17 Easy Kid-Friendly Picnic Food Ideas

Heading out for a fun play date with your little ones? Don’t forget the snacks!

As a mother of two, snacks are a must-have for any outing out of the house. It’s a request I hear all day long “Mama, can I have a snack please?” and over the years I’ve learned to up my snack game.

If you’re looking for fun, healthy options to bring to your next play date or any adventure away from home, keep reading. I’m sharing my go-to’s plus fun ideas to make the kids laugh.

Grazing Platter for Kids

Charcuterie boards for your mini-mes? Yes please! This is a great way for the kids to pick and choose what they want to munch on. Make it all finger foods so they can graze and go. Prep as much as you can before the play date and pack it all in your OiOi insulated lunch bag to keep it fresh.

Fill your charcuterie boards with a mix of:

• fruit
• veggie slices (carrots, cucumbers, bell peppers, and broccoli)
• favourite cheeses
• crackers
• chutneys
• hummus – my daughter loves to snack on “the pink (beetroot) one”.
• nuts
• olives
• pickles
• protein balls
• and a few special chocolate squares for an extra surprise.

Creative Kid Snack Ideas

I love surprising my little ones with funny faces made up of toast, fruit, and whatever else I can find in the kitchen. I think you’ll agree, if you can make it fun, there’s a better chance of your little one eating it.

Here are some more fun snack ideas for kids:

• Use special-shaped cookie cutters to make PB&J (or any fam-fav sammie) into hearts, butterflies, stars, or whatever you have in your drawers.
• Fry up tofu stars for a protein-rich bite.
• Ants on a log was one of my favorite snacks as a little girl, simply spread peanut butter on a slice of celery and top with raisins.
• Snowmen marshmallows with pretzel sticks for arms, apple slices in the shape of a sun, or make it spooky using olives as eyeballs and mini corn dogs as fingers with tomato sauce for blood.
• Make it a themed picnic celebrating a certain culture or do something silly like only green foods allowed!
• Roll your own sushi (or grab some takeaway), set up a bowl of edamame, and pre-cook dumplings for an Asian smorgasbord.
• Is there a holiday coming up? Celebrate with dedicated holiday snacks. Create a decorate your own Valentine’s Day cookie station with frosting and sprinkles. Let your inner child run wild and I promise your own children will love it too.

Healthy Fresh Food Options to Pre-Make

• Throw together a cold pasta salad with whatever’s left in the crisper, top it with shredded cheese and a kid-friendly vinaigrette.
• Bake a protein-packed pie and slice it up at the picnic.
• Pre-cook sausage rolls, pizza, banana bread, or anything that can be easily shared.
• Make a crisp plate mixing in corn chips, potato chips, pea crisps, and any other veggie crisps you can find at the supermarket. Pop a salsa, kiwi onion dip, or baba ganoush on the side.
• Top up your reusable food pouches or snag some from the supermarket along with some healthy kid-sized snack bags.

@oioi_global My go-to pesto pasta salad for summer BBQs and picnics 🌿🙌 #recipe #pasta #pesto #salad #bbq #summer @Sam ☀️ ♬ yes, and? - Ariana Grande

Something Fancy to Sip On?

Nowadays, wherever a child goes, a water bottle goes and as essential as water intake is for our kiddos, but it’s fun to surprise them with something other than H2O:

• Blend a smoothie just before you go, toss it in one of your insulated bags with an ice pack, and bring cups and straws to sip on.
• Slice a strawberry to put on the rim of the cup or stick to a spill-proof option.
• Plan a tea party and pack fruit tea, enamel mugs, and an insulated water bottle with boiled water – option to stick to iced tea on a hot day.
• Throw a bag of ice in your insulated bag with fresh fruit to add to each glass for extra pizazz.

Is your little one still breastfeeding or drinking milk out of a bottle? Don’t forget your OiOi Nappy Bag and its insulated bottle holder to bring along.