Toddlers love playing "pretend," so pretend that you're having a camp-out in your own classroom. Bring in a tent or ask families to lend you their tents. Set up the tent in the middle of the classroom. Then cover the floor inside with blankets, pillows and sleeping bags. Invite all the children to crawl inside and listen to camp stories. Let children get cozy on the blankets, and then read story books about camping.
Create a pretend campfire to teach children about fire safety. Cut out paper flames and tape them to the wall. You can also create a three-dimensional fire by filling a bowl with rocks. Prop up flames cut from cardboard inside the rocks. Prop a few flashlights around the pretend fire, then turn off the room lights. Gather the children around the pretend fire. Explain that fires are only for adults to touch and that children should never be near them without adults present. Pass out bowls of marshmallows, graham crackers and small pieces of chocolate. Help toddlers stack these ingredients together into s'mores and enjoy the snack.
Part of camping is exploring nature, so take children on a nature walk around your school. Pretend that you're on a camping trip out in the country. Point out leaves or interesting rocks and ask toddlers to point out all the things that they see. You can also pretend to be searching for just the right spot to set up your campground. When you find a patch of flat, dry ground, spread out a blanket. Have children gather on the blanket. Pass out drinks of water and enjoy a snack in your new-found "campsite."
Working on crafts helps toddlers develop their motor skills. Bring in camping magazines. Let children pull or cut pictures of camping gear out of the magazines. Then help them glue the photos onto a sheet of paper to create a collage. You can also help children make campfire pictures: Paint each child's hand with red paint and press his hand onto a piece of white paper. When the paint dries, paint each child's hand with yellow or orange paint and press it on top of the red hand print. When that layer is dry, paint one of the child's fingers brown. Press the finger onto the bottom of the hand shapes to create logs under a fire.