Picnic with Toddlers: have fun and learn at the same time!

As a mother, I always try to get the most of the weather to have a nice family time. I think that the kids need frequent times outdoors to discover nature and learn from that experience. I grew up visiting and exploring new places. Those experiences helped me respect and love nature and also understand its importance.

In our family, we love going to picnics. At home I always have ready our picnic basket backpack for any last minute opportunity. In this type of activities it may be sometimes challenging to entertain the little ones, especially the toddlers. Here are some ideas that can help you to get the most of your next picnic experience:

Play “Find the bug”. The outdoors gives you a lot to discover. Little ones love to watch every little detail. Bugs are a great way to keep them entertained and to help them discover nature. You can find the bug first, show it to your child, try to get her attention and give her funny details. For instant tell her how many legs the bug has, then ask her to find another one. I even have a bug book with nice pictures to help me with this activity.

Play pretend. While you are setting your picnic blanket and your picnic basket you can ask your child to do the same. You can show her that she can set up her picnic area out of leaves, sticks, rocks and branches. You can even use your bugs as food! Encourage your child to look for different materials. This is a great opportunity to build imagination and develop her creative mind.

Read to them. Another fun and quiet activity that you can do while picnicking with toddlers is just read. They love it! You can bring her favorite book or you can try to read something about nature. This way your child can build references.

Prepare a naptime. Toddlers can get tiered easily. To avoid a fuzzy child, it is a good idea to be ready for a nap. You can bring with you her favorite toy or blanket to help the little one rest peaceful, and you too!

Toddlers learn every moment. It is always good to stimulate them with new and engaging activities. You can make every moment a learning experience. Take advantage of your next picnic to help your child discover new things and have fun doing it.