Picnic with Children: Special Considerations & First Ideas

Joint activities are always something very special for the whole family. Picnics in particular are always well received – by young and old. It's not just the food and playing outdoors that make a picnic something special, far removed from everyday routines that makes it, it is above all the family time, which you consciously spend together and enjoy. No stress factors shaped by daycare, school or work are present. Only you as a family count in the hours, that you picnic, play and laugh outdoors. It is your time out, regardless of whether you are on holiday or not. That way a picnic is also possible on weekdays. This gives you parents and also your children the opportunity to switch off and enjoy moments of quiet, even if only briefly. Picnic time means spending time together with loved ones, which is reflected in your family cohesion and also in the sibling love is expressed. You use play opportunities and eating together as a family, to get to know each other even better, than you already do. Your exchange with one another at a picnic is characterized by a certain freedom, which may even make it easier for your children to talk about certain topics. A picnic is possible wherever you can imagine it. It doesn't always have to take place with a packed picnic basket or blanket on a meadow or at the beach. For many, even a short stop during long car journeys with sufficient provisions and drinks already counts as a kind of picnic. With this attitude you make every moment a special time that you can enjoy together as a family.

Picnic for a child's birthday

For children, their birthday is, alongside traditional celebrations, the highlight of the year and should of course be celebrated properly. Especially when the children's birthday is to take place outside in spring or summer, picnicking with family and friends is exactly the right way to celebrate, laugh, and play exuberantly outdoors in great weather. It is important to emphasize primarily that the preparations are correspondingly a bit more extensive, than in the case of a simple family picnic. During your planning phase, you should therefore not only about finding a date and the making of invitation cards think about, but also intentionally involve your children in the planning. Because only your little party animals themselves know which friends they want to have with them and whether the children's birthday should follow a specific theme. In addition to cake, decorations and gifts, you also need to take care of the well-being of all guests here. Accordingly, you will usually need more provisions and, if necessary, a program, to ensure that boredom doesn't set in. Therefore, play ideas are even more important. However, don't put pressure on yourselves, you'll know exactly what your kids like and how to organize the birthday party that's nicest for you.

Places where you can picnic particularly well

In general, picnicking outdoors is popular. Especially on mild spring days and in summer, many families head outdoors. While parents enjoy the sun, the children play and romp until their stomachs rumble and everyone refuels together with plenty of snacks, drinks and other treats. However, it doesn't always have to be good weather to picnic outdoors. Because besides family picnics that cause excitement outdoors, you can also experience great picnic moments at your home – indoors or in the garden –

We have summarized here the most popular places where you can picnic comfortably.

Picnic in the park or on the playground: It doesn't take many attractions to make children happy. In the park or even on the playground, toddlers as well as older kids have plenty to enjoy. During the picnic they have the opportunity to let off steam and let their energy run free is guaranteed to be lots of fun.Picnic in the forest:

The forest is an adventure playground par excellence. During a joint

forest walk you can also have a great picnic together. Because breathers are just as important for little explorers as their exploration tour, which requires a lot of energy. Maybe you'll also find one or two edible plants, which you can use at home for a tasty recipe. Not least, children also learn a lot about nutrition this way.

Picnic in your own garden:

The garden is a great place to combine picnic and relaxation at home. If you don't feel like driving away to picnic with the children, you can simply create a feel-good oasis in the garden. With <LINK> https://www.haba-play.com/de_DE/magazin/kreativitaet/spielen-mit-kindern/garten-spiele fun garden games, for which you may already have all the materials at home, boredom is guaranteed not to arise and your provisions are taken care of around the clock. Another advantage: not much planning is necessary, it's purely the relaxation and time out away from everyday stress that counts.

Picnic at home:

Picnicking together at home and spending an unforgettable day with all family members – that's already pure relaxation. The shared picnic can be perfectly combined with an afternoon of games or a movie night. In the living room you spread blankets and pillows or even mattresses and then make yourselves comfortable to enjoy time together. For the picnic at home, a buffet with snacks and finger food is also just the thing to feed all the hungry little ones.

Picnic at the (swimming) lake:

A family picnic at the bathing lake is especially popular in summer with young and old. A shady spot where you picnic together serves in particular as a place for short breaks from swimming, paddling and splashing in the water.

