Camping toys for kids are one of the best genres of toys you can buy. Our purpose in creating this list for you is to help you find creative toys for your children that will help keep them entertained, and thoroughly enjoying your next camping trip.
Camping toys need to be able to take up limited space and provide both value for money, and effort. We know that these toys will enlighten minds and help to encourage curious kids to be out and enjoying nature.
Binoculars
Binoculars are in our opinion one of the best campsite toys you could purchase. Our daughter is currently saving up to buy a new pair and we have no doubt they will be well used once they are in her hands.
If you are going to buy binoculars for your kids however, be sure to invest in quality pair. Children can get easily frustrated and disappoint if they are too difficult to operate or simply don’t do the job they are supposed to, and will likely toss them aside.
Binoculars can really open up the world to kids, and get them excited about nature. There is something special about being able to look though the lenses and see new and intriguing sights that are difficult to behold with the naked eye. If we are being completely honest, there is also a lot of joy to be had from stalking the campground with your cousins or newly acquired campground friends spying on the enemies.
We recommend these OCCER binoculars. They are a great mid range price and are waterproof which is a huge bonus with kids. There is now doubt they will be dropped in water at some point. We also really appreciate how compact they are. They will fit easily into any backpack and even pockets. One other bonus feature of these binoculars is their night time spying ability. Now they are not true night vision binoculars, they do provide some level of vision for night time mode.
Go Find It
Go Find It is the perfect camping gift for kids especially in the younger age bracket. Little ones will love hunting for all the items on their lists. We think this is a great way to keep the younger lot occupied for a decent amount of time. Older children will likely still enjoy tagging along for the adventure or taking the littles themselves.
One bonus to this camping toy is that it doesn’t take up precious cargo space. Space is such a high commodity one a camping trip so we feel that this camping toy is a good pay off.
We have made scavenger hunts like this for our kids before and while they loved the adventure it took a lot effort on our part to make the cards up. Just save some time and buy some pre=made that will last forever. At last look they were around the $10 mark
Flashlight
What is a camping trip without a flashlight? Not only practical but also an awesome camping toy. We thought we would give you a few options when it comes to flashlights:
The original flashlight is what you would expect when someone mentions the word flashlight. They are a great all purpose source of light and provide a great addition to all the nighttime camping games like Hide n Seek in the dark and Go Home Stay Home.
We like this one from EVEREADY. It has a long life, we don’t think you would be able to wear it down in one trip. EVEREADY is also a great brand that has a long history in the flashlight game. There are a lot of fancy new flashlights around but we feel that sticking with the tried and true is where you should stay in this case.
Lantern
The lantern is similar to the original but it is more suited for hanging in the tent, sitting on the table or gentle walks. We have tried a few over the years and our experience tells us to not go cheap here either. We purchased budget lanterns and they ALL broke before we had even left on the trip. We ended up replacing them and going with better quality and have not been disappointed.
We love these lanterns from Coleman. Again a great and well respected camping brand that you can trust to deliver high quality. We love the great colour range that these kids lanterns come in. These are LED lanterns that means they will run for a lot longer than traditional bulbs. The run time on these is around 16 hours with should be plenty for a single camping trip but as always, bring back up batteries incase it gets left on all day hidden under a blanket.
They are also under $10 at the time of writing so that is a great deal.
Headlamp
These the best kind of light source if your kids are adventurers and need to be hands free. We find that headlamps are absolutely priceless on late night walks through the bush to find glowworms. Headlamps are also the perfect camping toy for all your avid readers who can’t be seen without a book in hand. They will love being able to snuggle down in their sleeping bag at the end of the day and read their favourite book to unwind from all the adventure.
We think these cute fox headlamps are adorable. They are attached to super soft fleece which is undeniable comfortable for little ones. They also come in other animal options too.
If you are however looking for something a bit more grown up for your bigger kids we would recommend the headlamp from Energizer. What is great about these is that they are super adjustable so not matter who is wearing it, they will be able to get the perfect fit. The price is amazing as well. You can purchase a single headlamp for $9 or double up and get two for $15. There would make great stocking stuffers come Christmas too.
Walkie talkies
Walking talkies are the ultimate camping toy. Team them up with a flash light and some binoculars and you will really have the winning combination. Walkie talkie are also a camping toy winner for us because they extend beyond the camping trip. Do you know how brilliant they are for cruise vacations too?
