Picnic Baskets

What's better then a picnic with the family?? I know many kids enjoy going on picnics so why not let them pack their own picnic in their own personal picnic "basket"

Materials needed are: A paper shopping bag, stickers, crayons/markers/colored pencils, tape, scissors and constructions paper

Open the bag so it stands up right

Cut the bag on the side down the middle slit. The slit needs to go down as far as you want to be able to fold the bag.

I cut it so that I could fold it and line the top of the bag up with the bottom of the bag

Then...

Collapse the bag so it is somewhat flat so your child can color and decorate the sides

While your child is decorating their basket you can...

Cut the handle for the bag. I found that if you cut 2 strips out of the construction paper the handle is plenty long enough. Tape the pieces together.
 (The construction paper should be sitting portrait style in front of you when you cut it. Landscape will be too short)


After your child is done decorating the bag....

On the top edges of the basket cut a slit in the middle.

Then..

Insert your handle into the hole

Lay the bag on its side and open the flap. Hold the handle in place and tape it...

Repeat the last 2 steps on the other side

Then your child has a custom made picnic basket!!

Throw a blanket on the floor and let your little one make their own picnic!!




(Note: After letting my 2 year old daughter carry it around and play with it I noticed that it would be a wonderful idea to take the flaps to the bottom and tape the sides together. The handle being of 2 pieces allows it to be vulnerable but can be fixed with scotch tape).