We love all kinds of picnics but there is nothing more fun than a picnic for kids. Whether it’s a family picnic or kids picnic party, it’s not always easy to think of kid-friendly picnic food or games to keep kids entertained at a picnic.
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We’ve done the homework for you and rounded up loads of picnic food ideas for kids – there are even some ideas for picnic food for toddlers. We’ve got some great DIY picnic games and activities as well as suggestions for some very helpful picnic accessories.
Simple Tips for Kids Picnics
- Stick with easy to manage finger food or single-serve containers. Foods kids can easily eat in between playing.
- Keeping food to simple snack-style spreads will also save you carting loads of gear. We give you nearly 50 kid-friendly picnic recipes below.
- Cupcakes make a great alternative to a whole cake – read out tips on Transporting Cup Cakes to get to the party in one piece.
- Pack wet wipes and extra tea towels for sticky fingers and spills.
- Freeze juice boxes to help keep food cold and have cold drinks for later in the day. We have lots of tips for keeping food cold for a picnic here.
- Pack plenty of water no matter the season.
- Take basic games to keep everyone entertained. (We give some great ideas for these below).
- Pack sun smart essentials and bug spray – again, no matter the season.
- Throw in some basic first aid essentials in case of little accidents, stings, scrapes or grazes. Antibacterial wipes, Band-Aids (plasters) etc.
- Depending on where you are picnicking, a beach umbrella or portable sunshade can be a very welcome addition.
- Do you need to consider how to keep flies and bugs away from your picnic?
A simple pop up beach tent is great for kids at a picnic – especially a beach picnic. It provides a place for shade, a place to play and even a place to nap for little ones.
Picnic Essentials
Keep Your Picnic Portable
Picnic baskets are lovely but not always practical. Picnics are portable and when you have kids in tow, you need to be even more portable. Consider a picnic backpack over a basket. We reviewed the best 2 and 4 people backpacks below. Or, if you have a big group picnic planned, a collapsible wagon is a great way to transport your picnic gear without any stress.
Bring The Essential Comforts
You don’t need to bring an entire camp set up but a picnic always needs a good waterproof picnic blanket, especially with kids. Depending on where you are picnicking, you may need a table to at least lay food on. We’ve found the best waterproof picnic blankets that are practical and cosy as well as the best foldable picnic tables of all sizes.
If you want to DIY your own kid’s picnic table, we’ve got super easy downloadable plans below.
Pack Food For Convenient Serving
As with any picnic, you don’t want to lug half your kitchen with you. These are a few essentials that cut down on the extra gear to make serving your picnic food simple.
Bento boxes are one of the best picnic ideas for kids. They are perfect for individual lunch boxes because they can hold up to 4 or 5 different portion-sized dishes in different sections. They even have their own cutlery. Pack a box for each child and you can forget about additional plates and cutlery.
Or, you can opt for a few large-capacity bento-style containers for a quick and easy way to serve different dishes.
Single Serve Food Containers
If you are planning to serve salads or desserts that are not finger food-friendly, consider single-serve food containers. You can cut down on a lot of excess gear and serving issues by making single-serve salads or desserts for kids. It is also a lot easier for kids to manage a single salad container than worrying about a plate and knives and forks. Less gear, less mess.
Choose a Picnic Theme
There are loads of great kid’s picnic themes such as the classic Teddy Bears Picnic. But, you can also choose a theme that doesn’t require too much planning such as a food-oriented theme. We love the idea of a Mexican picnic because the food is easy to prepare, there are lots of finger food options which is great for kids (DIY Tacos), and you can make fun decorations and games like the DIY piñata we give you the how-to for below.
Kids Picnic Food Ideas
When it comes to picnic food for kids, they can be more difficult to cater for than adults. A kids picnic should be fun, so food needs to be easy to eat in between playing – Kids don't want to be balancing plates on knees or trying to manage awkward meals. And while a picnic is fun, you still need a good balance between healthy food and treats.
We've rounded up some great picnic food ideas for kids that meet the criteria beyond the typical sandwich. Both sweet and savoury, each is delicious and often nutritious. They are easy to make and easy to transport to a picnic. Best of all, kids will love them.
Bunny Sausage Buns
Why on earth would you have regular hotdogs or sausages in bread when you can make these adorable bunny sausage buns. Aside from resting and coking time, you only have to invest 30 mins to make these cute as a button hotdogs every kid is going to love.
Raw Veggie Wraps with Avocado
Wraps are perfect picnic sandwiches for kids because they are so easy to manage. Veggie wraps with avocado are a delicious and healthy option that you can tailor to suit even the pickiest eaters.
Star-Shaped Mini Ham & Cheese Sandwiches
When it comes to picnic sandwiches for kids, you don't have to be a square. Put those cookie cutters to good use with this easy sandwich makeover. You can even make entire bento box themes with shaped fruit & cheese slices to match.
