What would a Picnic Parade be without our good friends Frog and Toad? Unless you have been hiding under a rock, you probably know about this amazing classic series. (And if you have been under a rock, perhaps you met a frog and toad there!) This series was perfect for my beginning reader. Hopefully it will be great for your’s too!
What would a Picnic Parade be without our good friends Frog and Toad? Click To Tweet
The Frog and Toad Series
For those of you who may not know, Frog and Toad are great friends who care for each other in the simplest ways. The most endearing thing about the Frog and Toad series is that it teaches what great friendship really is. I remember reading these as a young child when they were new stories. I think they should be a part of everyone’s childhood!
Let’s Get Reading!
If you are going to have a book inspired picnic, it is a great idea to sit and read while you are there! There are several Frog and Toad adventures, so you can take as little or as much time doing this as you want.
Another great idea is to incorporate some non-fiction titles about Frogs and Toads too. These will help make the picnic more meaningful if you have older siblings tagging along. A couple of the best non-fiction frog and toad books we found were What’s the Difference Between a Frog and a Toad?
The Setting for Our Picnic Adventure–A Local Pond
It makes perfect sense to experience the Frog and Toad books in their natural habitat, so we headed to a pond at our local nature center. This is a popular spot for observing and catching tadpoles. Armed with our trusty net and a paper bowl, we were ready to set the mood for our story. We timed it just right as there were tadpoles everywhere! It was easy to peer over the edge and see all kinds of them! We caught a few, along with some minnows and snails. This was definitely the highlight of our trip!
Frog and Toad Inspired Picnic Food
A picnic isn’t a picnic without food, however. My kids are almost always up for a meal or snack, so we decided to have a little bit of festive fun. Adding food to learning cements the concepts for them as well!
Frogs eggs (green grapes) began our meal. (This was perfect for our discussion on frog life cycles inspired by the tadpoles!)
Then we all made our own frog sandwiches. (It was so simple, even my 2 year old could do it!)
Catching raisin flies for our frogs!
Finally, we fed our frogs some of their favorite treats–flies (raisins), worms (gummy, of course), and fish (Goldfish crackers).
We had pond water (blue Gatorade) that we drank with frog and toad mouth straws. To make frog and toad mouth straws, simply cut brown or green ovals, color a red oval inside, fold it in half, and tape it to a pink or red straw for the tongue. Voila!
While You are Eating
Mealtime is a great time for family discussions. We often play games of Would You Rather, a game of asking questions like, “Would your rather be eaten by a shark or an alligator?” Mealtime is also a time to talk about deep subjects.
This is the perfect time to tell your kids about Moses and the plague of the frogs (Exodus 8:1-15). Ask them what it would have been like to have everything covered with frogs. Then play the game:
- Would you rather have a frog in your bed or in your bread bowl (Exodus 8:3)?
- Would you rather be in a land covered with frogs or flies (Exodus 8:20-32)?
- If you you were pharoah, would you rather endure the plagues or let the people go?
More Frog Themed Fun–Leapfrog
What would a picnic with Frog and Toad be if we didn’t play a little game of Leapfrog? My kids had fun playing this simple jumping game. Another great thing about playing Leapfrog at your Frog and Toad Picnic–it takes NO preparation! If you need a little refresher on this childhood classic, you can check out this video.
Want to Keep the Fun Going?
One of the great things about Frog and Toad is that there is so much that you can do! There are tons of activities that can be done before or after your picnic to extend the fun. Check out my Frog and Toad Pinterest Board for lots more great ideas.
What books inspire you to get out into nature? What is your favorite childhood series?
Check out these inspiring Picnic Parade ideas:
A Nighttime Picnic with Night Animals
Picnic at the Oklahoma Land Run
Burgess Bird Book–Welcome Spring!
Imagination Station’s “Light in the Lion’s Den”
oh that is tooooo cute!! Love all the fun activities yall did!
Kristi recently posted…The Power of Reconciliation
Thanks Kristi!
I always looking forward to these – I remember the Frog and Toad series when I was growing up 🙂
Andrea recently posted…His Joy Is Our Strength – Believe It!
This is all so adorable! What a great idea! Looks like something we will have to do this summer when we go frog catching. Love it!!
That would be a perfect fit!
I love all of these adorable ideas! I will definitely be doing this with my little one!
Great! I hope you have fun!
What cute ideas! These look like so much fun! 🙂
Kay recently posted…The Head of Goliath.
So much nostalgia! Those books are the best!
Mihaela Echols recently posted…Build Don’t Break
That’s the kind of book that I would like to read. For some reason, I have fascination reading books with frog characters but in reality, I don’t like to even touch them.
I can understand that. I wouldn’t want to touch one in real life either!
A lot of cute ideas!! I loved this book when I was younger!
I love all of the frog inspired snacks! How cute!
Megan Darda recently posted…White Eggs or Brown Eggs?
Girl! i AM loving ALL YOUR picnics. This was such a wonderful book from childhood. 🙂
You are so cute with your kids! You always give me the best ideas on how I can spice it up with them. I love the sandwiches! What a cute and fun idea!
Alison recently posted…Grilled Ribeye Steaks with Chimichurri Sauce
I love the idea of Frog Sandwiches, they’re had fun and I’m sure, this fun idea would love my kids to do so.
That frog sandwich looks so cute! Any books that teach children good morals and values are winners in our home so I will have to see about getting this book.
Bismah recently posted…Stella & Dot Stylist Promotion
I love that these books are fun, yet have great morals. It’s definitely worth adding to your library!
So fun! Love your pictures! Frog and Toad was one of my favorites as a kid. My brother and I acted out lots of adventures and stories outside as kids, everything from Narnia to Peter Rabbit.
Sounds like a magical childhood!
We love the Frog and Toad books! What a great ideas to celebrate these classic children’s books!
Ai recently posted…5 Cheap & Easy Decorations for Your Next Travel-Inspired Party
This all looks like fun. Let’s quit being adults and be kids again! 🙂 Love the photos and the activity suggestions.
Being a kid again sounds good to me!
One can never go wrong any time that there’s food involved 🙂
Andrea recently posted…What Has God Done For You This Week?
What a super cute and fun idea! The picnic looks like it was so much fun and the food is adorable. I will have to keep this in mind for when my little gets old enough to take picnics. Great post!