This past weekend my husband and three-year-old daughter went camping for the first time together. I had previously camped in college, but Steve and Ava had never been. None of us knew what to expect and I only reserved one night at a campground as I figured we would either love it or hate it. And if we hated it I didn’t want to be stuck there for two nights. Well, we loved it! I immediately went to research another trip, this time a two-night stay. Maybe next time we’ll even bring the baby! Eek, probably not.
Although a lot of things went right (beautiful weather), we had a couple of things go wrong (starting fires can be difficult). That first camping trip, in addition to sparking a newfound love of camping, also gave us valuable insight into what we did right and wrong and what we need to change for our next trip. All in all, it was a wonderful experience and I can’t wait to do it again. Unfortunately, we’re going into summer in Florida and we might need to hold off camping until it cools down a little.
As kids do, Ava took to camping like a champ. It’s amazing how flexible kids are. To prepare her for the trip, we went shopping together for supplies and of course, read some camping-themed books. Books about camping give children an overview of what the experience will be like, and time to get excited about new adventures. Roasting marshmallows, star gazing, eating dinner outside, and exploring the campground are all things we read about and were looking forward to doing. Since this was Ava’s first camping trip, I wanted some positive and simple books to give her an overview of what camping is all about.
In addition to books with beloved characters, I found a couple of new reads, a camping “guide” for kids, and a compendium filled with games, songs, and activities that will entertain the whole family. Below are some of my best finds.
THe Best Camping Books for Preschoolers
Curious George, Llama Llama, and the Little Critter series all have camping-themed books. Books with familiar characters are a great way to introduce a new activity as your child can relate with the character and how they react to a new situation. Llama Llama is a favorite in our household. Recently, Ava has taken to the Little Critter books as well. Curious George is a classic and a great way to share what NOT to do while camping.
Bailey Goes Camping by Kevin Henkes. Kevin Henkes is the award-winning author and illustrator of Waiting. He won the 2020 Children’s Literature Legacy Award for authors and illustrators who have made a significant and lasting contribution to children’s literature. In Bailey Goes Camping, Bailey is too young to go camping with his siblings, so his mother encourages him to take his own camping trip at home.
Flashlight, by Lizi Boyd. This wordless picture book is about a boy playing with his flashlight at night. The illustrations are great and show the flashlight beam illuminating the darkness and revealing what is hidden in the dark. This book is great for subtly showing your child that they don’t have to be afraid of the dark.
At dinner lately, we’ve been playing the Alphabet Game where players take turns naming things that start with each letter of the alphabet. It started out as a car game and now Ava wants to play it all the time. Needless to say, S is for S’mores: A Camping Alphabet is now a favorite book of Ava’s and she now incorporates camping words into our nightly alphabet game. I used to dislike alphabet-style books. I thought they were boring, but once I had a kid old enough to be familiar with the alphabet I realized how much THEY enjoy the books! Once again I am reminded that I am an adult and my kids are vastly more qualified than me to review children’s books.
The Kids Campfire Book is aimed at children ages 6-9, but I actually like it as a book for parents. It contains tons of great ideas to entertain and educate kids while camping, with ideas for stargazing, recipes, games to play, and songs to sing.
When We Go Camping was a finalist for the 2002 Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator’s Award for best children’s book (you can read more about that award here). The pictures are very realistic and show a family camping and going through different routines of setting up camp, gazing at stars, etc. Each page has a hidden animal and a set of animal tracks. It’s a great overview of the camping experience and will get campers excited to see their own animals and find animal tracks.
The Little Book of Camping is a step-by-step guide of how to camp for kids. “First, pick a place. Woods are nice.” The book gives options for camping in the wilderness, or in your own backyard or bedroom. Don’t be surprised if your child wants to set up camp in her bedroom!
Camping was a win for our family. If you love camping and are hesitant to go with preschool-age kids, I suggest you give it a try! Try drumming up excitement by telling your own camp stories and reading books about camping. I hope you have as much fun as we did.
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