Fun and Easy Camping Crafts for Preschoolers

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Camping is an incredible way to get preschoolers excited about nature and the outdoors.

Crafts are a great way for parents to take advantage of that excitement. From opening up artistic perspectives with nature-inspired projects to wild outdoor games, here are 10 camping crafts for preschoolers that are sure to keep them entertained and engaged!

Pinecone Bird Feeders:

Have children collect pinecones and then coat them with peanut butter and birdseed. Hang them from a tree for a fun and easy way to attract birds to the campsite!

Salt Dough Leaf Art

Collect leaves of different shapes and sizes, and then have children place them on DIY salt dough to create beautiful nature impressions. 

Nature Collages

Gather small sticks, leaves, rocks, flowers, and other natural items. Have children arrange them on paper or cardboard to create a unique and colorful collage. You can create animal shapes for a whimsical look. 

Shell Wind Chimes

Collect shells of different sizes and shapes, and then string them onto a piece of yarn or twine. Tie the ends of the yarn to a stick or branch to create a beautiful and musical wind chime.

Campfire Stick Art

Have children collect sticks of various sizes and shapes, and then use them to create fun and creative designs. This preschool craft activity uses twigs collected from the outdoors to make art something special. Have preschoolers use glue and use yarn to spell out their name for a fun home decor! 

Rock Kindness Painting

Collect smooth rocks from around the campsite, and then have children paint them with colorful designs and patterns. Painting rocks is a fun craft even young children can enjoy! It’s easy to start out with washable paint or chalk markers for little ones. You can spread them around for a kindness activity that teaches empathy beyond the craft. 

Pinecone Animals

Collect pinecones and use them to create fun and whimsical animals like owls! Glue on googly eyes, buttons, felt and other small items to add details and personality.

Nature Prints

Collect leaves, flowers, and other natural items, and then use them to create interesting brilliant pieces of art like watercolor paintings. 

Suncatchers

Cut shapes out of colorful paper and paper tubes and then grab a a sunny spot to catch the light. You can create endless shapes like these pretty butterflies! 

Marshmallow Skewers

 

This is a fun, interactive game that preschoolers can play with friends. All you’ll need are some long skewers, marshmallows and fun toppings.  Have preschoolers stack the marshmallows and chocolate on the skewer to create an edible tower.

Campfire Cones

 

Make this tasty treat with waffle cones, and treats like mini-marshmallows, chocolate chips and mini-candy bars. All the ingredients can be melted together in a campfire cone, which is an aluminum foil cone filled with goodies. The preschoolers will love making their own customized cones!

Nature Necklaces

Collect some acorns, pinecones, leaves and other small items from nature to make preschooler necklaces. Use yarn or thin ribbon to string all the pieces together for a fun necklace that preschoolers can wear or hang in their campsite.  Bonus points if preschoolers can identify all the items they’ve collected! 

Paint The Tent

What better way to spruce up your tent than to let your kids paint it? Let them express their creative side and make a beautiful masterpiece. All you need is some washable tempera paints, brushes, and an old t-shirt or smock for each child. Have them get to work painting the outside of the tent with whatever designs they can come

Feed The Animals

Gather items from around the campsite like acorns, pinecones, feathers, sticks and stones then have your little one create their own whimsical animals to feed with these natural resources. Get the printable animals. 

Cloud Hunt

Go on a cloud hunt on your next nature hike and help your child identify all the different types of clouds! Get the printable cloud. 

Leaf Hunt

Just like a cloud hunt you can also go on a leaf hunt to learn all about the various plant names in nature! Get the leaf printable. 

Crafting is a great way to get your preschoolers engaged and actively learning about the outdoors. With these fun camping crafts for preschoolers, you’ll be able to keep them entertained while teaching them something new in the process! So grab some supplies and get crafting with your little ones – they’re sure to have a blast!