With warmer temperatures, kids are bound to spend more and more time outdoors. Many kids dream of going camping. Whether your camping trip is in the great outdoors, in a backyard tent, or an indoor fort, there are bound to be memories made. Not only do I have a fun camping craft to share, but I also have some great camping books for kids that you can pair with it!
In this post I share several camping-themed books. You can click on any of the covers below to learn more about each book or find all of these books on my Amazon page.
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Camping Craft
When I think about camping, I remember all of the nights I spent curled up in my sleeping bag inside of a tent. Did I sleep that great? No. Was it still fun? Yes! That’s where I got the idea to make this camping kid craft. Everything you need for the camping craft is on one page.
When you open the sleeping bag, it will reveal student writing. Here is an example of an acrostic poem. This template has writing lines on one side, so students could add a picture to match their writing on the opposite side.
This template has writing lines on both sides of the sleeping bag. Students may choose this option for a short story about camping.
In addition to the camping kid craft, I have included several camping-themed printables. You can take a poll with your students about camping experience and interests.
I also also included several options for reading responses so you can pair these pages with your favorite camping-themed books.
Want to try these camping activities with your own students? Sign up below.
Camping Books for Kids
Here are some great camping books for kids that you can pair with the camping craft and activities I mentioned above.
The Night Before Summer Camp by Natasha Wing
The first day of summer camp is almost here, and one little camper doesn’t know what to expect. For a while everything is hunkydory . . . until rest time rolls around and he gets a bad case of nervous butterflies. But an unlikely friend appears out of the crowd and reassures him that the best cure for the summertime blues is tons of summertime fun!
A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee by Chris Van Dusen
Mr. Magee and his trusty dog, Dee, are enjoying a peaceful camping trip when all of a sudden they find themselves plunging down a mountain and teetering on the edge of a huge waterfall! How will they find their way out of this slippery situation?
S is for S’mores: A Camping Alphabet by Helen Foster James
Next to baseball and fireworks on the Fourth of July, nothing else seems as American as the family camping trip. From what to pack, where to go, and what to do when you get there, S is for S’mores: A Camping Alphabet takes readers on an A-Z trail exploring this outdoor pastime
The Berenstain Bears Go to Camp by Stan & Jan Berenstain
Join Brother and Sister as they head to Grizzly Bob’s Day Camp for the very first time. The cubs will get to play soccer, go swimming, kayak, and even make crafts!
Cece Loves Science and Adventure by Kimberly Derting & Shelli R. Johannes
Cece and her Adventure Girls troop use science, technology, engineering, and math to solve problems and earn their camping pin.
Cam Jansen and the Summer Camp Mysteries
Cam and her best friend, Eric, are spending three weeds at Camp Eagle Lake. It’s a summer filled with swimming, sports, canoeing, making new friends, and…solving mysteries! It’s sure to be a fun–and challenging–summer for Cam Jansen!
You can find activities to pair with this book here.
Just Me and My Dad by Mercer Mayer
Little Critter is going on a camping trip with his dad in this classic, funny, and heartwarming book. Whether he and his dad are canoeing, fishing, or building a campfire, parents and children alike will relate to this beloved story.
Curious George Goes Camping by H.A. Rey
George tries to be helpful, but he of course just ends up upsetting a nearby camper. As he’s hiding in the woods, he meets a forest creature who catapults the mischievous monkey into a chain of even more outrageous events!
Fancy Nancy: Camp Fancy by Krista Tucker
Nancy is one happy camper when she decides to have a camping trip in the backyard. But when it begins to rain, Nancy will need to bring all the wonders of the great outdoors…indoors!
Scaredy Squirrel Goes Camping by Mèlanie Watt
Scaredy Squirrel is not too comfortable with the idea of camping — unless it’s on his couch! There will be no mosquitoes, skunks or zippers to worry about when he watches a show about the joys of camping on his brand-new TV. But first Scaredy must find an electrical outlet, and that means going into the woods! Will the nutty worrywart’s plans prepare him for the great outdoors, or will his adventure end up as a scary story told around the campfire?
Camping Day by Patricia Lakin
Sam, Pam, Will and Jill are crocodile friends with a camping plan but not much know-how. They get lost on their way to the campsite, get attacked by a swarm of bees, get all mixed up while trying to assemble their tent, and then get so frightened by nighttime shadows that their campout is in danger of fizzing out. But all ends well, as it always does for this happy-go-lucky crew.
