Plan an Afternoon Picnic with Your Kids



Earlier this week, I shared a list of activities that you can do this summer with your kids. Well, I wanted to elaborate on one of my favourite things on that list, which is to have a picnic! I can thank my Mom for that gene; or better yet, for instilling the love of simple preparation, pretty presentation, and outdoor fun. The trio is ideal for the kids, because they can help out with all the food prep, they can package sandwiches in decorated paper bags or make fruit kebabs, and they get to eat outside, while running around  – something we generally don’t like them to do inside the home.

For an afternoon picnic,  you don’t have to go far to find the ideal setting. Backyards, parks, wooded areas, and picnic tables by the water are all good options – and if you ask your kids, I’m sure they’ll have wonderful ideas of where to set up too!

What to Pack in Your Picnic?

Keep it simple. Fresh cut vegetables, fruits, crackers, hummus, and sandwiches. Your kids can help wash and prepare the fresh foods, and assemble the sandwiches. Pack everything in hard containers, so things don’t get smooshed. We have a wicker picnic basket to load, but you could also use a cooler. For beverages, you can bring a pitcher of infused water or homemade lemonade and re-usable cups to go around. Think: easy, fuss-free, enjoyable, fun!

  1. Vegetables: chopped celery, carrots, cherry tomatoes, green beans, snow peas.
  2. Fruits: grapes, strawberries, apples, blueberries
  3. Sandwiches: cucumber sandwich, tomato-basil and olive oil sandwich, natural peanut butter and raw honey sandwich
  4. Drinks: fruit infused water, homemade lemonade, organic apple cider

Another food that we love to bring along is trail mix. Set out all of the ingredients on the table in separate bowls and give each kid a container or bag, and then let them customize their own trail mix. They’ll love it! You can do this right before the picnic, or as an activity the evening before.

Print
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Healthy Trail Mix

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  • Author: Emily Smith
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Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup Raw Cashews
  • 1 cup Raw Almonds
  • 1 cup Raw pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds
  • 1 cup Raw cacao nibs
  • 1 cup Dried Goji Berries
  • 1/2 cup Dried Apricots

Instructions

  1. Either layer all of the ingredients in a big bowl and mix with your hands OR leave them in separate bowls and let kids choose their ingredients and add to their own containers.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 6

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You’ll Also Need These Items for Your Picnic
  • Tablecloth or Blanket 
  • Picnic Basket
  • Re-usable plates (or biodegradable paper plates)
  • Re-usable cups (or biodegradable paper cups)
  • Wash cloths: soak them in water, store in tightly sealed container – they will keep wet for use (toss in laundry when you get home)
  • Sunscreen and hats
  • Activity: soccer or beach ball, cards, toys

The most important thing to remember is to have a good time! We have picnics regularly and sometimes that just means grabbing a pint of fruit, a blanket, water, sun protection and heading out the door. Especially when you aren’t too far from home, it should be a stress-free, light-hearted activity for everyone. Enjoy!

Emily Smith
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5 Comments

    1. Thank you Amee, it really is the simplest of things – yet we have so much fun and like you said, we are creating wonderful memories together.

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