Some of the sweetest seasons in our little farmhouse start the same way — with three tiny humans dragging a tangle of blankets out to the back porch, calling it a tent, and asking for snacks like they’re heading off into the wild for a week.
Camping is one of those slow, simple joys we love to chase. But the truth is, we don’t always make it out to a real campsite — three littles under three has a way of redefining adventure. So when the longing for pine smoke and starlight settles in, we bring the whole campout right inside.
I gathered twelve of our most beloved camping crafts here for you, sweet friend. The kind that come together with what’s already in your craft drawer, give little hands hours of happy work, and turn an ordinary tuesday afternoon into a great big imaginary expedition.
If your littles love a slow afternoon of seasonal making, our roundup of 12 effortless beach crafts for kids is a sweet companion to keep tucked in your apron pocket for the warm months ahead.
12 fun-filled camping crafts for kids that spark big adventure energy
Here are twelve of our favorite camping crafts to make with little ones — every single one is gentle enough for tiny hands, light on a tired mama’s afternoon, and full of the kind of wide-eyed wonder that turns the kitchen table into a campsite under the stars.
1. campfire paper craft
This one is the heart of the whole collection, sweet friend. Cut a few small rectangles from brown construction paper for the logs — three or four is plenty — and tear strips of red, orange, and yellow tissue paper for the flames.
Have your little one glue the logs in a crisscross pile on a sheet of black or navy cardstock, then layer the tissue paper flames on top — longest pieces in the middle and shorter ones tucked around the sides.
It dries in less than an hour and ends up looking like a real fire glowing on the page. For more lovely paper-and-glue afternoons, our roundup of 20 creative paper crafts for kids is a treasure trove worth tucking away.
2. camping preschool craft
For the slightly older littles who want a whole little scene, this gentle camping collage is just about perfect. Cut a triangle tent from striped fabric scraps or construction paper and glue it onto a sky-blue sheet of cardstock.
Add a tiny construction paper campfire (you’ve already got the pieces from craft number one), a few green pine trees, and a soft yellow circle for the moon. Dot in a handful of white crayon stars across the sky and the whole thing comes alive.
It’s the kind of project that has a quiet way of stretching forty-five minutes into a slow, focused afternoon.
3. camping toddler craft
For the very smallest hands, simplicity is everything. Pre-cut a large brown triangle tent and a patch of green grass from cardstock, and let your toddler glue them onto a piece of blue paper any-which-way they please.
Set out a small dish of real twigs from the yard, a handful of cotton balls (those are the clouds), and a few crinkled pieces of brown paper for rocks. They’ll spend a lovely while pressing each piece into place with their chubby little fingers.
There’s something so tender about watching a small one realize a craft can hold a whole adventure.
4. campfire preschool craft
This one stands up — and that’s the magic. Take a small paper plate and cut a few inches into the edge in eight or ten places to make tabs, then fold every other tab upward to form a circle of standing flames.
Paint the flames in alternating reds, oranges, and yellows, and stack a few small twigs or rolled brown paper logs in the middle once it’s dry. Add tiny gray pebbles around the base if you want it extra realistic.
Set it on the kitchen table and let the kids gather around for an indoor pretend-camp story hour.
5. s’mores craft
If anything sums up summer camping for a little one, it’s a s’more. Cut two small squares of brown cardstock for the graham crackers, a square of darker brown felt or paper for the chocolate, and stick a soft cotton ball in the middle for the marshmallow.
Glue the whole little stack together and let them lift the marshmallow gently to feel how squishy it is. Bonus points if you brush a tiny dab of brown paint on the marshmallow to make it look toasted.
If your littles love crafts they can feel as much as see, you’ll find more sweet ideas in our gentle collection of 15 brilliant sensory crafts kids get obsessed with.
6. tent paper craft
Take a sheet of construction paper, fold it in half lengthwise, and cut a slit up the middle of one side to create a little door flap. Open the paper into a triangle so it stands like a tent on the table.
Decorate it with stripes, polka dots, or whatever colors your littles are loving. Cut a tiny paper child or animal to peek out through the door flap, and you’ve got a whole little story ready to tell.
