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Fun Camping Activities For Toddlers

Bug And Bird Watching

Blippi Goes On A Camping Trip | Outdoor Activities For Kids

Being out in the wilderness allows kids to see much more bug and bird activity than they normally see in the city.

Bug and bird watching gadgets make learning and investigating the critters waaaaay more fun for kids.

The Outdoor Exploration Kit has just about everything a kid could need to explore for days!

The lightweight binoculars have a protective soft case that can attach to a belt, the simple hand crank flashlight has bright LED lights,

the pocket sized compass is great for locating positions on maps and learning about wayfinding and direction

the 3x magnifying glass is perfect for inspecting plants and bugs, the whistle is a nice little safety device and all of that comes in a little backpack.

The National Geographic Kids Bird Guide Of North America helps kids understand and identify 100 species of birds plus it includes interesting information about eating habits, birdsongs, names, wingspans and more!

More Camping Fun For Preschoolers

Camping never felt so cuddly! Set up camp in the playroom with this adorable, personalized campout kit, complete with a smiling marshmallow, water flask and campfire.

This fun interactive game of Camp Charades will keep your camping trip fun. With 17 pages of exciting charade cards, your campfire moments just got more fun.

Summer Camp Activities For Kids Of All Ages

As a child, I went to camp every summer after age 6. As soon as I was old enough, I worked as a camp counselor and taught waterskiing, sailing and whatever water sports summer programs would keep me on the waterfront.

Because summer cant come soon enough, we thought it would be great fun to do a little camp-dreaming by finding some fun activities, outdoor games, camp crafts, art projects and food inspired by those hot summer days at the best summer camps.

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Toddler Camping Essential #: Toddler Camping Chair

Toddlers love to feel like one of the grown-ups, so an age-appropriate camping chair that can double as a booster seat for mealtimes is a must-have.

Thats why we suggest the Baby Delight GoWithMe Chair. This functional and portable high chair comes with a removable snack tray and sun canopy, so it can easily be converted into a booster seat for mealtimes.

Tip: Finding toddler camping gear that folds up for easy storage can make life so much more convenient. The fact that the GoWithMe chair quickly collapses and comes with its own carrying bag is a plus in our book.

Ideas 17 21 Of Outdoor Camping Activities For Kids

camping essentials #campingessentials
  • Glow in the Dark Baseball Glow sticks and a basketball and bat turn a normal game of baseball into a night time event. Bring enough glow sticks for each player to shine this glow gear would be a great option.
  • Ring Toss Save a few paper plates for this DIY game for camping with kids. Little hands can build this game with very little help.
  • Camping Charades Charades is a fun, easy, and creative way for kids to play and entertain themselves and you. The whole campsite will be laughing in no time.
  • Golfball This camping with kids idea is so unique and fun! Everyone will get dirty and tired, but a good time is in store for all. This is a great idea for a group of pre-teens and teens and all you need are two foam bats and some tennis balls.
  • Pipe Ball Game Bring some ping pong balls and some red solo cups and youve got yourself a fun game for the kiddos!
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    Draw A House In The Dirt

    Clear off a small area and draw a basic house layout with a stick. Dont forget about the kitchen, bathroom and living room Then let the kids imaginations take over.

    If there is a beach nearby, head there and draw in the sand before taking a dip.

    Do you camp with your kids? What are some fun camping activities for kids to keep them entertained?

    Favorite Camping Games: Outdoor Scavenger Hunt

    The thing that I love the most about outdoor nature scavenger hunt is that it provides the kid an opportunity to explore the nature and the environment. For additional fun, provide little bags for collecting items for your kids to make the game a lot easier. This is like a little game of hide and go seek!

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    Scavenger Hunts And Adventure Play

    You can print one off before heading out or make one up when youre there. Kids love searching and finding.

    Even if you dont want to go to the trouble of having a paper scavenger hunt on hand, you might just want to start a game of search and find to keep them happy and occupied if youre out on a walk / hike.

    Challenges like the ideas below will help keep your toddler happy and entertained when out hiking or exploring:

    • Can you find something red?
    • Can you hear something?
    • Lets stop and sit on the next boulder we see
    • Every time we walk past a sign we have to do a dance

    Fun Camping Activities Kids Love

    Camping Trip Experiment with Ellie Sparkles | Fun Outdoor Activities for Kids

    There are soooooo many fun camping games and activities for kids they might even learn something without knowing it! LOL

    Plan Daytime And Nighttime Camping Activities

    Think about kids activities around the campsite. Its good to have daytime fun planned as well as nighttime entertainment.

