Planning a picnic with your family? Here are the best kid friendly side dishes for picnics!
One of my favorite ways to enjoy a beautiful day is with a picnic! We like to go to a local park or even the beach to eat an outdoor mean.
Picnics are a super fun outdoor activity for families and kids.
But, packing your picnic lunch shouldn't be stressful. It's supposed to be fun!
Whether you pick up takeout or make food from scratch, it's important to include kid-friendly side dishes in a picnic basket.
Trust me, you'll be wanting to share and snack on lots of sides!
Today we are going to provide you with some easy and delicious side dish ideas for picnics that kids will love!
Kid friendly side dishes for picnics
Here are some easy picnic side dish ideas. Keep scrolling for a list of specific recipe ideas!
Fresh and Crunchy Vegetables
If your kids will eat them, it's great to pack fresh veggies in a picnic basket.
Some examples of kid-friendly veggies include baby carrots, sugar snap peas, and cherry tomatoes.
For more fun, consider pairing the veggies with a dip like hummus or ranch dressing.
Fruit
Fruit is a tasty and healthy side dish for picnics.
In my experience, kids love fruit so it is an easy winner!
I suggest mixing a variety of fruits, such as berries, melons, and citrus fruits.
It's a good idea to pre-cut the fruit at home to save time at the picnic site.
Sandwiches
Sandwiches are a picnic staple. Consider cutting sandwiches into smaller pieces to make them more of a sharing item or side dish.
Consider a creative twist on traditional sandwiches by making sandwich skewers.
You can assemble the skewers using kid-friendly ingredients like bread, cheese, deli meat, and veggies.
Check out all of my favorite make ahead sandwich ideas!
You might even pair the skewers or mini sandwiches with a small container of mustard or mayo.
Kid-friendly salads
Potato salad, pasta salad, and egg salad are a filling and versatile side dish for picnics.
You can make kid-friendly pasta salad with ingredients such as diced ham, cherry tomatoes, and cubed cheese.
Focus on foods that you know your kids like and will eat to cut down on stress at the picnic.
Picnic side dish recipe ideas
Here are some of my favorite side dish recipe ideas for picnics!
Picnic side dishes for kids
Planning a picnic? Here are some awesome kid-friendly picnic side dish recipe ideas!
This turkey pasta salad is both hearty and healthy, and perfect for a family picnic! It combines fresh turkey, vegetables and herbs and is very easy to make.
Grandma Mildred’s Blueberry Salad is super yummy with just a few ingredients and is simple to put together.
The Pineapple Cream Cheese Dressing is like a custard and is great with any fruit!
Creamy. Cheesy. Easy. Peasy. This Pressure Cooker Jack Mac is macaroni and cheese at it’s finest.
A simple and delicious salad that's perfect for packing for a picnic that everyone will love! Made with just fresh tomatoes, herbs and an easy homemade dressing.
Easy Grilled Corn on the Cob is a tutorial on how to grill corn on the cob using 3 different cooking methods. Learn how to grill corn in the husk, in foil, or with the husk removed!
Asian noodle salad with peanut dressing is a colorful and healthful lunch that works great for meal prep. This cold noodle salad is also perfect for a picnic!
These fun and easy fruit kabobs are an awesome and kid friendly snack. Served with a creamy peanut butter yogurt dip. So good!
With lots of kid-friendly fruit flavors, this refreshing salad is sure to be a hit. And, for extra wow-factor and kid-appeal, be sure to note the photo showing how to create a pretty sunburst on top ... so summery!
Keto egg salad is a delicious and easy lunch idea when you’re not in the mood to cook or need a portable recipe for a picnic or potluck! It’s super versatile and you can even add in bacon and avocado.
No picnic is complete without this sweet and creamy Amish Macaroni Salad! Its tangy dressing is made of mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, and smoked paprika.
These Sugar-free Baked Beans are delicious and OH so easy. Your kids will love how they taste, and you'll love that they come together in only 60 minutes!
This Pizza Hummus is the perfect melding of pizza deliciousness with hummus! Your kids will love dipping veggies, chips, (but hopefully not their fingers) into it on your next picnic.
This Raisin Sushi is a cinnamon and raisin tortilla pinwheel snack that's quick, easy and healthy. Made with 6 wholesome ingredients (California raisins, apples, carrots, cinnamon, cream cheese and whole wheat tortillas), it's a snap to whip together for picnics, lunch bags or an after-school snack that kids can even make themselves!
Perfect for picnics, this Easy Asian Cucumber Salad is one our kids love. It's light and refreshing and easy to make!
What are your favorite foods to pack on a picnic?
Thanks for reading!
Hey there, I'm Morgan, the creative mind behind CelebratingWithKids.com! As a parent of two lively little ones, I've made it my mission to turn ordinary days into extraordinary adventures, sharing playful activities, thoughtful toy reviews, and delightful printables to help families celebrate every moment together. 🎉👨👩👧👦🎈
