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When someone mentions a picnic, images of sloppy sandwiches, dry crackers, and heated lemonade may come to mind.
But it doesn’t have to be that way; there are plenty of ways to make eating outside fun.
If you execute it well, your children may begin to request picnics and come up with creative ways to make them enjoyable on their own.
Pick A Great Spot
They say that location is everything, and this is certainly true for a picnic.
You don’t want to choose somewhere too busy or with too many mosquitoes, too much light or too much shade; finding the ideal picnic spot is difficult.
What defines an exceptional picnic site will vary based on your preferences, but the good news is that you have the entire spring/summer to pick yours!
Consider a peaceful neighborhood park, field, garden, wooded area, beach, playground, or even your own backyard.
It’s a plus if your location offers picnic tables or a grill, but they’re not essential. Bring your own blanket or pillows, or even your own impromptu picnic table (made from a pallet or a storage container turned upside down) to change the space.
Make It Themed
While where you eat is essential, so is how you eat. Why not pick a theme and add some uniqueness to the picnic party?
One obvious one is Teddy Bears Picnic, in which you invite all of your children’s favourite stuffed toys (we don’t insist on only bears in our house) and let them join in on the fun.
Another interesting option is High Tea, where you may make your sandwiches pint-sized and choose between hot and cold tea.
You can let the food dictate the theme by planning a breakfast or dessert picnic, or you can make the food look like something. Perhaps you could invert the premise and welcome the bugs to your picnic by making cherry tomato and bocconcini caterpillars, strawberry and chocolate lady bugs, and gummy worms in “soil” (chocolate pudding and cookie crumbs).
The possibilities for themes are actually limitless, but some that work well include rainbow, safari, jungle, cowboy, and floral. Make sure to incorporate the theme into your food selections for added excitement.
Pack Simple Foods
Food is an apparent necessity, yet there are ways to handle it correctly and ways to go horribly wrong.
If you want to go old school and eat sandwiches on your picnic, bring the ingredients and put them together after your spread is ready to avoid them getting soggy.
If you’re craving salad, combine all of the ingredients in a mason jar, then add the dressing and shake it up when you’re ready to eat. Mason jars are also a terrific method to serve sweets like yogurt parfaits and deconstructed cheesecakes without making a mess.
It’s impossible to go wrong with cheese and charcuterie. If you’re not sure what your picnic party guests will appreciate, this is a terrific alternative that offers a variety of dishes.
In some circumstances, the tools used to eat the food are almost as important as the dish itself. Remember to consider what your guests will require to get the food from the basket into their mouths.
Drinks are an essential component of any picnic. The obvious options are iced tea or lemonade, but the options are limitless, including an adult beverage or two for mom and dad if the place allows it.
If you are going to be outside for an extended period of time, keep the food in a cooler with ice or ice packs.
Finally, bring your favorite games and have some fun to make your picnic less about eating and more about spending time together. Set it up and make some memories if you enjoy card games, horseshoes, frisbee, lawn bowling, or any other outdoor game.