Walkie talkies will provide hours of fun for all the kids at your campsite and an added measure of security if your kids want to go exploring the RV park or campground alone. If you have a set of high quality ones they can extend for a decent range. This is a huge benefit especially if there is no internet coverage where you are.
The walkie talkies we recommend are from Cotre. What we find impressive about these walkie talkies is the excellent range they are able to perform at. They have an astounding 32 mile talk range. The price range is reasonable for what you are getting. The waterproofing is a bonus also, especially if you are out on boats or at the lake.
Pocket Knife
Ten year olds and pocket knives are the real deal. They are just becoming old enough to responsibly use a pocket knife and a camping trip would be the ideal testing ground. That is not to say other ages won’t love a pocket knife but ten seems to be the magic age. Kids will love having a pocket knife tucked away in their pocket and trust me they will offer to help anytime the see an opportunity to use it.
This pocket knife from Grand Way looks like the real deal. The wooden handle really lends itself to something grandpa might have in his back pocket. It is a proper pocket knife though, which means it is sharp so be sure that you child is capable of being responsible enough to care for it. It is designed with a spring lock for safety purposes.
Fishing Net
We love both fishing rods and nets but we really wanted to focus on the nets. Fishing can be a quite slow paced and if a kid doesn’t really enjoy it or hasn’t learned how wonderful it can be rods can often be a waste of money. We would reccomend waiting until you know that it is something they will use.
Fishing nets on the other hand can provide hours of entertainment for kids with fairly instant gratification. Catching little fish in rock pools or creeks or even using them to chase butterflies and other creepy crawlies will all be a part of the fun.
A fishing net is always one of the fish items that we pack on a camping trip or even just a day trip to the swimming hole.
This Oddspro fishing net will keep your littles happy for hours. We love this one for its telescoping handle which makes storing and carrying it much easier.
Bikes
I can not tell you how many kids take their bikes with them to the campground. If you have ever stayed at an RV park or campground you will know that there will be, without a doubt a plethora of kids riding loops around the park. Kids just crave the freedom and the space to ride inhibited.
Yet again bikes are going to be multipurpose. Not only do they provide hours of fun but they are also a great mode of transport around campgrounds and surrounding areas. It is will be a lot more convenient to send a kid up on their bike to the store. Many campgrounds have realised the great benefit of bikes and often hire them out to guests. Management will likely be able to tell you where the best bike paths in the area are too. One campground we stayed at had a great path right in the park.
I am sure your kids already have bikes but we wanted to still make a recommendation any way. Huffy bikes are a great starter bike if you are looking for quality without having to break the bank. They are the brand of bikes we had as kids so they have been around for a long period of time. At the time of writing a boys mountain bike was around the $150 mark which is definitely reasonable for a quality kids bike.
Glow Sticks
Is there really a bad time for glow sticks? These are a cheap but brilliant way to bring a bit of excitement and thrill to a camping trip. Perhaps you can bring them out on the family talent show night? Glow sticks add an ambiance to the event. If you think of all the big holidays and festivals there are always glow sticks. Glow sticks equal memories.
Just buy some.
I am going to give you the link to a bulk pack of glow sticks. 800 to be precise because if you are if you are going to do glow sticks then 800 seems reasonable. Remember to dispose of them properly.
Frisbees
Old or young, everyone loves frisbees. This may be a purchase for your kids but chances are it will turn into a battle of the egos between the uncles and dads which will be remembered around the dinner table for years to come.
We recommend going a little fancier than the regular one we remember from our childhood.
These Activ Flyers are brilliant! The biggest selling point is that they are made in the USA and supporting smaller businesses is important to us. For everyone who has ever been hit in the head with a frisbee you can be reassured that these are a pain free alternative! They come in packs of two in multiple colour combinations.
Magnifying glass
Insect and creepy crawly lovers will be head over heels for this one. Older kids may enjoy exercising a few deadly science principles on poor unsuspecting bugs. In our opinion you don’t need to go too fancy here.
These magnifying glasses for kids are super thick and sturdy which is what you need for kids. They have a magnification of 10x. We really like the design of these kids magnifying glasses due to the care that has been taken to ensure they are safe and you don’t need to worry about the lens falling out and breaking.