Ready, Freddy! Camping Catastrophe by Abby Klein
Max, the biggest bully in first grade, just can’t believe that Freddy Thresher and his best friend, Robbie, are going on a camping trip this weekend. Worse yet, Freddy’s sister, Suzie, has bet him a full week’s worth of chores that he’ll be too much of a scaredy-cat to spend the whole night in the wild! And, even though Freddy is a little bit worried, he sure isn’t going to let Suzie win a bet that involves cleaning the basement! Shark head flashlight, sleeping back, tent, and S’more supplies in tow, Freddy, Robbie, and Mr. Thresher head off to the camp grounds for a weekend of campfire fun.
You can find activities to pair with this book here.
Bailey Goes Camping by Kevin Henkes
Bruce and Betty were going camping. Bailey had to stay home. “You’re too little,” said his brother. “You can go in a few years,” said his sister. But Bailey didn’t want to wait. And, with the help of Mama and Papa, Bailey went camping right where he was!
Toasting Marshmallows: Camping Poems by Kristine O’Connell George
Everything that happens when you go camping can be an adventure, from getting dressed inside your sleeping bag on a chilly morning to meeting a moose to sharing secrets in a tent at night. This book of poems shares the memorable moments of a family outing.
The Summer Camp from the Black Lagoon
Trapped in the woods.. Hubie is being sent far away to summer camp and he can’t even bring his TV or Computer. but there’s plenty for him to do there. There, like avoiding the snakes in the lake. Will Hubie survive his vacation?
You can find activities to pair with this book here.
Flashlight by Lizi Boyd
Inside a tent it’s cozy. But what is going on outside? Is it dark? Is it scary? Not if you have your trusty flashlight! This wordless book — like the flashlight beam itself — reveals that there is magic in the darkness. We just have to look for it.
Our Great Big Backyard by Laura Bush & Jenna Bush Hager
Jane’s plans of spending the summer playing video games with her friends are dashed when her parents announce that her family is going on a road trip to national parks around the country. Yet somewhere between the Everglades and Big Bend National Park, things begin to change. Jane starts paying attention to the magnificent sights and spends less time looking at her screen. The stunning views open up her imagination as she and her brother see everything that nature has to offer. And the more Jane discovers, the more she realizes how much there is to love about the outdoors—whether she’s in a national park across the country or right in her own backyard.
Pinky and Rex Go to Camp
Pinky and Rex are going to camp for the first time. Rex keeps telling Pinky how much fun they’re going to have, but Pinky just wants to stay home where he belongs. Can the “Dear Arnie” column in the newspaper help Pinky figure out what to do?
You can find activities to pair with this book here.
Fatima’s Great Outdoors
Fatima Khazi is excited for the weekend. Her family is headed to a local state park for their first camping trip! The school week might not have gone as planned, but outdoors, Fatima can achieve anything. She sets up a tent with her father, builds a fire with her mother, and survives an eight-legged mutant spider (a daddy longlegs with an impressive shadow) with her sister. At the end of an adventurous day, the family snuggles inside one big tent, serenaded by the sounds of the forest. The thought of leaving the magic of the outdoors tugs at Fatima’s heart, but her sister reminds her that they can keep the memory alive through stories–and they can always daydream about what their next camping trip will look like.
Do you have a favorite camping book? I’d love to check it out!
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Happy Reading!
Hi – Love these ideas! I have some of the books mentioned and am doing a camping theme this year.
How do I get the free pages to go with the books?
Hi Chrissy,
To access the camping-themed freebies, look for a place to enter your email address about halfway through the post. It’s right before I start sharing my favorite camping books.
Storie
Nowhere to get the freebies.
Hi Pat,
I just double checked on both my computer and phone, and the form to sign up for the camping freebies is there in the blog post. It’s below the craft examples and before the camping books.
If it’s not showing, you can either clear your cache or try using a different internet browser. I hope this helps!
Storie
I would love the craft please.
Hi Pat,
In order to get the camping craft freebie, you’ll need to enter your name and email into the form found in the blog post. Once you sign up and confirm your subscription, the craft will be sent your way.
Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Storie
Oh, I teach 2nd and we do camping at the end of the year!!!
Sounds like this craft would be a fun addition to your camping theme!
Storie
excited to try camping activities
I hope you enjoy the camping activities!
Storie