Camping Crafts: 20 Easy Ideas for Kids and Adults at the Campsite

Some of the best camping memories come from the slow hours between hikes and dinner, and camping crafts are a perfect way to fill them. You don't need a craft store. Pinecones, sticks, leaves, rocks and a little string will do for most of the projects below. This guide covers easy camping crafts for kids of every age, a few that adults will actually enjoy, and backup ideas for rainy days or backyard campouts.

Pack a Simple Camping Craft Kit

A small kit lets you craft with whatever nature supplies. Everything below fits in a gallon zip bag or a pencil case:

• Jute twine, yarn and embroidery floss
• Washable markers, crayons and a few paint pens
• A glue stick and a small bottle of tacky glue (it grips bark and pinecones better than school glue)
• Kid-safe scissors and a hole punch
• Clear packing tape and a roll of masking tape
• Googly eyes, pipe cleaners and a few sheets of card stock
• A drop cloth or old shower curtain to keep the picnic table clean

Pack out every scrap. Glitter, foam bits and stray googly eyes don't belong in the woods, so skip glitter entirely and do a quick "craft sweep" of the site when you're done.

Nature Camping Crafts (Made From What You Find)

Collect only what's already on the ground: fallen sticks, loose leaves, dropped pinecones. Many state and national parks prohibit removing natural items, so leave your creations behind or take photos instead of souvenirs where collecting isn't allowed.

1. Stick mobile. Tie three or four sticks into a frame and hang pinecones, feathers or leaves from different lengths of twine. Hang it from a branch near the tent.
2. Leaf lantern. Tape colorful leaves around a clear jar or a cylinder of packing tape, then drop in a battery tea light. Never use a real candle near a tent.
3. Pinecone critters. Glue on acorn-cap hats, googly eyes and pipe-cleaner legs to make owls, hedgehogs or turkeys.
4. Painted rocks. Paint smooth river rocks with animals, patterns or kind messages. Take them home rather than hiding them on public land.
5. Nature crown. Cut a card-stock band to fit and tape on leaves, grasses and wildflower petals that have already fallen.
6. Nature mandala. Arrange stones, leaves and sticks in a circular pattern on the ground. It's a no-glue craft that leaves no trace once you scatter it.
7. Stick "God's eye." Cross two sticks and weave colorful yarn around them in a diamond pattern. It's a classic summer-camp craft for ages 6 and up.
8. Leaf rubbings. Lay paper over a leaf or bark and rub the side of a crayon across it. It's perfect for toddlers.

Campfire and Campsite Crafts

These camping crafts lean into the things kids love most about camp:

9. Popsicle stick campfire. Glue craft sticks into a log pile and add tissue-paper flames. It makes a great "campfire" for the tent on rainy nights.
10. S'mores craft. Layer brown paper, a cotton ball and sandpaper "graham crackers" into a textured s'more. Make the real thing afterward with our campfire cooking tips.
11. Friendship bracelets. Braid or knot embroidery floss while you sit around the fire. Older kids can learn chevron and spiral patterns.
12. Camp journal. Fold a few sheets of paper into a booklet, punch two holes and tie it with twine. Kids can draw the day's wildlife, press a leaf and record the weather.
13. Walking-stick decorating. Find a sturdy fallen stick, then wrap the grip with colorful yarn or duct tape and add beads to mark each trail you hike.

Camping Crafts for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Keep it short, big and mess-light:

• Leaf rubbings and nature collages on contact paper (sticky side up, so no glue is needed)
• Pinecone "bird feeders" rolled in sunflower butter and birdseed, but only where feeding wildlife is allowed. Many campgrounds ban it, so make these for the backyard instead.
• Sorting games with acorns, pebbles and leaves by color or size

Pair these with the toddler tips in our camping with kids guide.

Camping Crafts for Older Kids, Teens and Adults

Camping crafts aren't just for little ones. Bushcraft forums are full of grown-ups looking for campsite projects:

14. Paracord bracelets and lanyards. These are useful, quick to learn, and they double as emergency cord.
15. Knot board. Practice a bowline, a taut-line hitch and a clove hitch, then tie each one to a stick as a reference.
16. Lashed camp furniture. Use square and diagonal lashings to build a pot stand or a small table from deadfall.
17. Simple whittling. Carve a marshmallow-roasting stick or a butter spreader. Teach knife safety first: always cut away from your body and keep a "blood circle" clear.
18. Nature photography or watercolor sketching. A small travel watercolor set packs flat and is a relaxing way to capture the view.

Rainy-Day and Backyard Camping Crafts

Wet weather or a backyard campout? These work inside a tent, an RV or the living room:

19. Paper-bag lanterns. Cut star and moon shapes into lunch bags and put a tea light or headlamp inside for a glowing tent. A headlamp on red mode makes a great "campfire" glow.
20. DIY tent decorations. Make paper bunting with animal tracks, constellations or trail-sign symbols.

Also try making shadow puppets with a headlamp, drawing star maps, or building a cardboard campfire for an indoor campout. For more ideas on making the most of a wet trip, see camping in the rain.

Recommended Gear

A few pieces of gear make camping crafts easier and more fun:

• Kids Explorer Kit (10-in-1 Nature Explore Set). It includes binoculars, a compass, a magnifier and a flashlight, so it's ideal for scavenger hunts and for collecting craft materials. Kids get curious about the natural "supplies" around them.
• Meland Kids Camping Set with Tent. It's a pretend-play tent and campfire set that's perfect for backyard or living-room campouts on rainy days.
• Black Diamond Spot 400-R Rechargeable Headlamp. You need hands-free light for crafting after dark, shadow puppets and paper-bag lanterns. The red mode keeps everyone's night vision intact.

For more kid-friendly picks, browse our kids camping gear guide and the kids camping checklist.

Leave No Trace Craft Rules

• Only use what's already on the ground, and never strip bark, pick live plants or move rocks from streams.
• Check park rules before collecting anything.
• Skip glitter, confetti and small plastic bits that blow away.
• Scatter nature mandalas and natural materials before you leave.
• Pack out every piece of tape, string and paper.

Camping crafts slow everyone down in the best way. A pocket of twine and a pile of pinecones can turn a quiet afternoon into the part of the trip your kids remember most.