How to Plan the Perfect Fall Family Picnic

 Guest Blogger #715, Entry #1658, September 28, 2012

You might think that arranging for a family picnic is just as easy as calling up your extended family members, throwing whatever you can find in the pantry into a backpack or basket, packing the kids in the car, and heading to the nearest park for the day. In truth, you can definitely do this on a whim and probably have a decent time. But if you want to plan a shindig for your entire family that all will remember fondly for years to come and beg you to repeat annually, you need to put a little thought into the event. So here are just a few tips that will help you to create the perfect family picnic.

How to Plan the Perfect Fall Family Picnic

Create the perfect fall picnic this season

Image: The Marion House Book

Send out invites.

This doesn’t have to be anything fancy; an Evite with the time, date, and place is good enough. But any time you’re coordinating an event with several people it is helpful to contact them en masse with the details and then receive a confirmation of who will and will not attend (so that you can plan accordingly). Evite not only makes it easy to accomplish these goals (provided the majority of people operate in the online arena) but it’s also more efficient, immediate, and eco-friendly than sending out paper invitations.

Pick a place.

The venue you select for your picnic could be important. For starters, you’ll probably want to try to find a central location that is accessible to all family members. If, for example, you have small children or elderly people coming, you might not want to choose a location that requires a five-mile hike to reach. You can almost certainly find a city park that will meet your needs with enough picnic tables to accommodate your family, public restrooms, play equipment for kids, a large field for running around, and perhaps even fire pits or grills provided for cooking.

Arrange entertainment.

It’s not a party; it’s a picnic. So the entertainment should be suited to the event. You don’t have to hire clowns, a band, or other performers like you would for a children’s party, for example. Your goal is not necessarily to wow people. What you do want is to make sure that everyone is interacting and having a good time, and games can provide a great solution. Think about bringing along sporting goods to get a game of soccer, football, baseball, or Frisbee going. Or look online for classic children’s games you might play like capture the flag, Simon says, or telephone. Some will get people working together as teams while others will pit players against one another, but all are sure to make for a fun afternoon that both kids and adults can enjoy.

What will you bring to your picnic?

Image: Wit and Delight

Choose the food.

A picnic lunch need not be confined to sandwiches, chips, and fruit. These days people are finding all kinds of ways to incorporate gourmet selections into their picnics. The main appeal of such an event is that the food is light, easy to transport, and requires no cooking. So bringing lunch meats, cheeses, and other sandwich fixings definitely fits the bill. But you could also create cold pastas or salads ahead of time, or include any ready-made foods or easy-to-assemble items that take your fancy.

Assign tasks.

Planning the perfect picnic can be a lot of work so you should definitely ask family members for help. Some can make food, others can bring plates, cups, and utensils, and everyone can help to clean up. Just because you’re planning the function doesn’t mean you should have to buy all the food, pack up picnic backpacks and baskets, and provide the entertainment. When everybody pitches in a fun time can be had by all.

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