What to Bring on a Family Picnic to Create a Memorable and Stress-Free Time!

When the sun's shining and there is a lovely gentle autumn breeze, picnics become the perfect activity to fill your day. We know for some, it’s hard to see beautiful days and not be able to go out, so why not plan a lovely picnic in your own backyard?! 

As a new parent, or after adding an addition to your growing family, it can sometimes get overwhelming thinking about what to pack for your picnic. 

Don't fear, we are here to supply you with the perfect list to make the most of the gorgeous spring weather and have a beautiful picnic together as a family.

The Food.

Arguably the most important part of a picnic are the delicious snacks you'll munch on. Some of our favourites include a selection of cheeses, biscuits, homemade quince paste and deli meats. You could also spice it up with some olives, fetta stuffed peppers, tomato salad and dips. We also LOVE having cut up fruit like watermelon, strawberries and blueberries - yum!

For your little ones, we love chopped up veggies with hummus, their favourite fruit and a little treat like a chocolate or banana muffins to make the occasion a little special.

If you have more time to prepare or would like to do it as a lunch or dinner, pasta salads, sandwiches or wraps and mini quiches are also wonderful additions. (and easy to eat & clean up!).

The Drink.

Most parks have a water fountain, but in the event that they are missing we will always pack bottles of water. In addition we like to pack 'spicy water' (soda water) with some cordial for the adults, and for the kidlets we either go for cordial, juice or just their water bottle. 

If you're breastfeeding or bottle feeding your bub, ensure you pack all the essentials you need for this. Thermoses are a great way to carry boiling water to make bottles and don't forget those burp cloths.

The Baby Products.

Packing for a picnic can sometimes feel like you are packing for a month long holiday, but it's best to have everything ready to grab if need be. In addition to your baby bag (with spare clothes, socks, bibs, etc) we like to pack our slim Nappy Bag. We don't like the bulk of bringing our entire nappy bag for a little outing, and DockATot's Clutch Changer is the perfect size to hold the essentials for a picnic. 

Naturally we also bring along our DockATot Deluxe and Cabana Kit to give us hands-free moment to enjoy the picnic while bub is happily snug in their dock with the SPF 50+ UV-Protected Cabana Kit. It also has a fly net to keep those nasty flys away from bubs face! 

We like to pack all of this up in their Transport Bag, but the bag that it comes in is also great for gentle transportation. 

In addition to this, you'll know what your bub may or may not want for this outing so stick to your mama or papa instincts and pack your bubs essentials.

The Toddler Products.

If this picnic involves little ones that now run around and play, there are a few more things to add! We always have a go-bag in the car with sunscreen, hats, change of clothes and a towel in case we decide while on the go to stop somewhere for a quick play (beach, park, grandparents). If you don't have these things readily accessible, then pack some sunscreen and a hat.

We also have our Grand DockATot with it's Base Protector (no one likes those grass stains!) which provides the perfect little and comfy space for them to lounge, read, eat food and nap if they get sleepy.

We also have a little hand sanitiser at the ready to clean hands that have been exploring on playgrounds before they eat. This is just our preference though.

The Picnic Goodies.

We invested in a bright coloured picnic rug that we just love. It is HUGE and fits all of us plus all our food. They all do the same thing, whether they are from Kmart or some boutique store. We've also used towels in the past too, but this adds to the washing up after.

We've also got an insulated picnic basket to keep the food fresher for longer. We like to pack all the food in containers so if we don't manage to finish it then we can take it home with us. We don't like using plates as it just adds to the pack and cleaning up after, instead we just pop down the containers that everything is packed in or use their lids (for the cheese). It's not pretty, but we find it more functional for us. Our picnic basket comes with a cheeseboard like top, so we also use that if we need.

The Location.

There are so many different spots to have a picnic, and we are fortunate to have so much natural beauty around us so why not mix it up! We select our picnic location based on the mood of the kids, the weather and what we are feeling like. For warmer days we tend to stick to parks with good shade cover!

If we'd like to make a beach adventure out of it, we will pack up a few more 'beachy' essentials along with our picnic things and head to our local beach. We like to pack beach toys and set up camp under the jetty or we have a big beach umbrella to provide a bit more shade.

We also have picnics at friends and family's houses. We set up picnic rugs and activities for both the big and little kids and just enjoy a relaxing afternoon.

If we are feeling more adventurous we head for a national park and go for a little hike as a family before settling down for some food. 

Don't forget the joy of your backyard too! Our little ones can sometimes get too overwhelmed, so leaving the house is just not an option. We set up outside in the backyard and just enjoy some technology free time together as a family.

Extra Essentials.

Baby Wipes. To clean fingers, sides of containers and tops of picnic baskets to make the journey home just a tiny bit cleaner (and easier). 

Patience. Easier said than done on some occasions, but when dealing with little people you need to expect the unexpected. If it's all to hard, then why not move the picnic to your backyard/balcony. It might not be the same, but at least you can enjoy some quality family time together with your little one feeling more comfortable in their own space.

Friends and/or Family. Coordinating a picnic with friends or family that live in the area is a great way to get some socialising in for you and your little one out of the house. If they have kidlets the same age as your, even better!

Games. If you or your kids love games then this is a great addition to your picnic. We have Finska that we take to the park to play, but any activity that your little ones enjoy will just add to the enjoyment of the picnic. 

I'm sure there are more things to add to this list, so let us know what your additional picnic essentials are in the comments!

We hope you are able to enjoy lots of beautiful picnic moments together as a family!