Nothing says Summer quite like the smell of BBQ sauce over grilled chicken and picnic games, so we’re sharing some of our favorite games and recipes right in time for your Memorial Day BBQ.

Picnic Games: No BBQ or picnic is complete without picnic games to accompany the meal. Here are a few of our favorites:

Photo Scavenger Hunt: Have the kids explore the BBQ grounds by challenging them to a photo scavenger hunt. Using either a smart phone or a digital camera, have them split up into teams to try to find all the items on the scavenger hunt list. The list can be as simple as ‘a plant we don’t have at home’ or ‘something green.’

DIY Obstacle Course: Create your own obstacle course for kids to navigate. You can use items already in place in nature, such as trees and picnic tables. Treat it as a relay race and have kids hand off batons (or whatever object you have on hand) to each other as they complete their run at the course. Bonus points: they’ll likely want a rematch which makes for hours of fun.

BBQ Ideas: And, of course, the star of the party: the BBQ! Looking to go beyond the usual burgers and hot dogs? We’ve got you covered with these BBQ ideas:

BBQ Sauce Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 cup GoGo squeeZ appleapple applesauce

1/2 cup ketchup

2 cups brown sugar, not packed

6 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon each salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and cinnamon

Directions:

In a saucepan over medium heat, mix all ingredients. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and allow to cool completely.

GoGo BBQ Chicken recipe (Makes 6 servings):

Ingredients:

1.5-2 pounds of chicken breasts or thighs

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tbs olive oil

4 pouches GoGo squeeZ appleapple applesauce

1 1/2 cup spicy (or your favorite) bbq sauce

2 tbs light brown sugar

1-2 tsp of chili powder

Directions:

Gather all ingredients into a bowl to marinate for a few hours. Grill it up!

Simple Pork Chops and Applesauce, GoGo style:

Ingredients:

4 thick center cut boneless pork chops

salt and pepper

3 pouches GoGo squeeZ appleapple applesauce

Directions:

Season pork chops with salt and pepper. Fire up grill to a really high heat. Place pork chops on grill and close grill. Sear for 1 minute before opening the grill, flipping, and allowing meat to sear for another 1 minute. Open lid and brush upward facing side of pork chops with GoGo squeeZ appleapple applesauce Close grill and allow to cook for about 3 more minutes before opening, flipping, and brushing other side of pork chop with GoGo squeeZ appleapple applesauce Close and cook for another 3-4 minutes or until the internal cooking temperature reaches 145 degrees F.

BBQ Hacks: Looking for a few quick tips to make sure your next BBQ is a success? We’ve got you covered with our 5 favorite BBQ hacks:

Plate Plentifully: There’s nothing worse than running out of food at a barbecue. If you’re not sure exactly how much food you’ll need, it’s always better the heir on the safe side with more food than to tread lightly. Plus, it’s no secret that cookout grub is equally, if not more, delicious the next day. Diversify your Menu: With everyone’s dietary restrictions, it’s likely impossible to please everyone in a single dish, so your best bet is to have options. If you know you have some vegetarians coming, consider having a big salad or offering veggie burgers. A few Celiacs at your party? No prob, just be willing to accommodate them with bunless burgers. Bottom line: the more options, the better. Round is Sound: If you can, skip the traditional picnic benches for your next BBQ in place of round tables. These are optimal for getting everyone to converse and interact with everyone instead of small side conversations. Bring on the Tunes: Nervous about people who don’t really know each other interacting and getting along? Provide some background music to squash any empty silences. Plus, music makes for a great conversation starter. Kid-friendly Fun: And, of course, if there will be kids at the party, make sure you have some form of entertainment for them. Be it And, of course, if there will be kids at the party, make sure you have some form of entertainment for them. Be it coloring pages or games such as those listed above, busy kids are happy kids (usually!).

What do you need for a BBQ party: Throwing a BBQ can be a little overwhelming with all the moving parts, so to help you out a bit, we created a downloadable BBQ checklist to make sure you’re totally set to throw your next barbecue.

BBQ Checklist:

Eating Essentials:

Plastic plates, bowls, knives, forks, spoons, cups (depending upon what you’re serving)

Napkins (and lots of ’em!)

Serving trays and serving spoons/forks

Grill brush, tongs, and whatever else you use to grill

Groceries (drinks included!)

Storage containers for leftovers

Odds and Ends:

Bug spray

Cooler with ice

Trash can with trash bags

Chairs and tables

Lanterns and citronella candles (for nighttime BBQs)

Lighter fluid, gas, coals for the grill

What are your favorite BBQ recipes and picnic games? Share them with us in the comments below!