That’s why we always bring our own food and picnic blankets to the zoo and have a picnic, and save our money for more important things. When it’s just me and the girls, I bring a picnic backpack for 2 – it’s the perfect size for a lunch and some snacks for one grown up and two children. And there’s no reason to be uncomfortable – picnic backpacks for two are easy to carry, and most are insulated to keep your food from spoiling in the heat.

Picnic backpacks for 4 are much more practical for larger family outings to the zoo, so that’s what I grab when my sister and I go together. We load up our picnic backpacks with apples, crackers, cheese, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, a picnic blanket, and whatever else we want. I always pack water bottles in my picnic backpack, so we can stay hydrated without paying exorbitant zoo prices for bottled water.

Now, come lunch time at the zoo, you’re going to have to find a place to sit. Of course they probably won’t like you bringing your own food into zoo restaurant, so it’s best to find a shady place to sit outside. If you’re like me, there’s no way you’re going to sit on the ground – who knows how many feet have walked there? So we bring our picnic blankets and spread them out on the ground – just don’t forget your sunscreen!

What about you, readers? Do you like to bring a picnic to the zoo?

This is a fairly easy one to organize, too.

Decide on a day early in the school year. There are a couple reasons for this:

1. If you live in a colder climate, it will still be warm in August and most of September;
2. There should still be a sort of “new school year eagerness” going on for children and parents.

The best way that I’ve found to get this going is by getting to know your child’s homeroom teacher. After talking to him/her a few times, you may feel comfortable enough to her about putting a sign-up sheet on the door – or wherever the homeroom bulletin board is. There’s usually something like that for parents to look at for each classroom.

The only real tricky part of this is finding out the names of all the parents. And if you can’t, just get a class list and use that. In fact, that might even be better, depending on your taste. Simply create a sheet with all the names on it and leave a blank space after their names where parents can write in what they’d like to bring, like accessories, picnic baskets, etc. Simple.

You’ll need a basic cover sheet that lets parents know where and when the picnic will be and whom to contact should they have any questions. Just put your name and phone number on it, and you’re all set.

You’ll be a hit!