22 Wonderful Children’s Camping Books

Whether you’re going hiking, camping in the backyard, or just reading about camping, prepare your kids to understand what goes into the experience with these wonderful children’s camping books about camping and hiking.

PRINTABLE LIST

Wonderful Children’s Camping Books

C is for Camping by Greg Paprocki
ages 1 – 4
I adore this retro-looking alphabet board book series, and you will, too. In this book, C is for Camping, read all about camping from A to Z, including sleeping in a tent, looking at the stars, tending to minor cuts, and more. Absolutely charming.

Brave Little Camper written by Carmen Crowe, illustrated by Jen Taylor
ages 1 – 4
Little Camper spends the night in the forest and listens to the sounds. Readers push the buttons to hear the friendly sounds of nature. Sweetly introduces babies and toddlers to the forest at night.

The Camping Trip by Jennifer K. Mann
ages 4 – 8
Ernestine shares all the important details about her first camping trip from packing to hiking and even getting a little scared in the night. The trip ends up being a wonderful experience! And it’s a wonderful reading experience, too. The comic panels and illustrations feel fresh and atmospheric.

Oliver and Hope’s Adventure Under the Stars by Meg Cadts
ages 4 – 8
The animal friends go on their first camping trip where they make up silly games and discover amazing things in nature. With gorgeous illustrations and calming narration, this positive story celebrates imagination and adventure.

The Hike by Alison Farrell
ages 4 – 8
I adore this DARLING nature story and so will you! Three friends and one dog leave for a mountain hike. Handwriting labels flora and fauna around them — Steller’s Jay, a porcupine quill, a chipmunk nest. The girls are happy to run, stop to eat thimbleberries, make leaf baskets, rest, get lost, write in their sketchbooks, and notice the animals around them.

Flashlight by Lizi Boyd
ages 4 – 8
A beautiful wordless picture book showing a young boy exploring the woods in the dark. His flashlight illuminates plants and animals. Until the animals get the flashlight and illuminate him. Enchanting. (SEE: Reading and Writing Activities for Wordless Picture Books.)

Hike by Pete Oswald
ages 4 – 8
Take an adventure with a boy and his father out of the city and into the woods. Wordless, playful, emotion-filled, and deeply satisfying, see the beauty of nature from a log bridge and a waterfall to the pine forest where the father and son plant a new tree. Stunning and heartfelt.
GO TO: Activities to Do with Wordless Picture Books

Look What I Found in the Woods written by Moira Butterfield, illustrated by Jesus Verona
I love this picture book of informational text about the woods with interactive questions, engaging writing, and fantastic design. Learn about plants, trees, bark, leaves, nuts, pinecones, and bugs. You’ll appreciate that the last page reminds children to only collect things that they find on the ground.

Fatima’s Great Outdoors written by Ambreen Tariq, illustrated by Stevie Lewis
ages 4 – 8
Leaving the cruelty of her classmates behind, Fatima and her family take their first camping trip in the forest. Her mom and dad make the experience a fun adventure with good food, family stories, and persistence when things go wrong. It helps Fatima love camping– the fun and the adventure–and reminds her of what life used to feel like in India. She’s sad to return to the city but her aapa (sister) reminds her that they can come back soon.

Climb On! written by Baptiste Paul, illustrated by Jacqueline Alcantara
HIKING
An exuberant child reminds their dad it’s the day for their hike. The child talks nonstop in Creole words and English as they hike, leap, and climb through the lush, green jungle filled with colorful creatures and plants, rocks, lakes,  and footpaths to get to the tippy top of the mountain. At the top, it’s a wow moment — a spectacular view overlooking their village, the mountains, and the ocean. Visually stunning.

Nana the Great Goes Camping written by Lisa Tawn Bergren, illustrated by David Hohn
The girl’s Nana takes her brother and her camping in the Great Outdoors. They hike, river raft, cook s’mores, potluck with other campers, and tell stories. Nana shares her wisdom with the girl, too–how new adventures are around every corner and that God loves her more than Nana does. You’ll love Nana’s adventurous spirit and how she encourages kids to explore and try new things.

Scout Moore Junior Ranger Yellowstone written by Theresa Howell, illustrated by Jeffrey Ebbeler
ages 4 – 8
A playful look at Yellowstone National Park with whimsical illustrations and a relatable story! When a family of four with a dragon-loving brother and adventurous junior ranger sister take a trip to Yellowstone National Park, their experience highlights the many incredible features of the park — nature, geyser, and animals. Highly recommended!

