One of the best ways to get young kids excited about outdoor activities such as camping, backpacking and hiking is to get them some toys associated with these outdoor activities. And what better time than getting kids camping toys than the upcoming holiday season.
In this short article, we look at some of the best camping toys for kids. Most of the kids camping toys that we list are suitable for kids in the age group of 3 to 10 years. We will also briefly discuss some factors to keep in mind before picking the best camping toys for children.
For some more kids camping toys and gift suggestions, do not forget to check out our article on the best gift ideas for outdoor loving kids.
Best Camping Toys for young kids list
Cost Indicators: Based on the maximum retail price of the products. (Seasonal prices may be significantly lower. Click on Check Price to know the current price of the item.)
Price between $5 and $25: $
Price between $26 and $40 : $$
Price between $41 and above : $$$
| Picture | Product | Suitable for | Price | Features | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
  | Learning Resources Pretend & Play Camp Set | Boys/Girls : 3-6 years | $ to $$ | - This realistically designed 9 piece camping set features battery operated lantern and stove. - Also includes a canteen, pan, shovel, first-aid kit, pretend watch, and utensil set with compass. | |
  | PLAYMOBIL 5432 Camp Site Playset | Boys/Girls : 4-10 years | $$ to $$$ | - This playset features a full fledged playset for a campsite. - This German design playset Includes three figures, cat, dog, squirrels, lizard, cooler, cash register, trash can, trees, scooter, and lots of other accessories | |
  | The Queen's Treasures Great Outdoors Wilderness Adventure Play Set | Girls : 8+ years | $$$ | - This wood-plastic playset is a perfect accessory for 18” doll. - It features 2 chairs, fire ring , 2 s'mores and 2 marshmallow sticks and a hand woven style backpack | |
  | Our Generation Pegged Accessory - Polka Dot Camping Set | Girls : 5-12 years | $$$ | - This unique item in dollhouse category is a perfect accessory for 18” doll. - The set has 10 plastic items that include 1 tent, 1 set of tent poles, 1 functional sleeping bag, 1 marshmallow, 1 roasting stick, 1 hot dog, 1 plate, 1 cup, 1 kettle, and 1 working lantern | |
  | Carson AdventurePak | Boys : 3+ years | $ | - Real adventure pack that features Hawk Kids Binoculars, Compass, Flashlight and a Signal Whistle with a Built-in Thermometer - Most suitable for camping and backyard outdoor activities - Needs 2 AA batteries for flashlight. | |
  | Fisher-Price Little People Songs & Sounds Camper | Boys/Girls : 3-5 years | $ | - This musical camper toy by Fisher Price is a must have for young kids and toddlers and contains 50+ sing-along songs, sounds & phrases about camping - It teaches kids about animals, animal sounds, camping and fishing - The required batteries are included in the pack | |
  | Theo Klein Toy Swiss Army Knife | Boys : 3-8 years | $ | - This realistic replica of Swiss army knife is a popular economical toy for your young one. - The replica includes plastic spoon, fork, knife, blade and small saw | |
  | Victorinox Swiss Army My First Victorinox Knife | Boys/Girls : 7+ years | $ | - This REAL Swiss army knife is a perfect gift for your old boy/girl. - This made in Switzerland knife has 8 features including knife, screwdriver and can opener. | |
  | Backyard Safari Cargo Vest | Boys/Girls : 5+ years | $ | - This real safari vest is made with poly-twill fabric with reinforced detail - It has 2 large Velcro pockets and 4 D-rings to hang even more essential equipment - Accessories such as binoculars and magnifiers are NOT included. | |
  | Nature Bound Cargo Vest | Boys/Girls : 5+ years | $ | - This meshed, rugged vest is an excellent gift for grown up kid. - The vest includes 4 cargo pockets, 7 orange loops for carabiners and 1 pen pocket for treasure | |
  | Kidzlane Durable Walkie Talkies | Boys/Girls : 5+ years | $$ | - This best seller walkie talkie set of 2 equipment is a fully functional kids friendly product. - The set has range of up to 2 miles and features 3 channels. - The walkie talkie set comes in many boy and girl friendly colors. | |
  | NaturLaunchers Wooden Slingshot | Boys : 8+ years | $ | - This kid-size slingshot is handcrafted with solid wood handle and wood forks. - Features animal images painted with non-toxic paint. - The sling is made with surgical rubber elastic band for high durability. | |
  | Kidzlane Binoculars For Kids | Boys, Girls : 6+ years | $$ | - A fully-functional 8X zoom-able binocular with 20mm objective lens. - Has a full rubber coating for safe operation and damage protection. - Comes with a neck strap and a protective carrying case. | |
