July is National Picnic Month all around the world, and with some sunny weather coming up this weekend, it’s a brilliant time to enjoy some of the beautiful outdoors with your little girl! It’s no wonder we’ve always been fans of a good old fashioned picnic here in the UK – it’s a wonderful family activity, and it’s provides an ideal way to make the most of our beautiful gardens and British countryside. (As an extra bonus, it’s easy to keep your distance from other people if you need to – something we’ve all been a lot more wary of recently!)

Whether you’re planning on taking your hamper to the rolling hills or the sunny beaches, we’ve got a great selection of girls shoes to keep your little girl comfortable and happy. What’s more, we’ve got a few suggestions for you how you can plan your perfect picnic…

What you’ll need for the day

The key to having a brilliant day out is to be prepared – especially when it comes to picnics! You and your little girl might have your own ideas already of what to bring, depending on what you plan to do (and eat) once you get there, but here are some of the essentials:

A hamper or cooler

If you want to have a decent picnic, you’ll need to have something to contain the food! If the idea of a traditional picnic appeals to your family, a classic wicker hamper is a lovely choice, but really anything will do – as long as it’s strong enough to hold the food! You’ll want sandwiches, crisps, fruit, and a little something sweet to finish off with. Perhaps you and your precious girl can even spend a day making cakes at home, and bring them out to eat. (If you’re taking something like ice lollies or similarly cold food though, make sure to take a cooler too!)

A blanket or towel

A classic red-and-white chequered blanket is another popular addition to traditional picnics, but really it can be any colour you like – as long as everyone’s comfortable sitting and eating on it! If you’re going for a picnic at the beach, make sure not to forget your towels. (And if your little girl is planning to take a paddle or even go swimming, we’ve got a great range of goggles and swimming accessories here at the Sparkle Club.)

Water

We don’t just mean drinks in general! Wherever you’re going, it’s a good idea to take at least one litre-bottle of water. Sweet drinks are always popular with young girls, but everyone needs to stay properly hydrated too – and we’ve got some pretty mermaid water bottles and unicorn bottles to encourage her to do just that!

Entertainment and games

You might well have your own supply of frisbees, footballs, tennis balls or hockey sticks at home, but really, the world is your oyster. She can pack her own games or activities in her own backpack, such as pencils and paper, books or toys, and there are plenty of family games where you don’t need to pack anything at all!

Three perfect picnic games

Blind man’s buff

This game is centuries old, supposedly dating all the way back to Tudor times! The game is simple: one person is blindfolded, and then has to chase (and catch) one of the other players. The game usually starts with the chaser being spun around on the spot a few times, to disorient them. Depending on the age of the participants, you can make the game easier or harder – they might have to chase and catch the other players, or just find their way over to them.

You can also add another variation, in which the Blind Man has to work out who they’ve caught, normally by feeling their face and hair.

Grandma’s footsteps

Another easy and timeless game. Pick one person to be Grandma, and face them away from the group. Everyone else stands some distance away, and have to creep close enough to tap ‘Grandma’ on the shoulder. The catch is that Grandma can turn around at any second, at which point all participants have to freeze. Anyone she catches moving has to go back to the start line!

Charades

You probably know this one already – traditionally this is a Christmas game, but it’s a great one for any environment! One person can think of the title of a famous book, TV show, film, play, song or celebrity name, and then do their best to pantomime it. The other participants must guess the title based on the actions of the original player.

And if you’re looking for the best girls shoes to keep her active, we’ve got no shortage of sparkly trainers, sliders and other energetic footwear here at the Sparkle Club! If you’re searching for something in particular, don’t forget our friendly members of staff are always on hand to help – just give us a call on 01254 296 544.