Credit: Michele Whiteaker

I’m excited to share another great post from our guest blogger, Michele, that encourages  us to take the kiddos to go outside and play.

This is the third installment of a 4-part series.  Hopefully you read last week’s post (Week #2) about getting lazy and bringing books outside.  This week is all about doing “normal” things in unusual places. Or going to a normal place and doing “unusual” things.  The key is to spice things up by surprising your kids.

Week 3

Go to the Beach with your Clothes On. A trip to the beach needn’t be the big deal of packing coolers, grabbing sand toys, and loading the car to the brim.  Wear comfy clothes that can get dirty and shoes that are easy to take off. Prep the kids by saying “We are NOT going in the water this time — it’s just play time. You get to have some free play.”  The beach is one of the most relaxing places to visit with kids. You can park yourself in a central location and watch the kids go!  Recommend: Build a sandcastle, dig a hole, find treasures, walk along the shore

Take Art Outside. Not your cousin, Art. No! I’m talking about paints and canvas.  You can even just introduce a paintbrush and a cup of water. See what the kids decide to paint!  We like to make sculptures out of rocks, fairy houses out of bark and leaves, or even “gardens” in beach sand using seaweed and driftwood.  Recommend: Get inspiration from this post on Rock Stacking

Remember my keys to success?

1. Focus on the kids.
2. Get the WHOLE family involved.
3. Team up with other families.

Would you rather take it day-by-day?  Look at Michele’s Make Playing Outside a Habit in 30 Days. Come back to Daytrippingmom.com for our final Week #4 ideas!

Michele Whiteaker promotes play by sharing local places on herFunOrangeCountyParks.com Play Blog.  Subscribe to her Play Trips newsletter for new ideas every week. Join her page on Facebook where she’s built a local community of play enthusiasts.  Or just skip all that and go out and play!

As a busy mom on the go, I am always looking for fun and easy recipes to cook up with the family, especially when we head out to day trip at the park or other excursions. A few weeks ago some of my favorite bloggers and friends gathered together at my place to cook up and create some fun on the go recipes. We are one of ten teams participating in a fun contest with other bloggers across the country using Lawry’s yummy seasonings to create great dishes on the go.

Here are our recipes.

Thoughtsofamommy and I whipped up this twist on traditional potato salad. We love to call it Mexican Potato Salad.

Mexican Potato Salad

5 lbs. of Potatoes
1 package of Chorizo, cooked and drain from oil
1 bunch of cilantro, finely chopped (separated some for toppings)
10 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1 finely chopped onion
1/2 cup of mayo
Lawry’s Seasoned Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Directions:
Peel and chop (into small sized cubes) potatoes and boil in water for about 15 mins. I added a teaspoon of Lawry’s Seasoned salt to add a tiny bit of flavor. Once boiled, drain and place potatoes to cool in the fridge for at least 1 hour. In a mixing bowl, combine cooled potatoes, mayo, eggs, cilantro, chorizo, onions and mix till all ingredients are well mixed. Add Lawry’s Seasoned Salt to taste.

Ocmomactivities and Rockinmama created this super delish salad

Ginger Sesame Salad

Sesame Ginger Chicken Salad from Rockinmama and OCmomactivities

Ingredients:
2 lbs. of boneless chicken breast.
1 cup of Lawry’s Ginger Sesame Marinade.
1- pack of your favorite fresh Green Salad
1- fruit cup of Mandarin Oranges
Whole Baby tomatoes to taste

and last but certainly not least LAStory’s Laura made these delish Polynesian Sliders yet.

LAStory's Polynesian Sliders

Ingredients:* 1 pound lean ground beef
* 1/2 cup Lawry’s Teriyaki Marinade With Pineapple Juice, divided
* 1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
* 4 pineapple slices
* Lettuce leaves (as needed)
* 10 mini hamburger rolls, toasted
Directions:
1. Mix ground beef, 1/4 cup of the marinade and red bell pepper in medium bowl until well blended. Shape into 10 rounded slider patties.
2. Broil or grill over medium heat 4 to 6 minutes per side or until sliders are cooked through (internal temperature reaches 160°F). Meanwhile, broil or grill pineapple slices 1 to 2 minutes per side or until golden brown. Brush sliders and pineapple slices with remaining 1/4 cup marinade while cooking.
3. Serve sliders on toasted rolls with pineapple slices and lettuce leaves.

I hope you enjoy making these fun recipes as much as we did. They were amazing and so easy to make. Plus they are truly super portable and ready for the road.

Disclaimer: This is part of a sponsored campaign with Lawry’s and Te Motherhood.