Having a pretend fake campfire is a must if you do a camping theme in your dramatic play center.
This is a quick and easy tutorial that will show you how to make a super cute, pretend campfire. Your little campers will have a blast sitting around the campfire roasting pretend marshmallows and singing camp songs or telling ghost stories!
Supplies to Make a Fake Campfire for Dramatic Play
Here are the supplies you will need to make your own pretend campfire for a pretend play camping theme.
- One pool noodle
- Wood grain contact paper or brown construction paper
- Scissors
- Tape
- Red, yellow, and orange tissue paper
- Cardboard box lid
How to Make the Fake Campfire
Here are the step-by-step directions for making your own pretend campfire.
Step 1: Cut the pool noodle into four pieces using the scissors.
Step 2: Cut the contact paper or construction paper to fit each “log” and attach.
Step 3: Arrange the logs inside the box lid and tape in place.
Step 4: Fold the tissue paper into a fire shape and tape in place.
Pool Noodle Campfire for Pretend Play
I found the pool noodle at the dollar store and I already had plenty of wood grain contact paper on hand from my Chicka Chicka project. You could also use paper towel tubes to create the logs for your pretend campfire.
Printable Dramatic Play Camping Kit
Click HERE for more dramatic play camping ideas, pictures and printables.
More Camping Ideas
DIY Camping Lantern Craft For Kindergarten- Your little campers won’t be scared of the dark with this camp lantern; and it’s super easy to make too!
Camping Books For Preschoolers- Books are great ways to build and extend preschoolers’ experiences. Some preschoolers may have been to a forest or other campsite; others may have camped in their own backyards; and others will have no camping experiences at all. These camping books can help all preschoolers learn more about tents and forests and sleeping outside at a campsite.
Pretend Smores Craft Idea For Kids- A camping theme in the dramatic play center is perfect for late spring or summer. Young children are fascinated by nature, you can easily harness their natural interests and include a pretend play camping center in your classroom. Your pre-K and kindergartner students will have fun with this pretend smores craft idea in their camping themed dramatic play center.
This campfire is just in time for the Jewish holiday, Lag Ba’omer, which falls out on Sunday, 4/28/13!
That’s great Helene, I’m so glad you will be able to use the idea! Thanks for letting me know.
I LOVE this. Pool noodles – who would have thought! I have many of those taking up space in my garage. I love the dramatic play center.
Pool noodles are everywhere right now and there are a million things you can do with them… oh, I feel a new pinterest board coming on!
I love the logs. I’ve seen the noodles at our local Dollar Tree for $1 a piece. When I get around to doing this I may use the noodles and the paper towel tubes to give logs of different sizes. Thanks so much for the suggestion.
we did this the other day and the children put a packing peanut on a straw to cook over the campfire – to pretend they were toasting marshmellows
That is a fantastic idea deedee, thanks for sharing!!
Hi,
My teachers assistant and I were just discussing doing a camping theme to go along with bugs. When I got home I was very excited to see this email and can’t wait to share all the great ideas with my assistant.
Thanks for sharing!
That’s great Debbie, I’m glad you can use the dramatic play camping theme in your classroom. Have fun!
We have Rodeo Day every January here in Texas and this is perfect for our chuck wagon lunch. We sit around our “campfire” and eat hotdogs in tin pie pans. My logs were made out of paper and didn’t look as good. I like the pool noodle idea. Pool noodles are made for much more than swimming pools!!
I LOVE dramatic play camping style, but I am the worst at making a campfire! Thanks for this great idea/tutorial! I also have these adorable s’mores makers that work great for a fun sequencing activity…my son LOVES them!