Line up a row of these on the windowsill for an instant little campsite. For more sweet ideas using simple paper goods, our 30 easy paper plate crafts for kids is one I keep coming back to.
7. camp craft for preschoolers
This one’s a sleeping bag craft and oh, it’s the sweetest thing. Cut a long oval from soft flannel scraps or felt, then cut a slightly smaller oval from contrasting fabric for the inside lining.
Glue the layers together along three sides only, leaving the top open like a real sleeping bag. Have your preschooler draw a little person or animal on cardstock and slip it inside to nestle in for the night.
It’s the gentlest invitation to imaginative play, and my middle one carries hers around the house long after the craft is done.
8. summer camp craft ideas (mason jar lantern)
A glowing camp lantern is one of those crafts that feels truly magical. Take a clean glass jar — a small jam jar works beautifully — and have your littles brush watered-down glue all over the outside.
Press squares of tissue paper in warm yellows, oranges, and creams onto the glue, overlapping them until the whole jar is covered. When it dries, drop a battery-operated tea light inside.
Light it at dinner and you’ve got the prettiest little campfire glow on the table — without a match in sight.
9. camp crafts for kids (paper compass)
A homemade compass is a craft that turns into a treasure. Cut a circle from sturdy cardstock, mark the four directions (N, E, S, W) around the edge, and let your child decorate the face however they please.
Cut a thin arrow from red cardstock and attach it to the center with a brass paper fastener so it actually spins. Paint a tiny gold star on the arrow tip for the sense of true north.
Tie a length of twine to the top so it can hang around their neck. They’ll point it at everything from the kitchen sink to the back porch all afternoon.
10. summer camp crafts for older kids (pinecone bird feeder)
This is the craft for the kids who want to actually do something useful. Take a clean pinecone (or a sturdy stick crossed with another stick), spread a thin layer of natural peanut butter or soft suet across it, and roll it gently in birdseed.
Tie a long piece of twine around the top and hang it from a tree branch where you can watch the chickadees and titmice come to feast through the kitchen window.
It’s the kind of slow, gentle wonder that ties our hearts a little closer to creation. For more sweet ways to bring nature into your craft afternoons, our 15 adorable bug crafts for kids is a lovely place to wander.
11. binoculars tp roll craft
Save two empty toilet paper rolls — the cardboard heart of every homestead craft drawer. Wrap them in brown paper or paint them a forest green, then glue the two rolls side by side to form a pair of binoculars.
Punch a hole on the outside of each roll near the top and thread a length of twine or yarn through to make a strap your little one can wear around their neck.
Send them outside to spot every cardinal, butterfly, and squirrel in the yard. The same gentle thrift you’ll find in our 15 cute recycled crafts for kids is at the heart of this one.
12. fishing craft
This one always becomes a favorite. Cut several small fish shapes from colorful cardstock and slip a small paper clip onto the nose of each one.
Tie a short length of twine to a wooden craft stick or a real twig from the yard, and tape a little magnet to the end of the twine. That’s your fishing rod, sweet friend.
Spread the fish out on the floor and let your littles fish them up one by one. The squeals when the magnet sticks are absolutely worth the cleanup.
why we make camping crafts in our little farmhouse
The truth is, we don’t always make it to the woods, sweet friend. Three tiny humans, a long packing list, and a baby who refuses to sleep anywhere but his own crib — sometimes the closest we get to a campsite is the back porch with a quilt thrown over the railing.
But there’s a gentle magic in bringing the wilderness home anyway. A paper campfire glowing on the kitchen table. The smell of glue and washable paint mingling with sourdough on the counter. A toddler in linen pajamas, peeking through cardboard binoculars at the bird feeder out the window.
I want my children to grow up seeing God’s hand in every leaf, every bird, every star — even on the afternoons we never leave the front porch. The sky He stretched. The pines He planted. The wide, wild creation that points back to Him.
The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. — Psalm 19:1
simple supplies you probably already have on hand
The beautiful thing about these camping crafts is they don’t ask much of you, mama. A quick rummage through the craft drawer and the recycling bin is usually all it takes.