Grilled Chicken Wraps
It's like a Caesar Salad in a wrap. Tasty grilled chicken with creamy dressing, cheese and lettuce in a picnic portable wrap. It's like a Caesar Salad in a wrap. Easy to make ahead of time and easy to manage al fresco.
Mini Caprese Salad Skewers
There is no better way to keep your salads simple and portable than to put them on a stick. This recipe is just the beginning of ways you can experiment with salad on a stick. It's a super kid-friendly and no mess, no fuss way to serve salads at a kids picnic. It also makes eating salad a little more interesting for kids.
Vegan Pigs In A Blanket
This Pig in a Blanket recipe is a hands-down winner, especially for kids, whether you are vegan or not. After all, who doesn't love anything wrapped in pastry and dunked in a creamy sauce. Mix and match your fillings however you please—a deliciously fun picnic dish for kids who need a little encouragement to eat their veggies.
Mushroom Quesadillas
Kids love Mexican food, so these Mushroom Quesadillas make great handheld picnic food for kids. Make them in advance at home and wrap them in foil or build them and cook them fresh on a BBQ plate at the picnic.
Cucumber and Cream Cheese Sandwich Rolls (with Lavash Bread)
In a nod to the traditional English tea sandwich, these Cucumber and Cream Cheese Sandwich Rolls are excellent picnic food for kids. They are healthy and so easy to manage; little ones barely have to sit still to enjoy them.
Healthy Kitty Rice Cakes
Another recipe that wins points on the cute stakes and is also delicious and nutritious. While this recipe uses cucumber and cream cheese as the main filler, mix and match fillings as you please.
Sausage Rolls Recipe
Everybody loves a good sausage roll, and they make deliciously portable picnic food, especially for a winter picnic. This sausage roll recipe gives you the know-how to whip these tasty pastry morsels up with ease. Eat the cold from the fridge or serve them piping hot. We give you all the tips for keeping food warm for a picnic here.
Mini Filo Pastry Quiches
Mini quiches are fabulous kid-friendly picnic food. They are easy to make, easy to eat, and there is no end of ways you can mix and match fillings and flavours. These mini quiches also have deliciously flaky filo pastry for extra points. Kids will love helping to make these.
Super Easy Zucchini Slice
Up there with mini quiches, Zucchini Slice is a delicious and healthy picnic companion. Whip these up in under an hour and watch them disappear in a flash. Serve them snack size at a kids picnic for easy handling, and feel free to experiment with different flavours or additions.
Sandwich Lollipops
Another creative way to prepare sandwiches when having a picnic for kids is to put them on a stick. So easy to make, these lollipop sandwiches will be the hit of the picnic spread. Imagine the colour and flavour variations you can come up with.
Rainbow Pasta Salad
Did you know that adding some natural food colouring to your pasta water could result in a colourful pasta salad kids will go crazy for? Cue unicorns. It is such an easy trick that won't change the flavour of your salad and will brighten any kids day.
Kids Bamboo Cutlery Set | Etsy
Keep your picnic set up simple and environmentally friendly. These gorgeous reusable kids cutlery sets are made entirely from natural and sustainable products and can be engraved for a personal touch—a perfectly portable solution for picnics.
Chicken Macaroni Salad
Take a deliciously creamy macaroni salad and mix it with chicken salad, and you have a winning picnic combination—a great addition to a bento lunch box. Or, for a kid-friendly, easy to manage salad that is picnic portable, serve this in individual portion food containers.
Creamy Pesto Potato Salad
You can't go past a traditional creamy potato salad for another winning kid-friendly picnic salad. This potato salad is perfect for bento boxes or individual serve containers like the macaroni salad. You can even serve it in paper cups with a bamboo fork or spoon– a very kid-friendly way to serve salad at a picnic.
Scotch Eggs
Up there with sausage rolls, Scotch Eggs are a classic British picnic staple. They are a hearty snack that is easy to make and super portable. Scotch Eggs are a fabulous picnic lunch idea for kids that can be made well in advance and eaten hot or cold. This is also a great recipe for kids to help make.
Air Fryer Sweet Potato Chips
There is no need to resort to store-bought salty snacks when you can make delicious sweet potato chips.
These are so easy to make and are a healthier way to satisfy that salty snack craving.
Cranberry Chicken Salad on Apple Slices
Everyone loves a good chicken salad, so why not make it even more portable? Kids will love these snack-size Cranberry Chicken Salad Apple Slices.
Easy Ham and Cheese Pizza Scrolls
This is one of those super easy recipes kids love, and you can whip up in no time. Make a batch and pop them in the freezer for picnic pizza rolls anytime.
