Best Classroom Camping Theme Ideas

Camping classroom theme examples: tent with picnic table and boat with stepping stones in a classroom

Looking to bring a bit of the outdoors into your classroom? We have all the inspiration you will need to transform your classroom into a campsite. Your students will get a kick out of roasting pretend marshmallows, floating down a tablecloth river, or stepping into a real tent. Check out these adorable props, bulletin boards, books, and more to set up your classroom camping theme!

(Just a heads up, WeAreTeachers may collect a share of sales from the links on this page. We only recommend items our team loves!)

1. Go from classroom to campground

A classroom is setup to look like a campsite. A log cabin entrance is shown with two adirondack chairs. Some pretend trees, a pop up camper, and a picnic table are in the background.

Check out how Melanie Ralbusky, elementary school teacher and creator of Schoolgirl Style, transformed a storage closet into a totally decked-out camping-themed classroom!

Buy it: Pop-Up Camper Tent at Amazon, Kids Camping Chair at Amazon, String Lights Banner at Amazon

2. Start a glowing campfire

This classroom campfire idea from The Teacher Wife Lindsey Erickson actually glows when you turn off the lights thanks to some purple holiday lights.

Buy it: Purple Holiday Lights at Amazon

3. Get creative with forest-themed play dough

A blue tray with six sections shows a variety of forest themed items including river stones and plastic insects. Blue and green play dough is in the middle.

This forest-themed sensory activity from Pocket of Preschool would be perfect for a camping-themed classroom. You can make your own green and blue play dough or buy some premade.

Buy it: Blue Plastic Sorting Tray at Amazon, Plastic Bugs at Amazon, Nautical Sea Glass at Amazon

4. Re-create this campfire craft for kids

A pretend campfire is shown. Red, yellow, and orange tissue paper make up the flames and brown construction paper makes the logs. A pretend marshmallow is made from a cotton ball.

You’ll need battery-operated tea lights, tissue paper, construction paper, a Popsicle stick, and a cotton ball to re-create this fun and simple DIY campfire from Chelsey, a former teacher and creator of Buggy and Buddy.

Buy it: Tissue Paper at Amazon, Battery-Operated Tea Lights at Amazon

5. Try an inflatable campfire …

A classroom is shown that has been setup to look like a campsite. A picnic table, a green tent, and an inflatable campfire are shown.

Not crafty? Try an inflatable campfire like this one at The Kindergarten Smorgasboard.

Buy it: Inflatable Campfire at Amazon

6. Or cuddle up to a plush campfire

A classroom is shown with a green rug and a plush, toy campfire on it.

Try a plush campfire like the one shown here at Teacher’s Brain. Kids will enjoy incorporating it into their pretend play as well.

Buy it: Plush Campfire at Amazon

7. Make a Classroom Chores chart using camping Imagery

A camping themed bulletin board is shown with signposts listing the individual classroom chores.

Create an adorable camping-themed bulletin board like this one from the Foreman Teaches blog to signal who is responsible for what in your classroom.

Buy it: Camping-Themed Bulletin Board Decor at Amazon

8. Make this DIY classroom tent

Take a cue from Teach Junkie and hang a couple of inexpensive plastic tablecloths from a door frame, and voilà! You’ve got a tent!

Buy it: Brown Tablecloths at Amazon

9. Trap pretend bugs in a jar

Posterboard cutouts of lanterns are shown with different student drawn creatures in them. They are hanging from clothespins on a clothesline in a classroom.

First grade teacher April of Monkey Fun in First Grade had her class create these fun and colorful bug jars where they got to trap a creature of their choosing. Cheap and easy to re-create, all you need is art supplies and a clothesline and clothespins.

Buy it: Bright-Colored Poster Board at Amazon, Clothesline and Rainbow Clothespins at Amazon

10. Hang this fun camping tapestry

A camping tapestry shows a lake with mountains in the background and a pitched red tent.

Hang this affordable yet sturdy tapestry for the perfect backdrop to any camping-themed classroom.

Buy it: Camping Tapestry at Amazon

11. Create camping words with rocks

A desk is shown with river rocks with white letters painted on them. The words bear and skunk are written on strips of papers with matching river rock letters above them.

Try this fun camping-themed literacy center from Pocket of Preschool.

