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Yesterday was a minimum day for my kids, so I decided that we should all head to the park up the street for some fun. The days are getting longer so the sun is up until just a little past 8 pm, which means we had plenty of time for a lot of fun in the sun. Since the day prior was Mother’s Day, I invited a few of my girlfriends in the neighborhood to meet up with us so we could catch (sort of as a belated Mother’s Day together) while all our kids played together and I even provided some goodies at the park to keep us occupied.

I’d picked up a few things from a recent shopping trip to Sam’s Club, like the new 24 packs of Tangy Original SunnyD that come in cute little 6.75 ounce bottles that are just perfect for little hands while they’re on the go. I brought out some chips, a bucket and ice for the SunnyD, and even made a fun sparkling punch with some of the SunnyD. I also made these fun fruit skewers and the kids had fun helping me cut the melons in fun shapes with cookie cutters. We went ahead and stuck the skewers in the other half of the watermelon that we hadn’t used and I had picked up some frozen egg rolls, so I used some of the SunnyD to make some orange sweet and sour sauce. It came out so good and complimented the punch in such a fun way. Everyone was thrilled!

The kids just loved helping me set up. The youngest two had a blast helping me make the punch. First we sliced one lemon and one orange. Then we cut a watermelon in half and used my melon baller on the surface of the watermelon halve. Then we sliced up a few handfuls of strawberries and dropped them into my beverage dispenser on top of a bunch of ice. Then we poured equal parts SunnyD, pineapple juice and sparkling lemonade and it created the perfect sparkling punch. I served it with a few plastic tumblers and straws, but also kept some disposable cups nearby as well.

We also made these fun fruit skewers with cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon and strawberries. We just cut the other half of the watermelon in slices as well as the melons and used cookie cutters for shapes. The kids loved making fruit shapes and threading them onto the skewers in fun patterns, and we decided to stick them in the half of the watermelon that we’d used the melon baller on for a fun display.

I found this fun party bucket with a stand when I was at Sam’s Club and decided to fill it with ice and throw all the cute SunnyD’s in so anyone could just grab and go. We want simplicity at the park, not time for fussing or extravagance. It worked out perfectly and the drinks were just what everyone needed for a refreshment after playing hard!

We were so proud of this cute fruit display. This would work well as a fun centerpiece for many summer parties!

Just setting up got D-Man thirsty, and he couldn’t wait to try that punch! Kids love to dump drinks together, it was hilarious watching them pour it all in.

Lil G had fun clowning around and directing everyone on how to help before our friends arrived. He’s always on the go, so the little SunnyD bottles are great for him too!

My sweet RoRo claimed this bowl of chips to himself while he waited patiently for his friends to arrive.

We brought a few kites for the kids to play with and it was RiRi’s job to get the kites put together. Of course, she is a great kite flyer too and there was the perfect amount of wind to get this kite flying high!

RoRo couldn’t wait to join her!

D-Man even snuck some fruit while we were still setting everything up, of course I didn’t mind!

RoRo got his kite up, and he was loving every second seeing it whip around in the wind!

D-Man was inspired by the SunnyD and got out his sidewalk chalk to draw a sun!

We had already had a lot of fun, and our friends hadn’t even arrived yet! Kites, sidewalk chalk, the park playground and lots of food are enough to make a party anytime!

RiRi had worked up an appetite flying kites, so she decided to try some punch too!

We had brought bubbles to play with as well, which is RoRo’s Favorite!

Yum!

Once our friends arrived it was time to have fun and relax. The kids all had a blast and everyone loved the food and drinks. They also enjoyed my Orange Sweet and Sour Sauce and were stunned when I told them there was SunnyD right in the mix, and it only took a few minutes to whip up. Of course they all asked me for the recipe, and I’m sharing that with you as well!

Orange Sweet and Sour Sauce Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup SunnyD Original Tangy Flavor
• 1/3 cup rice vinegar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 tablespoons orange zest
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• 1 tablespoon water

Directions:

In a small saucepan, add the SunnyD, rice vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, orange zest and soy sauce. Mix them well with a small whisk over medium/high heat until boiling. While waiting for it to boil, combine the corn starch and water in a small bowl, and pour into the saucepan once the mixture is boiling. Stir together, reduce heat just a smidge, and remove from heat once it begins to thicken. Place in a covered bowl and refrigerate for an hour or two before serving.

What are some of your kids favorite outdoor activities?

We had such a great time just with bubbles, chalk, kites and the playground at the park. One of my favorite summertime memories was a few years ago when we took the kids to a beach that wasn’t as popular so we basically had the whole beach to ourselves. We brought kites to fly, buckets to collect seashells, and snacks, towels and blankets. Kids love simplicity, and we had fun showing them how to fly a kite! Do you have any simple outdoor activities your kids just love?

I found these cases of SunnyD at my local Sam’s Club in the beverage aisle. A 24-pack of 6.75 ounce bottles is $5.98, but when I went they were on rollback for $5.38 each. We decided to get a few cases, not just for our little get together with our neighborhood friends, but it’s great to have on hand during the summer when all the kids are home and we’re on the go with summer activities!