Summer is coming. It's there in the flash of sunlight between clouds, the warm breeze against your cheek, and the arrival of sunscreen in the aisles of your grocery store.
Summer is a lovely time of warmth and freedom for kids, but as a parent, it can get a bit stressful. Is the picnic packed? Do we have a blanket for the beach? How can I endure my offspring in a vehicle for more than five minutes?
Thankfully, there are a few hacks to make it all a little easier so that your little angels can be fed, happy, and not cause you too much stress over the summer months.
1. Fold down your chip bags at a picnic for instant bowls.
With these built-in bowls, you can predict more or less where the inevitable spill will go, and kids already know how to use them (in theory!).
Plus, there's no need to carry anything extra with you. #Bonus
2. Use a shower caddy or other organizer to keep your kid's lunch on their lap.
Fast food can be a life saver on road trips, but a dropped burger ketchup-down or fries in all the seat cracks is less so. Avoid spills by giving your kid something other than their shorts to eat their lunch from.
3. This all-in-one hack is great for road trips or just visits to the park.
Parcel out the veggies into containers with the dip already at the bottom. You won't have as many spills of a full dip container, and your kids might even eat more vegetables. Win/win.
4. For the kid who will only eat sliced apples.
You can pre-slice the apple without it getting brown for snacks on the go! Just use a rubber band to keep the apple in its original shape to avoid exposing the vulnerable flesh to air.
5. Use frozen water bottles in your cooler instead of ice cubes.
Not only does this cause way less mess — nothing like a cold water fight to really get at your nerves — but you can also freeze juice or other beverages for some healthy slushies.
6. It's summer, your children are constantly asking for drinks, and they're constantly dirtying new cups.
Try attaching a magnet to a lightweight cup so that your kids can stick their cups right to the fridge. Then they can grab their own each time they're thirsty!
7. Use a cupcake liner and a straw to keep bugs out of your kids' drinks.
This is perfect for the backyard or the beach!
Believe me, as a child whose encounter with a bee and a Sprite can left to a rushed investigation on whether or not I had a serious allergy, I can vouch for the importance of a drink cover.
8. Lovely picnics will no longer be ruined by dew or last night's rain. Just by your kid's mood.
Try slipping a shower curtain under your picnic blanket for a dry seat!
9. Turn a watermelon into an ice pop for a creative (but easy) snack.
Kids love to eat off ice pop sticks. You just need to make a slit in the rind and stick the ice pop stick in. This way they'll get a bit less juice on themselves but have a whole lot more fun.
10. Keep your kids busy by making their own ice cream!
The recipe is super simple, and kids love shaking the bag to make sure it freezes, especially since it comes with a sweet treat at the end.
11. We all hate missing that chunk of sugary goodness when part of the freeze pop snips off.
However, if you use the racks in your freezer to your advantage, you can make sure that you get a clean cut every time.
12. This two-ingredient snack is ridiculously simple, but a great crowd-pleaser.
Just stick chocolate chips inside raspberries for a fresh and decadent finger food. I love this idea for a kid's birthday party!
13. Making your own ice pops with yogurt is a great trick for healthy eating.
Popsicle molds can give you all sorts of shapes, but you can also stick yogurt in cupcake liners for a textured treat that doesn't force you to give up a lot of cupboard space.
14. Kids will love being able to dig in to their own mini watermelons.
Just slice off the top and hand them a sturdy spoon! Honestly, trying to get it out is half the enjoyment in this snack.
15. Cupcake liners to the rescue again!
Poke your ice pops through cupcake liners for a simple and pretty cup to catch your toddler's drips! If it involves less time spent washing sticky hands, I'm all for it.
16. Get your kids to drink more water by sticking frozen fruit in their glasses as ice cubes.
They'll love playing with the fruit and slurping it up at the end — bonus nutrition!
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