Buy it: Large Rocks for Painting at Amazon

12. Hold story time on a campfire rug

A rug is shown in a classroom setting. It features 6 logs surrounding a campfire.

Make your morning meeting or story time feel like a real campout with a camping-themed rug.

Buy it: Campfire Rug at Amazon, Camping-Themed Rug at Amazon

13. Read in a Camp Corner

Tree, tent, and camping chairs for classroom theme

The red in this reading corner from Mrs. McDonald’s Classroom Ideas makes the whole thing pop! My kids would be lining up for a turn with the sleeping bag inside the tent. (Psst: We’ve got even more reading corner ideas.)

Buy it: Affordable red camping chair at Amazon, Kids Sleeping Bag at Amazon

14. Set up a pretend river to run through your classroom camp

A pretend river is made from blue plastic tablecloths with large rocks spread throughout. A tent and a pretend campfire are also shown.

Trena Henley’s Pinterest shows an easy and affordable way to create a river or stream in your classroom.

Buy it: Multi-Pack Blue Tablecloths at Amazon

15. Let students climb into a real tent

A campsite is setup in a classroom with a small tent and two camping chairs.

Give your classroom campsite an authentic feel with a real yet affordable tent for the kids to climb inside. This example from Just Teachy is cozy and easy to re-create.

Buy it: Shark or Unicorn Tent at Walmart

16. Create tree stump seating

A pretend campfire is surrounded by soft seat cushions that are designed to look like tree stumps.

Look at this cute seating arrangement from the Teacher’s Corner of Chaylor & Mads. What a fun spot to hold a morning meeting!

Buy it: Tree Stump Cushions at Amazon

17. Explore a woodland hallway

Woodland school hallway decorations with trees and owls

The owls and other woodland creatures in this adorable hallway by Cara Carroll really bring it to life.

Buy it: Removable Adhesive Tape at Amazon

18. Add some camping flair to your art supplies

Three children huddle around a pencil holder made to look like a vintage camper.

This camping-themed pencil holder will make art time more fun!

Buy it: Vintage Camper Pencil Holder at Amazon

19. Set up a cozy bulletin board

Camper bulletin board camping theme classrooms

We love that this multimedia board from Mrs. Wills Kindergarten has real fabric on the tent!

Buy it: Burlap Banner at Amazon

20. Welcome curious campers

Classroom DIY bulletin board happy campers with binoculars

Students can help make fantastic campers like these from Buzzing About Second Grade. They can practice looking through their own binoculars as well!

Buy it: Kids Binoculars at Amazon

21. Bring in an inflatable canoe for pretend play

A classroom is setup to look like a river with an inflatable raft and multi-colored stepping stones.

Inspire dramatic play with this fun river setup.

Buy it: Inflatable Raft at Amazon, Stepping Stones at Amazon

22. Light up camping lanterns

A little girl is sitting by a makeshift tent reading by lantern light.

Take a cue from Lucky Little Learners and let students read by lantern light.

Buy it: Lanterns at Amazon

23. Grab a fishing pole

Two Children are shown playing a fishing game in a classroom setting.

This fishing game from Pinterest/MelissaTraber fits the classroom camping theme perfectly. Make one or buy one already made.

Buy it: Fishing Play Set at Amazon

24. Read camping-themed books

A bookcase that displays books facing outward shows a number of camping themed books for children.

Set up a camping-themed library like Kayla of K’s Classroom Kreations.

Buy it: A Camping Spree With Mr. Magee at Amazon, Pete the Cat Goes Camping at Amazon, Froggy Goes to Camp at Amazon

25. Head to the bear cave

Bear cave themed classroom bulletin board

Create a bear-themed bulletin board like this one from The Barefoot Teacher. You can make one little bear face for each of your students!

Buy it: Enhance your bulletin board with these cute paw prints at Amazon.

26. Read together under the stars

Tree, tent, and campfire wall decor for classroom

Hang some stars from the ceiling to create a reading area under the stars like this cute setup from Bee-ing Mommy.

Buy it: Hanging Stars at Amazon

27. Enter your camping classroom through a S’Mores Door

S'mores door decoration ideas for classroom camping theme

Create a cute s’mores-themed entrance to your classroom like this one from Nicole Ingenbrandt’s Pinterest. All the fun of s’mores without all the stickiness!

Buy it: Colorful Bulletin Board Letters at Amazon, Black Letters at Amazon