Party in the Park on the Fourth of July
Posted on 12. Jun, 2009 by Mary Lutz in Archives
In our small town, the Fourth of July is a huge, all day party in the park, starting with a parade in the morning and ending with the fireworks after dusk. When my children were small, we would go to the park early and make our “base camp” for the day. Because we live in a small town, as my children got older, they could then go around with their friends to the various activities and check in periodically back at the base camp.
We would pack enough food to last the whole day including snacks and beverages. We usually plan to eat one meal “out” because, well, it’s fun and a nice treat. We also plan on buying other special treats and beverages throughout the day, which lessens the weight of the cooler.
The best way to pack for a day long park party is to make it light and easily accessible. The way to accomplish this is by planning ahead. We usually take lots of finger food that is nutritious, yummy and doesn’t require refrigeration. We try to tote only one cooler to the park and this is usually easily done since we do get some drinks and other goodies in the park.
First, put what beverages you do plan on taking (like bottled water) in the bottom. Cover them with ice. Then put all your snacks and other food items that need to be kept cold on the top of the ice. Be sure to seal them all in zippered baggies to seal out moisture.
Some great snack ideas that are healthy and easy to pack for a long day in the park are:
• Chopped, raw veggies
• Nuts
• Dry cereal
• Cheese slices or cubes
• Beef Jerky
• Peanut butter and crackers
• Goldfish
• Pickles
• Firecracker Pretzel rods (recipe below)
How to make Firecracker Pretzel Rods:
Dip pretzel rods in melted white chocolate chips or almond bark. Decorate with red white and blue sprinkles. Allow to harden before packing to tote.
Want to add a bit of flavor to your water? Throw in some individual packs of powdered drink mix (flavored water, kool-aid, etc.) to add to bottled water.
Another thing to think about when planning your Fourth of July in the park is comfort. You will want to take lawn chairs or beach chairs, blankets and even pillows. In our neck of the woods, it can get really chilly at night, yes even on the Fourth of July! Be sure to take an extra blanket in case moisture builds up from the dew.
You will also want to have baby or hand wipes on hand for spills, stickiness and other such uses. You never know how accessible clear running water will be, or if the restroom will be clean. I know our public restroom at our park gets quite nasty. We try to use one of the nearby restaurants when we get food. Obviously, you have to do what works in your park or town.
As always, use caution when lighting your own firecrackers and sparklers. Please don’t leave lighters or other matches lying around for small fingers to get a hold of and be sure you only use legal firecrackers. They are illegal for a reason!
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