Learn how to pack a fun picnic for kids that is both eco-friendly AND zero waste, perfect for Earth Day fun!
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How to Pack a Fun Picnic for Kids
Kids love picnics, with all of the fresh air and space to run around, the fun finger foods, and the sweetness of sweet tea or the puckered lips from lemonade.
Unfortunately, many times picnics tend to use a lot of disposable products, such as disposable napkins, paper plates, plastic cups, and more. These items are often left behind at parks, leaving quite a mess for future guests and for the wildlife that lives there.
It’s quite simple for us to clean up and recycle when we can, but thanks to Re-Play, we can enjoy eco-friendly picnics that are fun AND easy on the environment!
Love this idea for a zero waste picnic for kids! #parenting #picnic
Zero Waste Picnic Tips
Prepare finger foods.
Finger foods don’t require any utensils. Plus, they’re fun for kids! Take it a step further, and choose locally grown foods, like fruits and veggies found in your own garden or at your local farmer’s market.
Fun finger foods you can pack in your picnic basket are:
- carrots
- celery
- cucumbers
- cherry tomatoes
- peppers
- grapes
- strawberries
- blueberries
- apple slices
- watermelon
- cheese and crackers
- granola
- raisins
- pickles
- sandwiches
- pinwheels
- and more!
Basically, try to pack food that isn’t in any wrapper of any sort that would need to be thrown away.
Pack food in reusable containers.
I really like containers that have a tight seal and don’t leak. You don’t want a mess inside your picnic basket!
I also bring along my insulated stainless steel water bottle for our water. It keeps drinks cold for hours at a time and it doesn’t leak.
Set the table with reusable tablecloth and napkins.
There’s no waste from using cloth napkins or a linen picnic table cloth! Find colorful patterns to keep it fun!
Use reusable tableware.
You know how I’m a huge fan of Re-Play Tableware, right? (No? Check out my Re-Play review!) It is PERFECT for an eco-friendly picnic!
Re-Play tableware is:
- Made from HDPE recycled plastic (the same as milk jugs!)
- BPA-free
- BPS-free
- PVC-free
- Phthalates-free
- Melamine-free
Why is Re-Play Tableware perfect for a picnic? It’s super durable! There’s no need to worry that anything will break in the basket or at the picnic. These plates, cups, bowls, and snack containers are made to last. Plus, they’re super easy to clean. After the picnic, I can wipe them clean with a reusable napkin and then put them in the dishwasher at home.
For our picnic, I brought along the Re-Play plates, bowls, cups, and snack stacks. (Note: The cup lids featured in the images can be found here. I bought those to keep bugs out of our drinks. No-spill cups with lids are available from Re-Play as well.)
I have the Crayon Box set from Re-Play, which basically has the colors of the rainbow. This set certainly brightens things up, making this eco-friendly picnic bright and colorful!
Enjoy in a local spot.
The backyard is a great place for a picnic, but it’s fun to explore new places too. If you can, find a spot close to home to where you might be able to walk. If there’s no place like that close to home, it’s totally fine to drive to a local park.
Want to make it fun? Keep the location a secret and give the kids hints to figure it out!
At the end of a zero waste picnic, there shouldn’t be any trash! All of the items listed above can be brought home to be washed and used again. But if there is, no worries! Find out what can be recycled and properly dispose of the rest.
Thanks again to Re-play for inspiring this post!
DID YOU KNOW?
Each Re-Play product can save a certain number of milk jugs from ending up in a landfill. If you have a no-spill cup, a set of utensils, and a divided plate, you saved 7 milk jugs from the landfill! The more you have, the more milk jugs you have saved!
Keep in mind that if you order, the products are shipped directly to your home. To cut down on waste, they do not include their standard retail packaging.
Where to Buy Re-Play
Aside from their website, you can currently buy Re-Play products at:
- Local Independent Stores
- Grocery
- HEB
- Whole Foods
- Wal-Mart
- Target
Selection and participation may vary.
Heather W says
I love potato salad & pasta salad!
KENNETH OHL says
I love corn on the cob
LeAnn Harbert says
We would take my niece in the boat and tie up under the bridge and have a picnic.
Darlene Owen says
My favorite picnic food is fried chicken and potato salad.
Debbie Clauer says
My favorite picnic food is pistachios.
Richard Brandt says
My favorite picnic food is fried chicken.
Heather B says
You can never go wrong bringing cookies on a picnic. Especially Peanut Butter Cookies.
Colleen Maurina says
My favorite picnic food is the traditional fried chicken, potato salad and an easy fruit such as blueberries.
shirley emitt says
My favorite memory of a picnic as a child, having a Christmas Day picnic at the ake, it was that warm here.
shirley emitt says
My favorite memory of a picnic as a child, was having a Christmas Day picnic at the lake, it was that warm here.
Jeanna Massman says
I Love Hot Dogs and BAked Beans.
Marty says
I’m all about foods that don’t need to be refrigerated. One family bout of food poisoning at a friend’s outdoor party cured me of any desire for potato salad for life! So I usually pack things like oranges, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, tabouli salad, etc — stuff that can stand being in a picnic basket for an hour or two without going bad.
jeremy mclaughlin says
Favorite picnic food is potato salad.
Ashley Chassereau Parks says
My favorite picnic food is watermelon!! I mean…is there anything else?! 😉
Anita Duvall says
We love to have chilled Tuna Salad Sandwiches. Along with chips, fruit and drinks for a great picnic.
Vicki Wurgler says
my favorite would be a taco salad, cold chicken sandwich, iced tea and cookies
Angel Heaps says
my favorite picnic food is watermelon. its so refreshing on a hot day.
Marie Lowther says
My favorite picket food is egg salad
laura bernard says
spaghetti!!
barbg says
Watermelon, fried chicken, baked beans, bologna & crackers, peanut butter cookies makes a great picnic.
monique s says
I love potato salad for picnics…..and cold cut sandwiches too.
Ashley c says
Didn’t really do picnics as a child. But for picnic foods I enjoy sandwiches and macaroni and potato salad.
desiree says
we make all kind of salads pot macroni and 3 bean
hadas bar says
i like watermelon
Leigh Kitchens says
In Georgia growing up (in the dark ages) there was always fried chicken, potato salad, & fresh water melon or peaches in the picnic basket. Mostly I remember having picnics on road trips before fast food joints were everywhere.
Amber Hites says
I love BBQ!!! Thanks for having this giveaway!
Lauren Patton says
Watermelon makes me think of picnics!
Michelle Taylor says
Watermelon!!!!
Miriam Matheny says
We love pb&j with hummus & crackers. It’s our go to for impromptu picnics at the park
Amy Z. says
I love pasta salad for picnics.
Vickie says
We’re southern..so we love and always have fried chicken, biscuits, sweet tea, corn on the cob, baked beans, potato salad and watermelon..sometimes slaw and brownies too.
Christina Graham says
My favorite picnic food is fried chicken and italian pasta salad..