Cute Snacks for Outdoor Play Dates with Kids

After being cooped up inside all winter long, kids (and parents) are counting down the days until its prime, outdoor playtime weather! The arrival of spring opens the door to tons of options for fun activities to enjoy with kids. One of our favorite ideas is to arrange an outdoor play date with friends at the park, bringing along cute snacks that kids will love.

Lots of pre-packaged snacks for kids are made in the shape of animals, but they’re not nearly as much fun as trying to make your own. This fruit peacock is made from juicy pears, grapes, blueberries and a baby carrot. You can add in other fruits to make it even more colorful and tasty!

Photo via Be Different Act Normal

You can use cookie cutters to make meat and cheese sandwiches into fun shapes. What kid could resist this dinosaur sandwich and kiwi tree?

Photo via Play and Learn Pals

How about these adorable hardboiled egg mice chasing after tiny bites of cheese? These are sure to make kids giggle and make them actually want to eat their lunch!

snacks for outdoor play dates with your kids

Photo via DairyGoodness.ca

But don’t let the fun stop at animals! Here’s a creative snack made of slices of meat, cheese, and veggies that will inspire kids to put on their pretend astronaut helmets for a space mission around the playground.

Photo via Rafa Kids

Who wouldn’t love making their own edible flower gardens? In fact, you can simply bring lots of tasty snacks and let kids use their imagination to make their own creative display. Tell them you are making an exception to the “don’t play with your food” rule just this once!

Photo via Creative Kid Snacks

What types of fun snacks do you carry for outdoor play dates with your children? Leave a comment to share with us, or better yet, share a picture with us on the Hickory Farms Facebook page!

Delightful Décor and Food Displays for Baby Showers

Nothing is quite as exciting as welcoming a new baby into the world! Before the little one arrives, friends and family members often shower the mom and dad with gifts. But a baby shower is not only about making sure mom and dad are equipped with all the items they’ll need as new parents, it’s a special celebration! If you are hosting or helping throw a baby shower this spring, here is some fantastic inspiration for making this occasion extra special!

Hostess With The Mostess has tons of cute ideas for decoration that you couldn’t find at your typical party store. We love this baby shower décor with its trendy chevron stripes and adorable elephants in a pretty turquoise color scheme. The tiered baskets would also be a great way to serve snacks like gourmet nuts and mints.

Photo via Hostess with the Mostess

Photo via Hostess with the Mostess

Instead of baby elephants, you can incorporate small birdies and make it a “Welcome to the Nest” baby shower! Here are some wonderful ideas for invitations and décor for this whimsical theme.

Photo via Simply Sweet Celebrations

Will the gender of the baby be a surprise? Take a look at this boy-girl baby shower with a gorgeous teal and red theme, from the decorations down to the food.

Photo via Kara’s Party Ideas

Here’s an idea for a creative food display for a baby shower that we absolutely love – a baby carriage fruit tray!

Photo via Fussy Monkey Business

For heartier snacks, we like the idea of placing gourmet sausage, cheese, crackers, and condiments in a way where guests can build their own hors d’oeuvres. Don’t forget to add a few garnishes, too!

Photo via On to Baby

Hickory Farms gourmet baskets and towers are great for easy entertaining. They also make wonderful gifts for new moms and dads or thoughtful thank-you presents for hostesses.

What are your favorite ideas for adorable baby shower decorations and food displays? Share your ideas with us in the comment section below.

Easter Traditions from Around the World

Hickory Farms is a holiday tradition that Americans have been enjoying for more than 60 years. And while we look forward to egg hunts, family brunches, and other Easter traditions, this spring, people all over the globe will be celebrating their own special traditions on Easter.

Flying Kites

Burmese tradition is to fly kites on Good Friday. The story goes that a British teacher was trying to teach the story of Jesus’ ascension to his Sunday school class. He used a cross-shaped kite soaring up into the sky to visually demonstrate the lesson.

Photo via Brent Danley/Flickr

Smingus-Dyngus

This unusual sounding tradition comes from Poland, and, if you have sons, be careful of letting them learn about this one! On Easter Monday, boys try to splash water on as many people as they can, using anything from buckets to water guns. It’s believed that girls who get splashed will be married in the coming year. The splashing tradition is thought to stem from the baptism of a Polish prince on Easter Monday in 966 AD.

Photo via Alex Ridgway/Flickr

Breaking Pots

If you ever find yourself on the Greek island of Corfu on the Saturday before Easter, make sure to watch out for falling pots. The locals traditionally throw out pots and pans from their windows and let them break on the streets. One theory of how this tradition originated is that by breaking all of their old pots, people are symbolizing their readiness to collect new crops in new pots in the coming spring.

Photo via pberry041655/Flickr

Painting Eggs

Interestingly enough, egg painting pre-dated the advent of Christianity, and it actually has a rich history in Sorbian culture. Hand-painted Easter eggs in Sorbian tradition feature intricate designs and beautiful colors made with a variety of techniques and materials. The most popular color in Sorbian egg painting traditions is red, since it represents the resurrection.

Photo via abac077/Flickr

If your Easter celebration includes a special family dinner or brunch at home, serving delicious, but easy to prepare dishes is a huge win to keep your stress-level low and your family fun high! Make this Easter special with a HoneyGold® Ham or gourmet sausage and cheese from Hickory Farms.

If you’ve got a great dish or tradition to share, we would love to hear about it! You can also check out our Pinterest page for some of our favorite ideas.

What are your favorite Easter traditions? Share it with us on our Facebook page