Menu for celebrating a birthday outdoors in the summer - simple recipes for a picnic

Ideas for celebrating a birthday in nature should be significantly different from all other celebration options, that's for sure.

I tried to collect all the most interesting things so that you can choose the right ideas for your holiday.

Let's solve the most important question. Which? This is a question of who exactly will organize everything and make the birthday party in nature truly memorable.

OPTION 1: we do everything ourselves

OPTION 2: order a holiday with a trip to nature

You will find a checklist with reminders on what to take with you, how to decorate the holiday and entertain guests in this article below. I recommend looking at free scripts for children's quests and ideas for adult parties

quests at the dacha for children 5-10 years old quests for teenagers programs for an adult company interactive quests for adults

Preparing beautiful cuts for a birthday

Summer is that time of year when we must fill our body with vitamins not only from the sun, but also from vegetables, herbs, fruits and berries that grow at this time of year. Therefore, be sure to take all these components with you and arrange a fruit, vegetable and even berry composition on the spot.

Vegetable mix

Fruit dessert

What you need to take care of in advance

You should start preparing 2-3 weeks in advance. And it’s better to start with lists . To do this, it is convenient to use smartphone applications:

• Listonic: smart shopping list;
• Todoist: to-do list and task management;
• Any.do: task list, calendar, reminders.

In order not to forget anything, you need to make a list of necessary things

What to take

In addition to individual preferences, at the dacha on a summer holiday you will need the following things:

• barbecue, skewers, coal (or firewood), lighter;
• disposable tableware at the rate of 3-4 sets for each guest and tablecloths;
• paper and wet wipes;
• corkscrew;
• insect and tick repellents (adults and children);
• sunscreen;
• Trash bags;
• dishwashing detergent (if regular one will be used);
• personal hygiene products (if the trip is overnight);
• guest hygiene products: hand soap;
• towels;
• toilet paper;

Photo gallery: children's toys for a holiday in the country

Water pistols are the best entertainment in the heat not only for children, but also for adults

Running after a ball is one of the main children's entertainments

Playing with sand will bring a lot of fun for kids

For water games, you should take an inflatable pool with you - the children will be delighted

An inflatable pool with lots of balls is sure to attract children's attention.

Inflatable balls will not go unnoticed at a country party if children are present

Older children can blow soap bubbles, and younger ones can pop them (make sure the kids don’t accidentally drink the solution)

What should be done

Most likely, in a few days you will need:

• invite and notify guests about the time and place of gatherings;
• create a menu;
• purchase necessary non-perishable food products and drinks;
• order a birthday cake or other desserts;
• buy territory decoration items;
• upload music to a flash drive;
• organize transport (if the guests are traveling together), check the availability of child seats (if there are children).

Per day:

• buy perishable products;
• marinate meat (mushrooms, fish) for making kebabs;
• pick up the cake ordered in advance (if the trip is not planned for early morning, then it is better to do this on the day of the holiday);
• make follow-up calls to guests;
• charge batteries for equipment;
• organize a photo zone, if provided;
• pack the bags.

A simple recipe for a quick snack of chips for a picnic table

A snack of chips with filling is sure to please all guests. A very successful combination of excellent taste and speed of preparation of this dish, suitable for celebrating outdoors. You just need to take all the products with you.

Ingredients:

• Greens - a bunch
• Chips – 1 pack
• Mayonnaise – 70 g;
• Hard cheese – 100 g;
• Tomato - 1 pc.

Progress:

Finely chop the greens. Grate the cheese. Tomato – cut into cubes. Season with mayonnaise. For a snack, choose the largest chips. Before serving, spread the filling on each chip and place the “ships” on a plate.

Game "Throw on a Ring"

A well-known game that is very popular in the fresh air, as well as in cultural and recreation parks.

We suggest you make this game bright and unforgettable, and for this you need to take care of the props.

The first option is to throw rings on bright pink flamingos. Stock up on a few plastic flower pots, fill each pot with sand, and stick a plastic Flamingo figurine into them, which are sold in almost every gardening store.

Props for the game will also be an excellent option for decorating a party.

If you want a cheaper option, then we can suggest making cacti out of thick cardboard, on which you can also throw rings. It looks impressive, and it will be very convenient to play with such props.

For the funniest and least crazy guests, you can arrange fruit bowling.

