Whether your child is a natural-born explorer, a bedroom tent-builder, or a budding wildlife enthusiast, these magical books about camping are the perfect bookish picks for anyone planning to take their little ones on an outdoorsy overnight excursion. From read-with-me bedtime tales for early-readers, picture books for elementary kids, and classics for independent middle grade readers, these recommendations will make the ideal companion pieces to your kiddos’ outside escapades this summer — promising to inspire adventures as expansive and vibrant as their own imaginations.
The Hike by Alison Farrell
Alison Farrell’s sweet and plucky adventure story, The Hike, is a wholesome tale of three young female explorers who embark on an adventure to conquer the outdoors in their local forest. The stunning illustrations and lyrical language by the author contribute to making this wonderful little book a fun and engaging read that truly captures the majesty of the natural world.
Alongside the fun, whimsical narrative, the book also features a glossary of scientific backmatter, labelled drawings to inspire learning about plants and animals, as well as a quaint sketchbook curated by one of the main characters to show the wondrous discoveries the girls make along their journey. This is a must-read for young children who love stories about the outdoors and the importance of friendship, as well as for fans of We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury. The Hike is sure to leave your kiddos keen to investigate nature in all of its incredible forms, from the wildest wood to their own backyards.
100 Forest School Activities by Dan & Naomi Walmsley
100 Forest School Activities by Dan & Naomi Walmsley is a bumper activity book brimming with ways to teach your kids how to thrive outside. Ranging from ideas for outdoor crafts to bushcraft skills, this book showcases a variety of nature-based play for you and your child to enjoy together this summer. Although not exclusively a book about camping, 100 Forest School Activities offers a multitude of ways for kids to connect with the natural world and to entertain themselves even on the rainiest of days.
The book encourages children to get up close to nature in a fun yet informative way, improving confidence and self-esteem through its controlled risk-taking activity prompts, and boosting resilience. It is the perfect complementary text to a camping trip, and a great antidote for boredom-busting and to keeping your little ones away from screens for a while.
Scaredy Squirrel Goes Camping by Melanie Watt
Melanie Watt’s humorous and relatable story, Scaredy Squirrel Goes Camping, offers comfort and support to young children who may feel anxious or apprehensive about venturing into the natural world. The book follows a lovable character named Scaredy Squirrel, a critter who does not much like the idea of camping, forest bugs, and sleeping bags — that is, until he watches an awesome TV show about the joys and excitement of camping.
The book is one in a collection of Scaredy Squirrel books, a series that encourages healthy discussion about dealing with fears, and which aims to make the facing of phobias a fun and empowering idea for kids. The book additionally celebrates and upholds the idea that letting go enough to take measured risks is a sure way to have a great time whilst camping out with your friends and loved ones.
Flashlight by Lizi Boyd
In Lizi Boyd’s wordless picture book Flashlight, little readers get to experience a magically dark night out camping through the light of the main character’s trusty torch. The story is told solely through images, showing that a night outside in nature is not scary, but rather an amazing opportunity for imaginations to run free.
In this book, writer and illustrator Lizi Boyd brilliantly crafts a masterful exploration of art, nature, and nighttime that is wonderfully accessible to young campers. Both humorous and lyrical, this visual poem-like text reveals that there is magic amongst darkness if only we choose to see it.
S is for S’mores: A Camping Alphabet by Helen Foster James & Illustrated by Lita Judge
From where to go, to what to pack, to what to do once you get to the campsite, S is for S’mores: A Camping Alphabet by Helen Foster James takes young readers on an A-Z exploration of the American outdoor pastime. Complemented alongside beautiful illustrations by Lita Judge, James draws on her veteran-level knowledge of camping to tackle topics such as equipment necessities, famous national parks, and unique camping environments that are informative as well as entertaining for young readers.
The book works as a fun and informative read that is sure to help campers of all ages enjoy their wilderness adventures to the utmost.
