Summer means picnics right? There is no better way to get your self an appetite than a nice stroll in the sun. And a family picnic in your favourite park is a fantastic way to have a cheap day out this summer.
Go down to your local park, go for a walk around, feed the ducks, kick a ball around, talk to your children about the various flora and fauna you come across. The list is endless. You can make a full day of it quite easily with a bit of planning – and all that fresh air and running around will tire the kids out, so you might even get a nice peaceful evening with your feet up. Notice I said might.
Family Picnic: Food and Drinks
First, you will need something to carry the picnic in if you don’t already have a picnic basket. While I love the traditional picnic baskets, I think this one from VonShef is much more practical. It’s a back pack rather than a basket, so you have your hands free. It has all the essential cutlery and crockery, a cooling storage compartment for the food and a detachable bottle holder.
So, you have your carrier sorted, now for the important part.
What food should you take? I always prefer finger food for a picnic.
Why not slice up some peppers, carrots, cauliflower, any vegetable really and take some nice dip. This is a great way to get the kids to eat some veg. The bright colours and the fun of dipping them will encourage them to eat them.
You could also cut up some fruit and make a lovely, refreshing fruit salad. Don’t forget to cover the fruit with fresh orange juice when you make it to stop it turning brown.
That’s the healthy side covered. Now go nuts – you could have bite sized pies or sausage rolls, breaded chicken goujons, fish sticks, cold meats etc.
And of course, sandwiches. If you don’t want to spend ages making sandwiches before you go, pack a couple of nice crusty baguettes and some assorted meats, cheeses, whatever you fancy and slice the bread and make them fresh as you want them. This stops your bread from going hard on the corners too.
Don’t forget to pack some nice cold water or fruit juices and perhaps a bottle of wine for the grown ups too.
Family Picnic: Entertainment
Depending on your location, there might be activities on offer. If not, or if you want to make your own fun, there’s so much you can do:
- Have a family sports day. Think fun races like the three legged race, egg and spoon race, or team relay races. Have small prizes for the winners, or get the kids to make medals or badges the day before.
- Go on a treasure hunt. If you know the park well, you can pre-write clues to lead from each location to the next,
leading to a prize. I wouldn’t place the prize in the spot, it may get found by someone else. Instead have something that they have to find eg: a specific flower or tree that’s only in one section of the park and when they find it, they get the prize. - Play some old school football or rounders. Where jumpers/coats make up the goal posts or bases so you only have to carry the ball (and bat if you choose rounders).
- Feed the ducks.
- Fish for small fish in the pond using long handled nets. Children need to be carefully supervised when doing this obviously, you don’t want anyone to fall or jump in the pond. You could even collect some frog spawn to take home and watch it turn into tadpoles then release the frogs back in the pond when they mature if it’s the right time for it.
- Make an activity list where each child has to spot a list of things first. Eg. a butterfly, a yellow flower, etc.
- Maybe you could even take their iPads. I know screen time is made out to be the spawn of satan and all that, but after all that activity, it would be nice for the grown ups to sit and chill, maybe read a book, and half an hour on a iPad isn’t going to scar the kids for life. It’s still better being outside getting a bit of fresh air.
Family Picnic Checklist: What you will need to remember
The picnic basket and food
Plenty of cold drinks
Sunscreen
Sun hats
Small prizes for the games
Bread for the ducks
Your treasure hunt clues
Activity lists and pencils
A jar for your frog spawn/little fish if you want to keep them
Long handled nets
iPads/books
Are you planning any fun family days out or a family picnic? What sort of activities do you usually do? Let me know in the comments 🙂
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I haven’t done a picnic in years. I remember thinking it was romantic as a teen!
Yes, there is nothing like a teen picnic, those are the best!
We often do picnics when the weather is right. Kids love them but still end up hungry afterwards and always want me to buy something anyway lol. I do try to make both a healthy as well as something naughty, too! 🙂
Great post!
Yeah, I think it’s a combination of fresh air and trying it on lol 🙂 Thank you!
I love going for picnics. Even in the garden sometimes is great fun (and has nice easy access to toilets, lol!). I’m hoping to go on a few this summer. x #anythinggoes
A garden picnic can be just as fun as anywhere else – and I totally agree about the easy access to toilets lol 🙂 x
These are some really great ideas for family picnics and I do like the backpack carrier…although, I’m not a fan! I really can’t stand eating outside, mainly because of Wasps/flies/bugs and I can’t sit on the floor for very long. #anythinggoes
Thank you 🙂 Yes, the bugs are a nuisance aren’t they!
