A Simple and Sweet Camp Day at Home Before Homeschool Kickoff
Before we dive into our official start to homeschool preschool and kindergarten next week, we had ourselves a little Camp Day at Home—and it might just become a new tradition.
Even though we do a little learning every day (because the kids genuinely love it!), I wanted to surprise them with something fun and memorable to celebrate this transition. And let me tell you, the surprise was a hit!
I made a little list of things to do for Camp Day and my 5 year old carried the list around and made sure we did all the things!
How We “Camped” Indoors and Made Preschool Magic
Here’s a peek at what we did for our Camp Theme Day:
🏕️ Set Up Camp… Indoors!
We pitched the tent right in the living room. Something about having a tent inside made it feel like an adventure right away. The kids brought their flashlights and stuffed animals in and called it “camp.”
🎨 Painted Rocks
We gathered rocks from the driveway and set up a paint station on the patio. The kids loved getting creative, and once the paint dried, we decorated our flower bed outside with their artwork.
🔥 Campfire Art
We made simple “campfire” collages with construction paper and glue, all while chatting about how people build real fires when camping. (Perfect for a little nature and science discussion!)
We used brown construction paper for the wood, and yellow and orange tissue paper for the flames.
🖍️ Coloring + Snack
I printed out a few camping-themed coloring pages, and we sat down with a snack while they colored.
🍫 Microwave S’mores
No camp day is complete without s’mores! We used the microwave to make quick ones and ate them (messily) inside the tent. Sticky fingers and all!
The tent floor may now be covered in crumbs… but totally worth it.
📚 Storytime + Shows
We read Curious George Goes Camping in the tent and later curled up to watch Fancy Nancy Camp Fancy and Curious George Goes Camping.
I love how engaged the kids get when we tie books and shows into what we’re doing.
🔦 Flashlight Hide and Seek
Before quiet time, we played a round of flashlight hide and seek around the house. Squeals and giggles guaranteed!
This day was just so fun. The kids were full of joy, and even though I was wiped out by the end, it reminded me that a little themed magic goes a long way.
If you’re looking for a low-prep, high-fun day to do with your little ones—whether it’s summer, a homeschool break, or just because—I highly recommend a Camp Day at Home. You don’t need to go anywhere fancy. Just a tent, some themed crafts, and a sprinkle of imagination go a long way.
Here’s to being the “fun mom” every now and then. 😄
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