Our Great Big Backyard written by Laura Bush and Jenna Bush Hager
ages 4 – 8
Jane’s family is on a road trip across the United States — and she’s not happy about it. At first. Then, she slowly warms up to the amazing vistas and experiences the national parks and nature have to offer. Realistic and charming, Jane is such a relatable main character. This excellent picture book will get any child excited for their own grand tour of the U.S. from the Everglades to Old Faithful.

Grandma Gatewood Hikes the Appalachian Trail by Jennifer Thermes
ages 4 – 8
Learn about an independent, fierce, and self-sufficient woman named Emma, or Grandma Gatewood, who hiked about 2,000 miles through 14 states on the Appalachian Trail. She walks the trail with bad weather, epic views, new friends, fatigue, and success. Maps show where she is as she crosses through the different states and its illustrated with gorgeous, inviting watercolors.

Eva’s Campfire Adventure by Rebecca Elliott
ages 5 – 9
Eva is excited to go camping! She writes in her diary about how she and her classmates pitch tents, eat campfire treats, and go on a treasure hunt in the forest. Easy to read with colorful illustrations.

Charlie & Mouse Outdoors written by Laurel Snyder, illustrated by Emily Hughes
ages 5 – 9
Three short stories of bravery and adventure about Charlie’s family camping trip explore telling a story, roasting marshmallows, nature, and family. Charming.

Fred and Ted Go Camping by Peter Eastman
ages 5 – 9
In the style of P.D. Eastman’s artwork with the same characters, his son Peter Eastman creates a nostalgic book about dog friends, Fred and Ted, who go camping in the woods. Watch them arrive, set up, fish, and have fun!

Kit and Kaboodle Go Camping written by Michelle Portice, illustrated by Mitch Mortimer
ages 5 – 9
These two friends pack for a camping trip then set off on a hike into the forest. They play games, eat snacks, look at clouds, and set up their camp. Help them find what they need in their backpacks by searching for the hidden pictures. What a fun book!

Isadora Moon Goes Camping by Harriet Muncaster
ages 7 – 10
Filled with playful pink and black illustrations, this vampire-fairy and her family go camping on the beach over summer vacation. When she accidentally loses her father’s heirloom comb a washed-away sandcastle, she and her Pink Rabbit set out to find it.

Willa’s Wilderness Campout (American Girl Wellie Wishers) written by Valerie Tripp, illustrated by Thu Thai
ages 7 – 10
We think the Wellie Wishers books (and dolls) are charming and love the full-color illustrations. In this story, the friends go camping only to find some of their supplies missing! Luckily, the friends can make the best of every situation. Includes recipes and activities in the back of the book

Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol (graphic novel)
ages 8 – 12
Russian summer camp is not what Vera was hoping…at least until she finds a new friend. (Which takes a while, lots of valuable life lessons, and many mishaps.) This is a slice-of-life glimpse into the author’s own summer camp experience. The illustrations are in green, black, and white, not full color.

Camp by Kayla Miller
ages 8 – 12
A story not just about a summer camp experience but also about the challenges of friendship, particularly when you have a friend who is jealous of other people. Olive wants to be Willow’s friend but she also likes other people. Honest and relatable.

Camping with Unicorns by Dana Simpson (graphic novel)
ages 8 – 12
In this latest installment of charming and hilarious adventures of friendship, Phoebe and her unicorn best friend, Marigold Heavenly Nostrils, spend summer vacation having adventures together. A must-read series, this installment is another entertaining book with the positive message of being true to yourself.

Backpack Explorer: On the Nature Trail by Storey Publishing
ages 8 – 12
What a beautiful field guide for young children to identify what they see in nature from leaves and trees to birds and insects. Discovery games, seek and find lists, art projects, and more help children get hands-on with nature.

Forest School Adventure Outdoor Skills and Play for Children by Naomi Walmsley & Dan Westall
ages 8 – 12
Parents and teachers, use this book as a resource for camping, survival, and outdoor basics. I like that this book isn’t the same old ideas as all the other outdoor books — it has new ideas and more extensive ideas. Each idea tells the age for which it is appropriate, time to do it, and materials you’ll need plus steps and photos for completing the activity or idea. For example in bushcraft, you’ll find four ways to make fire, how to collect water, how to make hitches, and how to carve a butter knife,… among other ideas — of which are there are a lot. In the wild food section, for example, you’ll read about foraging, making juice from nettles, and how to make a lemon cake in a lemon.

Camp Out! The Ultimate Kids’ Guide by Lynn Brunelle
ages 8 – 12
174 activities, games, projects, songs, experiments, crafts, and more — learn the basics of camping (like what to pack and building a tarp tent) and all the things you can make play, and do in the outdoors!

Nature Walk Journal by Potter Gift
ages 8+
Press flowers, identify animal tracks and clouds, and make sketches in this journal with information, lists, quotes, prompts, and more.

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