Crafting While Camping – Camping Crafts For Kids of All Ages

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Crafting While Camping – Camping Crafts For Kids of All Ages

We love the outdoors and spending time camping for days in a row to enjoy the beauty of nature. While we love to explore, cook over the campfire and hike – we also love to get creative. DIY and making things is perfect in the outdoor setting with kids, families and Girl Scouts. It creates opportunity to connect and use the imagination without the interruption of everyday life, screens and chaos. Crafting while camping can include traditional crafts but is also a time to include the elements of nature. I am super excited to share ways to organize ahead of time (like before the adventure begins) to make the camping crafts for kids successful.

Organizing Supplies for Camping Crafts

Start organized and stay organized. The most important step to be successful with kids and crafting is the preparation. Having the materials and supplies organized can make or break the outcome of a project, not only the physical craft but the emotional factors too. Here are my suggestions for organizing supplies.

• Pack commonly used items in a way that they can be easily accessed. This would include:
  • Crayons and Coloring Books
  • Gel Pens for Journal Writing
  • Masking Tape
  • String or Rope for Practicing Knots and Tying Thing Together
  • Glue
  • Scissors
  • Pocket Knife (For Older Kids)
• Pack the things that are needed for each project together.
• Bring extra plastic closeable bags to put open supplies in after use.
• Consider bringing a drop cloth or craft mat if working on a community table.

Stack N Go

We use Deflecto’s Stack ‘N Go Caddy because it makes it so simple to transport supplies without any messes or spills. The separate containers have lids and the tiers snap together for easy transport making camping crafts for kids organized and neat. There are lots of ways to do this but I think the investment is something that will work over and over again is worth it. This caddy is great to take back and forth to Girl Scout meetings to transport supplies too. Plus, the containers can be washed in the dishwasher which is a total win. 

This is where we were in the woods.  Do you see my red Journey in the distance?

Camping Crafts for Kids

Dream Catchers

These are blast to make. You can grab a full tutorial on how to make them with kids so you know what to pack. Keep in mind that many craft supplies have substitutes. For example, string, yarn and embroidery floss would all work for this project. They came out completely fabulous.  We left them in the cabins to help the summer campers with their sleep magic!

Painting Kindness Rocks

We also made kindness rocks out in the middle of the woods.  It was so crazy fun and easy with everything all together and organized in the stackable caddy. With separate containers for paints, brushes and dotters it was so organized. Who know that crafting while camping could be so fun and easy.  Here is the BEST GUIDE TO PAINTING ROCKS

They all came out so darling.  We left them around our campsite to bring happiness to the next troop of girls.

Masking Tape Placemats

This is one of my all time favorite camping crafts for kids. It is so easy and so much fun. You can get all of the deets on making crafts while at a campsite with masking tape.

Clothespin Dolls

Since you are already packing embroidery floss to make dream catchers, use it again to make these darling clothespin dolls. Grab the directions and a free printable resource too.

Sit A Cans for Camping Storage

These are the best. I mean you can fill them with necessities and then use them to sit on too. Get all the deets to make your own. I know, so many camping crafts for kids. These are all great for Girl Scouts but really intended for all kids.

About the Crafting While Camping Caddy

The Stack ‘N Go Caddy is awesome!  With it you can stack and carry lot of caddies that use the lift & lock feature.  It can hold up to 40 pounds combined!  The hinged snap-tight lids keep craft supplies secure and in place.  They are super easy to take in and out when you need to use them.  The containers are clear to you can totally see what is inside of each one.  Camping crafts for kids means creating with children. This seems like a no-brainer but let me tell you, lots of storage containers out there are not clear and THAT is a problem.  It’s hard for kids (OF ALL AGES) to find what they need when the containers are colored or dark. The stack makes it so easy to grab what you need for a project and carry it around.  These are the supplies we used to make dream catchers.

After taking the two trays in the stack apart, it was so easy to clip the lids together with a giant clothespin to keep them open and the supplies easy to grab. The lids do come off but this is much easier for kids than removing and replacing them.

If you have every worried or even wondered about whether crafting at camp is possible with all of the supplies and materials, this post hopefully has given you the confidence to do it.  Grab a Stack ‘N Go and load it up with what you need!  You will be so glad that you did.

Seven Reasons Kids Should Be Crafting

There are unlimited numbers of reasons that kids should be crafting. Based on research and opinions of experts, I am excited to share seven of my favorite reasons to get messy and make all the things with your kiddos. Whether making camping crafts for kids or doing them at home – it is worth the investment of time and resources.

Practice Fine Motor Skills

Many craft projects require the use of fine motor skills to cut, tie knots, paint, color and even apply glue.  Crafting provides a great opportunity to work on fine motor skills while creating works of art.

Build Self Esteem

Through the process of creating a craft project, a child works through a series of steps to make a masterpiece. The success of completing steps and having something wonderful to show for it has proven to build self esteem.

Create Community

Many craft projects that are done by kids in classrooms or groups collectively create a larger work of art.  For example. When a group of kids create individual pumpkin crafts – once put together they have a patch. This creates community and inclusion.

Build Social Skills

While actively crafting, often times the fears and worries of talking with others subsides and children (of all ages) find themselves to be more social with those around them,

Promotes Individuality

Craft projects should allow children the opportunity to put their own style or mark into their work. There need to be choices available to successfully promote individuality.  Some of these choices include picking colors, crayons vs colored pencils, cutting vs tearing paper and outlining.

Encourages Self Expression

Often times children will express their feelings and thoughts through simple drawing and works of art. Encouraging kids to draw in their journals and add their own elements to projects sometimes offers a release of feelings.

Cheers to Camping Crafts for Kids and Making All The Things,

Laura

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