Here’s what comes up most often around our kitchen table:
- construction paper in browns, greens, and warm campfire colors
- tissue paper scraps in red, orange, and yellow
- toilet paper rolls and paper plates
- a small clean glass jar (for the lantern)
- twine, yarn, or ribbon
- washable paint
- glue sticks and white school glue
- child-safe scissors
- cotton balls and felt scraps
- a few twigs, pinecones, or pebbles from the yard
- a small magnet and a brass paper fastener
- a battery-operated tea light (optional but lovely)
If you’re missing something, don’t run out to the store. Use a yogurt container instead of a jam jar. Skip the felt and use brown paper for the chocolate. The grace is in the making, not the supplies.
stretching the camping feeling beyond the craft table
Crafts are a beautiful starting place — but the camping feeling stretches further when you let it spill into the rest of the day.
A few gentle things we love around our house: building a quilt fort over the kitchen chairs and reading by flashlight. Eating peanut butter sandwiches on a wool blanket spread across the living room floor. Letting the kids wear their handmade paper compasses around their necks while they explore the back garden.
You can also tell stories around your standing campfire craft after dinner, sing the old camp songs your grandmother taught you, or simply lay outside on a blanket and name the constellations together when the sun goes down.
And if you’re looking for more seasonal inspiration to round out the long, slow afternoons ahead, our 10 easy summer crafts for everyone roundup and our 15 genius earth day crafts are sweet companions to keep the creativity flowing.
pack up the craft basket and start the adventure today
You don’t need to do all twelve, sweet friend. Even one craft, made slowly with your littles at the kitchen table, is enough to plant a little wonder in a tiny heart.
Pick the one that feels right for your family this week. Set out the paper and the paint, brew yourself a cup of tea, and let the afternoon unfold the way it wants to. The mess will wash off. The adventure will stay.
Which of these camping crafts is calling your name? I’d so love to hear which one you’ll be making with your little wild ones — drop a comment below and tell me, sweet friend. Your story might be exactly what another mama needs to read today.
Warmly,
Betty
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frequently asked questions
What ages are these camping crafts best suited for?
Most of these camping crafts work beautifully for kids from about eighteen months through elementary school, with a little adjustment for each age. Toddlers will love the simple tent collage and the magnetic fishing game where they can just press and lift.
Preschoolers can manage the standing campfire, the s’mores stack, and the binoculars with a little help. Older kids can run with the more involved projects like the tissue paper lantern, the spinning compass, and the pinecone bird feeder. There’s something here for every set of little hands.
Do we need to actually be camping to make these crafts?
Not at all, sweet friend. These camping crafts are designed for the kitchen table on a regular tuesday — no tent, no campfire, no road trip required. The whole point is to bring the wonder of the great outdoors right inside.
And if you do happen to be heading on a real camping trip, these projects make beautiful pre-trip activities to build the excitement, and even sweeter post-trip ways to capture the memories.
How long do these camping crafts take to make?
Most of them come together in fifteen to twenty minutes of active crafting, plus a little drying time. The simpler ones like the tent paper craft and the s’mores stack can be done start to finish during a single nap window.
The slightly more involved projects like the camp lantern and the spinning compass might stretch across two craft sessions if you let one part dry before the next. That’s a gift, really — a craft that earns you a second cup of tea.
What can we do with the crafts after we make them?
So many sweet options. The paper campfire and the camping scene make beautiful additions to a memory binder or a little gallery wall in the hallway — somewhere you can look back and remember how small they were.
The standing campfire and the camp lantern can become quiet little decorations on the windowsill or the dinner table for weeks of pretend play afterward. The binoculars and the compass are practical enough to use on every nature walk through the yard.
Any quick prep tips for setting up camping crafts with little ones?
A few that have saved me more than once: gather all your supplies the night before in a basket so you’re not hunting for the glue stick while a toddler unrolls the toilet paper. Lay an old sheet or kraft paper down on the table to catch spills.
Pre-cut shapes for the smallest crafters so they can get straight to the gluing. Keep a damp cloth nearby for sticky hands. And give yourself grace if it goes sideways — the goal isn’t a perfect campfire, it’s a peaceful, intentional moment together.
