Saturday, June 19, 2010

Penny wise picnic in the park...


Our sun is finally starting to come back after over two weeks of rainy days so I am thinking about having some fun with a picnic lunch. Its something we love to do on nice bright days. Whether its a local city park, a state park or a national park, there is always something fun to do. While city parks are free, State parks and National parks charge a fee if you don't have an annual pass, check the links for information in your area. When visiting any park remember the "Leave No Trace" rule to Protect our Parks and their Wildlife: Help keep our Parks safe and clean. Protect wildlife by remembering not to feed them and always clean up after your visit. The future of the parks and their wildlife is in our hands.

When packing a lunch, the cooler or picnic basket is an important part, make sure it is well insulated so you don't have any health issues later in the day, nothing spoils your day worse than spoiled food. If you like the more traditional baskets check out PicnicBaskets.com or Picnic Trip (they are currently having a sale), both offer insulated baskets with all the plates, glasses, napkins and serving wear built right in the container for easy storage. That being said, the prices at both stores reflect the price of convenience. If you shop around at local garage sales, Freecycle or on eBay you can find a nice soft sided cooler like the Coleman 30 can soft sided cooler which is the perfect size for two. If you plan on picnicking more than a couple times during the season it is worth looking at garage sales and second hand stores for some silver wear that won't leave you heartbroken if you loss or accidentally toss it in the garbage. Another good investment is some Corelle plates that won't break. You can check on eBay or WalMart has a nice 16 piece set for four for only $25.00, if you choose to have it shipped then they will charge an additional $2.39. Finally, don't forget the blanket, my best advice is to find a King size heavy blanket at a local thrift store and have it cleaned, there is no need to buy a "specialty" picnic blanket. Now that your all set, check out some great inspired sandwich ideas to pack up and take with you for the day at Recipie Zaar. Don't forget your drinks of choice and extra water for Fido or Fifi and your ready for a great day outdoors.

Once your all set to head out its time to think of things to do, if you have younger kids try measuring out a 1' x 1' area for each of them and giving them a pad of paper and a couple of wild plant and bug identification books and let them be explorers in miniature. Set each child up in a different area and let them compare with eachother what they have that's different in their section from the other kids. If you have really young kids bring along some soapy water and a bubble wand. You can even make rainbow bubbles! Check out the Creative Kids site for neat ideas and tips. For older kids bring along a Frisbee or a football to toss around. If you plan on doing any hiking or fishing its a good idea to bring an extra pair of socks in case your feet get wet. And no matter if it just you or you and the whole family, be sure to bring along a camera for the unexpected nature shots and special family moments.

Let me know about some of your fun picnic memories with friends and family!

Have a wonderful weekend.

C.Q.

1 comment:

  1. What a fun idea!! Not something people think about doing anymore.

    ReplyDelete

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