Family Summer Rituals: Picnic Dinners

by Kate June 4, 2014 No Comments Family Life, Family Traditions, Seasonal Activities

As evidenced by my past blog posts, I love making a good bucket list as a new season approaches (like this summer bucket list and this spring bucket list). This isn’t another one of those, I promise. The reason I love making those lists, though, is that inevitably we come across an activity that clicks for us and becomes more than a one-off activity but rather a regular part of our family routine. Last summer we added a picnic dinner in the park to our summer bucket list. Now, I completely recognize that the idea of a picnic is not exactly revolutionary, but it was one of those activities that really working for us. Summer is tough because it seems to be so busy and so short and between work and everything else, sometimes I feel like I barely get to enjoy it with Liam. On our picnic dinner last year we all walked down to the park, ate a no-frills, low maintenance dinner and just enjoyed each other’s company on a beautiful summer night. Something about losing the table and just curling up on a blanket totally changed the whole mealtime experience.

Now picnic dinners have become a regular part of our “nice weather” routine. On what is expected to be the nicest weather day of the work week, we pack our meal and head down to the park (or if I’m feeling less ambitious, the backyard) and cozy up on a blanket. It’s totally simple, costs us nothing, and has quickly become one of my favorite family activities.

What summer rituals does your family have to help you slow down and enjoy the summer months together?

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