the spot, everyone walks around casually finding teammates who match different prompts.
Things like:
- has been cheering the longest
- knows a back handspring
- loves iced coffee
- has attended camp before
- always forgets hair ties
It feels more like a game than a formal icebreaker, which is probably why teams respond so well to it.
This works especially well:
- during first-day camp downtime
- before team dinners
- in hotel meeting rooms
- while waiting between sessions
Try These Printables Designed for No-Prep Cheer Camp Downtime Activities:
- Cheer Find Someone Who /Social Bingo Icebreaker
- Cheer Team Bonding Bundle
2. Use Conversation Starter Cards During Breaks
Sometimes teams are tired and don’t want another high-energy activity.
That’s where conversation games work really well.
Simple prompts can keep everyone engaged without feeling forced or overly competitive.
A few fun examples:
- What’s your dream stunt group?
- Favorite competition makeup trend?
- Most-used phrase at practice?
- What song should the team perform to?
- Who would survive longest on a reality show?
You can:
- pass cards around in circles
- split into small groups
- use them during lunch breaks
- keep them in a coach “emergency activity” bag
Free Printable
I made a simple printable version you can use during camp downtime:
Free Cheer Camp Conversation Starter Game
Includes a ready to print and cut page + a page of blank cards so you can write your own questions!
These work well during first-day camp nerves, hotel downtime, or long breaks between sessions.
3. Set Up a “Design Your Own Cheer Look” Table
This is one of my favorite lower-energy camp activities because it gives everyone a chance to relax and be creative for a little while. The younger cheer girls love this activity, but teens have fun with it, too!
Put out:
- markers
- colored pencils
- stickers
- glitter pens
- team-color washi tape
Then let athletes design:
- uniforms
- bows
- warmups
- shoes
- makeup looks
- future team themes
This works surprisingly well during:
- long camp days
- evening downtime
- hotel hangs
- post-practice cool-down time
Plus, cheerleaders LOVE comparing designs afterward.
Print and Go:
- Design Your Own Cheer Look Activity
4. Make Simple Cheer Camp Survival Kits
If your team likes crafts or little personalized projects, this is an easy downtime activity that also feels useful.
You only need:
- clear zipper pouches
- ribbon
- vinyl decals or stickers
- mini snacks
- electrolyte packets
- hair ties
- travel deodorant
- lip balm
Athletes can decorate their own mini camp survival kits to keep in gym bags during camp week.
This is also a really fun team mom activity if parents are helping organize camp. We put together these tournament survival gift bags for our volleyball team.
Supplies You’ll Need:
- Clear zipper pouches
- Iron-on vinyl
- Mini toiletry bottles
- Team-color ribbon
- Cricut machine (optional)
5. Play “Most Likely To” as a Team
This is one of those activities that gets everyone laughing almost immediately.
You can:
- read prompts aloud
- vote by pointing
- split into groups
- turn it into a mini competition
Some examples:
- most likely to forget their bow
- most likely to become a coach
- most likely to miss the bus
- most likely to start a TikTok trend
- most likely to bring extra snacks
The key is keeping it light and funny, NOT embarrassing.
Cheer Most Likely To Game
6. Keep a Few “Emergency” No-Prep Activities Ready
Every coach eventually has one of those moments where:
- practice ends early
- weather changes plans
- a session gets delayed
- everyone is waiting around awkwardly
Having a few print-and-go activities ready makes camp SO much easier.
A few easy options:
- Would You Rather
- Trivia Games
- Teammate Bingo
- Conversation Cards
- Mini Scavenger Hunts
Honestly, even 15 minutes of structure can completely change the energy of the group.
Cheer Camp Downtime Activities Don’t Have To Feel Awkward
A lot of the best camp memories actually happen between practices and sessions.
The goal isn’t to keep everyone constantly busy, it’s just to have a few easy activities ready so downtime feels fun instead of uncomfortable.
Whether you need:
- a quick icebreaker
- something low-prep
- a quiet creative activity
- or a last-minute team bonding game
having a few simple ideas prepared ahead of time makes camp week so much smoother.
Related Cheer Camp Printables
- Cheer Find Someone Who
- Cheer Would You Rather
- Cheer All About Me
- Cheer Finish the Phrase Activity
- Cheer Escape Room Style/Scavenger Hunt Activity
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Looking for quick and easy Cheer Camp downtime activities? Save this post and share it with your team parents and coaches. And don’t forget to grab the free printable cheer camp conversation starter cards!
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