A family picnic is always the ideal outing to enjoy sunny days with the children. Once you have found the ideal setting for a rural and relaxing atmosphere, a picnic is also an opportunity to let your creativity speak for a colorful menu. Out of ideas for your picnic? Discover our 5 picnic ideas for children and parents, for a picnic as beautiful as it is tasty!

What to do for a picnic? 5 delicious ideas for a successful family picnic

Why not organize a homemade Top Chef to prepare your family picnic? Put each member of the family in charge of one of the following picnic ideas (if they are old enough to handle the cooking utensils) and vote for your favorite recipe at the tasting time.

1. Stuffed breads & surprise breads 

We’ve all been there before: the infamous problem of the filling that escapes from the sandwich and scatters on the floor, leaving us crestfallen with an empty piece of bread in our hands. So, what to do for a guaranteed picnic without a sandwich accident? To avoid being left hungry because of a disaster of this type, filled breads are an ideal solution – and delicious! These are breads stuffed directly with the ingredients of the sandwich, without having been cut into slices beforehand.

Bake a loaf of bread topped with all your favorite ingredients to delight the whole family with every bite without missing a beat. Topped breads are the perfect picnic idea for restless kids – and their parents! Try a bread topped with grilled vegetables or a pesto focaccia for an original family picnic.

2. Layered salads

What to take for a picnic that combines pleasure and a balanced diet? Vegetable sticks and spreads such as hummus are generally a very popular starter for young and old. While they seem more suited to a sit-down meal than a family picnic, they’re actually extremely handy to carry with the right method. Jars are the miracle technique that will allow you to take hummus, tzatziki and other carrot sticks on an expedition with you wherever you go.

Homemade food jars are a fun and practical picnic idea for kids, and they usually love to help prepare them. Stack together layers of hummus, red peppers, cucumber tomatoes and carrots for a layered salad that’s as fresh as it is colorful. Remember to cut your vegetables into sticks beforehand to facilitate tasting when picnic time comes.

We all want to leave our favorite little picnic spot as beautiful as we found it. Take care to leave no trace behind by involving the whole family in the cleanup before you leave. This is a good opportunity to teach children about responsibility and environmental protection so that they integrate good habits as soon as possible.

3. Savory muffins

Everything always looks better in muffin form, so why not try some savory muffins for your next family picnic? As beautiful as they are good, savory muffins are a fun and creative dish that will undoubtedly be the star of your children’s picnic.

Easy to make with your children and practical to carry everywhere, muffins are an ideal picnic dish for children and parents. Try the egg, pumpkin and sweet potato muffin for a touch of originality, or the more classic goat cheese and zucchini to delight young and old alike.

4. Homemade granola bars

Cereal bars are one of those recipes that work every time. Delicious and easy to store, they energize the whole family to enjoy the surrounding nature together after the picnic.

Make up your own versions at home and involve the kids in choosing the ingredients for a creative and fun family cooking session. Mix with them seeds, dried fruits, muesli, honey and grated coconut for irresistible bars. This is one of those kids picnic ideas they’ll be begging you to make again for their after-school snack!

5. Cakes in jars

Desserts can be the most complicated part to adapt for a family picnic. So, what to take for a successful picnic from A to Z? Most traditional cake recipes are not transferable and are often too oily and too sweet for a light outdoor meal. If you are looking for what to take for a picnic to delight lovers of sweets, let yourself be tempted by the meals in jars.

Create your own version of a berry cheesecake with a crispy biscuit or muesli base topped with a layer of fresh raspberries and strawberries. Finish with a layer of cottage cheese or yogurt on top. You can dip your spoon into the layers of this light version of the traditional cheesecake to discover all the flavors. Don’t forget to pack a cooler or cooling pad to keep the jars cold while you play with the kids.