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Family
Fun - Pack a Picnic
Real Families, Real FUN: Get Out!
Pack a Picnic
By Elizabeth Wells for Real Families, Real Fun
What better way to welcome spring than a picnic! After months
of eating at the kitchen table or around the coffee table,
a change of scenery is much needed. The robins and bluebirds
provide the music and in many places, the bugs are at a
minimum. The kids are raring to get outside, so pick a spot
-- park, backyard, or the beach -- and plan a picnic.
Ask the kids to help with the planning. What's the menu?
Just snacks or a full meal? PB&J, cold fried chicken,
and hero-style sandwiches are favorites that the kids can
help assemble.
When Lynda Hannan's local group of preschool moms and their
families prepared for a picnic lunch at an Easter egg hunt,
Lynda had Jack and Katie help stuff the eggs they donated.
"I told them this was a practice hunt before Easter."
Picnic activities:
- If you're by the ocean or at a park
with sand, pack empty butter and yogurt containers to
build sandcastles.
- If you're landlocked, bring backyard
toys, a ball, or even a board game.
- Play physical games like Simon Says,
Red Light-Green Light, and Hot Potato.
Appreciate the budding season:
- Explore the growing progress of trees
and bushes.
- If the leaves are already out, see
if they are setting blooms for future berries.
- Notice the return of native birds,
and observe their nesting habits.
If April showers threaten your picnic plans,
simply move the party inside. Stretch a blanket over the
family room floor and go with juice boxes or cups with lids
to prevent messes. Use a poster board and make a big, bright
sun or make a batch of sunburst
muffins.
The Krabacher family in Ohio decided to make paper flowers
when the temperature dropped. In upstate New York, the LaClairs
were ready for fun with a frisbee and whistle football,
but it was too windy and cold. "We played hide and
seek. It was lots of fun because of all the trees, and we
kept warm by staying active."
At a cool weather picnic, the only things you'll be missing
are the bugs. If you think you need them, make up a plate
of edible ants on a log (celery topped with peanut butter
and raisins).
TAKE IT FROM ME:
Put all items into a basket to minimize back tracking to
the car.
Also, use a zipper-seal plastic bag to keep napkins and
utensils dry and clean.
© Studio
One Networks
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