Fatima’s Great Outdoors by Ambreen Tariq & Illustrated by Stevie Lewis
In this lively children’s picture book, outdoors activist and founder of the Brown People Camping initiative Ambreen Tariq invites readers to follow Fatima Khazi and her immigrant family as they embark on their first ever camping adventure through the Midwest. Extremely excited for their outdoor weekend, Fatima escapes classroom boredom by immersing herself in nature.
She helps her dad set up the tent, builds a fire with her mother, and even survives a daddy longlegs with her sister. At the end of their joy-filled day, the family snuggles down inside their sleeping bags, drifting off to the sweet serenade of the forest and its wildlife. With cheery illustrations by Stevie Lewis, Fatima’s Great Outdoors is a love letter to memories of family camping trips, and a timely reminder that public land equally belongs to, and deserves to be enjoyed by, everyone.
Goodnight, Campsite by Loretta Sponsler & Illustrated by Olga Shevchenko
Goodnight, Campsite by Loretta Sponsler is an easy-to-follow camp story with brilliant illustrations by Olga Shevchenko and a diverse cast of characters. The book is set in a beautiful nature park, following visitors as they explore the park during the day — biking, fishing, hiking — and at night, as they bed down in their cosy outdoor homes.
Something particularly unique about this book is the emphasis on RV camping, as opposed to simply just tents. It is a great read-aloud book for family campfire storytimes and thus one that every young child will be able to thoroughly enjoy.
A Campfire Tail by Sarah Glenn Marsh & Illustrated by Ana Gomez
Sarah Glenn Marsh’s A Campfire Tail is an amusing children’s picture book set in the peculiar Camp Wildwood, where Dragon (the story’s main character) is getting into all sorts of mischievous scrapes. In a summer camp filled with little boys and girls, Dragon does not quite fit in. He ruins a puppet show, accidentally overturns a boat, and even sets a boat on fire!
With the help of his friend Buddy, however, Dragon comes through in a pinch and manages to save the day. This funny, sweet, and endearing tale teaches little readers about the true meaning of friendship and encourages them to embrace others who may be struggling with fitting in. This is the perfect book for your little one to take with them if they are attending a holiday summer camp with other young people this summer.
Echo Mountain by Lauren Wolk
An outstanding nature-themed book recommendation for middle-grade readers is Echo Mountain by Lauren Wolk. Set in 1933, the story follows Ellie and her family as they are forced to flee to the mysterious Echo Mountain after they lose everything. There, Ellie runs free and finds that someone is leaving strange gifts for her to find — beautifully intricate wooden carvings of flowers and animals that she comes to view akin to treasure.
Whilst on her quest to uncover the mountain’s secrets, Ellie’s father suffers a terrible accident, which leads her on a desperate search for a cure. Here, Ellie meets Cate (an outcast witch) and Larkin (a wild mountain boy) from whom she learns about being a healer, being brave, and who teach her that there are always greater depths to a person than what you can first see at first glance.
Five Go Off to Camp by Enid Blyton
Five Go Off to Camp is the seventh novel in the Famous Five children’s adventure series written by Enid Blyton. First published in 1948, this is a classic recommendation for older kids to enjoy whilst out camping this summer. The story revolves around eerie ‘spook trains’ that Julian, Dick, Georgina, Anne, and Timmy the dog hear about whilst planning to camp out together on a desolate moor.
Upon arriving at their chosen camping spot, the Five discover several old railway tracks that run beneath the moors, many of them unused and fallen into states of disrepair. Joining them on their adventure is a boy named Jock, a young boy who lives on the farm with his parents. With his help, the children work to solve the mystery of the train tracks, facing danger (and their fears) at every turn. For young readers who love stories that are filled with rapid twists and turns, this is the perfect camping recommendation for them.
These engaging, fun camping book recommendations for children are sure to get your kiddos feeling eager for adventure and wildly excited to explore the great outdoors. So what are you waiting for? Pack up your books, tent, hiking boots, and get ready to make memories and forge a love of nature that will last a lifetime.
Want your little reader to expand their bookish horizons even more? Read our article: What a Magical World With Children’s Books.
Check out some of our other great summer kids’ book recs over at our Bookshop!
