Thinking about camping with your kids this summer? When my kids are gearing up to experience something new, I turn to play, books and sensory activities to help prepare them. We are going to try some outdoor “camping” at our cottage this summer. If that goes well, we may try the real thing next year. Here are 5 activities to help get your kids ready to venture into the great outdoors.
1. Camping Small World Invitation to Play
I packed the Drewart camper van with some of our Maileg characters and camping accessories and set it out near a small world camping play mat.
As much as I was dying to set up my own adorable small world camping scene, I intentionally left the set-up to my 3 yr old (his sister was busy teaching herself tennis 😂). I think so much of the fun of small world play is setting up the world in a way that lends itself to the stories in your head. So, I’m trying to remember to back-up sometimes and let my kids lead.
For this play invitation, my son informed me I did not invite enough characters or pack enough food, so he remedied the situation. He invited his Frozen Anna and Elsa dolls to come along and brought some food over from our play kitchen. I love to see him using his imagination and the resources available to him to create the stories that interest him.
Materials
- Drewart Camper Van – Nest
- Maileg mice and camping accessories – most available at Simply Green Baby
- Walk in the Woods play mat – Simons
2. Camping Book & Sensory Play
Next, we dove into a sensory book play activity. The kids love the book, A Camping Spree for Mr. Magee, so I turned the book into a sensory play tray (the best I could). The book is about Mr. Magee and his dog going on a camping trip and running into some trouble when a bear accidentally unhitches their camper and they end up in a stream, teetering over a waterfall.
I used some boxes to build up a hill with a camping site on top and made a waterfall beside it, using some of our Brio mountain pieces, the Bathymetric Pond from Aurora & Holly Childrens’ Accessories and Play, and a play silk.
We had lots of fun acting out the scenes of the book in the play tray… and felt inspired to read the book a few more times.
Materials
- A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee – Amazon
- Bathymetric Pond – Aurora & Holly Childrens’ Accessories and Play
- Bugs in the Garden Kit (with dirt scented sensory filler) – Readymade Play Canada (code PLAY10)
- Felt rocks & dirt balls, felt mushroom, felt dragonfly – Sewing Seeds Play (code HOUSEOFPLAY10)
- Tuff Tray – Scholar’s Choice
- Sarah’s Silks play silks
- Lovevery camper and camping set
- Schleich bear
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3. Camp Cookout Sensory Play
What’s more quintessential camping than a campfire cookout? We had some campfire fun making yummy treats with play dough and sensory mix. I used our Blueberry Pancakes Play Kit and some hot dog and hamburger play food from our play kitchen. To make the s’mores I put out packing peanuts for the marshmallows, brown play dough for the chocolate and some cardboard squares for the graham crackers.
The kids recently had real s’mores on a campfire – so they thought this play recreation was so fun. They especially loved spearing the marshmallows on the skewers and pretending to roast them.
I also used our pancake batter dispenser with the blueberry pancakes sensory mix to add an extra fun element to the play. The little flame nightlight was the perfect finishing touch to this pretend and sensory play.
Materials
- Blueberry Pancakes Scented Play Kit – Readymade Play Canada (code PLAY10)
- Flame night light – Amazon
- Tuff Tray – Scholar’s Choice
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4. Camping Pretend Play
We finished off our camping week with a camping dramatic/ pretend play setup and an exciting night sleeping in the tent in the living room (see number 5). For the Dramatic Play Camping I set up our Ikea play tent, our Nugget as a tent and our play foam Slippery Wedges as a mountain. I had 2 log bean bag chairs I’ve been saving for a few years and a play campfire set, complete with s’mores. I added the flame nightlight to the campfire to give it a more realistic feel.
The details are the fun part for me, and I’m already thinking about what I can add the next time we do this. This time I added
- Bug Spray (a spray bottle with water)
- Bugs – Folkmanis Dragonfly Puppet and Lovevery velcro bugs stuck to the mountain
- Flashlight
- Thermos
- Lantern with Electric Cable
- Sleeping bag
- Cooler
- Stuffed Wolf
5. Camping in the Living Room
Finally, it was the big event. We set up a tent in the living room, put the play couch cushions inside with some blankets and pillows. The kids also wanted to use the rain cover to extend the camping village into essential a huge fort. There was lots of excitement – the kids really loved this.
Although I had planned for all 4 of us to sleep in the tent, only 2 of us ended up doing it in the end. My son and I had a great camp-out night in the living room, while my husband and daughter decided their beds were more comfortable. The simulation was a success and I think we are ready to try this outside now… but, maybe just in the backyard.