These family picnic ideas are perfect for having a nice time with your family or a romantic picnic date with your partner. You’ll find some simple picnic snacks, appetizers, salads, mains, and desserts.
Nothing’s more relaxing on a lazy summer day than to grab your picnic blanket, favorite picnic foods, and head outside. Maybe add some picnic games and you’ve got yourselves a perfect day.
If you’re headed beyond your backyard, you’ll want to get some big bags of ice for the cooler and make sure anything that could melt (chocolate, etc.) or go bad in the heat (deli meat, dip, etc.) gets put in there. An insulated picnic basket is also an awesome idea for ensuring food safety.
But wherever your perfect picnic location is… whether in the park, the beach, your backyard, or any other picnic spot…here are some awesome recipe ideas.
If you’re going to the beach, do check out our beach food ideas too!
Family Picnic Ideas For Every Course!
No matter what type of foods you are craving, these foods are perfect for family picnics.
Fresh Salads
Here are some healthy salads with lots of fresh veggies that’ll make your family picnic even more delicious.
Pasta Salad & Potato Salad
What Southerner doesn’t love a good pasta or potato salad? They’re easy picnic ideas to make ahead and then keep cool in your ice chest. Or bring straight out of the backdoor to your picnic blanket!
Easy And Tasty Picnic Sandwiches
Forget about the peanut butter and jelly. Want to pack some better than average sandwiches? Try these picnic food ideas for your next outing.
Sides, Dips & Such
If you want to bring some crackers and have some spreads for some dipping and snacking, these will help you fill up the picnic basket.
Meat and BBQ Mains For Your Family Picnic
If you’re a meat lover or have a bunch of men coming on your picnic, then make sure and load up on some protein filled meat dishes. These picnic recipes will be perfect to make, pack, and munch away whether you’re in your own backyard or elsewhere.
Desserts For Your Backyard Picnic
Now we’re getting to the good stuff… Don’t just pack a box of your favorite cookie!
If you’ve got any space left in your tummy at this point, these treats are the perfect sweet ending to your picnic lunch.
Festive & Fruity Drinks
You can’t have an awesome summer picnic in your backyard (or elsewhere) without yummy drinks!
We hope you’ll enjoy our picnic food ideas! Let us know what you tried out!
35 Delicious Family Picnic Ideas
Equipment
- picnic basket
- cooler
Ingredients
Fresh Salads
- Fabulous Fruit Salad With Peach Pie Filling For Maximum Flavor (southerneatsandgoodies.com)
- Spicy Cucumber Tomato and Water Chestnut Salad – Kitchen Gone Rogue
- Easy 7-Layer Chicken Taco Salad – Two Healthy Kitchens
- Fresh Fruit Cocktail Salad – a healthy dessert for your BBQ or cookout (recipesformen.com)
- Kale Slaw (With A Creamy Lemon Garlic Dressing) – Earth, Food, and Fire (earthfoodandfire.com)
- Easy Southern Grape Salad – Recipes From A Pantry
- Barley Pea Pesto Salad with Grana Padano and Prosciutto – The Petite Cook™
- Easy Bean Salad| Vegan, Gluten-free – Food Meanderings
- Summer Fruit Salad Recipe for Your Next Picnic | Foodal
- Easy Black Bean Avocado Salad – Dancing Through the Rain
Potato and Pasta Salads
- Quick and Easy Pasta Salad Recipe – Snappy Gourmet
- Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad – Two Healthy Kitchens
- 5 Ingredient Southern Cole Slaw – Southern Eats & Goodies (southerneatsandgoodies.com)
- Best Non-Creamy Potato Salad Recipe (Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Large-Batch!) – Sustain My Cooking Habit
- Bacon-Cheddar Potato Salad Recipe – Home Cooking Memories
- Greek Pasta Salad – Candy Jar Chronicles
- Kid-Friendly Pasta Salad – Little Sunny Kitchen
- BLT Pasta Salad with Ranch Dressing – Evolving Table
- Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad – Simply Stacie
- Amazing Lemon Chicken Salad – Amee's Savory Dish (ameessavorydish.com)
- Classic Macaroni Pasta Salad (vegan, wfpb) – Ve Eat Cook Bake
Picnic Sandwiches
- Italian Picnic Sandwich – Dukes and Duchesses
- Giant Sandwich Recipe (eatingrichly.com)
- Make Ahead Hot Roast Beef or Ham Sandwiches – Freezer Meals 101
- Creamy Egg Salad – a delicious sandwich filling or side salad for your BBQ (recipesformen.com)
- Summer Sandwich Recipe: Muffuletta Style Kid Friendly | Create Kids Club
- Summer Picnic Sandwich Recipe by Tasty
- Chicken Salad Croissant Sandwiches (life-in-the-lofthouse.com)
- Afternoon tea sandwiches recipe | BBC Good Food
Sides & Dips
- Classic Guacamole – Southern Eats & Goodies (southerneatsandgoodies.com)
- Pimento Cheese Dip That Southerners Love (Kids Too!) (southerneatsandgoodies.com)
- An Awesome Bacon Ranch Cheeseball To Snack On! (southerneatsandgoodies.com)
- Southern Deviled Eggs That'll Fly Off The Potluck Table (southerneatsandgoodies.com)
- Ultimate Redneck Caviar, aka Southern Caviar | gritsandpinecones.com
Instructions
- Select foods for your picnic from the list above.
- Follow the links to the recipes.
- Prepare and enjoy!
Great list! Thanks!