Your students are going to love these camping crafts for preschoolers! Be sure to add them to your next preschool camping theme.
Camping and crafts go hand in hand, and I’ve got a bunch of really fun ideas here for you! From lightning bugs to tents to pet rocks, your kids are sure to get into the spirit of camping with all of these activities. Don’t forget the s’mores!
These crafty ideas are an amazing way to keep your kids engaged and active over the summer. Or give them a taste of summer during a school unit. They’ll get to learn about all the fun aspects of camping and turn into little campers while they play with the crafts they’ve created.
The camp crafts will set the stage for summertime outdoor adventure! Perfect for your next camp theme or just because you just want to conjure up a cozy camp feeling in your classroom. Any one of them can be added to a learning unit or enjoyed on their own, and kids will love diving into it all!
Materials for Your Camping Crafts
The materials for the camping crafts for preschoolers range from basic craft supplies to leaves and twigs. There’s a little bit of everything in this group of camping projects. And feel free to substitute materials for what you have on-hand.
Here are a few ideas to get you started (I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post):
Remember, these crafts are just ideas! And many of the images are adult examples. You and the kids don’t have to be exact about them. And you don’t want to limit the kids by expecting their crafts to turn out exactly the same.
If you make one of these crafts with a certain material and that sparks a new idea, keep the creativity going longer and make some more iterations of the first idea!
Camping Crafts for Preschoolers
Let’s jump into the camping fun!
Pet rocks are a classic camp craft! Don’t forget to leave plenty of time for them to play with their new little buddies!
Your kiddos will get to create the warm, crackly flames of a big fire with this foil painted campfire craft.
Take advantage of kids’ fascination with bandages in this lightning bug craft.
These paper tent crafts will end up being a favorite keepsake for years!
Painting with marshmallows, anyone? You’ll find they make excellent process art tools.
This paper plate camping craft is a magical, interactive toy for your kids!
Let the kids engage in open-ended creativity with this nature discovery collage. They’ll get to gather up lots of nature bits to make a lovely keepsake.
The kids will get such a kick out of making their very own plastic cup lanterns to illuminate any real or imaginary camping trip.
A handprint campfire craft gives the kids a chance to get their hands messy with 3 different paint colors! The bonus “marshmallow” on a stick is sweet. Would you add this to your camping crafts for preschoolers?
These pinecone fireflies are the absolute cutest way to repurpose a little bit of nature and create an irresistible camping toy.
Your kids might love these popsicle stick s’mores almost as much as the real thing!
These firefly sun catchers are simple fine motor practice for little crafters. A must-have with the rest of your camping crafts for preschoolers.
I bet the children will be so excited to use these mason jar lanterns after creating them!
Your kids won’t want to go anywhere without these DIY binoculars. Just right for some camping pretend play!
A Few More Crafty Camping Ideas
Oh, I happened upon a few more awesome camping crafts you can try with the kids! Just in case you need even more ideas to round out your camping theme.
Make some camping story stones for your literacy center. I bet the kids will come up with some great camping stories.
Let the children use permanent markers or other craft supplies to decorate lightning bugs that really light up!
This sweet and simple clothespin firefly craft would be fun, too. Maybe they can hold up the kids’ work around the classroom, too!
Have the kids make their own sponge stamped campfire. You can explore shapes and color mixing along the way, if you want.
Paint and assemble a popsicle stick cabin frame with the kids. Then pop in a picture to commemorate the camping fun.
If you go on some nature walks during your camping theme, you’re bound to have a lot of found twigs. Why not make some beaded sticks with them?!
Let me know about some of YOUR favorite camping crafts for preschoolers!
More Camping Activities
If the camping crafts for preschoolers were a hit with your students, I bet they’ll enjoy these ideas, too:
- Preschool Camping Theme Printables
- Camping Theme Board Game
- Smores on a Stick
- Camping Small World
- Rainy Day Campfire Pretend Play
- S’mores Beginning Sounds
Camping Lesson Plans
Let Preschool Teacher 101 save you a ton of planning time with fully-developed, done-for-you resources! That way, you can focus on teaching while you’re in the classroom . . . and keep your personal time to yourself.
Click on the image below to get our camping lesson plans. They come with weekly plans, detailed daily lesson plans, book suggestions, whole group activities, small group lessons, center ideas, and related printables. If the camping crafts for preschoolers were a hit, you will love these lesson plans!
Here are a few more products to make your teaching life a whole lot easier! Click on the images to check out each product:
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