family picnic in park

Family Picnic Ideas

Best Of..., Southern Potlucks & Parties

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.

Green, Meat, & Fruit Salads For Picnics

These green salads are healthy, yummy, using fresh in season ingredients and will make your picnic day so enjoyable and tasty.

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!

Pasta Salads & Potato Salads For Picnics

These pasta salads are great picnic recipes or for any outdoor event.

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.

Picnic Sandwich Ideas

These sandwiches are perfect for family picnics.

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.

Sides, Dips, & Spreads

These salads, dips, spreads, and dishes will help round out your 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.

Mains & Meats For Your Picnic

Here are some yummy mains and meats for your picnic.

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.

Picnic Desserts

These desserts are perfect for casual spreads at a picnic party.

Since picnic season is warm, be sure to keep your desserts in your cooler if they have ingredients like whipped cream or chocolate chips, so you don't end up with a runny melted mess!

Festive & Fruity Drinks

You can’t have an awesome summer picnic in your backyard (or elsewhere) without yummy drinks!

Festive Summer Drinks For Picnics

These drinks will be perfect to pack up and bring along with you to a picnic.

We hope you’ll enjoy our picnic food ideas! Let us know what you tried out!

family picnic in park

35 Delicious Family Picnic Ideas

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 appetizers, salads, mains, and desserts for the picnic.
5 from 2 votes
Course picnic
Cuisine American, Southern

Equipment

  • picnic basket
  • cooler

Ingredients
  

Instructions
 

  • Select foods for your picnic from the list above.
  • Follow the links to the recipes.
  • Prepare and enjoy!
Keyword family, picnic
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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One Comment

  1. 5 stars
    Great list! Thanks!

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