summer

Celebrate Summer with a Picnic!
Traditional picnics
Pretend picnics
Imaginative picnic recipes

Enjoy a picnic outside on a sunny day, or inside on a rainy day. We've got a bunch of fresh ideas to celebrate summer with a picnic and your favorite child. Whether it is indoors, outdoors, real or imaginary, you're guaranteed to have lots of fun!

Traditional picnics

It is wonderful to be the person who gets to introduce a child to her first picnic. It is exciting to eat outside on a warm day, feeling a breeze as you watch things pass by -- people, birds, butterflies & breezes... Pick stress-free foods or just have a snack picnic (box of raisins, crackers & milk or a juice box). Much of the fun of having a picnic is in packing food into a nice basket, finding a pleasant spot to eat and enjoying the time together. Try our kid-friendly recipes for picnic pie and picnic punch inspired by our Bright Pink Bunny Picnic Story.

Pretend picnics

You can share a pretend picnics any time, indoors or out. Not only are they entertaining, pretend picnics don't create crumbs. Use pantomime as you pretend to take delicious treats from an "air" basket. Or, you can cut out picnic "food" from paper and spread an imaginary blanket anywhere you like. Try having a picnic in the bath (pretend to scoop ice cream from bubbles) or even on a car trip!

Indoor picnics

If it is a rainy day or someone is feeling a bit sick, an indoor picnic can be as much fun as an outdoor picnic. Keep it fun by packing a basket and spreading out a blanket on the floor. Share our Bright Bunnies Enjoy a Picnic with your favorite child as part of your picnic entertainment.

Picnic games for everywhere

When you are on a car trip or waiting in line, share the traditional game "I'm going on a picnic". Players take turns contributing ideas (usually in alphabetical order) for things to take on a picnic. You begin by saying, "I'm going on a picnic and I'm bringing (something that begins with the letter "a") apples." The next player repeats your item and adds something that begins with the next letter of the alphabet: "I'm going on a picnic and I'm bringing apples and bananas." The game is great in helping build memory & listening skills. There are an infinite number of ways to vary the game. Try to make all the items things that are edible, or things that are related to sports, etc. For younger children, you don't need to require the child to repeat all the earlier things -- but, soon enough, they will want to try!

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