Nature inspires! Harness its power to create beautiful works of art with these camping crafts for kids. These crafts are engaging, kid-friendly, and inspired by the natural world. Incorporate them into your next camping trip for a bit of creative expression!
Creativity doesn’t take vacations! In fact, a camping trip is only going to get your creative juices flowing. If you want to give your kids a creative outlet for this energy, you’ll love these 12 camping crafts for kids.
There is a reason why so many artists are inspired by nature. When you’re outdoors, art is all around you. These camping crafts make use of this natural beauty, using materials found in nature for the majority of the projects.
These projects do more than keep your kids busy; they encourage kids to be more present and involved in the camping experience! Through exploration, foraging, and creation, these camping crafts will help immerse kids in nature and get them excited for the next camping trip.
12 Camping Crafts for Kids
Crafts are the perfect way to keep kids busy and engaged while camping. Let your creative kiddos run wild with these nature-themed crafts!
Note: some of these crafts list a hot glue gun as a required material (not very camping friendly!). In these cases, simply swap out the glue gun for some sticky tack or liquid glue.
1. Nature Weaving
Create your very own loom with this gorgeous weaving craft from The Chaos and the Clutter. The only material you need to bring from home is twine. The rest you can find in nature!
This camping craft has kids make frames out of sticks fastened with twine. Next, twine is looped over the frame to create a quick and easy loom. Then, it’s time to explore!
Collect leaves, flowers, seeds, and more throughout your camping trip. Add them to your loom as you go to create a one-of-a-kind work of art!
2. Leaf Rubbings
Try out a classic nature craft with these beautiful leaf rubbings from First Pallete on your next camping trip.
All you need to accomplish this camping craft is paper, wax crayons, and leaves. You can collect your leaves around your site or on a nature walk. Kids can use crayons to make leaf rubbings, overlapping and collaging to create unique designs.
You can inspire further exploration (and education) by creating a bit of a leaf hunt! For example, find a leaf with four points, a leaf with a bite out of it, and a maple leaf.
3. Pinecone Bird Treat
This camping craft for kids is quick and sweet, making homemade bird feeders.
Simply spread peanut butter over collected pinecones and roll them in bird seed. Then, hang these cones in your choice tree so the birds can enjoy them!
Find instructions to create this pinecone bird treat here.
4. Toilet Paper Binoculars
This camping craft requires a few materials from home, but the preparation is well worth the results. These DIY binoculars from The Spruce Crafts will come in great use on your camping trip…the creation is only half the fun!
Kids can create and decorate these handy binoculars on-site. Then, they’re the perfect tool for exploration! They encourage kids to be observant and inquisitive.
5. Painted Rocks
The nostalgia of painting rocks is almost too much! Recreate this timeless childhood craft by The Moment at Home on your next camping trip.
Kids can collect their favourite rocks that they want to spruce up. Don’t forget to remove dirt and debris before painting (preferably in the lake or ocean if you’re camping nearby!).
Acrylic paint pens are a great decorating choice. They give kids good control and create less mess than the traditional paint and brush method.
6. Nature Walk Bracelet
This fun and wearable camping craft from Alpha Mom is perfect for kiddos on the go!
Wrap a piece of duct tape around your kid’s wrist with the sticky side out. This will be the canvas for their nature bracelet.
Next, head out on your nature walk. Kids can collect bits of nature as they go, sticking them to their bracelets. By the end of the walk, they’ll have stunning bracelets made from the natural world!
7. Pressed Flowers
Camping provides the perfect backdrop to go foraging for wildflowers! Keep these flowers as a timeless memory, or save them for crafts to come by pressing them.
You can find pressing instructions here, and learn how to frame and style your flowers here.
8. Nature Portraits
Sometimes, the most beautiful art is temporary. For a zero-waste craft that is fun for the whole family, try making nature portraits by Adventure in a Box.
Kids (and adults!) can make portraits of a friend or family member using materials they gather from nature.
For an added laugh, keep the subject of your masterpiece a secret and try guessing who the portrait depicts!
9. Flower Crowns
This camping craft for kids requires no extra materials, just foraged flowers!
Kids can create these flower crowns out of dandelions and/or any other flowers they can find. The process is easy enough for older kids to complete with a few easy instructions. Once they get started, they’ll be on their way!
You can use these easy steps from Red Ted Art to create flower crowns with your kids.
10. Pinecone Fairies
Bring tales of woodland fairies to life with this adorable pinecone fairy craft from Kids Activities.
To create these fairies, you’ll need wooden beads, glue, and a permanent marker from the craft store. The rest you can find while camping.
If your fairies are planning on taking up residence in a tree at home, you may want to reinforce them with an outdoor glue. Liquid glue will work for a quick camping craft but may not hold over time.
11. Nature Suncatcher
This DIY suncatcher from Messy Little Monster is super creative! It uses a few household items, along with lovely bits of collected nature, to create a wonderful art piece.
Kids can hang their homemade suncatchers in a tree on site but make sure not to forget them! They’ll look fabulous in their bedroom windows.
Find instructions to make your nature suncatcher here.
12. Nature Collage
Collage is one of my very favourite art forms. It’s accessible for all ages and artistic abilities so that everyone can get involved!
Using cardboard as a canvas, kids can glue bits of the outdoors to create nature collages. Whether they create a scene or an abstract work, this medium is sure to be effective and fun. See this fun example from Sprouting Wild Ones.
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