Quick cold appetizer “Sandwiches on skewers”

To prepare you will need:

• Rye loaf – 1 loaf
• Cream cheese – 100 gr.
• Hard cheese -100 gr.
• Salami - 200 gr.
• Olives – 1 jar
• Olives – 1 jar

Cooking steps:

1. Cut the loaf into small slices. You can use cutters to cut out circles. If there is no shape, you can cut it arbitrarily
2. At home, dry in the oven at a temperature of 120-150 degrees for 20-30 minutes until browned. Can be fried in a frying pan without oil
3. Spread cream cheese on each piece. Place a piece of hard cheese on top. Cover with another piece of bread
4. We stick a skewer into the bread and put a piece of salami on top of it in the form of a sail, finishing the design with an olive or olive

We take age into account

When holding any holiday, the age of the birthday boy and his friends is taken into account. If you have gathered little ones aged 2-3 years, you need to prepare the menu more carefully and be sure to discuss with the parents of the little guests who has what preferences, maybe there are some nuances and certain foods should not be eaten by the kids. For such kids, the simplest delicacies will be appropriate - a sponge cake with a simple filling, peeled and chopped pitted fruits, small sandwiches with cheese, sausage, and vegetables.

As for games and entertainment, it should be taken into account that at this age children get tired very quickly, it is difficult for them to concentrate on one thing for a long time and they do not know how to entertain themselves at all. Therefore, the entire birthday will have to be spent constantly monitoring the kids and helping them. Games should be simple and straightforward, but at the same time fun.

At the age of 5-7 years, children still need adult support, but can already spend some of their time on their own. By this time, many have already formed their own tastes, and this also needs to be taken into account. At this time, children can be gathered in the play center and taken out into nature. The children's table should be decorated in an original way and it would be better if it was a buffet table. During breaks between games, children can snack on sandwiches, pizza, light salads, and fruit. Another important point is to drink enough. You can bring everyone together only at the most crucial moment, when the birthday cake appears.

From 7 to 9 years old, children already develop their own interests and conversations. They are more willing to communicate and spend time without their parents. But this does not mean that everything can be left to chance. In a holiday, everything should be demarcated. The children will spend part of the time at the festive table. The menu has the same requirements: simplicity, benefits, beautiful design. Most likely, fairy-tale characters are no longer as relevant as they were at a younger age. But a cheerful, creative and witty host of the holiday will be useful, who will hold interesting competitions designed for this age. Children will spend part of the time on their own; they will find something to talk about, especially if a group of friends has gathered at the holiday.

A simple and delicious salad with feta cheese and fresh vegetables

Ingredients:

• Tomatoes – 3-4 pcs.
• Cucumbers – 2 pcs.
• Salad – 2-3 leaves
• Bell pepper – 1 pc.
• Pitted olives – 1 can;
• Feta cheese – 100 g;
• Olive or sunflower oil – 2 tbsp. spoons;
• Mustard – 0.5 teaspoon.

Cooking method:

1. Cut pre-washed peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers into large cubes
2. Tear the lettuce leaves into small pieces, finely chop the greens
3. Mix olive oil with mustard in a separate bowl
4. Place the chopped vegetables and herbs on a plate, pour over the prepared dressing, stir
5. Next, add diced feta cheese and whole olives to the appetizer.

pirate Party

This party must be based on some unusual quest. A map of Treasure Island, mysterious signs, buried treasure... Your guests will certainly plunge into an atmosphere of adventure. If desired, you can even distribute roles between the pirates. For decoration, find a pirate flag, flag garlands, old fishing nets, wicker furniture, chests, chocolate coins, colorful glass stones from a pet store, prop weapons, anchors and ship models.

Stick to a black, blue, white and red color scheme. The same applies to clothing: vests, bandanas, eye patches and pirate hats are ideal. There should be a lot of rum and gin on the menu. Food - absolutely any kind, but preferably more snacks and unusual serving. You can, for example, order a cake or cupcakes with a skull and crossbones.

For those on a diet - salad with cabbage and radishes

Ingredients:

• Fresh cabbage – 300-500 g
• Cucumber – 3 pcs.
• Radish – 100-150g
• Lemon – 0.5 pcs.

Cooking method:

1. Wash all vegetables well
2. Chop the cabbage and lightly crush it with your hands, pour it into a salad bowl
3. Cut the radishes and cucumbers into thin slices or slices and add to the cabbage. Mix everything well
4. Salt and season the appetizer with freshly squeezed lemon juice

The most popular dish at a picnic is shish kebab. The same dish that is solemnly placed on the table straight from the grill. Sizzling, sizzling, smoky-smelling, aromatic and very tasty meat

You need to marinate it at home, just have time to put the pieces on skewers with the burnt coals.

Photo gallery: decorating a cottage for a holiday

Balloons lift your spirits

The mood of the guests will rise immediately as soon as they enter the territory of the dacha

Helium balloons can be mounted directly on the table

Glowing balloons will color the evening celebration

At the end of the holiday, you can release balloons into the sky by making a wish

A luminous garland will be a wonderful evening decoration

In the dark, a gazebo decorated with lights will look magical

If there are no flashlights, you can decorate the area with ordinary candles placed in jars

You can make paper garlands yourself

Decorating with flowers looks gorgeous

Don’t forget about neat bouquets on the table

Flowers in hanging bottles look creative and interesting

Ordinary ribbons purchased from hardware stores will decorate a festive gazebo

Balls lying on the ground will brighten the lawn

Photo gallery: photo zones for holiday shots

Kids will love taking pictures with the rainbow in the background.

