It’s summer, and that means it’s time for family picnics! Picnics are one of my favourite warm-weather activities. They are low-cost, you can change up the location to make them new and fresh each time, and there are tonnes of DIY ideas for adding extra fun to your outings. In this post, I’m sharing some of my favourite tips and tricks for planning a good picnic that your kids will get excited about. I’ve included activities, fun food items, and something I’m really excited about: a DIY food cover to keep pesky flies from landing on your favourite picnic foods. So, follow along, pick the ideas that work best for your family, grab your picnic basket, and really start to enjoy the warm weather while it lasts.
DIY Fire Starter
I think the best picnics happen around campfires! There’s something wonderful about a group of picnic tables gathered around a fire pit, don’t you think? A fire, picnic blanket, hot dogs, pasta salad, and fresh fruit is the perfect recipe for a good al fresco meal. I used to think a campfire was a hassle because I had to gather flyers or newsprint and carry them around for a fire starter. But then, I went back to my Girl Guide roots and and remembered this ingenious DIY fire starter hack! All you need is an egg carton, some sawdust or dryer lint, and paraffin wax. Watch my video tutorial and never leave home without your new perfect picnic essentials for an easy fire, every time.
S’mores Snackle Box
Since we are on the subject of campfires, let’s talk about another great hack I’ve found that makes standard picnic fare that much easier to pack around! I love making my favourite snackle box into a s’mores kit. Simply fill your compartments with chocolate squares, graham crackers, and marshmallows (or Celebration cookies if you really want to do it right), snap on the lid, and put it in your basket for your next picnic without all the bulky packaging of each individual ingredient. You’re so welcome! (And if you want the link to the best snackle box for the job, you can get that right here.)
Sew Your Own Bag
One thing I know for sure about picnics is that you need at least one giant bag to haul everything around. And why not make it yourself? In this tutorial, I show you how to sew your own cool bag out of fabric of your choice. Perfect for hauling food, beach towels, extra ice packs, toys, and anything else you might want to bring on your picnic adventures.
Tin Can Ice Cream
Sometimes the best way to make a picnic memorable is to pack food that has a little twist! One of our favourite picnic sweet treats is homemade ice cream, made right on site in our chosen picnic area. The ingredients and tools you need are simple:
- Whipping cream
- Sugar
- Vanilla
- Milk
- An egg
- Ice cubes
- Rock salt
- 2 coffee cans
- Towel
Put it all together and let your kids roll it around the park for 10 minutes (fun activity!) and then serve it with your favourite toppings. We make it easy by foraging for fresh berries! Throw some cloth napkins into your picnic basket to keep the mess down, and take your picnic dessert to the next level!
DIY Board Games
One of my favorite ways to make a picnic fun last longer is to bring some fun activities for kids to do while they wait for you to set up the food! Games will also buy you some time to sit in peace while your kids amuse themselves after you’re done eating. I made this set of DIY dry erase board games that are perfect for a picnic with my Cricut. Make an Eye Spy picnic edition board, the classic Tic Tac Toe game, Chutes and Ladders, or any other game that you know your kids would enjoy. Put them in a labeled cloth drawstring bag and let your kids play while you and the other adults in your group get some quality time to talk without the kids asking you nonstop questions! Everybody wins.
DIY Pool Noodle Gecko Floatie
Lots of our picnics happen at the beach, and the kids swim before and after we eat our picnic lunch. To keep the fun going, I created a pool noodle gecko floatie that’s sure to make your kiddos smile, too! All you need is a selection of pool noodles, scissors, braided utility rope, and my instructions! The kids can float around and push each other around in the water for hours in between eating and playing other games. Perfect!
Story Starter Painted Rocks
One of my favorite things to do with my kids is tell stories. I found a way to combine our love of storytelling with a DIY craft and picnic activity! This painted rock activity can be prepared ahead of time (I like to wash my rocks and paint them carefully). If you wanted to pack some acrylic paint in your picnic supplies, this would also be another excellent activity for your picnic guests! Have a treasure hunt for the perfect rocks, then pick a theme (I love elements of nature), and paint them on the spot. Then, when the rocks are dry, each person can hold one and contribute a piece of the story based on their rock prompt. So much fun! And bonus points to you if you create a labeled cloth bag for your stones to live in when they are not with you at the picnic.
DIY Bug Cover for Food
One of my best picnic food ideas actually has nothing to do with food directly, but rather with food safety! We’ve all been there. You walk away from a plate of burgers or a bowl of potato salad and return to find it covered in flies. So gross, right? Flies spread harmful bacteria, and they are the biggest reason food waste happens at a picnic. Obviously, bug spray isn’t helpful for this problem. My solution: a thrifted lamp shade hack for creating a netted food cover!
Here’s what you need:
- Thrifted lamp shade (with a metal frame)
- Zip ties
- Bug screen fabric
- Zip ties
- Hot glue gun
This upcycled lamp shade hack is so easy to do!
- Cut the fabric off the lamp shade.
- Secure the pieces of the metal frame with zip ties as needed.
- Cover the frame with your bug netting.
- Trim the bottom edges.
Voila! You can make as many as you need to cover your paper plates of hot dogs, your cheese board, fruit salad, or whatever else you need to protect from those pesky insects! This is a much better way to handle bug control than taking turns on shooing duty!
Original Bug Shirt
Speaking of bugs, they aren’t just a pain when you’re eating! Bites from mosquitoes and black flies are a great way to ruin a nice picnic in a hurry. That’s why I recommend a product called the Original Bug Shirt. This item of clothing has saved many a good hike and picnic excursion for my family, and I know it can do the same for you! Super lightweight and Canadian-made, it keeps the bugs from ruining our good times outdoors. Throw a baseball hat on underneath to keep the netting away from your face, and you won’t even notice it! Wear it to play games, sit around the campfire to chat, and undo the hood when it’s time to eat. The perfect picnic season accessory!
If you do purchase, use code SEWBRIGHT to save on your order!
Other Tips and Tricks
There are so many ways to make picnic life more convenient and hassle-free! Here are a few of them:
- Plan ahead. Bringing along everything you need instead of purchasing it at tourist prices once you arrive at your park or lake destination is key! This applies to snacks, toys, first aid items, and picnic games.
- Pick a spot with a table for comfort and ease of serving food.
- Always bring a quilt to sit on and a blanket, and clips to cover the table.
- Don’t forget the napkins and wipes!
- Bring extra water for drinking and washing.
- Keep the food simple and fun! Picnics are about making memories, and you don’t need a Pinterest-perfect menu and picnic site setup to make that happen.
That’s it! All my favourite picnic tips, tricks, products, and DIYs. I especially love my thrifted lamp food cover hack and use it all the time. Which of these ideas is your favourite? Let me know in the comments or tag me @sobrighthome. I’d love to see your picnic fun!
Any questions! Let me know in the comments!
This post is not sponsored; however some links may be affiliate, which means I may earn a small commission if you shop using the links. There is NO extra cost to you. The opinions and photos are of So Bright Home.
