Bring the Outdoors In: How to Host a Memorable Camping Week in Your Classroom
Camping in the classroom is one of my favorite ways to end the school year. It’s fun, hands-on, and creates lasting memories for your students. Each year, during the last week before summer break, we transform our classroom into a cozy campground for a full week of camping-themed learning activities.
Set the Scene for Classroom Camping Fun
To kick off the week, I invite students to bring sleeping bags, blankets, and flashlights from home. We move desks out of the way to make space for our “campsites.” You can also use tables, but I like to start by creating different "campfire" stations around the room.
Students work in small groups to build their own campfires using brown butcher paper, colorful tissue paper, scissors, and tape. They collaborate to design their fire pit, and it’s always exciting to see how creative they get. This simple classroom transformation builds excitement and encourages teamwork from the start!
Another way to build a class campfire is to follow the directions from this YouTube video:
Campfire Stories and Songs
Once our classroom campsites are set up, we gather around for storytime and songs. Two of my favorite read-alouds for camping week are A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee and Toasting Marshmallows: Camping Poems. These stories spark imagination and set the tone for a cozy, storytelling atmosphere.
We also sing campfire songs like “Down By the Bay” and the silly classic “Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh” You will be surprised how much your students love these old favorites.
Sweet Treats: S’mores and Trail Mix
No camping experience is complete without snacks! You can make classic microwave s’mores in the classroom:
- Place two graham cracker squares on a microwave-safe plate.
- Top one with a marshmallow and the other with a square of chocolate.
- Microwave for 10–15 seconds until the marshmallow puffs and the chocolate softens.
- Sandwich together and enjoy!
If you want a no-heat option, try making a camping-themed trail mix! Combine a variety of bite-sized treats like:
- Honey Teddy Grahams
- Mini marshmallows
- Chocolate chips or M&Ms
- Mini pretzels
- Graham cracker pieces or Golden Grahams cereal
- Popcorn
- Mini chocolate chip cookies or Oreos
- Mini Reese’s peanut butter cups
Camping Activities for Classroom Centers
One of my favorite parts of Camping Week is rotating through themed classroom centers. I organize the activities in tubs around the room and label each area with fun campsite names like Camp Read-A-Lot, Camp Write-A-Lot, Camp Calculation, and Camp Fun. Students love "traveling" from one campsite to the next throughout the week!
Each centre has a skill-based camping booklet for students to work on throughout the week. Each booklet includes 12 half-page activities and a camp certificate to celebrate completion.
☀️ Camp Read-A-Lot – Engaging fiction and nonfiction reading passages with comprehension questions.
☀️ Camp Write-A-Lot – Creative writing prompts, vocabulary tasks, comic strips, and a fun camp checklist.
☀️ Camp Calculation – Hands-on math review with addition, subtraction, time, graphing, word problems, and more.
☀️ Camp Fun – Puzzles, word searches, mazes, and activities like writing your own s’mores recipe.
Camping Craft: Knapsack Keepsake
Throughout the week, students create a foldable paper Knapsack Craft - a mini backpack where they store their finished camping booklets. It adds an extra layer of excitement and gives them a souvenir to take home!
Looking For More Ideas?
I have also created a Teacher Guide filled with decorating ideas, a suggested daily schedule, and easy-to-follow instructions for all the activities. Whether you're new to classroom themes or a camping week pro, this guide makes prep a breeze.
Wrap Up the Year with Classroom Camping Fun
This camping-themed bundle has been a game-changer in my classroom. It keeps students engaged during those last exciting days of school and helps them review essential math and literacy skills in a playful, low-stress way. If you are looking for meaningful, end-of-the-year activities that students genuinely enjoy, this might be just what you need.
🌲 Check out the full Camping Theme End-of-the-Year Activities, and get ready to turn your classroom into a memorable summer adventure!
