Picnic Buddies
Who doesn’t love a picnic?! Toddlers can be great picnic companions. You can have a picnic anywhere and it is guaranteed to be a good time. You may as well enhance the experience with picnic buddies! We like to go to a park near our home because there is a playground nearby that we like to go to afterwards. Your backyard is also a wonderful option. The freedom of being outdoors and not confined to a chair for mealtime will be exhilarating for your little one, wherever they are.
What you need:
Tasty food
Picnic buddies
Cutlery set
Books
Steps:
Pack finger foods that your child helped prepare in some way. Let them pour their favorite snack into a container. They can spread peanut butter on bread or crackers. Allow them to help slice bananas or avocados. We have this toddler cutlery set and it is perfect – cheap, safe and effective.
Allow them place the food containers in the picnic bag. Let them choose which blanket to bring. Let them choose a few books to bring along. Have them choose a few picnic buddies (stuffed animals or toys) who should join you.
Find a shady spot and have your toddler help you set up the blanket, food, books and buddies. Then, dig in!
Involve your picnic buddies in your conversations. Ask a lot of questions. Give a lot of answers. Have FUN! Take a picture because these moments are fleeting. Involving your toddler in as many decisions as possible is a good way to ensure engagement in the activity.
On a side note – I have two different outdoor blankets and I absolutely love them both. They are worth the money if you picnic a lot, go to the beach or are a regular outdoor story-time attendee. Or, if you just like sitting on a clean surface outside for any reason, GET ONE! I bought this blanket and this blanket on Amazon. As you see, there are so many colorful options to choose from. As with anything you buy on Amazon, read the reviews first!