What great ideas, Debbie! I love the idea of writing out a list of things to find, my kids love that! And feeding the ducks is always fun too! #AnythingGoes x
Thank you 🙂 I still love feeding the ducks even now! x
I know what you mean about the baskets and backpacks. I saw a fab basket in Aldi but it would be less than practical with toddler in tow #AnythingGoes
Some of the baskets are so pretty, but I hate being tied down and not having my hands free! Yeah, that would be even worse with a toddler to contend with!
A great list and a great family activity. Nice that the weather is finally allowing us outside to do some stuff like this
Thank you 🙂 Yes, all this sun is making a lovely change!
oH, definitely going to do this when the weather finally settles
I hope you have a great day 🙂
Fan ideas. Love that back pack. .we have a basket and it’s beautiful but a nightmare to carry around. We went on two picnics over the weekend, I love them as they’re perfect for kids. We always pack healthy stuff but it never gets eaten!!xx #BloggerClubUK
Thank you 🙂 I love the look of the baskets, but I hate having my hands tied up! Haha, I can imagine the healthy stuff being left to be honest x
Picnic is always a wonderful way to spend outside. Thanks for sharing great picnic ideas. #BloggerClubUK.
They’re great! Thank you 🙂
We love picnics – even one in the back garden is fun! We visit local parks in the summer and we are lucky to have one with a river in. I love your activity ideas. We sometimes play rounders (of sorts) and large garden games (like snakes and ladders). #BloggerClubUK
It really is 🙂 Oh love the sound of the river, a lovely spot for your picnic. Great idea about the garden games!
We had a picnic at the weekend. It was lovely with such good weather. I have a picnic rucksack, it’s so cute and really practical too.
Sally @ Life Loving
#BloggerClubUK
Good to make the most of the nice weather while we can! I love the picnic ruck sack, so much more practical than having a hand tied up all the time 🙂
Basically, who doesn’t love a good picnic?! #BloggerClubUK
Exactly!
We are planning a picnic in Stuart’s park with friends for my sons birthday as it is when we return to Middlesbrough in July. Fingers crossed for good weather. Your tips will come in handy. I fancy making a treasure hunt and rounders and football are definitely in the plan too. 🌸
Stuart’s Park is fab, so big and loads to do! Fingers crossed for you weather wise, I hope you all have a great time 🙂
I love a picnic! Love the way you are so super organised! #BloggerClubUK
I do too, the food just tastes better outside somehow! Thank you 🙂
Hmmmm… I feel an Alpha/Beta Mummy doodle coming on….! 😉
Thanks for hosting #bloggerclubuk
Great idea, I would love to see it! You’re welcome, thanks for linking up 🙂
Love these ideas Debbie, picnic season is ending here but theres always carpet picnics!! And I suppose heading back to the UK we will get the chance to do some more (with proper sausage rolls!!)
Thank you 🙂 Carpet picnics can still be a lot of fun! You know you’re home when you see the first Greggs lol!
Some lovely ideas here! Love a good picnic 🙂 #BloggerClubUK
Thank you, me too 🙂
We are huge picnic fans, so practical with children and a great way to enjoy the outdoors #BloggerclubUK
They are ideal for children – they are fun and don’t cost a fortune!
we’ve just moved to an area that is crying out for picnics.. I’m really excited to have one – once the weather is a bit more stable – and family sports day is a great idea! #bloggerclubuk
Sounds great, I hope you get chance to have lots of picnics! Thank you 🙂
We love a good picnic in our household! So much so that we’re having a teddy bear’s picnic for my son’s first birthday this year. When we go to the park, we always make sure we pick a spot away from the kids playing football, but close to the ice-cream van 😉 #BloggerClubUK
A teddy bear’s picnic is a great idea, I love it! Good thinking on the spot, especially the ice cream van 🙂
i love those activity ideas, we’re desperate to have a picnic living so close to the beach, we could probably do a bbq actually 😀
Barbie on the beach is like summer personified! Thank you 🙂
We love a picnic, we also own a picnic rucksack, it’s about the most used thing we own, that and the fold up picnic blanket, very handy. The dip idea is simple yet fantastic, that would definitely work for us and I love the treasure hunt idea. #BloggerClubUK
I’m loving the ruck sack, so much better than having to have a hand tied up all day! Thank you 🙂
Some brilliant ideas here! I really love picnics, especially when the weather is good. That picnic rucksack looks so swish! We have a gorgeous big park near us so I am definitely hoping to get there this summer. #BloggerClubUK
Thank you 🙂 Nothing beats a fun day in the sun! That’s great having a good park close by
Hi debbie, family picnics are fun and a treasure hunt or a family game of some sort will add more fun to the day.
