Snacks for a Summer Road Trip

The August long weekend is approaching us and a lot of families planning to head out on a family a road trip. Along the way there is not a lot of choice for food.

It is great to have some food on hand or even pack a picnic of options.

A few ideas using all of our in season produce:

Curried Chicken Salad with Peaches. Switch it up and serve it on Romaine lettuce leaves, half a pepper or cucumber rounds.

With all the choice of fresh fruit, pack some straws and make fruit Kabobs. For a little sweetness add some sponge cake to the pattern.

If you have a chilled vessel, Peach Milkshakes are a favourite in our family.

Raw veggies served with hummus or a homeade herb dip is a good way to refuel.

All recipes are on Foodlandontario.ca

Be sure to pack wet wipes and a few road trip game ideas!

Playing it Cool

Frozen Paint 

 

Painting with coloured shaving cream or cool whip is not new to Mom in the Know, but frozen paint brings a new twist to summer fun. 

What you need: 

• Shaving Cream or Frozen Dessert Topping like Cool Whip
• Food Colouring

Mix a little food colouring to the cream (shaving or whipped).  Once you have the right colour, put the mixture into the freezer for four hours.  Ready to play,  take the paint out and give each child a cup full and a paint brush.  Kids can paint on paper, Styrofoam plates, or any other smooth surface. 

Fun with Water Balloons

Filling up the Balloons is Fun

• Set a timer and see how many balloons each kid could fill up in a certain time frame
• See who can fill the largest balloon without popping it

Play Catch

• Play catch with a friend
• Toss the balloon into the air and have kids try to catch it themselves
• Play hot potato with a group
• Put soap or shaving cream on their hands and try to play catch

Hide Them

Hide water balloons like an Easter egg hunt. See how many each person can find and place in their buckets without breaking them

Balloon Drop 

Experiment with dropping balloons from different heights. See what kind of splatter patterns they make on the ground.

Play your Favourite Sports

Use water balloons instead of balls to play your favorite sports. Try water balloon basketball, volley ball, or baseball.

Water Balloon Fight

Of course!

Flashlight tag 

Dusk is the best time of day to play flashlight tag.  All you need is a few adventurous kids and a flashlight. 

The flashlight is given to one child who then becomes “it.”

All of the other children head off to hide while “it” counts to 25.

The person who is it, then begins to look for the others.
When “it” finds another child, he must shine the flashlight on the child and call out their name. 

The found child then becomes it and the game begins again. 

A Summer Picnic

Summer is in full swing and I am enjoying every minute of it.  Summer is the perfect time for a picnic.  Whether you are dining on the sidelines of an evening soccer game, feasting alfresco in your own back yard or lounging by a lake, I have some healthy go to recipes, games and packing tips to help you fill your basket. 

Fresh and in season strawberries are the taste of summer.  My kids love smoothies -- portable, fruity and fun.  I really enjoy this sweet recipe from Foodland Ontario.  It’s not too late to pick your own berries, a fun day out in itself.  Be creative and add new recipes when you have the time.  Teach your kids what foods are in season and promote them eating local.   This Wheat Berry Salad with Bacon and Peas can be made up the night before. 

MITK TIP  - freeze juice boxes or water bottles the night before to use as cold packs in your basket.  Use Thermos bottles to keep smoothie cold. 

Where to go, where to go?  Do you have a summer to do list of places you would like to see or things that you would like to do with your kids.  Why not set out on an adventure and pack up some healthy, locally sourced food for picnic fun. 

Still stuck for the perfect picnic spot?  Ottawa Magazine has compiled a list of the top 10 picnic spots in the city. 

Keeping the adventure alive is easy when you incorporate outdoor games and activities.  We often pack in Frisbee, hacky sacks, skipping ropes and bubbles.  We also play charades and compass games.  Scavenger hunts are fun too.

Wherever you land and whatever you pack, have a wonderful and fun-filled summer picnic.