Picnics are one of my favorite things about summer! From pre-planned alfresco dinners on Memorial Day and the Fourth of July to sandwiches at the park, there’s just something special about eating outside when the weather is nice. And if any family wants to have a fun family picnic, they are going to need to add these “must-haves” to their picnic list! Thanks to Cape Cod® Potato Chips for asking me to talk about family picnics!
But of all the outdoor dining experiences, I think it’s the impromptu family meals on the lawn that I love the most. The ones where we grab an old quilt, basket, sandwiches, tasty snacks and venture out into the backyard.
All electronic devices are left behind, and our only care is to savor the time together as a family without distraction. Evening sets in and the warmth of the air seems to create a blanket around us that shuts the rest of the world out. There’s just laughter, family, good food, and the gentle lull of the crickets and birds out beyond the fence.
I treasure moments like these — moments where it simply took a quilt and bag of Cape Cod® Potato Chips to bring us together. Picnics are a wonderful summertime tradition. As with most things, I like to add some crafty touches! Here are a few “must-haves” to set the stage for your own low-fuss, country picnic.
Fun Family Picnic Must-Haves
- The “favorite” sandwich. Pack everyone’s fave choice — peanut butter and jelly, chicken salad, pimento cheese, tuna fish — whatever makes each person smile! Dress the sandwiches up a bit by wrapping them with twine or paper. You can easily make the wrapped sandwiches below by cutting a brown bag and embellishing them with stickers. That extra touch of cuteness makes the fave sandwich a “must-have.”
- The perfect snack. Potato chips are the perfect accompaniment to a picnic. We recently tried Cape Cod® Reduced Fat Potato Chips and are hooked. Usually I can’t eat flavored chips because most of them contain monosodium glutamate (MSG), and MSG triggers my migraines. When my husband checked the ingredient list on the Cape Cod® Chips, the first thing he said was, “Hey, you can eat these!” They’re high quality products made with real ingredients. Listen to this! The Original Kettle Cooked Potato Chips have potatoes, canola oil, and salt. That’s it! — only three ingredients! You should definitely add them to your next picnic!
- Individual snack bags. Use decorative edge scissors to cut the top off a brown paper bag, add a colorful tag or paper doily, and voilà! Now each person at the fun family picnic gets their own portion of chips or another fun snack. For sure this is a picnic”must-have.”
- Mason jars and paper straws. Paper straws add a fun pop of color to your family’s picnic. Why mason jars? Because they’re the perfect drinking glass for a rustic picnic! Simply make a hole in the metal lid of the mason jar. Insert a straw and you have a spill-proof cup! Now, that’s a mom hack for sure!
- Individual lunch bags. Pack each person’s food in individual bags. For a crafty touch, seal each bag with a colorful strip of Washi tape.
- A large picnic basket. Choose one that’s sturdy and large enough for your family. What’s a picnic without a fun basket to carry all your goodies in?
- Trash bags. Obviously, we want to be good examples to our kiddos and teach them to clean up after themselves. Keeping a trash bag available encourages kids to throw any used items away instead of on the ground.
- A large, soft quilt or blanket. This will give your family a soft place to enjoy their fun picnic. Choose one that you can toss in the washing machine afterwards for easy clean-up — because picnics should be fun and easy!
In just a few weeks, our fun family picnics will be topped off with catching fireflies in mason jars at dusk and staying out late to watch the stars. We’ll be ready for those long summer evenings with our savory, salty Cape Cod® snacks and mason jar lemonades packed into our picnic basket.
How will you enjoy your fun, family picnic? Tell us about it on social media!
*This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Cape Cod® Potato Chips.*
**Affiliate links have been added to help you find “must-haves” for your fun, family picnic!**
