Best Camping Books for Kids’ Bedtime

Entertaining kids on camping trips can sometimes be tricky. One surefire way to encourage younger children to embrace the great outdoors is by reading them the appropriate books before bedtime. There is plenty of wonderful kids’ camping books with animal protagonists or those that provide educational approaches that could work wonders!

• One of the best camping books for young children is Three Days on a River in a Red Canoe, which follows one child on his or her first overnight camping trip. Although written for older preschoolers, this book can also work well with toddlers as its details are more involved than many other camping stories; its illustrations are vibrant and colorful and features buttons that play night-time forest noises to help familiarize young readers with them.

• Scaredy Squirrel Goes Camping is another wonderful camping story for young children. Just as its title implies, this book can help children who fear dark places or struggle with anxiety in different settings see that camping doesn’t need to be scary at all! Scaredy Squirrel’s endearing character will show them that camping needn’t be scary after all!

• If you are searching for a camping book that provides more of a learning experience, My Side of the Mountain is an exceptional picture book with breathtaking artwork that will help children to appreciate the natural beauty. This exciting camping book for kids is a rhyming picture book based on an iconic tune. Perfect for beginners learning to read and understanding the importance of being prepared when camping in the mountains!

• Curious George is a beloved character for children of all ages and this captivating camping book will definitely hold their interest. Curious George Goes Camping encounters various outrageous situations while learning how to be helpful along the way. This one provides children with all of the knowledge and materials necessary for introducing camping basics.

• Ultimate Explorer Field Guide: Trees is an entry level field guide by National Geographic and great for older kids who are curious about the environment. No matter where you are in the outdoors, you’ll find a tree that’s in this book. With trees from all 50 states represented, the guide will give them facts from a wide range of things from how a forest grows to what they can do to help with conservation efforts anywhere they go.

• Goodnight Campsite is great for kids around preschool age. Inspired by the popular “Goodnight Moon” children’s book, this one emphasizes RV camping and even includes a fun campsite bingo game the entire family can get into. The hide-and-seek squirrel activity in the book is sure to keep them engaged throughout.

• The Lost Lake is a gem in that the Japanese-born author includes hand-painted illustrations to go with his simple prose in this kid-friendly tale about the benefits of being alone in nature. If your child would rather play with an iPad than spend quality time outdoors, this book is for them.

• Brave Little Camper includes interactive buttons that play night time forest noises. Perfect for younger kids and toddlers, it’s helpful for those who have never camped overnight. Another thing to appreciate about this book is that it takes place in an RV camper so RV kids can relate.

• The Kids’ Guide to Camping is the ultimate book for little ones to begin their life-long camping journey. In this 128-page guide, they will stay engaged as they learn about camping basics, and parents will also get tips in the form of interactive games and puzzles.