How To Fill Your Basket for a Beach-inspired Picnic

It is so fun to spread out a blanket on the sand and nosh on your favorite snacks while you watch the kids play in the ocean. But what if there’s no beach nearby? No problem. You just need your imagination (and a little help from us).

Whether you’re headed for a nearby park or your own backyard, it’s easy to put together a family-friendly picnic inspired by a day at the beach. Bonus: When there is no sand, the kids can’t track it into the house. Here are some ideas for what foods to pack:

Veggie Hummus Boats
To make, cut a zucchini in half, hollow out with a spoon or knife, and fill with store-bought hummus.

For the sails, cut triangle shapes out of construction paper, and insert a skewer into the top and out through the bottom of each paper sail.

Position each sail by gently pressing the skewer into the zucchini.

Starfish-shaped Sugar Cookies
To make, use a starfish cookie cutter, or just cut cookie dough into starfish shapes by hand.

Once the cookies have baked and cooled, add a few extra starfish details with icing before packing them up for the picnic.

The Extras
Never was there a better time to pack Goldfish crackers. Not only are they crowd-pleasers, but they also fit the theme perfectly.

Finger sandwiches — filled with favorites such as PB&J or chicken salad — are another must-have in a picnic lunch. For your trip to the “beach,” cut them into such shapes as shells, fish, or boats.

Shell-shaped macaroni, in mac and cheese or a macaroni salad, is an easy side dish. And don’t forget to hydrate! Include summery seltzer drinks like La Croix, or trendy coconut water, in your picnic basket — or, if you follow our lead, your picnic pail.