Preparations for your shared picnic

For your picnic to become an unforgettable and lovely family event, it requires thorough preparation. First you should decide where you'd like to go for your picnic. Which excursion destinations would you like to visit or perhaps even combine? Accordingly, you then plan, which equipment you should get for your outing and which utensils you already have. Keep in mind that a family outing including a picnic doesn't always require an endless number of little things. Thus, Family outings on a small budget are very easy to implement. It's important that you plan the outing together with your children. Ask them how they imagine the perfect picnic day with you parents. What game ideas do they have and what provisions do your little sweet-tooths want? Allowing your kids to decide together with you fills them with pride and at the same time you can make sure that all wishes have been heard and decisions made accordingly. Of course it's not always possible to reconcile all needs, but compromises can definitely be found that way. For your food should of course also be taken care of. Depending on which meals you want to have during your picnic, preparation is required here as well, which you should start a few days in advance. Perhaps your kids would like to help you with preparing the various recipes. When it comes to your provisions, pay particular attention to producing little to no packaging waste. Leak-proof containers or other tubs are the appropriate solution for storing your snacks. Once you've laid out the main facts and the day for your family picnic has arrived, it's time to packing your picnic bag or picnic basket. Consider which recipes you want to prepare here and which dishes should be kept chilled. Drinks and other items that need cooling should be placed accordingly in a cooler bag. Once everything is well packed, you can get going. Then it's just time to relax and enjoy the time together.

What should go in the picnic basket?

The place and date for your family picnic are set and now it's merrily time to pack all the important items, that are needed for a relaxed outing with children. But what exactly should go into the picnic basket? Which items you should actually take on your picnic depends on the destination, the number of people, and the age of your children. To give you an overview of your possible picnic equipment, HABA has put together a list you can use as a guide.

Suitable snacks:

• sandwiches or rolls

• cheese skewers with grapes

• pretzels & pretzel sticks

• nuts

• cookies or other sweet baked goods

• raw vegetables

• meatballs & other savory bites

Basic equipment:

• picnic blanket

• food containers & lunch boxes

• cooler backpack or cooler bag

• cups

• water bottles

• juice boxes

• dishes & cutlery

• napkins

• washcloths or wet wipes

• insect repellent

• sunscreen & emergency first aid kit

• trash bags

• if necessary swimwear / bathrobes / change of clothes / UV protective clothing Games

Recipe ideas for a successful picnic with children

Those who take in lots of impressions and play will of course need a pick-me-up in between. For picnics, especially suitable are delicious finger food ideas that are easy to prepare. In addition to recipes for savory dishes like meatballs and pizza pinwheels, sweet treats are also very popular with children. HABA has put together five recipes put together, with which you are very well equipped for your next picnic to get properly refueled.

Colorful fruit salad

Ingredients:

• approx. 350 g melon

• 1 apple

• approx. 200 g (= a small) pineapple

• 2 oranges

• 1 kiwi

• 100 g strawberries

• blueberries

• additional fruit as needed

• 35 ml lemon juice

Preparation:

1. First remove the pits from your selected fruit if necessary. Then chop it into bite-sized pieces.

2. Put your fruit into a bowl gradually and drizzle it with lemon juice so the fruit salad doesn't turn brown. Mix everything well. If you'd like a juicier fruit salad, add one to two teaspoons of sugar. Then store the fruit salad in the fridge for about thirty minutes.

3. To take your fruit salad to the picnic, put it into a tightly sealable container. It's best to transport it in a cooler bag.

Pancake towers

Ingredients:

• 30 g butter

• 250 ml buttermilk

• 2 eggs

• 180 g spelt flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 tbsp oil

• fruit of your choice

Preparation:

1. First put the butter in a pan to melt it over low heat.

2. In a tall mixing jug, whisk together the buttermilk and eggs with a whisk. Stir the melted butter in carefully and quickly.

3. Now add the flour and baking powder. Mix these quickly with the other ingredients as well.

4. Next, heat a little oil in the pan and pour in small amounts of batter one after another to get sweet mini pancakes. Flip the pancakes only once. In the end they should be golden brown on both sides.

5. Let the pancakes cool well. In the meantime, chop your chosen fruit into bite-sized pieces.

6. Now thread the pancakes alternately with some fruit onto skewers to make small towers.

7. And there you have your delicious pancake towers, which you should just pack well so you can enjoy them at your picnic.

