Planning a summer gathering with friends? If so, hosting it outside and spending time together in nature could help you make the most of the weather.
Whether you choose rolling fields or a decadent, shady forest trail, finding the right location for your picnic is only the first step. Below, we’ve outlined a few of the most effective and creative ideas to help you plan a memorable picnic with friends and family.
Table of Contents
Choose the right location
The best picnics take place at a carefully chosen spot.
If you’re going on a romantic trip out for two, think about going somewhere with sentimental memories. That could be a special bench in the park, a quiet jetty on the lake, or perhaps a grassy clearing in your favourite forest.
For a larger group, you should think about practicality too. For example, the location needs to be accessible if anyone’s coming with a pushchair or wheelchair. Amenities like toilets or handwashing facilities could be useful if your friends are bringing their children.
Make sure the location is easy for everyone to reach via car or public transport, if necessary, too.
Prepare the food
The perfect picnic food is delicious, easy to eat, and can be safely stored outside of the fridge for a few hours. Before the big day, it’s worth spending some time looking up the most suitable picnic food recipes for your group.
Catering to preference is key, but you should also ask to see if anyone attending has any specific dietary requirements or allergies.
Keeping the food fresh throughout the day can be challenging in the midday heat, so it could be worth investing in a summer cooler bag to keep everything chilled and safe to eat.
Set the scene with décor
You can design a comfortable setting for your picnic, even in the great outdoors!
Make things extra inviting with blankets, cushions and portable furniture if you don’t need to carry it too far. If you’ve got enough space in your backpack, you could create a captivating forest canopy with decorative outdoor festoon lights.
Ambience makes all the difference to any picnic, whether it’s being planned for a family gathering or a date for someone special.
Plan fun activities and entertainment
Finally, if you’ve got to keep several people entertained on your picnic, now’s the perfect time to get planning some games and activities.
Think about the personalities joining you and plan your picnic activities accordingly. Active games like frisbee or badminton could work very well if you’re meeting at the local park. If you’re heading somewhere with benches, why not bring your favourite board games?
Keeping everyone happy might feel like a balancing act, but with some careful planning and a few thoughtful additions to your setup, you’ll be on your way to the best summer picnic yet!
