Some of my fondest memories of summers’ past are the picnics that I had with my family. Growing up, my Mum and Aunty would pack a picnic and we would visit our local woods, and me and my cousins would have a blast. This summer I am delighted to be joining with the iconic fab® ice lollies again for their new Sprinkles of Summer Fun campaign!

As part of the Sprinkles of Summer Fun campaign fab® ice lollies is giving you the opportunity to win your ultimate summer of fun along with regular opportunities to win products that will help make summer more fun, so make sure you like their Facebook page.  How exciting is that!

What my Mum’s picnics taught me is that there are loads of ways to have a picnic and it doesn’t have to take lots of time to plan. In fact, sometimes the spontaneous picnics are the best. Especially with the British weather.

Top tips for having a great family picnic

Spontaneous is good.  We had a break in the wet weather, so we decided to pack a picnic and make the most of it.  Yes the grass was too wet to sit on, but we had a picnic blanket in the boot of the car, so popped it on a paved area instead.

Be prepared. Make sure you know where your flask and your picnic blanket are, so you can grab and go!

Do not let wet weather spoil your fun. There is nothing wrong with a teddy bears’ picnic in the lounge or a picnic in the boot of the car!

You do not have to go far.  We are blessed to have some great parks with picnic areas nearby and have learned that you do not have to travel far to have fun.  Last summer we tried a new park each week over the summer and took a picnic with us.

We are so lucky to have some fantastic places in the UK to picnic at, including National Trust Properties (they have ace gardens) and English Heritage (where you can visit an abbey or castle ruin) and lots of local forests are great places for a picnic; ours even has an area for BBQ’s!

We live by the North Yorkshire Moors and there are some amazing spots for a picnic and there is something about splashing about in a beck or river that makes kids even hungrier!

I love that having a picnic means that we get quality time together. I like taking a book, kite, ball or colouring and using the time to relax and be together.