camping

Brown dome tent lit up from the inside, sits in the dark by trees

Bring the camping experience to you with a backyard camp out! Below are ideas for all ages and abilities.

Outdoor Camping

Car and tent on a hill surrounded by grass and trees. Ocean sunset in background.

Check out one of these fictional stories about the great outdoors while you are enjoying your camping experience.

 

Photo by Robson Hatsukami Morgan on Unsplash 

Children's Books

View from inside tent looking out to campfire and forest.

Below are some great resources to help you create the best camping experience. 

 

Photo by Scott Goodwill on Unsplash

Available on Hoopla

 

National Campfire Day is the first Saturday in August, followed shortly by National S'Mores Day on August 10. Either way, curl up with a good book and a marshmallowy treat around a campfire. Suggested titles are below, with those intended for older audiences at the bottom.

Sleepless knight by James Sturm

The Knight and his trusty horse Edward go on a camping trip, but the Knight cannot sleep when he discovers he has left his beloved teddy bear behind.

Nightlights by Paul Paolilli

Celebrates all the ways, after the sun goes down, light finds a way to shine, from lighthouses and fireflies to moonlight in an owl's eyes and a crackling campfire.

Tents & Trails: An Outdoor Adventure Primer

This post contains suggestions for how to earn your Great Outdoors: On the Scene and My Mitten: On the Scene badges.
Learn more and earn badges on the Connect Your Summer page.

A taste of the outdoors inside the library! Join us for a hands-on demonstration of how to select the right gear, pack a backpack, set up a tent, and organize a camp site. We will also discuss trail etiquette and review some of the best locations around the state and the country for enjoying the great outdoors. 

Upcoming sessions

There are no upcoming sessions available.

Discover Camping

Camping Michigan: a comprehensive guide to public tent and RV campgrounds by Kevin Revolinski

The down and dirty guide to camping with kids: how to plan memorable family adventures & connect kids to nature by Helen Olsson ; illustrations by Scotty Reifsnyder

Winter hiking and camping by Molly Absolon

Field & stream camping guide: camping skills you need by T. Edward Nickens and the editors of Field & stream

Camping by Ed and Kate Douglas ; recipes from Sue Hughes

Camp Storytime

Attention all campers! Camp Storytime is coming to the library. Come explore the forest and sit around the campfire to enjoy some stories and snacks, there will even be tents to hang out in! Join us Thursday June 25th from 2:00-3:00PM in the Community Room for some summer fun. Recommended for children aged 5 to 9 years old.
[campsite sweet campisite by Kirsten Jennings is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0]

Travel to the Wild

National Geographic guide to national parks of the United States by [Thomas B. Allen ... [et al.], writers]

Complete national parks of the United States: featuring 400+ parks, monuments, battlefields, historic sites, scenic trails, recreation areas, and seashores by Mel White

Guide to state parks of the United States by [prepared by the Book Division, National Geographic Society]

America's parks by photographs by Philippe Bourseiller ; essays by Jean-Franðcois Chaix, Gary Ferguson, and Roger Cans

Hiking Michigan by Roger E. Storm, Susan M. Wedzel

National S'mores Day

Today is National S'Mores Day! Did you know S'mores were invented by the Girl Scouts of America? When marshmallows became popular early in the 20th Century, enterprising Girl Scouts created an easy to assemble (marshmallows, chocolate bars, and graham crackers) dessert to enjoy over the campfire.
[Photo courtesy of What's Cooking America]

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