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I can hardly believe that it’s half-way though July. This summer is flying by, and soon it’s going to be time for back to school! Admittedly, we haven’t done too much this summer… Something about having a newborn 😉 But we have been trying to get out of the house as we can, and enjoying our time outdoors (before this crazy heatwave, anyway!).

One of our favorite things to do with our kids is to go on picnics, even if it’s just in our own backyard. We spread out our blanket, grab some food, and enjoy laughing and talking together. Our school district also provides free lunches for children under 18 Monday-Friday at various parks around town, and that’s something else we love to do, especially when our friends join us.

Now, taking kids, well, anywhere, and doing, well, anything, with them can seem daunting at times. I totally get it. But I’ve been able to find ways to make outings more enjoyable and less of a hassle, so today I wanted to share with you a few ways I’ve found to picnic with kids, and make it a fun experience for the whole family.

1) Have a designated picnic bag that’s stocked at all times.

We were given a picnic bag for a wedding gift and it was one of the funnest things we received! It was a cooler bag, and came with 4 sets of durable plastic plates and utensils. We still have that bag, and thanks to my love of bags, we’ve added quite a few more thermal bags to the mix! We generally keep paper plates, napkins, and plastic utensils in there so that all we have to do is throw in some food and we’ll be ready to go!  It makes it so much easier to get out the door when the bag is half-packed already!

2) Use squeezable bottles.

My kids are nothing if independent, haha! They are 4 and 2 1/2 and love to do things themselves and help as much as possible. This is very cute and very frustrating! Buying squeezable bottles when possible helps cut down the mess and lets your kids participate! The new Land O Lakes® Soft Squeeze™ Spread is perfect for this. It’s made with real butter and stays clean and crumb-free (crummy containers are a huge pet peeve of mine!). It’s easy to squeeze for both me and my kids. We all love it!

3) Let the kids help choose what food to bring.

There’s nothing worse than making the effort to pack a picnic, and then having your kids stick up their noses at all the food you prepared and brought. And let’s be honest, it’s not like I don’t have a whole stash of kid friendly snacks at my house! So I like to let them pick out some of their favorites to bring along, so at least they’ll eat something 😉 It makes it a whole lot more enjoyable for all of us.

I hope you all have a fun time with your kids this summer and that these tips help you picnic with kids. And if you do want to try out some of these tips for yourself, head to your local Walmart and save $0.50 off ONE (1) Land O Lakes® Soft Squeeze™ Spread (expires 12/31/18). I bet your whole family will love it!