Organizing a family picnic sounds like a walk in the park, but sometimes, juggling the demands of picky eaters feels more like a walk in a mosquito-infested quicksand patch. If your kids are anything like ours, though, there’s one secret to holding a family picnic that everyone can enjoy: kids are much more likely to try food that they’ve helped prepare! So pack up your picnic basket and try these kid-tested recipes that families can enjoy together!
Corn Dog Muffins
This fun recipe from SPIDER Magazine includes a clever alternative to a typical hot dog in a bun that travels well and is MUCH less messy to eat! For an extra beachy twist, slice the ends of the hot dogs to create friendly octopus faces.
What you’ll need:
- 1 box corn muffin mix
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn
- 4 hot dogs, chopped or creatively cut
- Large bowl
- Muffin tin
- 12 paper muffin cups
What to do:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and place muffin cups in the muffin tin
- In the bowl, add corn muffin mix, brown sugar, milk, and egg. Mix gently until combined
- Stir in corn and hot dogs.
- Fill muffin cups 3/4 of the way full
- Bake for 15-18 minutes, until golden brown. Let the muffins cool. Don’t forget to pack ketchup and mustard!
Apple Strawberry Ice Pops
According to CLICK Magazine, popsicles were invented by mistake when 11-year-old Frank Epperson forgot to bring his fruity drink inside on a cold night. It froze, with his stirring stick still in it. When he grew up, Frank turned his mistake into a business. These mini popsicles are easy to bring on a picnic because they can be transported in an ice cube tray inside a cooler!
What you’ll need:
- 2 cups apple juice
- At least 6 strawberries
- one plastic bag with a zippered or easily sealed top
- One 12-cube ice cube tray
- Plastic wrap
- 12 toothpicks
FUN TIP: Create your own unique ice pops by trying different flavors of juice and different types of mashed fruits. Then, name your invention after yourself! Did you make a Lilasicle? Or maybe a Jadensicle? And what do you think a Momsicle would taste like?
What to do:
- Wash the strawberries and have a grown-up cut the green tops
- Put the strawberries in the plastic bag and close tightly. Make sure the bag is sealed.
- Use your hands to squish the strawberries
- Pour the apple juice into the ice cube tray
- Spoon mashed strawberries into each cube.
- Cover the tray lightly with plastic wrap
- Poke one toothpick through the plastic wrap and into each of the cubes
- Put the tray into the freezer
- Freeze until solid
- Remove the plastic wrap and twist the tray until the frozen cubes come loose.
Cowboy Caviar
This chip dip may be named after a fancy dish made of fish eggs, but there’s nothing fancy about it! Kids will love this simple Southwestern recipe from SPIDER as a side dish for any picnic! Even children who don’t like tomatoes or veggies on their own might realize they enjoy them in this flavorful recipe.
What you’ll need:
- 12 oz. can black-eyed peas
- 12 oz. can corn
- 2 ripe avocados
- 2 Roma tomatoes
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 1 bunch green onions
- 1/4 cup ride wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. cumin
- A pinch of pepper
- Tortilla chips
- Optional: Diced bell peppers, any colors, can be a substitute for any unpopular veggie
What to do:
- Drain the liquid from the cans of black-eyed peas and corn
- Rinse the tomatoes, cilantro, green onions, and peppers, if using
- Peel the avocados
- With an adult’s help, cut the tomatoes and avocados into small pieces. Then, chop the cilantro and green onions (and/or bell peppers) into smaller pieces.
- In a large bowl, combine the black-eyed peas, corn, tomatoes, avocados, cilantro, green onions (and/or peppers).
- In a small bowl, stir together the vinegar, oil, salt, cumin, and pepper. This is the dressing.
- Pour the dressing over the dip. Mix everything together.
- Scoop with tortilla chips. Yeehaw!
