Setting up play dates for toddlers and little kids are great recreational activities during the summer. Aside from enhancing their social kids, it is also one way to get them interested in physical activities which help in developing their muscles. We took advantage of the last days of summer and arranged a play date for the little tots and their cousins in a garden set up.
We arranged some tables and chairs on the patio so the adults can watch over the little ones while lounging in comfort. My husband decided to put an extra outdoor umbrella and extra tables and chairs set up on the other end of the garden for an improvised refreshment bar that serves flavored water, fresh fruit shakes, and ice cold water. We assigned some handy nannies to man the improvised stand and they happily obliged to refreshment requests of the little ones who made it a point to “order” different drink flavors for their water breaks.
An active afternoon with energetic kids need some special snacks that can fuel their minds and bodies, so our special snack menu for the day are packed with carbohydrates, protein and some sugar. Our snack table for this play date featured pepperoni and cheese pizza, chicken fingers, assorted pastries like cream puffs, Danish pastries and muffins, and fresh summer fruits. We parents decided to go potluck for this play date and I ended up in charge of the refreshments and fresh fruits.
As my husband was deciphering the sunbrella umbrella instructions for our improvised refreshment bars, I busied myself with slicing up the fruits into ready to eat pieces and arranging them in a cool steel tray set in a bed of ice cubes to keep them fresh and cool the whole afternoon. I placed the tray inside the refrigerator while I prepared the fruits so it will be allowed to cool a bit before I place the fruits in it.
The kids enjoyed the afternoon with their cousins and promptly requested for a repeat play date the following weekend. The refreshment bar was one of their requests for the next play date. While we were happy that they enjoyed the healthy drinks served by the improve bar, setting it up on a regular basis can be tedious. We explained it to the kids and simply promised to arrange for a similar set up on the next special occasion.
