Last Updated on May 2, 2026 by Masha Eretnova
Whether you’re heading into the woods for a week or just setting up a backyard campfire, these camping crafts keep kids busy between s’mores and stargazing.
Most use supplies you already have at home or can grab cheaply before you leave. A few work great around the campfire, and others are perfect for a rainy tent day when no one wants to go outside.
Camping Scavenger Hunt for Kids Printable
Print this before you leave and hand it to the kids the second you pull into camp. They’ll be off looking for pinecones, animal tracks, specific leaves, and all kinds of other outdoor finds while you actually set up the tent in peace. Works for a wide age range and makes the whole “are we there yet” energy disappear fast.
Campfire Craft
Bring the cozy vibes of a campfire indoors with this fun DIY Campfire Craft using coffee filters. It’s a simple and creative project perfect for kids and imaginative play.
Tutorial: Campfire Craft
Summer Camping Activity Pages
A printable pack of camping-themed activity pages to keep kids busy on the drive there, at the campsite, or during a rainy afternoon in the tent. Coloring, puzzles, and creative prompts all in one place.
Loose Parts Nature Art for Kids
Sticks, pebbles, pinecones, petals — kids arrange whatever they find outside into temporary nature scenes or patterns on the ground. No glue, no scissors, no prep — just whatever the forest floor offers up that day. One of those activities that keeps going as long as you let it.
Camping Junk Journal for Kids
Kids fill this printable journal with ticket stubs, pressed leaves, little drawings, and anything else worth saving from the trip. It’s a simple way to turn a camping weekend into something they’ll actually want to look back at. My printable has 16 pages to make a whole journal!
Camping Themed Dot Marker Pages
Free printable pages with camping scenes that kids can fill in using dot markers — tents, campfires, stars, the works. Dot markers are mess-friendly and easy for little hands, so this one works for a wide age range. Print a stack before you leave and pull one out whenever you need ten quiet minutes.
Painted Rocks
Rock painting is basically the perfect camping craft: the rocks are free, and kids can hunt for the best ones on a trail walk first. You just bring some paint. This guide covers the acrylic basics so the designs actually look good and hold up outdoors. Leave a painted rock at camp or bring a collection home.
Paper S’mores Craft with Free Printable
A free printable that kids color, cut, and assemble into a paper s’more — no campfire needed for this part. Great for younger kids who aren’t staying up for the real thing yet.
Painted Tic Tac Toe Rocks
You can have an outdoor-friendly game in minutes! Let kids paint two sets of rocks in different colors or patterns to make a tic tac toe set. Easy, cheap, and fun!
Camping Word Search
A free printable word search packed with camping vocabulary — a solid car ride or quiet time activity that needs nothing but a pencil. Works for a wide age range depending on how much of a hint you give: easy and hard modes available.
Campfire Handprint Craft
Red, orange, and yellow handprints layered together make a cute campfire that younger kids can make with a little of your help. A great keepsake, especially if it’s their first trip.
Camping Charades
A free printable camping charades game that works around the campfire after dark when screens are off and everyone needs something to do. Cards cover animals, camp activities, and outdoor scenes, so funny enough for all ages. Print and laminate before you leave or just cut them up and stuff them in a bag.
Starburst Wrapper Bracelet
Nothing goes to waste! Save the Starburst wrappers from the camp snack bag and fold them into a woven bracelet. It is a classic campfire craft and it involves some thinking and motor skills. A great one for older kids to teach the younger ones.
Mud Kitchen Recipes
Mud kitchen was my personal favorite activity outdoors growing up. These printable recipe cards are PERFECT for mud kitchen play — acorn soup, leaf stew, petal tea, that sort of thing. Give kids a few old pots and some outdoor space and these cards will keep them busy for hours.
Leaf Printing
Collect leaves on a walk, brush on some paint, and press them onto paper to make detailed nature prints. Every leaf makes a different pattern and kids quickly get competitive about finding the most interesting shapes. Easy to do at a picnic table.
Masha Eretnova, born in 1991, is a Buenos Aires-based certified teacher, artist, and member of the Professional Artist Association with 20+ years of personal painting journey.
She started painting and drawing very early and is now an international abstract artist and educator passionate about acrylic painting, gouache, and crafts.
Her works are part of international exhibitions and contests, including ArtlyMix (Brazil), Al-Tiba 9 (Spain), Exhibizone (Canada), Italy, and many more.
Besides her artistic pursuits, Masha holds a post-grad diploma in Teaching Film Photography and 2 music school diplomas: piano and opera singing.