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Kids love to go camping. If you’re not the camping type why not humor your kids with an indoor literacy camp-out. I used to host a camp-out every year in my classroom and my students always said it was one of their favorite days of the school year.
There are so many learning activities you can do during a homeschool literacy camp-out day. Use your creativity or take some ideas from this post to make it a day your kids will never forget.
Why You Need a Literacy Camp-Out
- Breaks you from routine
- Gives you a chance to teach creatively
- Provides the opportunity to explore new topics
- Creates family connection
How to Plan Your Literacy Camp-Out
- Choose reading and writing activities you want to focus on for the day
- Map out a rough schedule
- Plan a lunch and snack menu
- Gather materials for reading and writing
- Set up and decorate your campsite
- Prepare food
Reading and Writing Activities
There are many literacy activities you can choose for your camp-out. Some activities are for independent work, others are for partners and whole group. Pick activities that you and your children will enjoy.
If you want a cohesive feel to your camp-out, you can choose a specific theme for all of your literacy activities. Here are some topics that go well with the idea of camping:
- Birds
- Mammals
- Insects
- Reptiles and amphibians
- Trees
- Plants
- Rocks and minerals
- National Parks
- Astronomy
Reading Activities
Independent Reading
Have your children spend time reading self-selected books for small chunks of time throughout your indoor literacy camp-out. Snuggled up in their sleeping bags, they can read with their flashlights. Provide a basket of camping or nature related books, or let your kids gather books from your home library.
Partner Reading
If you have both older and younger children, pair them up to read. Have the younger ones practice reading fluency by reading to their big sibling. Then they can relax while listening to a story read to them. Your older kids will learn how to read with expression to keep their younger sibling engaged.
Buddy Reading
If you have an only child or younger children, have him or her read to a favorite stuffed animal.
Read Aloud
Mom or dad reads aloud to everyone. Here are a few suggestions:
- A Camping Spree With Mr. Magee (affiliate link) by Chris Van Dusen (hilarious)
- Toasting Marshmallows: Camping Poems (affiliate link) by Kristine O’Connell George (lots of imagery in her poems and beautiful warm illustrations)
- Our Great Big Backyard (affiliate link) by Laura Bush (National Parks)
- Gone Camping: A Novel in Verse (affiliate link) by Tamera Will Wissinger (great examples of different types of poetry styles)
- Stella and Roy Go Camping (affiliate link) by Ashley Wolff (a personal favorite in our house)
Writing Activities
Journaling
Give every child a special camping journal for the day. There are several ways you can use it. After reading you can ask your kids to write about what they learned or write about a favorite part in the story. At the end of your indoor literacy camp-out, you might give your children time to write about their day.
Poetry
Poetry is fun to write and less threatening for kids. List poems, shape poems, and acrostic poems are easy forms of poetry that your kids will be successful at writing instantly. Use topics about camping or another theme you’ve chosen for the day.
How-To Writing
A camp-out can spark ideas for procedural writing. Kids can write about how to make a s’more, how to set up a tent, how to build a fire, or how to pack for a camping trip.
Creative Writing
Older children can try their hand at writing ghost stories. Younger kids can write about a camping trip where they run into an unexpected animal. Encourage them to use their imaginations for creative characters, settings, and problems.
Non-Fiction Writing
If your child is interested in animals or the natural world, he might write a book about raccoons or maple trees. Let your children delve into non-fiction books during their independent reading time to learn about topics of interest, and write a simple teaching book or report.
Song Writing
People love to sing around the campfire. If you’re child is musically inclined, have her make up songs to sing together. Or, write a camping song as a family using a familiar tune.
Sample of a Schedule
When making a schedule, be sure to mix up independent learning, partner learning, and whole group learning throughout the day. Also think about the stamina your kids need for different activities. You’ll want to follow up the activities that require a lot of thinking work with those that give your kids a break.
For example, if they’ve been lying down in their sleeping bags reading quietly, follow up with something that will get their bodies moving and give them the chance to talk.
Here is a sample schedule. You may choose to have your literacy camp-out for just the morning or afternoon. You can fill it with scheduled activities, or keep it more open-ended. It depends on your teaching style and how you think your kids will respond.
- 9:00: Set up Camp & Expectations for the Day
- 9:30: Read aloud
- 10:00 Poetry Writing Activity
- 10:30 Snack & Storytelling
- 11:00 Partner Reading
- 11:30 Decorate Journals & Free Write
- 12:00 Lunch
- 12:30 Outside Exploration
- 1:00 Read Aloud
- 1:30 Non-Fiction Writing Activity
- 2:00 Independent Reading with Flashlights
- 2:30 Wrap Up by Sharing Writing & Eating S’Mores
Snack Ideas
Make ahead options
- Apple cookies: First, core an apple and slice the apple into rings. Spread each apple ring with peanut butter and top with chocolate chips and nuts.
- Fruit kebabs: Cut a variety of fruits, like cantaloupe, melon, and strawberries into bite size pieces. Slide them onto bamboo skewers together with blueberries and grapes. You can cut the skewers in half to make them more manageable.
- Homemade popcorn: Pop popcorn and add toppings or seasonings like nutritional yeast/dried dill or cinnamon/sugar/melted butter.
No-prep snack options
- String cheese
- Dried veggie snacks
- Granola bars
- Nuts
- Dried fruit
- Trail mix
- Hummus and raw veggies
- Beef jerky
- Yogurt
- S’mores
Set Up Your Campsite
You can schedule your literacy camp-out during warm weather and set up your campsite in the yard and spend the day outside. But camping indoors is what makes this camp-out unique. Your kids will think you’re the coolest parent when you pull out your camping equipment, and set it up in the living room! Trust me.
Basic equipment
- Tent or blankets
- Sleeping bags
- Pillows
- Flashlights
- Clipboards
- Writing tools
- Books
Decorating ideas
Decide what room would make the best location for your campsite and set up a small tent. If you don’t have a tent, make a shelter with sheets or blankets. You can also purchase kid tent structures (affiliate link) for indoor use.
Hang paper or foil stars from the ceiling for an outdoor, nighttime feel.
Make a faux campfire with sticks and yellow, orange, and red colored paper or tissue paper cut into flames.
Play recordings of nature sounds from the internet.
Have your kids pack a backpack for the day. In the morning they can “hike in” to the campsite with their sleeping bags, pillows, and backpacks. Don’t forget to pack yours too!
With these ideas and those of your own, I trust you’ll make your indoor literacy camp-out a day to remember. Happy camping! Happy reading and writing!
