We try to squeeze in some camping over the summer months to get our fill of water time, marshmallow roasts, hiking and biking. But there are also times when we just feel like hanging around the campsite enjoying the beautiful shade of the forest from our lawn chairs. Quiet time at the campsite is a great time to pull out some activities for the kids, and we’ve got a few crafty ideas to recommend:
- Drawing Supplies – a sketch pad and pencil can lead to treasure maps drawn, stories written, leaf rubbings made, games played (such as tic-tac-toe) or, perhaps most obviously, inspired drawings
- Paints and brushes – gathered sticks and rocks can become art forms as they get a coating of bright paint from the kids. Transform rocks into bugs or animals, and sticks can become wands.
- Wikki Stix – an easy portable activity, these wax covered strings can bend into any shape and can be used by themselves on a playboard, and could even be wrapped around a found rock or twig to give it a shock of colour
- Collage Boards – our kids spent over an hour searching for just the right foliage to adorn their butterfly boards. Also try sprinkling sections of sand on these for a beach activity
- Masking Tape or painters tape – mask out a giant x & O board in the dirt, and find some sticks to mark X & O. Then ‘erase’ your game and start over again. Or, make a nature walk bracelet by putting a piece of masking tape sticky-side-out around your wrist. Collect little treasures such as leaves and twigs to add to your nature braclet
- Sunpaper – this is one of our favourites for summer, whether at home or out camping. Find a pretty leaf or flower, add a ray of sun and a sprinkling of water, and watch these prints come to life.
- Fort building supplies – Clothes pins and string aren’t only for hanging laundry to dry! A good nook of trees can be transformed into an uuber cool fort with the help of some towels or blanket secured with clothes pins on a line.
- Building supplies – we have a bin of building blocks that comes on every single camping trip and gets used on a blanket outside, or under cover if we’re hit with rain
- Leaf Press – collect samples of your favourite trees or flowers (if permitted by the park) and store them between the folds of this leaf press. Patient campers will have pretty mementos to add to scrap books or to use with other craft projects.
Stick the twigs to the tape, covering and open spaces with small bits of twig or other finds from nature (such as dried grasses, dried leaves, etc). Tip: an adult can help by holding the can while kids press the sticks on. Wrap a ribbon around your finished can to secure sticks, and tie a bow to complete.
