Choosing picnic food for kids requires a little thought, as their tastes and needs differ from adults.
These picnic food ideas for kids ensure a fun and hassle-free experience, with food that seamlessly complements picnic playtime adventures.
Little ones shouldn’t have to juggle plates or tackle unwieldy dishes during a picnic – fun and enjoyment are the name of the picnic game for kids.
I’ve curated a collection of picnic food ideas for kids crafted with young adventurers in mind.
Going beyond the ordinary picnic sandwich, I’ve embraced a medley of savory and sweet flavors. Recipes that focus on simplicity in preparation and convenience in transportation.
These kid-friendly picnic ideas are your ticket to a hassle-free picnic filled with fun and delicious memories. You can find more kid-friendly picnic food in my Teddy Bear Picnic Party Guide.
Picnic Food Ideas For Kids
The challenge of creating a good kids’ picnic menu is catering to their unique preferences.
Picnics are fun, so the key is to strike the right balance between wholesome and indulgent treats.
These handpicked kid-friendly picnic recipes go beyond the usual sandwiches, offering various scrumptious, nutritious, and hassle-free options. These delights will be a hit with the kids, from savory to sweet.
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.
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Photo credit: cookinginchinglish.com
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.
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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.
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Photo credit: thesoccermomblog.com
Veggie Pinwheels with Cream Cheese
Pinwheels are the ultimate in convenient picnic foods. They are so easy to make, delicious and healthy, and easy to manage; little ones barely have to sit still to enjoy them.
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Mini Caprese Salad Skewers
Keep your salads simple and portable by putting them on a stick! This kid-friendly, no-mess method is perfect for picnics and makes eating salad more fun.
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Photo credit: christinascucina.com
Chicken Kiev Balls
Deliciously crispy bite-sized balls oozing with herbed garlic butter, these Mini Chicken Kiev Balls are the bite-size finger food kids and adults will love.
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Creamy Pesto Chicken Wrap
Enjoy tasty grilled chicken with fresh herb dressing in a portable picnic wrap. It’s like chicken salad in a wrap! Easy to make ahead and perfect for kids to manage in between play time.
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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.
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Photo credit: amummytoo.co.uk
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. You can find more Mexican picnic food ideas here.
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Chicken Salad Tea Sandwiches
There's nothing better than a chicken sandwich, especially when it's delicious chicken salad bundled into bite-size sandwiches, perfect for kids on the go.
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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 easilyase. Eat the cold from the fridge or serve them piping hot. I give you all the tips for keeping food warm for a picnic here.
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Photo credit: kitchensanctuary.com
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. Kids will love helping to make these.
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Photo credit: amummytoo.co.uk
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.
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Photo credit: wandercooks.com
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.
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Photo credit: thesoccermomblog.com
Creamy Pesto Potato Salad
For a winning kid-friendly picnic salad, you can't go past a traditional creamy potato salad. This potato salad is perfect for bento boxes or individual serving containers. 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.
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Crispy 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.
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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.
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Photo credit: budgetdelicious.com
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.
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Photo credit: kidgredients.com.au
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.
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Photo credit: ikneadtoeat.com
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.
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Photo credit: alekasgettogether.com
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.
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Photo credit: healthylittlefoodies.com
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.
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Photo credit: healthylittlefoodies.com
Pizza Grilled Cheese Monster Sandwich
Bring your picnic sandwiches to life with this Pizza Grilled Cheese Monster Sandwich Idea. Another easy picnic idea that has so many possible variations.
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Photo credit: thisvivaciouslife.com
Easy Homemade Lemonade
Homemade lemonade is a fantastic picnic drink. It's super refreshing and simple to make. It's a great recipe for little ones to help make.
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Kid's 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 and no mess.
These are some incredibly portable picnic sweet treats kids will love, and even some for grown-ups as well.
Key Lime Truffles
A super portable version of Key Lime Pie, these creamy Key Lime Truffles are a little more healthy than your regular recipe but no less delicious.
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Sweet and Healthy Spinach Banana Muffin Recipe
These kid-friendly muffins sneak in greens without sacrificing taste. Sweet bananas and nutritious spinach make them a perfect picnic treat. Ready in 35 minutes, they're easy to pack, delicious, and a hit with little ones!
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Red Gingham Baking Cups 50 Vibrant Red Plaid Gingham Cupcake Liners – 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.
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Photo credit: https://www.etsy.com/shop/LayerCakeShop
Jumbo Pumpkin Muffins Recipe
These sweet and velvety jumbo-size pumpkin muffins are a perfect picnic treat for hungry kids, especially for fall picnics.
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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.
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Photo credit: butterysweet.com
Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Perfect for picnics, especially with kids, these moist carrot cake cupcakes are portable and easy to eat on the go. Topped with delicious cream cheese icing and lightly spiced with cinnamon, they’re a hit with everyone.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Photo credit: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CrankyCakesShop
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.
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Photo credit: eatingonadime.com
Easy Oreo Chocolate Cake
This Oreo Cake is a decadent chocolate cake both kids and adults will love. All the crispy, creaminess of Oreo cookies wrapped up in a moist chocolate cake. Best of all, you can make it in under an hour.
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Raspberry Cupcakes With Lemon Mascarpone Frosting
Ready in under an hour, these beautiful cupcakes will bring a burst of sunshine to any picnic. Who can resist?
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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.
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Photo credit: happyfoodstube.com
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.
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Double Chocolate Cupcakes
Super moist and chocolatey, these easy-to-make Double Chocolate Cupcakes are wonderfully decadent, portable desserts, especially for a kid's birthday picnic.
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Teddy Bear Engraved 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.
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Photo credit: https://www.etsy.com/shop/FolkRoll
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.
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Matilda’s Chocolate Cake Recipe
This is a fantastic cake for a kid's birthday picnic. Just like the cake from the iconic scene in the movie Matilda, this double chocolate fudge cake is a feast for chocolate-loving little ones.
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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.
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Photo credit: littlesunnykitchen.com
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.
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Photo credit: itsnotcomplicatedrecipes.com
Sweet Sugar-Free Cakes and Bakes
Not all sweet treats have to be made with sugar. These healthier sugar-free cakes and bakes are just as sweet and delicious but without the added sugar.
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Oreo Dirt Cake Cups with Gummy Worms
Hosting a Halloween picnic or need a fun, kid-friendly dessert? These Oreo Dirt Cake Cups with Gummy Worms are easy to make in 30 minutes and can be prepared ahead of time. Perfectly portioned for a mess-free picnic treat.
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