If you have run out of ideas for picnics, or if it's a rainy day and you'd like to add a different flare to the normally boring day, these ideas may help spark your creativity. I've had to get creative on a shoe-string budget while I was a stay-at-home Mom so I know how challenging it is to have some excitement while doing it inexpensively. Here are a few ways you can change your day with the kids. Follow the steps below and you'll have a fun indoor picnic in no time.1. Use cookie cutters to make different animal sandwiches. This is an easy way to take the crust off of the sandwiches but also add some fun to them. Plastic animal cutters are found in large quantities at Wal-Mart. I've used the cookie cutters for play-doh fun and also to trace when my girls were coloring. They are a good investment and I have used them for different "projects". When you get to the eating part, have everyone tell a pretend funny or scary story about the animal they are about to eat!
2. Ants are everywhere! For the picnic, pack yogurt, fruit and raisins. Also bring along some fruit dip. This is so much fun! (It's usually a mess, though, so see the special note about packing everything up in one of the steps below). Once seated for your picnic, dip the pieces of fruit into the yogurt or fruit dip, then into the raisins. Play pretend that the raisins are ants and you're using your fruit and dip/yogurt to pick them up and eat them to make them go away. The kids love this! OK, so do the parents, but that's beside the point.
3. Desert will be s'mores! Everyone will take an ingredient on their hike to the picnic spot. You can pretend there's a fire or, if your kids are older, you can use a sterno stove. You can get them at Wal-Mart or Target and they are wonderful. You light them, they give off heat/fire and then you simply close them up and store them after they cool off. They are even reusable. Obviously, if you have younger children or you don't have a well-ventilated room, don't user the sterno stove. You can also just pretend there's a fire and pretend cook the marshmallows. Just put everything together and eat it. It's all about pretending anyway!
4. OK, so you have all your stuff ready, now grab a laundry basket. Add all of your picnic stuff to the basket and for a "picnic blanket" I suggest using a plastic tablecloth. This is especially great for the raisins and dip and everything else that may fall. You can just shake everything off and wipe it down. Pack plastic plates, drink cups, silverware, sandwiches, s'mores stuff, etc. Now pretend you are all hiking off to a far away place and walk all around the house until you "settle" at your picnic spot.
If you like having creative ideas handy, I can help you with that. I have other ideas that can help you at play time and birthday parties too! I love to create party themes around riddles. Have you ever tried that? It's so much fun!
For more fun party ideas and cool ways I use riddles visit Http://Age-Appropriate-Riddles.info.
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