It’s hard to believe we’re already on our tenth birthday family picnic after! We’ve been sharing picnic-ready ideas for food, fun, and conversation all summer of 2020. We hope families will use these ideas to connect during a stressful and uncertain time. Especially with many kids getting ready for back to school (or back to distance learning), a weekly family picnic can be a fun and soothing ritual to add to the calendar.
This week’s family picnic menu
A classic sandwich recipe takes center stage this week! We pair it with a simple salad that gets better while sitting, plus a fun backyard dessert. And because the pulled pork recipe is made in a slow cooker, it’s perfect for any occasion where you don’t have much time to cook. It’s also versatile. Check out these recipes for tacos and fried burritos using the same pork as a base.
Pulled Pork sandwiches are easy to pull together. Dress them up with whatever you like: slaw, different sauces, or fresh veggies.
Pulled pork sandwiches
Dilled Cucumber Salad is a quick and fresh summer side dish. Make it ahead of time and let it sit in the fridge where it gets better as it rests!
Distilled Cucumber Salad
End your picnic with a s’mores bar like the one we mentioned in our book Eat, Laugh, Talk: The Family Dinner Playbook. You can let your imagination run wild and create new delicious options!
S’mores Bar
Pleasure
Reading aloud is a great way to keep kids busy with family, and it works for any age group. All readers in the family can take turns so everyone has a chance to eat. You can choose anything you want to read together, from storybooks to novels or even an interesting news article. Make it silly with a collection of witty poetry, or get serious with a book on a topic your family wants to know more about. And if you need more ideas to get everyone involved, try some of the literacy games below!
Conversation
Keep the theme going with these conversation starters about books and reading.