Vegetable sticks, skewers & co. with dips

Ingredients:

• bell peppers

• carrots

• cucumbers

• tomatoes

• other vegetables of your choice

• 150 g herb cream cheese

• 150 g yogurt

• 1 bunch chives

• pepper

• salt

• if desired: bread or baguette

Preparation:

1. First, cut your vegetables into long sticks. If you cut them with a wavy knife, the dip will stick better to the vegetable sticks later. Visually, the whole thing also looks more appealing.

2. Now cut the chives into small rings.

3. In the next step, mix the herb cream cheese with the yogurt and chives in a mixing bowl. Season to taste with pepper and salt. Tip: The dip also tastes great on bread and baguette. Simply cut small slices from the loaf and dip them into the dip.

4. Fill your dip into a container that seals well. It's best to store it in a cooler bag.

5. Your vegetable sticks with tasty dip are ready for your picnic with the children.

Pizza pinwheels

Ingredients:

For the yeast dough

• 250 g flour

• 75 ml lukewarm milk

• 75 ml lukewarm water

• 20 g fresh yeast

• ½ tsp salt

• 1 tsp sugar

• ½ tsp dried oregano

• 1 tbsp olive oil

For the filling

• ketchup or tomato paste

• if you like: 200 g cooked ham, in slices or

• other toppings of your choice

• 150 g crème fraîche with herbs

• cheese, grated

Preparation:

1. First, sift your flour into a bowl. Then press a well in the middle.

2. Warm the water and milk together in a pot and then crumble the yeast into the mixture with a teaspoon of sugar to dissolve it.

3. Now pour a little of your yeast mixture into the flour well, cover it with some flour from the sides, and let the whole thing rest for about ten minutes in a warm place, covered with a kitchen towel.

4. After the ten minutes have passed, add the salt, oregano, oil, and the remaining liquid, then beat everything vigorously into a dough. Knead your pizza dough well for about ten minutes.

5. Then let your dough rest in the bowl, covered with a kitchen towel, in a warm place for thirty minutes.

6. If the pizza dough has risen well, roll it out to the size of a baking sheet. Halve it lengthwise.

7. Spread each half of the dough with ketchup or tomato paste. Then place your favorite topping (cooked ham, vegetables, or other). On top of the topping add a layer of crème fraîche and the grated cheese.

8. Now it's time to roll: Carefully roll both halves of the dough lengthwise. You can then cut the resulting rolls into twelve slices each, so that you end up with 24 pizza pinwheels.

9. Place your pizza pinwheels on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and let them rest there for about ten minutes before baking them in a preheated oven at 200 degrees (top and bottom heat) for twenty minutes.

10. When your delicious pizza pinwheels are ready, let them cool and pack them for your picnic trip.

Pull-apart rolls

Ingredients:

For the dough

• 500 g flour

• 1 cube of yeast

• ¼ l lukewarm milk

• 60 g melted butter

• 2 eggs

• optional: salt

For the filling

• various herbs

• 4 tbsp olive oil

• 1 clove of garlic

• 50 g grated cheese

• if you like: 50 g diced bacon

Preparation:

1. First put the flour in a mixing bowl. Then make a well in the center of the flour.

2. Now crumble the yeast into the lukewarm milk and mix both thoroughly. Pour the mixture into the flour well. Cover the liquid with some flour from the sides and let everything rest for about ten minutes.

3. In the next step, knead all the ingredients properly into a dough. Then add the butter together with the eggs and knead everything for another ten minutes.

4. Shape your roll dough into a dough ball, which you place in the bowl, cover with a cloth, and let rise in a warm place for one hour.

5. While your dough is resting and rising, you can prepare the filling. For this, put all ingredients into a bowl to mix them thoroughly.

6. If your dough has risen well, tear off small pieces and lightly roll them in the filling. Then place them in a well-greased muffin tin or one lined with liners and parchment paper.

7. In the preheated oven, bake the pull-apart rolls for about twenty minutes at 175 degrees until golden brown.

8. After baking, your rolls just need to cool so you can, for example, pack them in airtight containers and store them for your picnic.

Play ideas for your picnic outing

A shared picnic is a complete success, when moments of calm and action go hand in hand. Children love to move. So sitting still for long is hardly possible. They want to explore their surroundings and get to know them playfully. Burning off energy is the motto here.\r\n\r\nThere are many play ideas. For your picnic, especially suitable are Movement games for children. They will certainly bring a lot of fun to you as parents as well. HABA has therefore an overview of the most popular game ideas for on the go, which you can use as a guide.

