Stress-Free Backyard Picnic Ideas and Activities
Hosting a stress-free backyard picnic can be made even better with a built-in grill for all your cooking needs. Check out these amazing built-in grill designs from RTA Outdoor Living.
Keep it simple.
Since we moved a couple of months ago, I have been stressing about getting patio furniture. That is until I realized that I don’t need to spend any money to enjoy my back yard. We love dining al fresco but that doesn’t mean I have to spend money on patio furniture. All I need to eat outdoors is a picnic blanket. Actually any blanket or beach towel will do.
Easy foods make great picnic foods.
Having a backyard picnic is also a great excuse to keep things simple in the kitchen and prepare a meal that is quick and easy. When it comes to eating outdoors- easy salads, sandwiches or a cheese board with fruits and nuts are all of a sudden extra special.
Don’t forget the frozen treats.
Having our favorite frozen treats in our freezer makes it possible to turn any day into a fun outdoor celebration and makes everyone happy. There’s nothing like the simple pleasure of eating our favorite frozen treats while sitting on the grass and spending quality time with the people you love.
My favorite snack to enjoy outdoors is a refreshing and delicious Outshine Fruit Bar. Outshine Fruit Bars are made with real fruit and real fruit juice and contain no GMO ingredients, no high fructose corn syrup, and no artificial colors or flavors. They not only taste great but they also remind me of summers when I was a kid, spending time with my cousins and going to the corner store to get a frozen treat to cool off.
We always stock up on Outshine Fruit Bars and Nestle Tollhouse Mini Vanilla Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches from Sam’s Club. I’ll even share my trick- I pack my Sam’s Club Freezer bag when I know I’ll be making an ice cream or frozen food run at Sam’s Club to make sure that our frozen goodies arrive home in optimum condition.
You can pick up a Sam’s Freezer bag in the club to transport the ice cream home from the club to gatherings. I usually keep the freezer bag in my car. It’s easy to just order off Sam’s Club.com and pick up my groceries at the club. Then my ice cream goes straight from the freezer into the freezer bag and then straight home into your freezer!
Play some games.
You can turn your backyard picnic into a fun family game night or even a date night with your husband. We love to play classic backyard games like cornhole and ladder toss but you can also bring out your favorite board games and play outside. You could even get giant outdoor versions of favorite games like dominoes, Jenga or chess.
Connect with nature.
Part of what I’m loving about our backyard picnics is that I have felt like I have really reconnected not only with my family but also with nature. And to my surprise reconnecting with nature didn’t involve an elaborate camping trip or a long hike at a National Park. It’s something I was able to do right at home just by spending more time outdoors. Simply sitting under the shade of a tree, walking barefoot on the grass, and listening to the birds.
There are also many things you can do to get the most out of your backyard and bring nature closer to you like planting a herb or veggie garden, planting flowers that attract butterflies or bees or adding a bird feeder or two to your backyard.
Relax and enjoy the outdoors.
Picnics can also be a great opportunity to take some time to relax. After your picnic, take a moment to absorb the beauty of everything around you. Tune into your senses, smell the grass, feel the soft caress of the wind on your face and the sun warming up your skin. Take it all in and let nature fill you with joy.
Let me know in the comments how you’ve been enjoying your summer. Buy Outshine Fruit Bars here & Tollhouse Minis here. Save extra with Ibotta here.
Paula studied architecture and now makes a living as a freelance writer,traveler and amateur photographer.She started her writing & publishing career as the editor of Bebé y Mamá, the first parenting magazine in Guatemala.She is the founder of www.GrowingUpBilingual.com and www.365thingsswfl.com and writes articles in Spanish and English for both magazines and the web on travel,food and bicultural and bilingual parenting .
When she is not on a plane or road trip she likes to create recipes inspired in the flavors of her native Guatemala.
- Guatemalan Dulce de Chilacayote Recipe (Crystalized Chilacayote Candy) - February 26, 2024
- Guatemalan Naranjas en Miel Recipe (Candied Oranges Recipe) - February 25, 2024
- Traditional Guatemalan Candy - February 25, 2024
I love these ideas. I’ve been a fan of at-home picnicking for as long as I can remember. We did it when I was a kid, and I’ve always enjoyed it.
I love your fruit platter and those popsicles. So nice and healthy. Lovely tips and I love bird watching!
We have a box of those Outshine bars in our freezer! Spending time out in our backyard has been something we’ve done a lot of this summer.
Oh yum, what great ideas. We haven’t had a picnic in a long time. We’ll have to do this.
We love good fruit boards and this one is so good! The frozen pops look delicious and perfect for a hot summer day.
Great ideas! This post makes me so excited for our backyard picnics.
My kids love those Outshine bars! We are definitely overdue for a picnic. It’s been so muggy here.
Love these picnic ideas! This summer every excuse is perfect to make an outside picnic even in the backyard!
Backyard picnic is such a cool idea. An I love all the foo. You keep it simple yet interesting.
These are some wonderful ideas. That food all looks delicious too. I love doing picnics with my daughters. They always have so much fun.
My kids really enjoy backyard picnic and they love those Outshines bars! These ideas and activities sound fun!