The inscription “happy birthday” will help you leave memorable photos of the holiday

Balloons and flags are what you need for children's photos

Design in certain colors looks very stylish

Photos in hanging frames will be very interesting.

Video: DIY paper decorations

Video: how to make flowers from modeling balls

Pork shashlik recipe with red wine

Of course, the signature dish at an outdoor celebration is shish kebab! The main task is to marinate it correctly. There are a lot of marinade recipes. But my favorite one is the dry red wine marinade. The meat turns out very tender, juicy, and most importantly very tasty! Just lick your fingers! How to choose the right meat, marinate it and fry it, read a few tips for a delicious kebab.

To marinate 1 kg of meat you need:

• 300 ml – Dry red wine
• 4 things. – Onions (large)
• 0.5 pcs. – Lemon
• 5-7 peas - Allspice
• Salt - to taste

Preparation:

1. Cut the meat to approximately 5x5 cm in size. Place in a deep container.
2. Onion, peel, cut into rings, send to meat. Mix the meat with the onion, trying to squeeze out the juice from the onion as much as possible so that the meat is soaked for 3-4 minutes.
3. Next, add wine, squeeze out lemon juice, season with pepper and salt. Mix everything thoroughly. Close the lid.
4. After a couple of hours you can start cooking. Bon appetit!

An equally popular dish cooked over coals is kebabs.

Evening: competitions and dances

After the feast and photography, the whole company moved to the stage. First we organized competitions. I've prepared some fun challenges. For example, one of the tasks was guessing the names of favorite films. The guests had to show silent scenes, a sort of crocodile of gestures and poses of a whole group of people. To do this, we united the guests into different teams in advance.

In addition, I asked everyone in advance to prepare one competition each, and then conduct it independently. Thus, there was no shortage of tasks.

The music was also thematic. First, the one that played in our childhood in the 90s, then our favorite compositions from our teenage years, and later modern foreign hits. Listening to your favorite songs in the open air in such warm company was incredibly pleasant.

When everyone left at night, we stayed with our closest friends on our symbolic stage, looked at the stars, lights, and inhaled the smell of peonies. To say that I was happy is to say nothing. Everything was as I dreamed. I know that the memories of this warm summer night will warm me for a long time.

Editorial opinion

Elena Kalita

Magazine editor

A birthday is always the beginning of a personal new year. It is in our hands to spend this day on a grand scale or simply allow ourselves to relax in the close company of those closest to us. Having shown at least a little bit of organizational talent and felt all the charm of enthusiastic anticipation and anticipation of the holiday, in the end you can really spend your birthday the way you intended.

Hot dish “Chicken kebabs on skewers with bacon and pineapple”

Along with shish kebab and baked kupaty, this unusual dish will look very good. The combination of tender chicken meat and bacon baked on coals and the sweetness of pineapple with Hawaiian sauce will definitely please your guests!

To prepare you will need:

• Chicken breasts – 4 pcs.
• Canned pineapples – 1 can
• Bell pepper – 2 pcs.
• Onions – 2 pcs.
• Bacon – 12 strips
• For the Hawaiian sauce:
• Pineapple juice – 500 ml.
• Corn starch - 1.5 tbsp. l.
• Sugar – 50 gr.
• Soy sauce – 2 table. Spoons
• Salt to taste

Refreshments for a picnic

Drink "Berry kvass"

For 3 liters of water we need:

• 600 gr. – berries (red, black, white currants)
• Peppermint – bunch
• 250 gr. – sugar
• 0.5 tsp – dry yeast

Preparation:

1. Mash the berries thoroughly.
2. Bring 3 liters of water to a boil, pour chopped mint into the pan and cook over medium heat for a couple of minutes.
3. Place the mashed berry mixture here, remove from the stove, cover with a lid and leave for 12–14 hours.
4. Then strain the berry infusion through cheesecloth several times.
5. We dilute sugar with dry yeast in it, cover with gauze and leave to ferment for 10–12 hours in a warm place without drafts.
6. Now all that remains is to strain the finished kvass again and cool it properly.
7. This wonderful drink will lift your spirits and perfectly quench your thirst.

Carbonated drink "Mojito"

Do you prefer to refresh yourself with sparkling soft drinks in nature? Then you'll probably like the homemade version of a mojito without rum.

Products:

• 4 things. – Lime
• Mint – bunch
• Honey - to taste
• Sparkling water – 2 liters
• Orange – 1 pc.

