Camping
Activities & Crafts
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Camping
with Your Preschooler
Camping
with your preschooler can be some of the most cherished
memories you make with them but you also need to
understand that you should not plan on its being a restful
vacation. Most kids love the idea of camping and will want
to check out everything from the playground, woods, bugs,
rocks and mud and yes the neighbors. One word of caution
is to watch that you child does not become a nuisance to
your neighbors. Most people camp for a family time get away
and do not mind other kids coming to play but make sure
it is occasional.
It
is also very important to stick to a schedule similar to
the one at home. If your child naps at a certain time at
home then don't plan that time to go to do a special activity.
If they go to bed at night at a certain time then aim for
no later then a half hour past that while camping. Try your
best to keep their meals simple and at the "usual"
times, but have lots of healthy snacks and drinks available.
Do not leave pop and chips just lying around. Having more
snacks then usual is ok but makes it so you are in control
and they can not just eat junk food at their own pleasure.
Camping is a great way for kids to burn a lot of energy
especially for those who are front of the TV all the time.
No TV means more physical activity.
Make
sure to also bring lots of band-aids and other first aid supplies.
Small rocks and tree roots that are nothing for adults can become
a danger zone for kids.
It
is also very wise to bring at extra pairs of shoes lots of extra
clothes (not there best outfits either because chances are whatever
they are wearing is going to get trashed.)If your child is wet
then chances are they will be miserable.
If
your preschooler is toilet trained and you do not have a camper
with a bathroom then you will want to request a site near the
bathrooms (not right next to them however because they are very
busy locations) or bring a portable potty for them. It is wise
to try and call ahead to reserve a spot if possible or get there
nice and early.
Treasure
Hunt
Age:
3 and Up
Mess: Low
Material: Paper and crayons or markers,
Instructions: Draw a treasure map that shows
all the area detail (trees, rocks, streams etc). Have to map start
from the camp as the base point and they need to use the map to
find a special treasure. The treasure can be whatever you want
but if it is something special like a treat it makes finding it
more exciting. If there is more then one child then split all
them up and let each one help make the map for the other one.
Sleeping Bag Wrestling
Age: 3 and Up
Mess: Low
Material: Sleeping bags
Instructions: This game should be done in a cleared
out area so no hard objects can be bumped into. Each person gets
in there own sleeping bag has it zipped up all the way and with
NO use of hands outside the sleeping bag they wrestle with their
opponent. If you child is not afraid of confined spaces this game
can be a lot of fun with the sleeping bag upside down on top of
the child. Three and four year olds seem to not like this second
method. As low key as it sounds, believe me you will hear lots
of laughter during this activity.
Scavenger
Hunt
Age: 3 and Up
Mess: Low
Material: Paper, pen or pencil, bag or bucket
Instructions: Make a list of things that you
might expect to be found around a campsite. Things such as certain
colored rocks, different size leaves, pine cones, acorns, bugs,
etc. It sometimes helps to draw pictures for the little ones but
not necessary if someone older is with them. Also as with any
game it is not necessary but prizes for completing or even participating
are always encouraged. It could be as simple as a snack and do
not just have one prize because little ones do not take not getting
something very well.
Water
Relay
Age: 3 and Up
Mess: Low
Material: Buckets (Deep pots work too), cups
and water
Instructions: Fill one bucket with water for
each team. Have an equal size cup for each team and an equal size
bucket or bowl at opposite end for each team to fill. Teammates
fill the cup with water, run to bowl and empty the cup in the
other bucket. They then return the cup to the next team member
and continue until a team has filled its’ bucket. Make sure
that an adult makes the teams so the younger ones are equally
involved.
Water
Sponge Relay
Age: 4 and Up
Mess: Medium (Wet)
Material: Buckets (Deep pots work too), Sponge
(small towels work too) and water
Instructions: This game is great during hot summer
days. Fill one bucket with water for each team. Have the kids’
line up one behind another on their team. In front of the line
have the buckets with the sponge in water and the person in front
needs to take out the sponge and with out squeezing out the water
they need to pass the sponge over their head to the person behind
them. The next person then passes it under their legs and then
the next over their head and so on. The person at the end of the
line then runs with the sponge to the front and starts the process
all over again. They keep doing this until the person who was
in front at first is back in front again. This game is for larger
groups but as you can imagine is loads of soaking wet fun. Children
younger then 4 can play this but they often do not like to get
wet and have a hard time staying in the line.