Love the look of the picnic backpack, much more practical.
xx
Thank you 🙂 I thought the back pack was a great idea, it’s such a nuisance having to have a hand full all the time! x
I always loved picnics. It is the smell of the nature that makes you feel relaxed even when you have your kids with you. Nice thing with the check list! #BloggerClubUK
Yes, something about being outside makes the food taste better somehow too! Thank you 🙂
fabulous ideas. i love the idea of doing a treasure hunt. We recently discovered geocaching which has been a lot of fun. #BloggerClubUK
Thank you 🙂 Oooh that sounds interesting!
can’t wait for the weather to pick up so we can have more picnics. The weather hasn’t stopped us but its so much nicer when its sunny. I love your ideas! just in time for summer.
The nice weather definitely makes it better! It’s not so good when you’re cold 🙂
Thanks for sharing some fun ideas, we love a good picnic, its harder as phoebe wont sit still really to eat but as she gets older shes understanding it all a bit more so wont pull the blanket up 🙂 #BloggerClubUK
Me too, they are great 🙂 At least if she’s not pulling the blanket up you still get to relax a little while she’s pottering around
Can’t beat a good picnic, we took one to the zoo with us this weekend. Always love some good egg and cress sandwiches 🙂 #BloggerClubUK
I love the zoo, and a picnic there just makes it even better!
Love doing picnics – I always know I’ll have food my picky three year old will eat! We just need a bit more consistent weather now. More like last weekend would be nice 🙂
BTW this was part of #BloggerClubUK 🙂
Yes, I think picnic food works well for little ones. Def need some good weather this summer!
We had a lovely picnic at the beach the other day. We took a disposable bbq as well as all the usual stuff. Made a nice change! Love the rucksack, much less cumbersome than the beautiful yet impractical hamper we have.
Two of my favourite summer things – picnics/bbqs and beaches! The baskets are really pretty but I like the idea of having my hands free 🙂
We love a picnic and have lots over the summer. I love these ideas to entertain the kids, I will definitely be bookmarking this x
Me too, they are a lovely way to enjoy the nice weather 🙂 I hope you all have fun! x
We love spending time outside as a family too. It’s nice to hear what other families get up to and get some fresh ideas for our own trips. Tuna and sweetcorn sandwiches are our go-to picnic staple. #BloggerClubUK
Outdoors fun is the best! It’s always cheese for me 🙂
Thanks Debbie, I HATE picnics (sorry!) and will avoid them at all costs but next time I’ll try some of these tips to hopefully make it more enjoyable! 😄 #BloggerClubUK
I hope they make the next one a bit more bearable for you!
We love our picnics and would be seen without our trusty picnic blanket (which is a large old fashioned wool one) My mummy picked it up from a vintage fair and love the colours! Great tips here! Xx #BloggerClubUK
The blanket sounds perfect! Thank you 🙂 x
Picnics in the park are the best fun. We like to take bubbles to blow. And ice cream! Hope the weather improves soon so we can do it!
#bloggerclubuk
I love blowing bubbles! Fingers crossed for a good summer this year 🙂
Love the backpack idea. You’ve also ticked all the boxes for me: pies, wine and a football. #BloggerClubUK
Thank you, it’s so much more practical than a basket. Lol, that’s a pretty good day all in all!
Picnics are one of my favourite things to do when the weather starts to warm up. The kids love it! Thank you for compiling such a helpful list of ideas.
