Simple, fun, and creative ways to keep my 2.5 and 4.5 year old entertained while camping?
Bug catchers, magnifying glasses, soap bubbles, glow sticks or glow necklaces, camp near a play ground if you can. Read a book about camping before you go.
A (simple age appropriate) scavenger hunt on the trails. We did a photograph scavenger hunt on our last trip. The kids have those really neat Fisher Price video/still photo cameras and I gave them a list of things to look for. If they got pictures of all of the nature items, they got small prizes and future pictures for a scrapbook they can make later of their trip.
For the camera see: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005C3HT18/ref=sr_1_3?ie...
Nature art - there are lot's of great craft books on the topic. See: http://www.amazon.com/Natures-Art-Box-t-shirts-materials/...
Good old fashioned Campfire games are fun- See:
http://www.amazon.com/Kids-Campfire-Book-Official-Family/...
Go on a nature hunt! In advance, print out some pictures of things you might see... a feather, an acorn, a flower, stuff like that.... give them the pictures and see if they can find them.
Make hanging mobiles... ..... find some smallish branches, and tie found objects (like feathers, shells, acorns, stuff like that) to the branches, balancing them. Then you can decorate the campsite with them.
Don't break branches off the trees, though.... be sure to tell the kids that it is only items found on the ground they can use..... (I was a park Naturalist in Minnesota one summer... one family that came frequently came to my Saturday afternoon craft activity where we took a nature hike and then made mobiles... they later told me that she won 3rd prize at their local county fair with it... cool!)
Leaf rubbings... the older one can do this, probably.... take fallen leaves, cover with white paper, then do a rubbing with the side of a crayon... they can do lots of different textures this way.... place it on a tree, to do a rubbing of the bark.... the rough wood on the picnic table.... just gets them started seeing the world in a different way....
We bring mini bubble bottles
-kid horseshoes (they are plastic)
-mini kids soccer set (ball, goal posts & net)
-bikes
-go on nature walks
-matchbox cars
-pine cone hunts then decorate w/glue & glitter to take home
-pinata
-leaf rubbings like Malia said.
Happy Camping. Have fun!
Make ziplock ice cream! We did this one year at girl's camp, and it was soo fun! (of course, the 2.5 year old may not be so entertained...)
You could put glitter in the bag with the salt and ice, to make it more 'fun'... :)
If you can swing it, bring a black light that runs on a battery and a big white sheet. Hang the sheet from some trees near a meadow or open area at night, set the black light behind it and wait for the bugs! You'll get all sorts of neat stuff that will be attracted to the light and land on the sheet for easy viewing.
One thing I alwasys did to keep them busy when they were little was send them looking for small sticks with which to get the campfire started. They felt like they were doing an important job, and it kept them busy so I could get the tent set up or get supper ready. I usually brought bubbles, sand toys, a ball and bug catchers.
Fly a kite!
Hop on the Boy Scouts of America website and research how to cook meals in a dutch oven. Pick a meal and cook it together.
Do you have enough room to set up a croquet set? Bocce ball?
Enjoy your trip!
We camp quite frequently and my kids keep themselves pretty busy...BUT when they get 'bored' I get out the bubble machine.
