We love being outside as much as possible during the summer. Since I work during the week, my daughter calls Saturday “Mommy and Me Day.” Depending on the weather and other plans, we will wake up, eat breakfast, and spend the rest of the day outside until dinner. One of her favorite things to do is have a picnic. There is something magical about eating outside that makes her eat so quickly and with no fuss. Here are some of our fun and easy picnic ideas for kids, so you can also enjoy a day of worry-free sunshine!
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Picnic Recipes
Did you catch our post about the “Never Get Bored” books from Usborne Books & More? The “Never Get Bored Outdoors” book has a section for packing a picnic full of recipes. Below are a few recipes from the book and a couple of our own.
Pink Lemonade
- Squeeze the juice out of two lemons.
- Mix together 4oz of fine sugar with a little hot water until dissolved.
- Add 2oz raspberries and mash together using a fork. Mix in lemon juice.
- Pour in 1 3/4 pint of sparkling water and stir well.
Hummus
- Blend the following ingredients together in a blender to make a smooth-ish paste:
- A can of chickpeas drained
- 3 large spoons of plain yogurt
- Juice of half a lemon
- Large spoon of olive oil
- A pinch of salt, pepper and cumin
- Eat with carrots, cucumber, red pepper, and pita bread.
Ants on a Log
- Cut washed sticks of celery into pieces about as long as your fingers.
- Spread peanut butter inside each piece of celery.
- Place raisins along the peanut butter.
PB & J Kabobs
- Make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and cut it into thirds length wise, then width wise, so you have nine pieces total.
- Alternate a piece of sandwich with a piece of fruit on a skewer. We like to use bananas, grapes, or strawberries.
Deli Roll Ups
- Lay out a flour tortilla and spread your favorite condiment on it – mayo, mustard, ranch, etc.
- Layer lettuce, your favorite deli meat(s), and shredded cheese on the tortilla.
- Roll up the tortilla and cut into fourths.
Cookie Sandwiches
- Beat together two large spoonfuls of cream cheese and a large spoonful of peanut butter or chocolate spread/syrup in a bowl with a fork.
- Place a spoonful of the spread between any two cookies of your choice.
Other Ideas
Is your child obsessed with the rainbow, like mine? Try eating the rainbow! Red strawberries, orange oranges, yellow bananas, green grapes, blue blueberries, and purple plums.
Put some ranch in the bottom of a plastic cup and stand up carrot, celery, and cucumber sticks in the ranch. Easy, grab and go side that is perfect for a picnic.
Cool off with a popsicle or ice cream treat. We like the 100% fruit juice popsicles, but you can also make your own popsicles with silicone sleeves like these (we do not have these ones specifically, ours were a gift, but they look similar to this). You can use your favorite juice or blend fresh fruit to make your popsicles. Check out this post from Living On A Dime for some super easy, limited ingredient popsicle recipes.
Activity Ideas
There are so many things to do outside, but in case you are running out of ideas for things to do in your own yard, here’s a quick list.
- Play hopscotch
- Draw a picture of the scenery around you
- Track how many different bugs you have in your own yard and see if you can name them all
- Collect pieces of nature – leaves, flower petals, sticks, stones – to make an art project with (check out our nature art project for inspiration)
- Do sprints up and down your driveway or sidewalk and see if you can beat your previous time
- Write messages in chalk on your sidewalk for neighbors
- Draw an obstacle course on your sidewalk with chalk for neighbor kids to go through (follow a swirly line, jump from circle to circle, etc.)
- Go on a scavenger hunt
- Weed your flower bed and water the plants
- Sit under a tree and read books
- Play on the swing set
- Observe a tree in your yard. Write how tall it is, what animals live in it, what the leaves look like, etc. in a journal or notebook and track any changes over the year.
Share Your Picnic Ideas for Kids
I hope you have gained some inspiration to enjoy your next sunny day outside. There are endless possibilities of activities you can do in the outdoors. I would love for you to share any ideas you have on our Facebook page. I love having a community that can come together and inspire each other and spark those creative juices that aren’t always flowing. I know when Saturday morning rolls around after a long work week, I sometimes just want to slink downstairs and spend the day on the couch relaxing. When I think about all that our family would be missing, my mood quickly changes and we lace up and get out. You don’t have to make anything special, plenty of times we just do normal deli sandwiches and cut up fruit. The fact the you are getting outside with your kids will make them so happy and the fresh air is sure to boost your mood.
Happy Adventuring!