#bloggerclubuk
I love a good picnic! You’re welcome, I hope you enjoy trying some of them 🙂
Aw such cool ideas! thanks for sharing 🙂 I can’t wait to organize a proper picnic with the kids. Never heard of the orange juice, I will definitely try that. x
#bloggerclubuk
Have a great time! Give it a go, it really works 🙂 x
Picnics are great especially when you are out on long walks like we like to do. #BloggerClubUK
Yes, they are ideal if you find yourself hungry and you’re quite far from anything!
I love getting fresh bread and making sandwiches when we get there. The kids love cocktail sausages in a picnic, oh and slices of mango and pineapple always goes down well. Oh and wine, definitely wine 🙂 xxx #AnythingGoes
Love these ideas! We have a lot of picnics – especially over the summer holidays. At least once a week during the holiday’s I will pack up a picnic and go and explore a National Trust property with the kiddies. And if the weather is bad, we still have a picnic – but bring it indoors and set everything up on the living room floor. #BloggerClubUK
Thank you 🙂 Some of the National Trust places are lovely, great places for picnics! And carpet picnics can be just as much fun!
This weather has been so good for picnics, we’ve had quite a few in the garden. It’s great, no mess to clean up after the toddler, just shake off the rug into the compost bin! #BloggerClubUK
I know, it makes a lovely change to have a bit of sun! That sounds great 🙂
Yay, we love family picnics! Looking forwrd to the weather imroving so we can have a few more that don’t involve waterproofs 🙂 #bloggerclubuk
Yeah, they are so much better when the weather is good!
I think I must be losing it, I am sure I commented on this post already, rambling on about always making sure I pack wine…. But I cant see it now. Maybe the drinking of wine is the problem ha ha! I do love picnics, fresh baguettes and lots of snack stuff, yummy. I love all the little deli packs you get from M&S 🙂 #BloggerClubUK xxxx
Lol 🙂 Wine is a must! The deli packs are fab and really save time too! x
Love, Love, Love, Love! Definitely some great ideas for our first USA Summer… #bloggerclubuk
Thank you 🙂 Obviously I have no idea whereabouts you are but as soon as you said USA I just envisioned the perfect picnic in Central Park!
Seasoned picknickers here. From a young age I was taught the art of picnicking and if it’s wet, well you eat in the car. I enjoy passing these experiences to my family!!
It’s a great way to pass a nice day – I’m not sure I’d enjoy it in the rain though lol 🙂
Love your list of ideas for activities! I’ve not done that many picnics with my kids as my oldest was always a ‘runner’ and made it quite stressful! Now he’s 5 though I think we might be ready to try a few more times this year! x #BloggerClubUK
Thank you 🙂 Yeah, I can imagine a runner would spoil the relaxing part! x
I hope we get some more nice weather so I can use some of these ideas! We tried a picnic a couple of weeks ago but it turned out to be pretty chilly so it became a carpet picnic instead 😊 #bloggerclubuk
Fingers crossed! Carpet picnics are still fun but the sun definitely makes them!
Great ideas! I like that backpack, great to keep your hands free. I’m looking forward to going out for a picnic soon. #BloggerClubUK
Thank you 🙂 Yes, I love fact you can have a picnic without having to carry a basket all day! Enjoy the day 🙂
Great picnic ideas. Must admit, I’m a bit odd & I don’t really like eating outside! I don’t like insects near my food! Nor do I like sitting in sun! The kids do like a picnic though – I’m outnumbered! #BloggerClubUK
I’m not a huge fan of the insects hovering around, but I do think food always tastes better outside somehow. Lol, that’s no good!
I want to have lots of family picnics this year, as you say it is a cheap alternative for a great, fun day out! I will definitely be having a look at the picnic bag, whilst I love the traditional basket they aren’t really practical when carting three kids around! #bloggerclubuk
They are great aren’t they! Yeah a basket wouldn’t be good when you’re chasing little ones 🙂
We have picnics almost on a daily basis so I loved reading this to make them a little more creative. It does get a little samey when you sit on that blanket eating a marmite sandwich every day. But it beats being indoors I always say! I especially love to bring a jar to collect frogspawn I’d love to do that, I was fascinated as a kid and the little stream near our house has plenty of frogs during summer. Great ideas Debbie! #bloggerclubuk
It could be a bit samey but I agree – it’s still better than being stuck indoors! I hope you have fun with some of the ideas 🙂 I loved collecting frogspawn too. Thank you!