Chicken Cheese Balls
Another recipe you can make in advance and have on hand in the freezer. These Chicken Cheese Balls can be baked rather than fried, making them healthy and hassle-free: a tasty snack anytime and great picnic finger food for kids.
Easy Kids Charcuterie Board
Who says only grown-ups can enjoy grazing on a Charcuterie Board? It is such a great idea for kids picnics because you can bundle up all their favourite foods and simply lay it all out at the picnic for a snacking feast.
Carrot Star Bites
These gorgeous little Carrot Star Bites make delightful picnic food for toddlers. Although, I think kids of any age are going to love these bite-size cheesy snacks.
Vegetable Savoury Muffins
Muffins are such a great picnic food because they are so portable and so versatile. These savoury vegetable muffins remind us, muffins don't always have to be sweet to be great. Feel free to experiment with variations.
Simple Hot & Cold Picnic Dip Recipes
Dips are the best picnic food, even for kids picnics. Serve them with vegetable sticks, pita triangles or corn chips. Add them to sandwiches and wraps instead of cheese; there are many great ways to incorporate healthy and tasty dips into a kids picnic menu.
Healthy Snack Pack Lunch Box
Create a personalised protein-packed smorgasbord. Fill individual containers with assorted tasty ingredients and sauces for a deliciously healthy picnic lunch.
Ham and Cheese Biscuits
These are the perfect kid's picnic all-rounder. They are super tasty, easy to make and incredibly versatile. Eat them straight as a snack, or turn them into little sandwiches. Kids love them.
Pizza Grilled Cheese Monster Sammie
Bring your picnic sandwiches to life with this Pizza Grilled Cheese Monster Sandwich Idea. Another easy picnic idea that has so many possible variations.
Hawaiian Tortilla Roll Ups for Lunch
Cream cheese, pineapple and ham bundled into tidy, easy to eat Hawaiian pinwheel snacks. Cut them into halves for a larger serve wrap or slice into pinwheels for easy to eat snacks.
Kids Picnic Dessert Ideas
The key to great picnic desserts for kids is nothing too frilly or fancy. Stick to individual serve sweets such as cookies, slices, bars, muffins and balls. Use individual serve containers for desserts like no-bake cheesecakes for easy eating a no mess.
These are some incredibly portable picnic sweet treats kids will love and even some for the grown-ups as well.
Healthy Pumpkin Muffins
Super light and moist, these pumpkin muffins are a deliciously sweet addition to a kids picnic menu, especially a seasonal fall picnic. This recipe is low carb, so grown-ups can sneak one or two guilt-free.
Vibrant Red Plaid Gingham Cupcake Baking Cups | Etsy
Give your baking a picnic vibe with these delightful gingham cupcake/muffin liners. They also make great containers for single-serve snacks or candy containers for a kids picnic party.
4 Ingredient Pink Lemonade Mini Pies
You don't get much prettier than these Mini Pink Lemonade Pies. There are only four ingredients, no mixer required, and in 5 minutes, these delightful pies are in the fridge setting.
Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Cupcakes are a fantastic idea for picnics – especially kids picnics where sitting still to eat isn't always a high priority. A single-serve portable alternative to carrot cake, these moist carrot cake cupcakes are slathered in delicious cream cheese icing and lightly spiced with cinnamon and all things nice.
No Bake Chocolate Granola Bars
These no-bake Chocolate Granola Bars are healthy, delicious, and easy to eat, perfect for a kid's picnic. Naturally sweet and chewy, kids will love the chocolate and coconut flavours, and they take less than half an hour to make.
Easy White Chocolate Fudge
Everyone loves fudge, and it doesn't get much simpler than this recipe. This four-ingredient fudge recipe requires very little prep time– whip it up and pop it in the fridge; it's that simple. With or without nut, switch additions to what suits your picnic.
Gingerbread Loaf Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting
It doesn't have to be Christmas to enjoy the flavours of gingerbread. This moist gingerbread loaf is topped with lashings of lush cream cheese frosting - a combination all kids will love any time of year.
Chocolate Avocado Truffles
Extra-chocolatey and healthy, these sweet but sugar-free avocado truffles are a perfect make-ahead sweet treat for kids. Creamy and smooth with a strong chocolate flavour, you won't even know they're made with avocado. Coat them in anything from melted chocolate to fun colourful candy sprinkles for a party.
Mary Berry Fork Biscuits With White Chocolate Chips
Delicious soft and buttery fork biscuits with a chocolate twist is bound to be a picnic winner. Whip these up in under half an hour with only four ingredients. These buttery morsels also have endless easy variations – chocolate, lemon, fruit, vanilla.
Large Plastic Picnic Ant Cupcake & Cake Toppers | Etsy
Create a fun picnic scene with these giant picnic ant cake toppers—a fun addition to cupcakes or a birthday cake for a kids picnic party.