  | Adventure Kidz Outdoor Exploration Kit | Boys, Girls : 4+ years | $ | - A true explorer set with four items-binoculars, compass, flashlight and magnifying glass - Comes with four separate gift boxes and a trendy string carry bag. - The LED flashlight is rechargeable, so no batteries required. | |
  | Gamie Magnetic Board Game Set | Boys, Girls : 6+ years | $ | - A set of 12 retro board games, with each game individually packed - The magnetic game set includes classics such as Chess, Chinese checkers, , Snakes & Ladders, Solitaire, Auto Racing and Ludo - Ultralight and compact at 5 inches only for easy packing and carry | |
  | Elite Ring Toss Game | Boys, Girls : 4+ years | $ | - This timeless classic outdoor game includes 5 durable rope rings, 10 plastic rings, a sturdy wood base - Also comes with a convenient carry bag. - Backed by a lifetime replacement warranty. |
Picking the best camping toys for kids
With so many different options available in the market, picking the best camping toys for your kids can be a challenging task. After all, you not only want them to have fun with the toys but also develop an interest in outdoor activities.
In today’s age of gadget-filled life, this task has become more difficult. Still, you can consider the following factors while picking the best camping toys for kids:
- Age of kids
- Functionality and features
- Gender
- Popularity
Construction material
The building material and construction quality is an important factor to check out before picking the best kids camping toys.
Most kids camping toys are made of plastic, so it is important to check that the material is explicitly marked as BPA, BPS and Phthalate-free. For wooden toys, it is important to ascertain that it does not use lead-based paint or varnish.
Age of kids
It is important to keep the age of the child into consideration before picking the best camping toy. As an example, a child in the age group of 3-5 years needs a toy that is safe for the age, easy to operate and does not have small parts that can get damaged or lost easily. Similarly, a 6-10 year old would find a realistic toy more entertaining.
Check the recommended age group indicated on the toy to ascertain its suitability for the children.
Functionality and features
Closely related with the age-bracket is the functionality of toys. You can keep a child under age of 6 years happy with pretend-play and semi-functional toys. But beyond that age, the kids would look for fully functional toys. Toys such as binoculars and walkie-talkies would find lot of favor with children in this age group.
Gender
While most of the toys that we listed are suitable for both boys and girls, some toys are more gender specific than others. Toys such as Our Generation Pegged Accessory – Polka Dot Camping Set would find more liking from girls who love to play with dolls, while toys such as Theo Klein Toy Swiss Army Knife would find more favor with boys.
Popularity
The popularity of toys is often an important consideration to keep in mind while choosing the right toys. After all, you would not want kids to enjoy what you gift to them. Generally, reviews and ratings are a great indicator of the popularity and hence you can use these indicators to pick the best camping toys for your kids.
Final thoughts on best camping toys for young kids
In this article, we looked at some of the best camping toys and outdoor-themed toys for boys and girls within the age group of 3 to 10 years. We looked at some pretend play options for children that replicate the actual camping gear and also looked at some realistic toys such as the Real Swiss knife, cargo vest, and slingshost. The pretend play options are most suitable for 4-6 year olds while the realistic items are most suitable for older kids. All the options that we listed are safe to play with and made of BPA-free plastic or high-quality wood.
The kids camping toys listed above would not only help in getting kids prepared and interested in outdoor activities such as camping but also help them improve their motor and learning skills through fun filled activities. These toys also make an excellent gift item.
We hope that you found this article useful and it would help you in picking the best camping toys for your children. Do let us know if you would want us to consider anything else. Until next time, happy camping!
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Image credits: Amazon.com
Some great camping toys in this list. Loved the cute cargo jackets and swiss army knives!
Hi Cat,
Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment, it means a lot.
Glad you liked our list.