Healthy snack ideas for a #30 Yummy Picnic with the family!

Summer holidays are almost upon us. We’ve seen a glimpse of sunshine and warm weather and to celebrate, a picnic is the perfect family activity!

Our activity, #30 Yummy Picnic, is a great idea for a family outing, some quality time in the garden or in your living room. If you want to find your nearest park, our 50 Things to Do Before You’re Five digital offer features a handy drop down menu with “local links”. There you will find the best picnic spot for you. 

If you need some inspiration for what to bring on your picnic, there are so many low or no cost recipes with ingredients you would find in your fridge and cupboards. Hear from the parents on our team and their families’ favourite “go-to” picnic snacks! 

RECIPE #1: 

Yoghurt Bark! 

All you need is greek yoghurt and toppings of your choice! Our favourites are blueberries, raspberries and peanut butter drizzled on top. 

1. Start by lining a tray with greaseproof paper and then spread on a good amount of yoghurt until you have created an even layer. 

2. Place your toppings over the yoghurt (this is a great activity for your child to do as they can design their own bark and use their creativity!) 

3. Put your tray in the freezer for 2 hours or until solid. 

4. Carefully peel the bark off of the paper and break it up into pieces - this is fun for your child to do and lets them experience different textures and temperatures of food. 

RECIPE #2:

Watermelon ice lollies 

If you need to cool down in the heat, watermelon ice lollies can be a healthy snack for children! 

1. Start by getting some wooden lolly sticks, you can find these in a supermarket or from some children’s arts and crafts shops. 

2. Slice your watermelon into as many triangles, hearts or circles as you like, big or small! You can experiment with different shapes and explain the names of each one to give your child an opportunity to learn. 

3. Put the watermelon shapes onto lolly pop sticks and put them in the fridge or the freezer, depending on how cool you want them to be. Enjoy! 

RECIPE #3: 

Wraps 

If you prefer a savoury option, wraps are a great idea for the family, with so many fillings to choose from! 

1. Get a pack of wraps and spread some butter, cream cheese, peanut butter, or tomato purée to make the first layer. 

2. Add in your favourite fillings - this can be whatever your children or family enjoys! Add some tomatoes, avocado, sweetcorn, lettuce, cheese, tuna, ham or bananas. 

3. Next you need to fold the wraps so when you are eating the filling doesn’t come falling out. This is a great activity to try with your child if they want to attempt to fold their own wrap (wrap folding can be quite difficult to master!) 

4. Pop your wraps in a sealed container or wrap in tin foil and enjoy them on your picnic! 

Want to try something a bit different? You could cut one of your wraps in triangles and pop them in the oven for 3 minutes. You have your own mini tortilla triangles and can serve these with hummus or any dip of your choice! 

If you try any of these recipes for yourself at home, then you’ve also had a go at another activity,  #47 Great Regional Baking! Baking something from scratch to bring to your picnic is a great way to communicate with your child about a recipe. 

If you want to check out some more activities to do as we start Summer, find your local offer on our 50 Things families page. Click here to see our 50 Things.

Amelia Mather, Creative Content Writer