Last Updated on May 2, 2026 by Masha Eretnova
Every parent who has ever packed a bag for a camping trip knows the moment: you’ve driven two hours, set up the tent, and within twenty minutes someone is bored.
The outdoors are right there, but boredom and a habit to have a screen somewhere near still finds a way in. A set of camping activity pages for kids fixes that fast — and this free printable pack has enough variety to keep different ages occupied from arrival to bedtime.
This is a print-once, use-everywhere pack.
You can use it for camping, on a rainy afternoon at the picnic table, at a summer birthday party, or for a hiking day.
The activities range from simple enough for preschoolers to genuinely challenging for older kids and adults, and they all work with nothing but a pencil and a few crayons.
What’s Inside the Camping Activity Pages Printable
The pack includes eight activity pages across six different types, so no two pages feel the same.
Color by Number kicks things off with a camping scene — a mountain landscape with a tent, campfire, and outdoor gear.
Each section has a number that corresponds to a color (yellow, red, green, blue, brown, and black), and the finished result is a full, detailed illustration. This one is a great first activity for younger children because the instructions are clear and the outcome is satisfying.
Camping Mazes take up three pages, each with a different difficulty level and a different illustrated style.
The first maze is a wide, open path-style layout good for early elementary ages. The second is a more complex winding maze with a nature trail aesthetic.
The third is a tight, grid-style maze with the most turns and dead ends — older kids and adults will actually have to think through this one. Each maze has a clear start and finish with camping-themed characters guiding the way.
Word Search has a 7×10 letter grid with 14 camping words to find: campfire, compass, tent, hunting, hiking, coffee, lantern, grill, hat, mug, tree, s’mores, trail, and wild.
Players check off each word as they find it. This one works well for a range of ages — younger children can work with a parent, while older kids can race each other.
Camping Riddles is the trickiest page in the pack. Players use a picture-based alphabet code to decode the answers to four riddles.
The riddles include classics like “What has many needles but can’t sew?” and “What travels around the world but stays in one spot?” It requires patience and focus, which makes it a good quiet-time activity or something to work through as a team.
Scavenger Hunt is a picture-based hunt sheet with 20 illustrated camping items to find: tent, trees, compass, backpack, camping van, lantern, campfire, grill, thermos, ants, match sticks, rope, hammock, camping chair, bird, caterpillar, camping hat, flashlight, squirrel, and mug.
Each item has a picture alongside the label, so preschoolers can participate without needing to read.
(If you want a more in-depth scavenger hunt experience with riddles and a longer nature checklist, the Camping Scavenger Hunt for Kids printable has three separate games built for different age groups.)
Design Your Campsite is an open-ended cut-and-arrange activity that comes on two pages. One sheet has a blank outdoor background scene.
The other has illustrated camping cut-outs — a tent, campfire, backpack, sun, raccoon, camp flag, trees, kids, and birds — that children cut out and arrange on the background however they want.
Younger children need a hand with the scissors, but the arranging and decorating part is entirely their own. It is one of those activities that quietly stretches into a long stretch of time.
Supplies You’ll Need
This pack needs almost nothing to run. Here’s what to gather before you print:
- Printed activity pages (one set per child, or share for group activities)
- Pencils for the mazes, word search, and riddles
- Crayons or colored pencils for the color by number (you’ll need at least six colors: yellow, red, green, blue, brown, and black)
- Child-safe scissors and a glue stick for the Design Your Campsite pages
- A clipboard or hardcover book to write on if you’re working at a picnic table or on the ground
Print on standard 8.5 x 11 paper.
Color printing makes the scavenger hunt and Design Your Campsite pages more engaging for younger children, but all the activity pages work fine in black and white.
Optional: Laminate a set and use dry-erase markers so kids can reset and replay the mazes and word search multiple times across the trip.
How to Use These Pages at Camp
For Preschool and Kindergarten Ages
Start with the color by number and scavenger hunt — both have clear visual cues that don’t require reading. The Design Your Campsite activity works especially well for this age group because it is hands-on and open-ended. Sit with them for the first few minutes to get the cutting started, then let them take it from there.
The easy maze also works at this age with a little guidance. Trace the path with a finger first, then let them draw it in with pencil.
For Elementary Ages
The word search and mid-level maze are the sweet spot for this age group. Once those are done, the camping riddles provide a good challenge — work through the picture code together first so they understand the system, then let them try to decode the answers independently.
The scavenger hunt at this level works well as a timed challenge. Set a clock and see who finishes first.
For Older Kids and Adults
The hard maze and camping riddles are the most satisfying for older players. Run the riddles as a family competition — first one to decode all four answers wins. The word search makes a good wind-down activity at the end of the night.
For a bigger group challenge, combine this pack with the Camping Scavenger Hunt printable, which includes a 24-item nature checklist and a riddle hunt that works well for teens and adults.
Tips for Making It Last
Stagger the pages. Don’t hand out the whole pack at once. Introduce one or two activities at a time so there’s always something new when the previous one wraps up.
Use it on travel days. The word search and riddles travel well in the car or at a rest stop. Pack a small pencil pouch with the sheets and you have an hour of quiet time ready to go.
Keep a few extra copies. If you’re camping with multiple families or a group, print two or three sets so no one is waiting for a turn.
Combine with outdoor time. The scavenger hunt page bridges indoor and outdoor activity naturally — send kids outside with their sheet and a pencil and let the campsite do the rest.
For more outdoor craft and activity ideas to pair with this pack, the camping crafts for kids post has a full list of projects that work with simple supplies you likely already have on hand.
Get the Free Printable
The full Camping Activity Pages pack — color by number, all three mazes, word search, camping riddles, scavenger hunt, and Design Your Campsite — is available as a free printable PDF. Enter your email below and it comes straight to your inbox. Print as many copies as you need for the whole camp crew.
A pencil, a handful of crayons, and twenty minutes of setup is all it takes to have a full afternoon of screen-free activity ready at the campsite.
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.