    Consider this: If you are camping in the middle of summer you will have shorter periods of darkness camping during the winter-ish months means less daylight.

    Here are a few ideas for daytime and nighttime activities for the kids around camp.

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    Looking For Things To Do While Camping

    Firstly, lets agree that some families are all about planning and scheduling their fun while other families are more flexible and adaptable with their free time.

    Which type of family are you?

    Are you the mom who likes to have crafts all prepared and set out for when the craft bug bites? Are you the family that gathers nightly for board games or plays word games on long drives?

    Or are you the family that is happy to find entertainment in the moment, and have kids that are content to occupy themselves with what they find at hand?

    And then, some of you might be a little bit of both.

    For me, when it comes to camping, I really dont want to spend more time than necessary packing. Dont get me wrong, I might already spend too much time trying to make sure our trip is as easy as possible with lots of at-home food prep and packing organizing. But, I am also aware that all the extra items I pack will also have to be re-packed, brought back home, and put away again.

    So, with that in mind, our family does not bring a lot of extras.

    However, our kids rarely complain of being bored while camping.

    Why? Because just being outside is so much fun!

    Those are the times when its handy to have a few campground activities for kids in mind!

    So, read on and pick a few of these to plan and be prepared for.

    Do You Really Need Camping Activities For Your Kids

    Todays parents are under huge pressure to organize activities for their children. We need to enroll them in extracurriculars so they develop life skills. Shuttle them to the zoo, science museums, botanical gardens so they can learn things which arent covered in the school curriculum.

    All these activities supposedly show that we are good parents. But all this structured play may do more harm than good. Its why kids have forgotten how to play. And, since kids arent used to coming up with their own activities, its no surprise they ask for screen time the moment an activity ends.

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    Washing Germs And Smell

    Oh, no, little Sallys grilled cheese falls onto the ground what do you do? Youre camping! You pick it up, give it a visual inspection, brush it off, and hand it back.

    For some reason when camping our cleanliness standards seem to fall a few notches. And, for the most part, thats just fine.

    Ive seen families set up a washing station right at the campground with a water bucket, soap, and towel near by. I tried this once. The mud underneath this station was very counterproductive! Instead, I had inadvertently created a much more enticing invitation for mud play and the kids were way dirtier than they would have been had I not attempted to make getting clean easier!

    Instead, I try to encourage them to wash up before eating and going to bed. I refuse to share my sleeping bag with a toddler whos full of sand and whose feet are caked in dirt! To remedy this Ill go to the trouble of rag-washing them before bed.

    If the climate were warmer I would just have my toddlers take a tub bath in the evening, but its usually too cold here for that. Nor do we always have access or the time to warm up that much water.

    But, if this were possible for you, just use an empty plastic bin for a stand-in toddler bath and voila, a clean baby before snuggling in bed!

    Outhouse tip: If your family will be using an outhouse and doesnt have access to water for washing afterwards, tuck a bottle of hand sanitizer into the toilet paper bag or a package of sanitizing wipes for everyone to use.

    Create Art With Leaves

    Tons of Fun Camping Themed Activities for Kids {With Free Printable ...

    Another activity you can enjoy with your kids is leaf art. Teach your toddler how to create art using natures leaves.

    Let the kids explore and gather a variety of leaves in different sizes and shapes. Instruct them to place the leaf over a blank paper and hold both hands using the fingertips. Start shading with crayons until an impression of the leaf appears.

    You can display the finished artwork inside the tent or bring it home. The kids will be amazed at the realistic-looking leaves theyve recreated.

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    Youve Pitched The Tent: Now What

    Last year was our first adventure camping as a family beyond our backyard.

    I was not prepared.

    I quickly ran out of camping activities for kids. I had enough stuff you know, the sleeping bags, the swimming suits, the smores stuff, loads of bug spray

    But I never considered having to entertain my children during our camping trip. Sure, they can find things to do and let imaginations soar, but that doesnt normally last an entire 12 hour day.

    This year, as we prepare again for camping this summer, Im on my game.

    Ive got lists of camping activities for kids to do when theres a lull in playtime.

