Maybe it’s just the nursing phase that I’m in with a newborn, but I just want to snack All. The. Time. Although, my boys are the same way and even though they eat like birds when dinner time rolls around, they are happiest with a snack in hand, All. The. Time. I guess we make a good family unit don’t we? Although we’re keeping it pretty low-key this holiday season, it doesn’t mean we want our Fourth to be any less festive, so we decided to test out a recipe for some good ole’ snacking fun. Plus, and this is a HUGE plus, this is one that is SO easy to set up and let’s the kids spend time mixing and matching until their heart is content (read: a built in activity, which is perfect to help beat the summer boredom when they tend to feel cooped-up if inside for very long).
With the summer heat making temperatures rise outside, we took our time inside and set up this DIY Patriotic Trail Mix station for the kids to fill their own bags full of kid-approved snacks and goodies that they like, and I think it’s a pretty perfect set up for the weekend’s Fourth of July festivities! Truth be told, we ended up making a BIG batch of patriotic trail mix deliciousness and our family will be snacking on it for days. 
Our Kid-Approved Patriotic Trail Mix Station Ingredients:
- Cheerios (choose from the wide variety of Cheerios™ products to fit this color scheme, like Cheerios™, Honey Nut Cheerios™, Fruity Cheerios™ and Frosted Cheerios™)
- Pretzels
- Popped Popcorn
- Dried Fruit (like cranberries or strawberries for color)
- Blue chocolate candy
- Mini marshmallows
- Nuts (only if you know there are no allergies)
- Red or patriotic themed candies
Set out bowls of each item and let kids taste, scoop and combine to their liking! The great thing is that you can suit the ingredients to your crowd’s needs and taste preferences. In preparation, I picked up my family’s favorite Cheerios™ (Honey Nut to be precise), and a handful of other items that we used, like pretzels and dried fruit at Walmart. I like to keep things balanced and since this is for a holiday festivity, I added in some candies. BUT I can recreate this set-up all throughout the year and replace the candies with other healthier options!
What’s better than taking your own personalized patriotic trail mix out on the trail?? Because there’s nothing like making a list and checking it twice (oh wait, wrong holiday 😉 ), we put together a patriotic scavenger hunt to pair along with your bag-o-goodies! Just print and have a few ready for your holiday shindig! It’ll make snacking on the trail (or at any patriotic party) that much more fun, promise. 
Click here to download the FREE Patriotic Party Scavenger Hunt Printable
XO
See coupons for your own neighborhood Walmart store here! Post in collaboration with Cheerios™ at Walmart. Thank you for supporting the companies that make this blog happen.
Sarah Halstead says
Yumm!! This looks so good. Thanks for sharing.