In this generation of growing electronic distractions, finding time to connect with the family is more necessary than ever. Since children follow their parents into the real world, not getting enough time to spend with either of the parents, especially the father, can impact their growing years. To improvise your bond with your children, partner, and other members in the family, planning and embarking on family outings once every season could be a great decision.  

Studies have shown that family outing has a myriad of benefits on the child’s mental health. Additionally, not only does it uplift your child’s self-worth in realizing that he/ she is worth your time, but it also improves their confidence in communicating within and beyond the family. The organizing of a picnic, or family time outdoors, opens up numerous practical opportunities to foster mutual respect and coordination between the parent and the children, as well as among the siblings. This is where you can also engage in some genuine conversations with your family to reinstill a sense of togetherness, good behavior, and kindness. 

In order to ensure that your kids have fun, you need to properly plan the intricacies of the family outing and accommodates everyone’s interest.

Take Care of These Essentials When You Plan Your Next Family Picnic

Budgeting

While family outings, picnics, and other recreational activities can be really uplifting, you also have a greater risk of breaking the bank if a thorough budget is not in place. Starting from travel expenses to the cost of your food and living charges, jot them all down and allocate them their respective shares from the amount you can spare for the occasion. Refrain from overspending. Try to set a range for everything- say 20-30 bucks for snacks, 200-300 per day for camping, etc.

You can attempt to stick by the lower range but be prepared to spend the higher end, not more, if the situation demands. To keep a better tab of the expenses, carry the budget in cash with you. While you plan and only spare the allocated fare for trips, shopping, etc, also have an eye for the possible extra activities that might need you to spend. Discuss it with your family and accommodate their interest on whether or not they would like to cut on some activity.

Packing

Here comes the first practical step to venturing out on an outing. I might not be completely wrong to assume that kids experience a massive flow of energy and excitement for the picnic while watching the things getting sorted, prepared, and packed. However, don’t get distracted by your kid’s excitement alone. Pack the essential items you would need on your way to the spot and back. This may include snacks, meals or drinks, umbrellas, extra clothing, scarfs, picnic mats, mosquito repellents, napkins, handwash, utensils, and car blinds, to mention a few.

Organize them inside the bags smartly, so that you can access them easily when you need them. Keep the most frequently required item like napkins, snacks, and water bottles in the most quickly accessible pocket or slot. On the other hand, the cooking set-ups and mats could be kept in the innermost slot. Since you have your kids along, they may wish to play on the way to the picnic spot, therefore, plan that out and keep some safer amusements accessible to them.

Activities

The worst part of having kids along is that they lose interest pretty quickly which is why you must have a clear idea of the activities to keep your kids engaged and entertained. A family outing is also the time when you and your child must develop a deeper understanding of the latter’s interests and affections.

Keep a number of activities lined up but not too strictly as to tire your child completely. Have a backup plan for each activity. For instance, if the zoo happened to be closed for some odd reason, instead of cancelling the activity completely, go to a museum or a science park. This also reduces the time and energy lost in between, while retaining your child’s excitement as before. You can also plan a short visit to your friend’s house nearby where your children can make some new friends and learn about coordinating with your acquaintances.

Food and Drinks

While packing counter-available snacks and fast food may seem a viable option, it is better to get some organic and healthy food to eat. A packet of snacks or a sip of soft drink might not hamper your health significantly, however, if your entire outing is based on readily available food from the supermarket, you need to think twice. Home-made food is not only healthy but also cost-effective. You may also not want to give your child the habit of depending on heavily flavored and chemically preserved packed food.

On the other hand, cooking on the picnic spot may require considerable time and energy which can affect your emphasis on other planned activities. To strike a fine balance here, prepare a meal at your home beforehand and pack it to the spot. Consider vacuum sealing the food to prevent it from losing its freshness and eliminating any risk of leakages. This also applies to soups, gravies and other liquid rich edibles.

First Aid

First Aid is one of the most overlooked items on a picnic. Regardless of whether you are going on a long trip or a shorter one, carry the first aid kit along with you. Not that you should anticipate any mishap, but carrying the kit is indicative of your preparedness for the worst. Throw in some digestive pills, electrolytes blend, band-aids, cotton, antiseptics, mosquito repellent, disinfectants and sanitizers, pain killers, inhalers, a loo disinfecting spray, and any specific medications required by your family members. If your child gets minor scratches while playing outdoors, disinfect the wound and then protect it from contracting dust or microbes by gently covering it using a band-aid. This would give out a larger message to your kids for being more careful and responsible as they grow.

Endnote

Being a dad is no less challenging. You become the one whom kids look up to as the responsible head. Growing up, kids tend to stay in relatively closer proximity to the mother than the father, since she carries the baby in her womb and nourishes him/ her. Therefore, you must bear your share of parental responsibilities duly and give your family the much-needed time.

We hope the article gave you valuable insights for planning your next family outing more efficiently!