4 Ways to Make Your Summer Picnic the Best Ever

If you live in Pittsburgh, right now you're yelling "Summer is finally here!" I'm so excited to walk in my grass with bare feet, my boys are gearing up to live the pool life and, one of my favorited, I'm getting ready for days at the park. When we lived in Bay Ridge in Brooklyn, we spent most of our summer days at the park. We'd get up, pack our supplies and stay at the park until an hour before my husband got home from work. Those were the days.

But, before my NYC life I had no idea about days at the park. Thank good that since returning to Pittsburgh the city has done a pretty awesome jobs revamping the Citiparks Conservancy. Now many of the green spaces host spray parks, have movie nights and the Roving Art Cart makes the rounds all summer. So, the boys and I will definitely be spending many days parkin' it up! Just in case you are a park novice, like I was when I first moved to NYC, here's a checklist of steps to ensure you're summer picnic will be the best ever!

[highlight1]Do A Drive By[/highlight1]

Before you make your summer picnic spot official, ride pass the park and check it out. Make sure it has optimal seating (if not, make plans to bring your own), check for shaded spots (you might need an umbrella) and make sure you know where the nearest bathrooms are.

[highlight1]Make A Food Checklist[/highlight1]

It is horrible to get to the park with miniature applesauce cups for the kids and have no spoons. Make sure that you have a check list of all the food you're bringing and utensils to make it edible. Also, make sure the food is filling. If you're going to be at the park for more than 3 hours, you're going to want two meals or at least a meal and a snack.

[highlight1]Have a First Aid Kit Handy[/highlight1]

Nothing is worse than a 4-year-old with a boo-boo and no band aid. I've explained to Phillip at least 100 times that a band-aid does not make the boo-boo better, but he won't stop crying until he sees Spiderman or even a blue band-aid stuck across his teeny, tiny scratch. Just grad a sandwich bag and stuff it with some anti-bacterial cream, band-aids and wipes. Viola! You've got a first aid kit.

[highlight1]Get Ready to Entertain[/highlight1]

My boys are very rambunctious, but it never fails that after about 2 hours, someone needs a break. Usually 15-20 minutes of sitting on the blanket with mommy is necessary. I maximize that time by bringing along board games. My boys love Connect Four. It doesn't have that many pieces and requires little set-up. It's the perfect picnic game. If you're kid gets into a scuffle, falls and gets hurt or just needs a break be ready to give them some other activity to do.