If you’re camping with kids this summer and looking for a fun and memorable craft to do at the site—this DIY Campfire Paint is such a good one. It’s low-prep, totally free, and seriously magical for kids. We made ours during a weekend getaway at the Haliburton Forest Reserve (which, by the way, we LOVED). The weather was perfect, the stars were unreal, and although there was no picnic table at our site, that didn’t stop us from getting crafty!
One of the things I love most about camping with kids is how the simplest things turn into adventures—crushing charcoal into homemade paint? Total win. Add in fresh air, trees all around, and a campfire crackling nearby, and suddenly you’re making art with the forest as your studio.
Why You’ll Love DIY Campfire Paint
- It uses materials already around your campsite.
- It’s basically zero-waste and eco-friendly.
- It teaches kids about natural pigments and creativity.
- It’s such a cool way to connect with nature and your surroundings.
- Perfect quiet-time activity after a busy morning of hiking, canoeing, or bug exploring.
Material
- A small bowl or camping container
- One clean, dry rock for crushing
- A small piece of charcoal from your campfire (important: only an adult should retrieve this and make sure it is fully cooled before handling)
- A little bit of water
- A paint brush
- White cardstock or paper (bring a few sheets from home)
How to Make and Use DIY Campfire Paint
Step 1: Collect a piece of charcoal
After your fire has burned down and the coals are cold, carefully collect one small piece. This step is for the adult only—hot coals can remain deceptively hot even when they look cool, so please make sure it’s 100% cold before handing it off to kids.
Step 2: Place it in a small bowl
Use a bowl you don’t mind getting a little dirty, or line it with foil if you’re using something from your camp kitchen.
Step 3: Crush the charcoal
Using your rock, gently crush the charcoal into a powder. Kids LOVE this part—it feels like making your own paint from scratch, because you actually are! (And yes, hands may get a little dusty—camp life, right?)
Step 4: Add water
Pour a small amount of water into the bowl and mix it around. You’re looking for a thin paint-like consistency. Not too watery, not too chunky.
Step 5: Time to paint
Use a paintbrush to paint your masterpiece on white cardstock. The black paint has a super rustic, chalky look that feels almost like working with ink or charcoal pencil. It’s simple, beautiful, and totally satisfying.
Ideas for Campfire Paint Art
- Paint trees, lakes, or animals you’ve seen on your trip
- Use your finger to smudge and shade areas of your picture
- Try adding in leaves or twigs as stamps or brushes
- Let kids sign their names and date their art to remember the trip
This is one of those crafts that looks and feels like real nature art. It’s peaceful, simple, and sparks all kinds of creativity. Plus, it’s a perfect downtime activity to wind things down before dinner or while waiting for the s’mores to start.
So next time you’re camping—whether it’s at Haliburton Forest Reserve (10/10 recommend) or just your local park—bring a few pieces of paper, a brush, and get ready to turn your campfire into a natural art studio. Who knew making paint from ashes could be this fun?
Happy camping, friends!
Play2Learn Toddler & Preschool Programs for Curious Toddlers
There is no limit to your toddler’s energy and curiosity. That energy and curiosity although a joy can be challenging at times. Their interest in just about everything around them is what makes them great learners. One and two year olds can soak up so much just from their senses!
But as a teacher or parent that thirst for learning can be exhausting. That is why I created this toddler and preschooler program. To help you get the most out of this time with your curious toddler without having to come up with creative ways to play and interact with them.
Play2Learn for Toddlers includes 20 Units for toddlers. Each 2-week toddler unit has 20 super easy to set up and engaging activities for toddlers 18 months to 3 years.
Play2Learn Preschool which includes 20 Units for preschoolers. Each 2-week preschoolers unit has 20 unique and easy to set up and engaging activities for preschoolers 3 years to 5 years. That’s over 800 learning activities for your toddler and preschooler at your fingertips! So many ideas you and your child will never be bored again!
These toddler and preschool lesson plans and activities will definitely keep you and your toddler and preschooler busy playing and learning!
Click here for more information: Play2Learn
Book: Exciting Sensory Bins for Curious Kids
Did you know I wrote a book of sensory bins? Click here for more information Exciting Sensory Bin for Curious Kids. Or grab your copy at Amazon.
Boring afternoons are made exciting with awesome animal-based bins, like Salty Shark Bay or Yarn Farm. Pretend play bins like Birthday Cake Sensory Play or Bubble Tea Party encourage creativity and imagination. And your kids will have so much fun they won’t even know they’re getting smarter with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) activities like Sink or Float Soup, Magnetic Letter Hunt or Ice Cream Scoop and Count.
Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.
Book: Super STEAM Activity Book for Kids
Learning all about science, technology, engineering, art, and math sets kids up for scholastic success―and it can be so much fun! Watch kids enjoy building STEAM skills as they color friendly fish, help water find its way to tree roots, solve math problems with mazes, and more.
Find out more and grab your copy here.
Designed for preschoolers 3 years old and up.
Book: Big Book of Riddles for Kids
Riddle me this: What’s an exciting way to practice critical thinking while having a blast? The Big Riddle Book for Kids, of course! From hilarious puns to tough brain teasers, kids can build problem-solving skills with hundreds of riddles tha. t show them how to think outside the box.
- 350 riddles for kids—Have hours of fun with riddles, puns and jokes, and math and logic puzzles that’ll get their wheels turning!
- Level up their skills—Riddles get trickier as kids progress through the book, challenging them as they get better at solving puzzles!
- Double-check their work—Kids can check their answers in the back of the book with a handy answer key.
Help children expand their minds while having fun with this puzzle book for kids!
Designed for kids ages 6 years old and up.
TV Show: Curious Crafting
I’m so excited to share my crafting TV show Curious Crafting which launched in July 2022 on TVOkids and TVOkids YouTube! Season 2 aired in August 2023! My show was also nominated in 2023 for Best Live Action Preschool Series by the Youth Media Alliance Awards of Excellence.
Curious Crafting Season 1 is also now airing in Australia on ABC! Watch it here!
Set in the ultimate crafting space, Curious Crafting is a short form pre-school age series about the joy of making crafts. I lead a rotating cast of adorable little preschoolers (including my own) making magic out of common household objects.
In each episode we transform recycled items into magical crafts like a milk carton school bus, paper bag puppet or cotton pad turtle. The crafters learn and laugh their way through each activity while demonstrating what their young imaginations can create.
Curious Crafting shares the adventure and joy of making art with takeaway lessons for creating crafts at home.
This show designed for toddlers and preschoolers 2.5 years old and up.
