Green Your Family Picnic

Warm weather means plenty of al fresco eating, and that includes picnics. The next time your family is looking to update their outdoor dining gear, check out these earth-friendly favorites.

• Pack your food in Lama Design’s picnic basket, that’s hand-woven out of 100% recycled material by Bolivian artisans. Bonus: The cool colors will be sure to stand out against a sea of tan, wooden baskets!
• Store sandwiches, salads, fresh fruit and veggies with dip, plus more in a Lunch on the Go food container. They’re reusable, and are made from non-leaching #5 plastic (which is probably safer than toting around glass!) that’s BPA- and phthalate-free.
• Ditch the paper towels in favor of these sustainable hemp napkins, made with plant-based dyes and manufactured in accordance with Fair Labor/Fair Wage standards.
• While bigger family members drink out of their reusable water bottles, tots can sip from Foogo’s stainless steel sippy cup, which is BPA-free and (best of all!) guaranteed leak-proof.
• Every picnic needs a comfy plaid blanket, right? Try one from Turning Life, which is crafted from 100% recycled fibers.
• End the meal with a healthy treat, like these raw oatmeal blueberry cookies from One Lucky Duck. They’re handmade in small batches with pure, organic ingredients, and are just plain delicious!

Leave No Trace and the PEAK Program

Whether its hiking, camping, canoeing, swimming, or something else entirely, one of the most important things to remember when spending time in nature is to leave the environment in the exact condition in which it was found. Promoting this concept of responsibly enjoying the outdoor is the main goal for The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, an educational, nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching people how they can minimize their impact on the planet when spending time in nature.

First created by the USDA Forest Service in the 1960’s, LNT has most recently formed a partnership with the National Association of State Parks Directors with the goal to expand the organization’s program in America’s state parks. What’s more, Leave No Trace also works with outdoor gear company REI to promote the PEAK Program, a joint effort that seeks to increase environmental stewardship among children.

Reaching over 100,000 kids each year PEAK, (which stands for Promoting Environmental Awareness in Kids), provides special PEAK Packs especially designed for elementary school-age kids who want to explore the outdoors. Each pack contains six activity modules to teach kids compassion for the natural world, and is available for purchase online at the LNT store. Even better, the packs can be borrowed from the LNT Center for just the cost of shipping.

50 Fun (and Inexpensive!) Summer Activities for Kids

1. Camp out under the stars in your own backyard. Craft a makeshift tent from old bedsheets, or just use sleeping bags! (Don’t forget to make some s’mores.)

2. Organize a neighborhood Olympics with events such as a water balloon toss, three-legged race, or jump rope competition.

3. Hula hoop in the front yard to your favorite songs.

4. Visit a local stable to learn how horses are cared for. Find out if you can bring carrot sticks or rolled outs to feed them.

5. Hang an old sheet on a clotheslines, then fill spray bottles with a mixture of tempera paint and water. Spray away for a unique, colorful masterpiece!

6. Make ice pops with 100% fruit juice.

7. Turn your garage into a neighborhood theater and put on a play.

8. Make dreamcatchers.

9. Make daisy chains.

10. Write verses about the silliest things you can think of, then have a poetry slam.

11. Visit another country at home. Cook a meal, learn key phrases or a traditional dance, and read travel guides. Research popular children’s games and play them.

12. Have an outdoor movie night. Rent a projector and turn an old bedsheet into a screen. Be sure to pass around plenty of popcorn!

13. Spend a day volunteering at a local organization, like an animal shelter or soup kitchen.

14. Go old school with a game of Hide and Seek.

15. Check out a local nature guide from the library and seek out native wildflowers.

16. Learn how to do a headstand. This one might take some practice!

17. Have a picnic lunch at a local park–bonus points if you make a themed meal. What about Southwestern cuisine, or foods that are all the same color?

18. Organize a neighborhood parade.

19. Learn how to twirl a baton.

20. Make your own ice cream. No machine? No problem.

21. Go fruit picking at a local farm. Strawberries, blueberries, plums, peaches, and nectarines are all fun choices!

22. Build a campfire after dark and tell scary stories.

23. Fly a kite.

24. Play a game of crab soccer.

25. Rainy day? Take on a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle.

26. Dress up in wacky costumes and have an outdoor photo shoot.

27. Learn how to make your own paper.

28. Whip out your compass and take a family hike.

29. Blow bubbles outside.

30. Make a time capsule.

31. Organize a game of Ultimate Frisbee

32. Take a tour of your township’s firehouse

33. Make mudpies after a rainstorm.

34. Catch fireflies in a glass jar (but be sure to set them free at the end of the night!)

35. Play a game of hangman on your driveway with sidewalk chalk.

36. Seek out a nearby photobooth, pile inside, and take wacky pictures.

37. Play Monkey in the Middle.

38. Turn old towels into ponchos to wear to the beach.

39. Gather up some stale bread and feed ducks at a nearby lake or pond.

40. Collect snack wrappers for upcycling.

41. Throw a silk-dyeing party.

42. Explore the practice of guided meditation.

43. Play flashlight tag after dark.

44. Birdwatch.

45. Tie-dye old t-shirts with natural vegetable dyes.

46. Build a tire swing for your backyard.

47. Wake up extra early to watch the sun rise.

48. Make a fort, inside or out, it doesn’t matter!

49. Create sculptural masterpieces with homemade play dough.

50. Have a diving competition at your local pool.