This post was sponsored on behalf of CLIF Kid via One2One Network. All opinions stated are my own. Be sure to check out the fun outdoor party ideas and a printable Park Scavenger Hunt for Kids below!
When I was very young, we lived just down the street from a park. We christened it “The Little Park,” as it was, well, little, and lacked the scope and fancy slides of “The Big Park” (which is what we named the park near my grandparents’ house, with its sprawling oak trees and ginormous play fort – not to mention that one slide I was always a little bit terrified to go down!).
The Little Park had some swings, a slide or two (metal, because this was the 80’s), and a basketball court. It also had lots of sand, which I would shake out of my shoes after we had walked home. Situated above the park on top of a small hill was my school’s playground, where I’d spend my kindergarten recesses racing around on a blue tricycle, enviously eyeing the younger kids with their mothers at the park below as I sped past the chain link fence separating us.
It wasn’t fancy, but it was “our” park. It was where we played, where we yearned to go, where we spent our afternoons.
We have a park down the road from our current house, too. The kids love it. But you know what they *think* they love even more? Video games. I say “think” because I know that as soon as I get them out of the house – no matter how intensely they’re begging to stay on the couch, indoors, plugged into a device of some sort – they will run, play, and explore the world they are living in. They love the park, too.
Last week, my friend Amy from Mainly Homemade and I threw a CLIF Kids Meet-Up at a local park and splash pad. It was an exciting way to get our kids outdoors for one last hurrah before they started school this week!
CLIF Kid is committed to getting kids outside to play, and they want the whole family to join in, too. They are so committed to this that they’ve created an for parents and communities to find ideas, tips, and games all designed to encourage us to PLAY (kids AND adults!). You’ll love the practical advice and fun suggestions (they even share information on how to get started rock climbing – so cool!).
Be sure to check out the Clif Kid Play Hub .
At our CLIF Kids Meet-Up, Amy and I invited a bunch of our closest friends for an afternoon of splashing, playing, and healthy snacks. Our get-together was a huge success! Here are 5 things you can do to throw an epic outdoor party for friends and families (and encourage everyone to get outside and play!).
1. Choose an awesome location. This could be your backyard! This could be the neighborhood park. This could be the Most Awesome Splash Pad Ever. It doesn’t matter, as long as it’s outdoors and you’re prepared to have some fun. But I will say this: it’s always easier to have a party at a location that doesn’t require you to clean, first! 😉 The most important thing? That there’s plenty of fresh air and room to run.
2. Have props! We hosted our party at a park, which had a splash pad and a massive play structure. But the kids REALLY loved the hula hoops and water guns we brought!
3. Send the kids home with goody bags that encourage even more outdoor play. I don’t think goody bags are always necessary (and I kinda hate when my kids bring home party favors that include lots of junk food and tiny toys). Amy and I thought it would be fun to send the kids home with a little something, though. Each child got a pail with a shovel filled with a bubble wand, sidewalk chalk, Play-Doh, CLIF ZBars and CLIF ZFruit.
4. Have a few organized games for everyone to play. Relay races, water gun target shooting, and a hula hoop contest are a few fun ideas. You can also print out this fun Park Scavenger Hunt for kids printable and pass one out to each of your guests – kids of all ages will love this!
Click on image to download!
5. Provide nutritious snacks. We let everyone help themselves to CLIF Zbars. They were a huge hit, and we noticed that the kids would play and then check in with us for a snack whenever they needed to recharge.
CLIF Kid snacks are designed to nourish active kids so they can play. They have no high fructose corn syrup, synthetic preservatives or artificial flavors. CLIF Zbars are organic, baked whole grain snacks with three grams of protein to help maintain kids’ energy (and the CLIF Zbar Protein have five grams!).
Kids will also love (love, love, LOVE) the CLIF Zfruit and Zfruit + Veggie, which are organic fruit and veggie snacks that are perfect for snacking on-the-go.
CLIF Bars are super easy to serve as-is, but we went ahead and put a twist on a few of them! Here are some creative ideas for serving up your CLIF Bars.
- CLIF Kabobs (Chocolate Brownie bar piece, banana slices and strawberries on a stick)
- Peanut Butter S’Mores-on-a-Stick (Peanut Butter Chocolate bar piece and marshmallow – s’mores dip optional but awesome!)
- Lemon Blueberry Dippers (sliced Iced Lemon Cookie bars with blueberry yogurt dip garnished with fresh berries)
Don’t forget to put out lots of fresh fruit and veggies to complement your CLIF Bars!
Make it even MORE awesome with this awesome DIY Color Powder…the kids will love getting “dirty” with this!
CLIF Kids (and Amy and I!) would love to see how you and your kids love to play! Share your favorite pictures and stories on your social media channels and use the hashtag #outtoplay to show CLIF what you’re up to.
Be sure to visit the CLIF Come Out to Play website for great ideas and outdoor inspiration .
Check out Amy’s post and her great outdoor party ideas here.
Download your free printable Park Scavenger Hunt for Kids game here!
Shannon
Wednesday 26th of August 2015
That looks like such a fun playdate! I'll have to look for those in the store. That park looks so fun too!
Amy Greene
Tuesday 25th of August 2015
This party was so much fun. I had a blast planning it with you!