How to Organize a Family Picnic

Co-authored by Ivy Summer

Last Updated: February 28, 2023

Having a picnic during the summer months can be entertaining and a blast for the entire family. It's a great boredom buster, but it also helps the family to get together and eat some delicious food and play fun games. It doesn't take more than a picnic basket, a few food items, and help from your family to organize your very own. And you need to realize that it acts as a glue for family bonds.

Steps

1
Select a weekend to have your picnic. Try to do it in the summer months, because that's when picnic season is most popular. Make sure you okay the time and date with your family. If you need to, you should make invitations so everyone can be able to come.
2
Make an inventory of family you'd like to invite. Ask your siblings and parents to invite some of their favorite friends from at work, school, or the neighborhood. The more people who come, the more fun the picnic is likely to be.
- Try a phone tree system. Some families are really big and you don't want to leave anyone out and it's sometimes impossible to be in contact with so many people. Especially when it's an intimate event and it's a family, it may be more than just sending an invitation. It's really about coordinating.
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3
Choose an appropriate location. The park, or outside in the front lawn works out just fine. Be sure to listen to any suggestions that your family might have about picking out a decent place.^{[1]
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4
Create an invitation so everyone can see where the picnic is and the date and time for it. Some ideas for a good invitation is to make them out of green, black, and red construction paper for a watermelon shape, or just be creative and make up your own. The watermelon shape may be extremely popular with kids.
5
Bring a picnic basket along for the event. It should be medium to large sized, depending on how many food items you plan to bring. If you have items that can spoil in the heat, you should have a cooler to bring with you too. If you don't have your own, you can get one at public grocery stores like Safeway, Walmart, or King Soopers.^{[2]
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6
Select the menu. Know that the most popular food items to bring to your picnic are peanut butter and jelly and ham and cheese sandwiches, chocolate chip cookies, chips, and soda. Among the healthier items there are watermelon, apples, celery, and raisins, to name a few. Ask your friends to help you choose some of their favorite food items that they'd like to have.
- Things you should keep in mind when you choose food for an event are allergies. So for anyone who is a guest to your event, you want to make sure that you know what allergies you're dealing with and that the person also knows if there's any food item to which they're allergic, where it is, and the precautions and protocols that are in place to ensure they don't get contaminated with that particular ingredient.
- You also want to be aware of your guests’ diet preferences. So, there may be folks who require a low-sodium diet or are allergic to gluten and require gluten free, who might be vegetarian and don't eat meat for health, religion or any other reason.
7
Bring cookies because they are a popular dessert for picnics, as are cake and pie. You can buy your own or make your own homemade recipe for chocolate chip cookies.^{[3]
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8
Remember that other food ideas might includeFried Chicken, Potato salad, cole slaw and pickles and Strawberry cake, blueberry pie, cheese spread with crackers, and grapes, which are great snacks for both kids and adults. Blueberry pie can easily be found frozen and ready to bake in your store's bakery freezer section.
9
Organize fun games and activities for any kids or teenagers or anyone else that will be attending. Volleyball or soccer are also some great game options for picnic game beginners.
10
Make sure to have a good time and enjoy yourself with your family. After all, isn't that what summer picnics are all about?

Community Q&A

Question

My friend is the host for the picnic, what should be my arrangement plan?

Community Answer

Follow these same steps, but do them with your friend. You can plan together, since your friend is hosting and you are arranging.
Question

If there's no park, where can we go?

OliviaTux4321

Community Answer

You can always have it in your backyard or inside your house. If you decide to have it in your house you can watch movies and eat regular food because you won't have to worry about the weather or bugs. Either way they're all fun.
Question

How can I organize a picnic for my friends?

OliviaTux4321

Community Answer

You can send invites and tell them where it will be and what to bring. Since you are the host, make sure to bring extra supplies just in case one of your friends needs some.

Warnings

Don't be afraid to invite some of your friends and have them meet your family. You'll have even more fun. Be careful that you don't have any hurt feelings for handing out form while your handing out your invitations.

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Be extra careful about peanut allergies, as some foods can contain peanut and oil ingredients.

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If pets are coming, be sure and pack toys and treats for them. They want to join in on the fun too. Don't leave pets behind because fresh air and exercise is decent for them.

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If you start to bicker with your peers or family, then stop. Picnics are very good for breaking up fights and can help you have a nice time, and enjoy each other.

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