We love to pretend! Dramatic play isn’t just practice for future actors it’s practice for future adults. It gives children a chance to play out scenarios , engage in cooperative play and even problem solve. It also gives the imagination and kid’s natural creativity a great outlet !  This camping play is so easy and offers lots of  situations to act out, from traveling to the camp ground, hiking, fishing for dinner and telling bedtime stories. Of course those were just our ideas your child will come up with their own.The campfire craft is a great opportunity to drive home fire safety rules and procedures  too !

Campfire Craft

1. Gather your materials. You will need a long paper roll or a few shorter ones. We used a roll from wrapping paper. Also some orange , red and yellow tissue paper, some double stick  tape , scissors and a brown marker. You may also want some clothes pins.
2. Start by coloring the roll.
3. Next cut in 3
4. Rip your paper. Random ripping works best. We were out of red so I cut some red cellophane that I had.
5. Add tape to your rolls in the middle and have your child add the paper. This is why I like using double stick, that way I can place the tape and it’s sticky and ready for him to add the flames.
6. Next tape the rolls together. This is where I used the clothes pins. I used double stick tape then held it together with the clothes pins for 30 minutes before playing.

While that sat we made some snacks for the camping trip!

We made some trail mix ( cereal, dried cherries and pumpkin seeds)

Then we packed some other favorites into our “cooler” aka my son’s lunch box.

We popped a sheet in a back pack, grabbed a lantern and made a car out of the kitchen chairs.  Packed our stuff in the trunk and got buckled in. Then drove for 51 hours to the campsite.

Unpacked.

Got settled with a snack

Then told ghost stories by the fire.

Time for bed!

It took 5 minutes of gathering items to have a fun morning of pretend!

What is your child’s favorite pretend play activity?