Camp
Fire Secrets
Age: 4 and Up
Mess: Low
Material: A warm camp fire is nice.
Instructions: This game is great while sitting
around the camp fire at night while everything is winding down.
With everyone sitting select one person to either whisper a secret
to the person beside them. It can only be told once and then that
person whispers it to the person beside them. This continues around
the camp fire until it makes it back to the original person who
started the secret. They then share what they were told compared
to what they originally said. As you can imagine the stories as
heard by little ones can often be greatly misinterpreted.
Camp
Fire Stories
Age: 5 and Up
Mess: Low
Material: A warm camp fire and some imagination
Instructions: This game is one of my favorites
while sitting around the campfire. The game starts with one person
stating a sentence like… “It happened a long time
ago” and the next person adds another sentence and so on
and so on. The story continues to grow as it goes around the fire.
To make it even more interesting have it so someone from the group
has to be mentioned in the story.
Natures
Art
Age: 4 and Up
Mess: Medium
Material: Glue, paper, crayons.
Instructions: Take the child for a small hike
through the trees and have them collect items such as twigs, small
rocks, leaves and whatever else they may see. With these items
have them create works of art with the added supplies you provide
them. We recommend this for ages 4 and up but younger ones can
do this with the help of an adult.
At
Home Camping Activities –
These activities are for those looking for the camping theme but
are doing it from the comfort of their own home.
Kitchen Table Camping
Age: 3 and Up
Mess: Medium
Material: Blankets, sleeping bags, empty paper
towel rolls and red colored paper, scissors and tape
Instructions: This is something that all kids
seem to love. First of all take the empty paper towel rolls and
tape then together to resemble logs on a camp fire. If you do
not have empty rolls rolled up colored paper works well also.
With the red paper (if you do not have red then color white paper
with red crayons) cut into jagged pieces that can be taped to
the rolls to look like a camp fire. Then take the blankets and
cover the kitchen table or coffee table to make it into a tent
and put the sleeping bags in the tent. Place the camp fire just
out side the entrance to the make believe tent.
Easy
Smores
Age: 3 and Up
Mess: High – Do not eat on good furniture
Material: Graham Crackers, Marshmallow Cream,
Chocolate Fudge Icing
Instructions: As you can imagine this creates
lots of messy faces and fingers but the kids absolutely love it.
This goes very well with the “Kitchen Table Camping”
activity. Simply put some marshmallow cream and chocolate fudge
icing in between some graham crackers and you have delicious Smores
without the need for a real camp fire.
Fishing
Snack
Age: 3 and Up
Mess: High – Do not eat on good furniture
Material: Gold Fish Crackers, Peanut Butter,
Napkins, Pretzel Sticks.
Instructions: Place some gold fish crackers on
a blue napkin (A blue bowl or piece of paper is fine also) which
simulates fish in water. Have the children dip the pretzel sticks
fishing pole (If you do not have pretzel sticks straws are ok)
into the peanut butter bait and then touch the peanut butter to
the goldfish. Watch out they bite!
Paper
Roll Peepers
Age: 3 and Up
Mess: Low
Material: A couple empty toilet paper rolls and
tape
Instructions: This is a camping theme variation
on “I Spy”. With a couple of toilet paper rolls tape
them together to make a pretend set of binoculars. Once they are
taped together, wrap them with a sheet of paper and decorate the
binoculars. A single paper towel roll cut into two pieces works
well also. With the binoculars the child needs to identify what
their play partner is spying on.
Flashlight
Find
Age: 3 and Up
Mess: Low
Material: Paper and a flashlight
Instructions: This game for little ones can be
a little scary unless accompanied by an adult or big brother or
sister. Take the paper and on each one put a clue as to where
the next clue is. Then place the clues throughout the house and
have the final clue lead to something special. For example on
the first clue put something like “I like to keep food nice
and cold”. This of course leads to the fridge and then inside
the fridge is the next clue. This game is played with the lights
out and the kids use flashlights to find the clues.
Backyard
Camping
Age: 3 and Up
Mess: Low
Material: Tent, sleeping bags, flashlight
Instructions: This is exactly as it sounds. If
you have a tent then set it up in your backyard and sleep out
there with your child. The kids always love this and bring some
books and comics and some fun games. This is also an excellent
way to prep your child for camping away from home.