    Ideas 22 26 Of Fabulous Camping Activities For Kids

  • Tin Can Lanterns Let each little camper make their own little lanterns to hang around the campsite. The best part is Tin cans are FREE! Yay!
  • Mini Marshmallow Shooters: This camping with kids idea was so cute I had to try it out myself. Total success! The whole family loved shooting marshmallow all over the yard. These little shooters are making their way into our camping box.
  • Water Bottle Bubbles A fun way to recycle some of your empty water bottles.
  • Pony Bead Lizard Tutorial Arts and camping craft time! So if youre in need of a little quiet time, this bead project will keep their minds active and thinking creatively. You can get beads here!
  • Taped Candy Treat Ball Pick out some of your familys favorite candies and some clear packing tape youre on your way to a candy ball. Remember to pack some dice and youll have everything you need for this fun camping game.
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    Crafty Camping Activities For Kids

    If youre okay with bringing some craft supplies and with having to manage a little crafting clean up while camping, you might want to consider having some nature craft ideas in mind.

    Nature can be very inspirational for kids.

    Sometimes just providing some colored paper, crayons, and glue is enough to get them involved in a project.

    Camping With Kids Hacks

    Super Fun Camping Games For Kids

    These hacks, tips, and ideas for camping activities are going to make your next family camp-out a walk in the park! Or a walk in the woods Either way! So check out these things to do while camping that will make your time memorable and fun. Kids camping doesnt have to be a disaster. So use these camping with kids hacks!

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    Set Up A Kids Only Area

    This is one we hadnt planned for in advance, but kind of fell into. And we would highly recommend it. What we did was keep an extra air mattress outside in a nice shady area. During the day, our 4-year old would bounce around on it while we were cooking meals. She also did her coloring and rock painting on it. Sometimes she ate her meals on it. Camping means a lot of togetherness so it was nice she could go over on her own to get some space. It doesnt have to be anything super extravagant either. A beach blanket would also work just fine.

    The other benefit is that it can be a nice place to relax . Because she doesnt take naps, we still wanted her to get some quiet time in. So shed head over to her little area and just chill for awhile. Sometimes, with the iPad. While limited, we still brought it. Guilty.

    Creative Camping Crafts For Kids

    Participating in a rock painting camping activity is a simple and fun craft project kids can do rain or shine.

    You can make the rock collecting part of a day hike activity so you just need to bring some paint and brushes from home.

    Or, you can just get a kit that contains everything even the smooth river rocks!

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    Nature Scavenger Hunt Book

    This camping-themed scavenger hunt book can be used to make any nature walk a more interactive and educational time for children. Children are encouraged to respond to various prompts, such as I found something that flies. and I found something green by drawing a picture and coloring it.

    Learn more: Early Learning Ideas

    Perfect Camping Game Ideas Diy Ring Toss Game

    51 Funnest Camping Crafts for Kids of All Ages!

    This game is a sure way of having a lot of fun and creating a lot of great memories. The classic DIY dark ring toss game can be made from scratch and are super fun and easy to make. You are just going to need some dowels, a wooden round, and some rope rings that are wrapped in duct tape for making them stiff. This game always makes sure that my kids and I have a lot of frugal fun and is convenient and safe for a camping trip.

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    Glow In The Dark Puzzles

    Some kids camping activities span from day to night like this Learning Journey Glow-In-The-Dark Space Puzzle!

    The awesome thing about camping in the great outdoors under the mind-blowing views of a nighttime sky make kids curious about the outer space creation.

    Shhhhh, dont tell the kids this fun puzzle will be a learning experience!

    This cool puzzle is colorful in the day and glows in the dark at night!

    Who knows, camping kids that play with this space-themed puzzle might become the next Neil Armstrong.

    Toddler Camping Essential #: A Travel Crib Or Bed

    As a mum of three children, my main concern when camping with young children was how much sleep everyone would lose, especially while camping in a tent.

    Even if your toddler is a sleeping champion, a disruption to their routine can result in several rough nights. This is why its essential to find a comfortable toddler camping bed to provide them with the best opportunity possible for a good nights rest.

    One of our camping essentials has been the Shrunks Toddler Travel Bed, as it is inflatable and has elevated sides to keep your toddler from rolling out during the night. The KidCo P3010 Peapod Portable Indoor Outdoor Travel Bed is also a good option for younger toddlers.

    You could also just use a standard inflatable mattress with a toddlers sleeping bag when ours were all quite small we could get away with three of them sharing a queen-sized blow-up mattress, but everyone now gets a better nights sleep with their own beds or camping mats.

    Tip: Keep your toddlers nighttime routine as close to normal as possible. Read them their bedtime story by the campfire or within the comfort of your RV, and do make sure to pack their security blankets or essential stuffed animals .

    We would only suggest using a pack n play style cot for your toddler if you will also be used as a playpen area during the day. Otherwise, it simply takes up too much room in the tent, there are better, more portable options.

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