\rDexterity & coordination games

From balancing skills to hitting accuracy is required in dexterity and coordination games that awakens your children's ambition.\r\n\r\nEven toddlers can try the first games that let them test their abilities. Endurance is put to the test in balancing sets, velcro ball games and co. put to the test. So dexterity games are also perfect for the whole family. Together you are guaranteed to have a lot of fun.\r\n\r\nBrowse through the large selection of dexterity and coordination games from HABA and pick your next thrill.

Games for skill & coordination\n\nPlayfully discover nature

Even at an early age, toddlers' curiosity is awakened. Exploring, observing and learning to understand nature makes little explorers' hearts beat faster.\r\n\r\nBut for a real discovery tour you of course also need the right tools. Whether flashlights in various designs or magnifying glasses, with which every single leaf and animal can be examined in detail, are particularly popular with the kids.\r\n\r\nHABA has a diverse range of explorer toys. Browse through and choose the one that fits you, to make your picnic into a real discovery journey come true.

Explorer toys for curious noses

\rAction-packed running & chasing games

Running, hopping, catching – the more action, the better. Whether obstacle runs, fun hopping games – drawn with chalk – or rather the familiar game of tag: Children love to let off steam and let their energy run free.\r\n\r\nOften you hardly need any materials, yet the right active-play toy works wonders. Thus, movement and learning fun are especially combined, without your kids noticing it consciously. The joy of play is just too great.\r\n\r\nHABA offers various active-play toys, that make children's hearts beat faster.\r\n\r

Versatile active-play toys

\rVaried ball games

\rFootball, basketball or other throwing and catching games – with the right balls, many different play ideas can be realized. You don't always need elaborate games or even games with fixed rules.\r\n\r\nYour children can also simply play with balls and come up with their own ideas for fun play moments. The best part: Balls appeal to all the senses, because when throwing, kicking and catching the reaction skills and also the Fine motor skills are promoted.\r\n\r\nDiscover the large selection of play balls at HABA and enjoy your shared play hours.

Children's balls for optimal play fun

\rYour picnic falls through – now what?

\rIt's raining outside and you can't carry out your picnic as originally planned. The mood might be gloomy, but you can also spend a wonderful family time and enjoy a break away from everyday stress. What can you do?\r\n\r

Keeping busy indoors is incredibly easy. In addition to various games there are also creative activities, that you can tackle together. HABA has summarized the two most popular alternatives here for you. Let yourselves be inspired for cozy days at home.

Fun play ideas for indoors

Your own home is the ideal playground for your kids – especially when you can't just go outside. There are numerous play possibilities, which can be implemented both with and without accessories and thus really get your kids romp bring.\r\n\r\nFrom role-playing games to memory games to movement games for indoors, everything is possible. Above all games for the whole family are especially popular with the little play mice.\r\n\r\nOn the appropriate topic page, HABA has various play ideas for at-home collected, which will certainly give you lots of joy and encourage romping. \r\n\r

Fun play ideas for at home

Crafting activities for young & old

Messing with colors, creating scraps or conjuring up great gift ideas for various occasions – crafting is very popular with children. Here they are allowed to their creativity free rein and get familiar with color patterns. \r\n\r\nSo already during Crafting with toddlers beautiful and colorful works of art. The older the little artists, the more elaborate and challenging craft projects can be.\r\n\r\nWhat can you all craft together? HABA has on the corresponding topic page great craft ideas and simple instructions to recreate compiled.\r\n\r

Image credits

Man and his daughter spend a lot of time outdoors © Yakobchuk Olena - stock.adobe.com

Mother and daughter eat apples on a blanket at a summer picnic © Serhii - stock.adobe.com

Father and daughter travel in the woods with a backpack © EVERST - stock.adobe.com

Family arriving at the park for a picnic © Jacob Lund - stock.adobe.com

Fruity fruit salad © baibaz - stock.adobe.com

Pancakes and strawberry skewers with yogurt dip © Joshua Resnick - stock.adobe.com

Healthy vegetable platter © MSPhotographic - stock.adobe.com

Pizza pinwheels © Mitch Shark - stock.adobe.com

Wild garlic pull-apart rolls © rainbow33 - stock.adobe.com

Mother spending time with her children and girl painting in a book lying on the floor © zinkevych - stock.adobe.com