Dark Chocolate Sweet Potato Fudge
This delicious chocolate fudge recipe is creamy and soft with sweet potato puree, giving it a gorgeous texture and extra sweetness. It's also a little healthier without sacrificing sweetness or taste. Kids will love it.
Chocolate Dipped Rice Krispie Treats
Try these dipped in white chocolate with colourful sprinkles for a fun spin on the classic Rice Krispie.
Mini No Bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake Recipe
Mini no-bake cheesecakes make great picnic desserts. Serve them up in individual containers that are easy to transport and easy to eat.
Low Carb Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
A decadent chocolate cake both kids and adults will love. Smothered in chocolate cream cheese frosting, this super moist low carb chocolate cake satisfies any sweet tooth with all-natural sweeteners without guilty carbs.
Homemade Linzer Cookies Recipe
A delicious shortbread style cookie filled with raspberry, you can make these cookies well in advance as they keep well. You can also play with different shapes and fillings.
No Bake Coconut Balls
Coconut Balls are a winner for both grown-ups and kids. Naturally sweet and creamy, these tasty truffles only require four ingredients and are vegan, Keto and allergen friendly. Make this portable sweet treat in under 20 minutes.
Teddy Bear Engraved Junior Rolling Pin for Cookie Embossing | Etsy
What better way to get in a Teddy Bear picnic kind of mood than with teddy bear embossed cookies. It is so easy to do with this gorgeous teddy bear engraved junior rolling pin. Kids will love making cookies with this.
No-Bake Chocolate Chip & Tahini Energy Balls
Energy balls are wonderfully easy and a great sweet snack without all the sugar. These no-bake choc-chip tahini energy balls are a deliciously healthy picnic sweet treat that only takes 15 minutes to make.
Unique Brownie Recipes for Your Next Picnic
Brownies are always a winner, no matter the occasion. We've rounded up an assortment of brownie recipes catering to every kind of brownie lover - gooey, crunchy, cakey, crackly and even crispy; they're all there.
Cocoa Peanut Butter Fat Bombs
Another easy sweet treat without all the extra sugar. Kids will love these Cocoa Peanut Butter Fat bombs as much as grown-ups.
Rainbow Frosted Grapes
Take grapes and jello crystals, and you have a colourful and fun addition to a kids picnic menu. These Frosted Grapes are so easy to make the kids could do it by themselves.
Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips Recipe
A great way to incorporate fruit into your picnic menu. Kids will love this take on fruit salad with the addition of easy to make home made cinnamon tortilla chips.
Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Sticks
For a different take on chocolate chip cookies, try cookie sticks. These are so easy, you don't even have to portion your cookie dough, just press it into a pan and cook.
Chocolate Popcorn Bars
There is a lot of delicious things happening with these easy no-bake Chocolate Popcorn Bars. Creamy, crunchy, fluffy, salty & sweet. Whip these up in around 15 minutes and leave to set. It's that easy.
10 Scrumptious Picnic Cookie Ideas
Cookies are always a picnic go-to, especially homemade cookies. We've rounded up a bunch of great cookie recipes in case you run out of inspiration.
Kids Picnic Games
From fun picnic games to ideas that will brighten up your picnic or make your picnic more enjoyable. We've got some excellent picnic tips and ideas to make your next picnic with kids a success.
How to Make a DIY Piñata
The activity that keeps on giving. Get the kids involved to make their own Piñata for your next picnic. A fun thing to make for a kids picnic party.
Picnic Coloring Placemats
Print out these picnic colouring placemats for kids to colour at the picnic. A great activity for little kids.
Nature Word Search Printable
Get back to nature with these printable Nature Word Search games. A great activity for older kids.
Kids Picnic Table Plans | Etsy
Feeling like you might be up for a bit of picnic DIY? These downloadable plans for a kids picnic table are super easy to follow even for those who aren't so handy.
Shoulder Picnic Basket House Pumpkin Funny Bag Pumpkin | Etsy
Get the little ones their own decorative picnic basket for picnic playtime. From pumpkins to mushrooms to little wicker houses, there are a gorgeous array of wicker baskets for kids.
Teddy Bear Bunting Birthday Party Bunting Paper Garland | Etsy
Get in a Teddy Brear's Picnic kind of mood with this Teddy Bear Picnic Party Garland. A sweet addition to any kids picnic.
24 Piece lawn games set suitable for kids and adults includes everything you need for Potato Sack Races, 3 legged race and Egg and Spoon Race Game. It also includes 12 game prizes to reward the race winners.
Find and Seek Scavenger Hunt Card Game
A fun picnic game for kids and adults to discover the great outdoors. Included in the drawstring bag are 35 find and seek cards and instructions for three ways to play the game.