Camping Site MOC Tutorial: Tents, Campfire and Layout
The short version: roughly 2,400 parts plus one 32x32 baseplate (25.6 cm square) gets you a complete camping site MOC with three tents, a campfire zone and wooded terrain. Loose parts cost about 150-260 RMB, which makes this the cheapest and most beginner-friendly of the three street-scene subjects, and it takes 4-6 hours to finish. The soul of a campsite comes down to three things: terrain with some rise and fall, a campfire that glows, and tents you can actually open.
Step 1: Terrain and Baseplate Prep
Start on a standard 32x32 baseplate. Lay the grass base with alternating 1x2 dark green and light green bricks, then stack 2x2 slope bricks in the top right corner into a gentle two-brick-high rise, with three pine trees on the crest. In the bottom left corner, carve out a 6x6 stream: 1x1 transparent light blue bricks for the water and 1x2 dark gray bricks along both sides as the banks. Keep the total height difference within 3 bricks so minifigures can stand securely anywhere on the scene.
Step 2: Building the Tents
Build three tents. The main tent measures 8x6 studs, with 2x4 slope bricks forming the triangular roof and 1x2 hinge bricks making the door flap open and close. The two secondary tents are 6x5 studs each, one in orange and white and one in green and white to keep them distinct.
Tent frame technique: build a base frame one brick high first, then layer slope bricks diagonally upward and cap the peak with a 1x1 round brick. Inside each tent, lay one 2x3 tile as a floor mat and place a sleeping-bag minifigure on top.
Step 3: Campfire Zone and Camp Life
Put the campfire zone in the middle of the site. Ring a 4x4 circle of dark gray round bricks as the stone pile, set a 2x2 transparent orange brick in the center to stand in for the flames, and add a 1x1 transparent yellow light brick on top. Once it is lit at night, this becomes the visual center of the whole scene.
Around the fire, place one 2x4 log bench and one 3x3 picnic table, with a 1x1 round brick "skewer" and a 2x2 cooler on the tabletop. Scatter 3-4 1x1 dark brown round plates nearby as firewood piles.
Step 4: Trees, Fencing and Finishing Touches
Pine trees: stack 1x1 dark brown round bricks four high for the trunk, then build the canopy from 3-4 alternating layers of 2x2 dark green and light green slope bricks staggered into a cone. Make 5-6 trees for the full scene.
For the perimeter, run 1x2 wood-tone bricks into six low fence sections and leave a 4-stud-wide gap as the entrance. Finish with details: one 2x2 lamp post, one 2x2 trash can, and a 3x2 "camp entrance" sign board (brickplan has a ready-made printed-part design for it). Those last small pieces are what make the scene read as a story.
FAQ
Q: Where do I download the camping site MOC instructions? A: Search "camping" or "campsite" on brickplan.cn. There are several instruction sets in the 2,000-2,800 part range, all with detailed parts lists and step-by-step builds, so you can gather parts straight from the download.
Q: Is this difficult? Is it suitable for beginners? A: It is very beginner-friendly. It is simpler than a street-scene building because there are no complicated wall structures, mostly slope bricks and transparent pieces, and it can be finished in 4-6 hours. It is a first-choice subject for practicing MOC building.
Q: How much do 2,400 parts cost? A: Loose domestic bricks run about 150-260 RMB. Green and brown basic bricks are cheap per piece, so the real total often comes in under the estimate. Builders who already have a parts stash can fill the gaps from the brickplan list for around 60-100 RMB.
Q: How big is the finished model? Can it connect to other scenes? A: About 25.6 x 25.6 cm, with the highest point around 12 cm. That is a step lower than a street-scene building, so it works well displayed on its own shelf or combined with forest and lake scenes, and it can also slot into a nature-themed display diorama.