These camping activities for preschoolers and kindergarten kids are sure to inspire your next camping unit. When it comes to preschool themes, this one is a favorite of ours for the summer months.
Of course, you can incorporate the camping ideas into your lesson plans any time of the year. It just depends on your preferences and the interests of your students.
Below you’ll find a variety of camping activities for kids, from art to sensory to literacy. I hope they help you as you’re writing your camping lesson plans!
Related: Summer Activities for Preschoolers
This is where I’ll house all of Fun-A-Day’s camping ideas for kids. So be sure to come back and check it out, as I’ll be updating it as I share more camping-themed fun.
Camping Activities for Preschoolers
I’ve broken the ideas down into a few different categories for you. That way, you can find what you’re looking for a little easier. And that leaves me room to add more camping activities in the future! Please note that many of these activities crossover between multiple subject areas.
Take a look through everything and decide on which items you’re most interested in. Then click on the individual links to read up on all the details of those particular activities.
Camping-Themed Art and Crafts
Let’s kick things off with some creative camping activities for preschoolers! Your little artists and crafters are sure to enjoy these ideas.
- Painting With Marshmallows is a favorite and can be done so many different ways!
- Let the kids get creative with a Pet Rock Craft.
- I also have a collection of 20 Camping Crafts for Preschoolers for even more ideas.
- And you can find 15+ Camping Art Projects for yet more creative ideas.
Sensory Camping Activities for Preschoolers
Now let’s take a look at camping ideas that allow for all sorts of sensory exploration!
- Discuss animals that live in the forest while the kids use these. Forest Animal Playdough Mats.
- Explore the sense of taste with a delicious S’mores on a Stick.
- Tell stories and encourage sensory exploration with a Forest Sensory Bin (coming soon).
- Use dough to craft campsite images with our Camping Playdough Mats.
Literacy Camping Ideas
Here are my literacy-based camping activities for preschoolers!
- Practice scissor and fine motor skills with printable Camping Cutting Strips (coming soon).
- Review rhyming words and sequencing with a Row, Row, Row Your Boat Printable.
- Make a Camping Printable Book and practice early reading concepts.
- Books to Read by Flashlight make reading together even more fun!
- Make up stories and practice letter and words skills with the Forest Animal Word Cards.
Math Camping Activities for Preschoolers
Of course, we can’t forget about math when planning our camping unit!
- Add the Tent Calendar Numbers (coming soon) to your morning routine.
- Use the Campfire Calendar Numbers to practice one-to-one correspondence.
- Practice number identification with the Canoe Calendar Numbers.
- Challenge kids to put all of the S’mores Calendar Numbers (coming soon) into numerical order.
- Have the students work on visual discrimination, counting, and number formation with an I Spy Camping printable.
Even More Camping Activities for Preschoolers
I also have a few additional ideas for you below. These are collections that don’t quite fit the above categories. But they’re chock full of more great activities for your next camping unit:
- Preschool Camping Theme
- Camping Science Activities for Preschoolers
- Preschool Camping Theme Printables
Be sure to save this post for future reference! If you have a Camping Theme Pinterest Board, that’s a great place to start!
When to Plan the Camping Ideas for Kids?
You can definitely give these camping activities for preschoolers a try any time of the year! I think they’re best suited to a camping theme, but other themes would work as well. For example, a unit about the forest or forest animals would be fun, as would a general outdoors theme.
I’ve generally planned a camping unit during the spring or summer months. There’s just something about the warmer months that make me think of getting outside. Of course, you don’t have to do that! I know many teachers who prefer to delve into camping plans in the fall and winter. It’s really up to you.
Materials for Your Camping Activities for Preschoolers
Each of the ideas above have their own individual supply lists. You can read the specifics within each of those links. But here’s a general list of items you can use with multiple camping activities (I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post):
I think that’s a good list to get you started, what do you think?
Camping Lesson Plans
We created my sister site, Preschool Teacher 101, with the express purpose of making your teaching life easier. We have hundreds of fully-developed, done-for-you early childhood resources. They include lesson plans, dramatic play sets, math games, STEM challenges, teacher guides, literacy activities, and so much more!
We even have The Pack, a membership for preschool and kindergarten teachers. Our members have access to our materials at a very steep discount. And they get access to two veteran early childhood educators in the process!
I think our camping lesson plans and our camping dramatic play set would help your planning immensely. Click on the images below to get them:
Please note that you can also find us on Teachers Pay Teachers, if that’s your preferred spot for teaching resources.
Camping Books for Preschoolers
If you like having books to go along with every topic, I’ve got you covered! Here are some books to pair with your camping activities for preschoolers:
Do you have any favorite books about camping?
