Tips for Tots: Eating Outside

Seth at our "new" picnic table in the back yard. Yeah, it pretty much takes up the whole back yard at 8 ft in length but we all love it!

It's picnic season my friends and this year we are doing it in style, well sort of. Jason scored a well-loved picnic table on Craigslist for $20 over the weekend. We have eaten on it three times in the four days we have owned it and that's just for supper!

I encourage you to get your kids outside as much as possible with sunscreen and sun hats but go the extra mile and have a picnic too. Here are some ideas that will make it even easier:

1. Grab food from a fave restaurant and head to a favorite park. Most restaurants will provide all the plates and utensils you need. (Chili's is a special treat we used to so just as a couple. Ahh, the memories of a quiet night in the park...)

2. Keep a blanket in the back of your car for last minute picnic plans. We have found ours comes in handy a lot!

3. There are tons of easy things you can travel with: Peanut Butter and Jelly, Lunch Meat and Cheese Slices, Fruit, Veggies and Dip, even cold pasta salads and wraps. A little cooler can hold all you need. Just keep it simple. More than likely small children will be distracted by the great outdoors and not eat all that well anyway.

4. Get out the grill often and eat in the comfort of your own backyard. We have only had a picnic table for a few days. Before that the back steps and a blanket always worked fine.

5. Make sure to teach your kids to clean up after themselves. Our food is NOT meant for nature. All trash and waste should go into a garbage can!

Have fun eating out!