Preparation:

1. Cut 3 limes into thin slices, straight with the peel.
2. We tear off the leaves from a bunch of mint and roughly chop them with a knife.
3. Combine them with lime slices.
4. Pour liquid honey to taste and lightly knead with a pestle until the juice appears.
5. Place this mixture on the bottom of the carafe and fill with sparkling water.
6. Stir until the honey is completely dissolved.
7. At this time, wash 1 lime and 1 orange, cut into thin slices.
8. Before serving, place several citrus slices on the bottom of the glass.
9. Mash a little with a spoon and pour in cool mojito.

Instead of citrus fruits, you can take strawberries, pineapple, mango, kiwi and any other fruits. Refreshing cocktails for a picnic open up limitless scope for the most vivid and delicious fantasies.

Let's entertain our guests!

Now we are talking about a family holiday, but there may be options here:

1. gathered adults of different generations from 18 to 90 years old
2. At the festival there are many young families with small children from 1 to 9 years old
3. Families with children from 1 to 17 years old came to visit you
4. there are no small children, but there are teenagers aged 12-17 who are bored in adult company

Agree, in each of these cases the program should be different.

Free scripts for children and teenagers

• Here is a list of competitions for children from 1 to 13 years old.
• Complete scenarios for children's quests (the country quest “Cave of Three Parrots” is especially suitable)
• Collection of prizes for participation in competitions
• Competitions for 12-14 years old
• Board games: high-quality cards for the games “Crocodile”, “Mafia”, “Alias”, “Svintus”, etc.

Ready-made scenarios with printed task cards

Nowadays they sell very interesting sets for children and teenagers with quests “in a box”. The point is that you just need to read the instructions and come up with a place where you can hide the gift. Children find everything else in the set. Here is an example of such a quest.

All together: 2 to 92

The most difficult case, the tasks for such a company are the most difficult to come up with.

If you feel that adults would like to have some fun with their children, let me remind you of a few time-tested fun games. Yes, you will need to buy some things, but then you will use the most successful props for many, many years.

• If there is room for outdoor games, there are always those who want to play volleyball, badminton and Frisbee , do not forget to throw balls, rackets and frisbees in your backpack. Often there are no clearings for such fun, you need something less active, read on!

• Fanta . Just like that, people also start dancing and start reading funny poems, but in forfeits there are very unexpected ones. Naturally, you also buy all sorts of funny little things and say the phrase “I’ll give this prize to phantom number...5!” In the second half of the party, for some reason, everyone is amused even by the wording of the task, and even more so by the execution. Books with tear-off forfeits are sold in bookstores.

• Limbo . A fun dance activity with a stick, which is held horizontally by two assistants at a height of 1.5 meters. The dancers go through the first circle under the stick and line up for a new circle. Just lower the stick 10 cm lower...
• Dance battle . The most difficult thing here is the selection of music. If you have the Internet, there are no such difficulties, but in nature, for such a competition you need to pre-record fragments of famous dance tunes on disk: lambada, dance of little swans, lezginka, duck dance, tango, hip-hop, macarena, rock and roll, etc. d.

• You can take an interesting and fun scenario with family games . For example, on our website we have “Film! Movie! Movie!"
• Darts . If it is very difficult to involve men in all the previous entertainments, then when they see darts, they immediately leave their place at the festive table and line up with darts. There are quite budget options. Hang it on a tree and compete! By the way, darts can be replaced with ring throwing , that’s also fun! Also take a closer look at the game "Towns" . All sets are for sale, just don't forget!

• Face painting, Popuas and Indians . If an outdoor birthday takes place during the hot season, divide the guests into two teams and organize a body art show. Children are generally delighted with the idea that they can paint not only part of their face, like at all other holidays, but their WHOLE BODY! Adults also find colorful excitement. It would be nice to prepare small accessories - feathers, Hawaiian flower beads, paper ribbon skirts, bracelets, thin plastic masks and funny glasses. Get your camera ready, these are memorable shots!
• Team games. Honestly, if no one has experience in conducting such games, everything is not very interesting. A good presenter knows how to make a “candy” out of the most banal task. Just in case, let me remind you about tug of war and running in bags.
• Relay races. In nature, you can drag water in ladles and pour it into a jar, carry bagels on your head during an obstacle course, “string” all team members on a string, inflate or pop balloons at speed, etc.
• Strongman competition . It's very easy to do, and the excitement around the prize 5-liter keg of beer is always very big. It needs to be held at arm's length for as long as possible. You can replace the “barrel” with arm wrestling.

• Launching lanterns, cold fountain, firecrackers . Celebrating a birthday outdoors should also have a beautiful ending. Launching Chinese lanterns is a very beautiful tradition. The main thing is to do everything correctly, it will fly beautifully and there will be no accidental fires. There are no “contraindications” to cold fotans. These are just silver splashes in honor of the birthday boy!

Holiday again Contact person: Irina Panasyan Write to me Call (Moscow)