How to Make the Most Memorable Picnic ...

It’s not always that comfortable to just sit right down on the ground. Sometimes the grass is too itchy and sometimes the ground is wet or too hard to be comfortable. Making sure to bring a blanket is my top one of the tips for a memorable picnic. You’ll have a clean and soft place to sit down and spread out your food so you’re totally at ease the entire time you’re lounging.

Who says a picnic is only for lunch? My kids still talk about the day I took them to the park for a breakfast picnic. I made the meal the night before, then we loaded it into a backpack and rode our bikes to the river near our house. We spread out and enjoyed our morning meal before it got too hot outside. So don’t get stuck in a lunch rut – have your picnic for dinner or a snack too!

There are just some foods that are too hard to eat unless you’re sitting at the table. A rack of ribs tastes wonderful, but might not be conducive to eating on the ground. Think about the foods you bring and choose those that are convenient to eat with your plate on your lap. Wrap sandwiches, salads in individual bowls, whole pieces of fruit and cookies are ideal options.

Beyond the menu and the blanket, having a perfectly memorable picnic requires attention to the location. Choose a place to eat where there is plenty of shade and where you won’t be fighting for a place to sit. Think about a grassy place so dirt doesn’t get in your food if the wind blows. And consider the noise factor. A quiet park in a neighborhood is probably better than a patch of green space in the middle of an office park.

If you plan to walk or bike to your picnic location, think about how much your picnic weighs. Keep the food and containers light weight so you aren’t burdened with a huge load. Plastic bags are better than bulky plastic containers, for example. Leave the jar of jelly at home and just put a bit in a small dish and bring plastic silverware instead of the traditional metal variety.

You don’t want to remember your picnic because you came down with a nasty case of food poisoning, right? Make sure you pack your foods with ice packs so they stay cool and don’t end up crawling with harmful bacteria. You can use water bottles or cold juice packs so you don’t have as much stuff to lug and you have something cold to drink. Genius!

A picnic isn’t like having a fancy dinner party at home. Try to relax and let things flow the way they will. Nothing is ever going to go perfect and the point of a picnic is to lounge in the park and enjoy some down time. Bring plenty of napkins, but try not to worry too much about messy clothes and a soiled blanket. Instead, sit back and make some memories with the people you love.

What’s your most memorable picnic? Do you have any other great picnic tips?