camping crafts for young children

We have some upcoming summer trips planned and, as usual, I want to bring along a few crafts for kids.  Last year I discovered a number of ideas using both store bought items that we could bring into the outdoors and bits and pieces of Mother Nature herself.  (See last year's camping crafts here.)  I've been scouring the internet once again and discovered some more really creative folks out there!

Since the attention span of five year olds can be limited, sometimes with crafting, simplest is best.

Megan over at Radmegan posted this classic Rock Friend idea with a reminder to take these little guys home when you're done because... "do you really want to be the camper who takes only photos, and leaves only footprints... AND eyeballs?... They will be a great reminder of your fun camping trip, and a fun addition to the household."

Over at Homemaking Fun, Jadi had this idea for painting leaves, flowers, roots and stems that can then be transferred onto t-shirts or pillow cases. 


Wouldn't it be sweet to wear in the afternoon the art our wee ones fashioned in the morning? (I've got to remember to bring some plain white t-shirts.)

Family Fun Crafts has a tutorial link for these cute Nature Pals. (They require a hot glue gun so might be better suited for those "camping" at a cabin with electricity.) 


However, when we were making our twig chair, Naiya suggested that some kind of sap might take the place of hot glue. Surely that's how our foremothers would have done it... (?)

Here's another great use from the Fossil Blog for all the twigs children are happy to collect.


Again, hot glue could work here or one could probably more easily pack a multi-purpose craft adhesive for wood and glass. 

From Hello Hydrangea (who in turn found inspiration elsewhere...I couldn't locate the original artist), here's a super simple but absolutely stunning craft for both kids and adults. (I can see displaying these on a wall or from the ceiling at home or, as Lindsey suggests, even using them as hooks or drawer pulls.)

Take a little paint along on a camping trip, find a bigger stick and you could make some gorgeous walking sticks for daily hikes as well! 



Do you make crafts in the great outdoors?  I'd love to hear more ideas from you!