Summer Unplugged: Camping
Camping is one of those things I always imagined I’d do with my kids, and now that I have kids, the idea of trying to sleep outside (not to mention all the prep, packing, and hauling) is . . . not a bit appealing.
I prefer my camping to take place in picture books and chapter books. Maybe some s’mores made over the kitchen stove.
(P.S. If you’re looking for a summer reading list for adults, I put together a summer reading guide last week that I’m totally thrilled about).
Chapter and Picture Books about Camping
Picture Books:
- Let’s Sing a Lullaby with the Brave Cowboy by Jan Thomas – I think Jan Thomas is the master of very early comedic books. This one, about a cowboy singing a lullaby to his very skittish cows, is a family favorite.
- Postcards from Camp by Simms Taback – Michael is not a fan of sleepaway camp. And his postcards home to his father detail all the reasons he wants OUT.
- The Woods by Paul Hoppe – Ella can’t get enough of this book about a little boy who, at bedtime, loses his beloved stuffed animal and must venture into the terrifying woods to reclaim it.
- A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever by Marla Frazee – When they go to spend the week with grandparents, it’s supposed to be nature camp, but it turns out to be a lot of eating sugar and watching cartoons.
- Lucille Camps In by Kathryn Lasky and Marylin Hafner – When her dad and older siblings take off camping without her, Lucille and her mom decide to camp at home, complete with a tent and s’mores.
- Poppleton in Spring by Cynthia Rylant and Mark Teague – Embarrassingly, I’ve never read a Poppleton book until now, but I’m hooked. And apparently I really love books featuring pigs.
- Quiet Night by Marilyn Singer and John Manders – Marilyn Singer does such great books, and this one, about how noisy it is camping in the woods, delighted my daughters with all the sounds and rhythms.
- The Princess and Her Panther by Wendy Orr and Lauren Stringer – Two sisters (as you might have guessed, the younger is conned into being the panther) go camping. Doing so might require some bravery.
- The Lost Lake by Allen Say – I love Allen Say’s distinctive and Caldecott-winning art and storytelling, and this is no exception, about a boy and his very quiet father who set out to find a lost lake.
Chapter Books:
- Runaway Ralph by Beverly Cleary – Ralph is ready to go out on the road with his motorcycle and ends up at a summer camp when he’s captured by a lonely camper.
- Alvin Ho: Allergic to Camping, Hiking, and Other Natural Disasters by Lenore Look and LeUyen Pham – The Alvin Ho series is fantastic (somewhat similar to Diary of a Wimpy Kid) and in this one, Alvin Ho is forced to confront all his worst outdoorsy fears. Poor guy!
- Lunch Lady and the Summer Camp Shakedown by Jarrett J. Krosoczka – This is one of my favorite graphic novel series. They are so clever and funny; I’ve never met a kid who didn’t love them.
A Few Crafts, Activities, and Recipes:
- Have an indoor campout
- Make chocolate chip s’mores bars
- Tell ghost stories
- Make your own firefly with a soda bottle
- Make your own trail mix (get 5 or 6 different ingredients and let your kids assemble their own)
- Have your kids make each other maps and send each other on a treasure hunt
And if you’d like a printable copy of this list that you can take to your library or screenshot on your phone for easy access, just pop in your email address below and it’ll come right to your inbox!
To be honest, we get most of our picture book recommendations from you (the boy is currently madly in loved with "EEEK!" also known as: Let's Sing a Song with the Brave Cowboy). But, one I think we discovered on our own is Peekaboo Morning by Rachel Isadora.
Thanks for the give away! I love incorporating books into our summer activities!
I'm a new reader and I really love all your photos and your posts 🙂 You've won me over.
http://www.faithfullymarissa.blogspot.co.uk
Moo, Baa! (Obv I have the younger stage in mind)
Current favorites for my 17 month old are Each Peach, Pear, Plum, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and the Mixed Up Chameleon. But I love looking at your recommendations of things to check out from the library!
Backyard camping is great for littles.
We love camping! My book recommendation is Over in the meadow.
My 2 1/2 year old is currently loving the Five Little Monkeys books. Today we read Five Little Monkeys Sitting in a Tree
Skipping Jon Jones is an all time favorite of my girls! They laugh every time I read it to them!!:)
Skipping Jon Jones is an all time favorite of my girls! They laugh every time I read it to them!!:)
This should say Skippity** Jon Jones!:) Darn autocorrect!
I always feel overwhelmed when I go to the library not knowing what to pick so thanks for your recommendations for kids!
what is even better than arriving with recommendations in mind? Have them waiting on hold for you! makes library trips SO much easier for me. good luck at the library!
We are loving Banjo Granny in our house right now.
I love kiwi crate and my husband is planning on doing some backyard camping (to break the kids in) this summer, so perfect match! Wish me luck 🙂 We just started reading A Princess Wears Hiking Boots to my daughter and my son is really into the If You Give a Mouse a Cookie books…Although we just came across Mousetronaut and I think he's hooked on space!
I *am* familiar with Kiwi Crate! I LOVE it! We subscribe as a kind of mini-preschool for my three year old, and my five year old gets excited when a box arrives, too. 🙂
Shoutout for Marla Frazee! Love her work. Also the Alvin Ho books are awesome! I had never thought of comparing them to Diary of a Wimpy Kid… they're definitely appropriate for younger readers than Wimpy Kid works for. I often compare Alvin Ho to Junie B Jones and to Clementine. But I like it — both Alvin Ho and Greg Heffley are boys. Alvin's in first grade and Greg is in 7th, when the each series starts. Anyway, I'm rambling now.
Leave a picture book recommendation? I can't stop at just one! Here's my most recent picture book post: http://www.evereadbooks.com/2014/05/10-books-to-read-to-kindergarten-class.html