Parents For Picnics - Picnic Guide

There is nothing more wonderfully British than a summer picnic, a chance to wallow outdoors in the blazing sunshine with friends and family, whether it's in the beautiful countryside, a park or an impromptu trip to the farthest corners of the back garden, picnics provide a cheap yet fun way to share a meal and some quality time with all the family.

Chef Lesley Waters and husband Tim are campaigning this summer for "Parents for Picnics" with Fairy to bring families together, so put the credit crunch to the back of your mind by following these simple steps to pack up, eat up and clean up and make the most of your picnics during the summer holidays...

Pack Up

A picnic blanket is an absolute essential; one with a waterproof underside is a plus.

Forget the paper plates and cheap glasses that crack - if you don't use them at home, why take them to the great outdoors!? Good quality plastic plates and wine glasses or tumblers are easy to find, reusable and provide a much more enjoyable eating and drinking experience, they look good too.

An easy solution to keep drinks cool is to freeze all your drinks the night before; they'll stay cold the next day as well as keep your food cool.

Packing your food into Tupperware on-the-go containers keeps everything fresh and ensures nothing gets squashed en route. The boxes are easy to pack and allow you to make the most of the space in your hamper - they can then be used to store any leftovers.

Sitting on the ground all afternoon can sometimes cause back ache, so think about packing a fold-up chair.

Come rain or shine, it's never a bad idea to pack an umbrella to protect you from the sunshine or any impromptu showers!

Eat Up

Finger food is easy to make, easy to pack and easy to eat on a picnic but if you're bored of sandwiches why not try wraps for a healthier option? Vegetable sticks and low fat dips are a tasty way to get your five-a-day. Fruit provides something sweet, healthy and refreshing and can be easily packed into Tupperware boxes to stop them from bruising when being transported. Traditional lemonade and elderflower cordial will really quench the thirst on a hot summer's day! Picnics are also a chance to have some of the things you enjoy - cookies and flapjacks are sure to keep everyone sweet!

Chef and TV presenter Lesley Waters and her husband Tim (the Fairy Family) are currently campaigning to encourage 'Parents for Picnics'; "What better time of year than the summer holidays to gather your family, forget about the credit crunch and enjoy some quality time together eating fresh, delicious food. Everything seems to taste better outdoors and it's a far more relaxing experience!

You can easily make fruit and vegetables exciting for your children, such as blending together tasty fruit smoothies or fruit kebabs dunked in a little chocolate sauce. Try packing your wraps with crispy salad or ring the changes and tuck into a bowl of Thai style noodle salad. We want families across the UK to get behind this campaign and pass the word on - lets all enjoy a great British picnic!"

Clean Up

You can trust the Fairy family of products for unbeatable cleaning power on your picnic plastics. There's no need to worry about cleaning up with Fairy Liquid Original which has unbeatable grease cutting power compared to any other concentrated liquid.Or if you prefer to load your dishwasher after a day picnicking, why not try New Fairy for Dishwashers which is the best at preventing your plastics from turning red from food residue, so much so that it has been given a stamp of approval from Tupperware. Fairy is unbeatable with tough to clean plastics, both in the sink and the dishwasher which means you can put your feet up and think about your next picnic outing!

Pack up your picnics (in your plastics) and let Fairy's family of products take care of the cleaning up when you get home. For more information please log onto www.fairy-dish.com

For ideas on where to go picnicking you can visit:

http://www.visitbritain.co.uk/things-to-see-and-do/things-to-do-for-people-like-me/family-ideas/attractions-activities/picnic-spots.aspx

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-daysout/w-daysout-themed/w-daysout-themed-picnics.htm