One of the most enjoyable ways to spend a nice day, is packing a picnic lunch and going somewhere for the afternoon. Take a few outside toys, bubbles, coloring books, butterfly nets, sidewalk chalk, sand toys (if by a beach), frisbee, (in our family) a bat/ball/glove, etc. Find a quiet park or a spot by the water. We  have often just taken a drive and just picked a spot to picnic on the way.

We use a medium size Rubbermaid storage tote for our "picnic basket". We did have a wicker one and I'd love to replace it someday, but the storage totes work wonderfully and I can store things in there at the bottom of my pantry all year long.

What to stock in your picnic basket:

Blankets - First and foremost - this is very important. I even stash a tablecloth just in case we go somewhere that has a picnic table I want to cover up. I buy these on clearance at the end of the season (the picnic blankets and tablecloths).

Plates - We like to use paper plates. Try to save leftover, unused plates from birthdays, holidays, etc and stick them in your picnic basket for later use.

Cutlery - Keep plastic cutlery, a knife, straws,

Napkins - Here, baby wipes are our best friend. We keep a roll of paper towels and a pkg of wet wipes in our picnic basket.

Plastic Cups - We get those big red ones usually, but oftentimes, we end up grabbing a box of capri suns - it's just so much easier!

Condiments - When eating out, save your extra ketchup, mustard, salt packets and throw them in your basket. Or you can buy those picnic sizes condiments and throw them in if you prefer. We like to use the free stuff.

First Aid - Insect Repellent, Band Aids, Sunscreen, Tylenol, etc.

Radio/CD Player

Corkscrew
Garbage Bags
Ziploc Bags

Edible Items to keep stocked in your basket:

Trail Mix

Crackers

Raisins

Cookies

HandiSnacks

Juice Boxes or Capri Suns

Animal Crackers

Water Bottles

Special Picnic Recipes

Lemon Bars

Cherry Lemonade

Banana Boats (grilling/bbq recipe)

Chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies