Simple Picnic Tips
to Make Life Easy
Here are some easy picnic tips to follow. They will help you relax and have a perfect picnic.
Try to take everything you need with you. It is really annoying to leave something behind.
Planning your picnic adds to the anticipation of a good day out and makes the day all the more pleasurable.
Make a Picnic List
One of the most important tips. If you have a list you can tick off items as you pack and you are less likely to forget things.
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I make lists for everything. Click here to see a list to get you started. Print it out and use it to compile your own. |
- Save your list for next time.
- When you get home add any items that you wished you had taken with you. Some things may not be picnic essentials but can make the day more enjoyable.
- You will end up with perfect list for your own family.
Don't Try To Do Everything
If you try to prepare everything yourself you will only get stressed.
- Family and friends will enjoy helping to prepare the picnic. Ask them to bring food or drink. They might take responsibility for packing the car.
- Other people may have different picnic tips to make the day special.
- Children love to help looking for a picnic spot, choosing the picnic menu and preparing easy picnic recipes.
Check the Weather Forecast
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A poor weather forecast does not necessarily mean you have to cancel the picnic just take suitable picnic equipment to provide shelter or choose a spot where shelter is available. |
A good place to check the weather forecast in your area is the Bureau of Meteorology in your country or state. In Australia the web site to look for is www.bom.gov.au .This site will give you up to date information on wind, weather and sea conditons.
If the picnic is to celebrate an important occasion such as a wedding make arrangements to hold the event undercover if you need to.
In the heat of the summer thunderstorms can arrive in the afternoons. Be prepared to find shelter. Take indoor games to play or books to read while you are waiting for the storm to pass.
Wind can be a nuisance on a picnic. Even a small breeze can seem like a hurricane if you are trying to hold down paper napkins or tableclothes. Use tablecloth clips if the wind gets up or use ordinary clothes pegs to keep the tablecloth from flapping in the breeze and blowing onto food.
Check for fire bans if you are having a barbecue. Some picnic spots have electric barbecues. Use these instead of an open fire especially if the weather is hot and dry.
Choose a Perfect Picnic Spot.
A good picnic tip is to pick an area that is suitable for the people who will be going to the picnic. It is useful to know what facilities are available where you intend to picnic. Are there tables and benches, a barbeque area if you intend to cook toilets, shelter or changing rooms?
Even if there are tables and benches provided you may need extra chairs especially if older people will be there.
If children are coming see if there any climbing frames, swimming pools or walks through the bush to keep them entertained.
Think of picnic safety. Avoid obvious hazards like busy roads, wild water or high cliffs. You want to be able to relax too and not be constantly nagging kids to be careful.
If it is to be a romantic picnic it is lovely to have a view.
The internet and tourist information offices are good starting points to find picnic areas near you. Try local councils, state or national parks authorities. They may have picnic tips for good picnic areas.
Be Prepared for Minor Accidents
Accidents can happen at any picnic.
There can be tumbles, scrapes and bruises.
Take a first aid kit with you. Either buy on ready made or compile your own from this first aid kit list.
Watch Out For Annoying Insects
- Keep the area clean and the food covered. The smell of food will attract insects.
- Keep your food in sealed containers and pack them away as soon as you have finished eating.
- If you spill any food clean it up quickly and pick up any that falls on the ground.
- Ants can appear from nowhere. Don't tempt fate by laying out food near an ants nest!
- If your picnic will be in the evening mosquitoes can be a problem.They love still and shady spots so a bit of a breeze can help to drive them away. Mosquito coils will also help to disperse them.
- Flies prefer to be out of the breeze but love the sun. Cover your food and use a personal insect repellant.
Picnic Tips for Packing a Picnic.
When you are packing a picnic don't take valuable items or favourite toys if you can help it. Avoid electronic gadgets as much as possible. Things tend to get dirty, wet or lost in the great outdoors.
Work out how you going to pack your picnic. Pack your food carefully and be sure to keep it cool. This is very important for picnic food safety.
Keep your food in a cooler box or esky that is the right size to hold all the food your group will need. Take another to hold your cold drinks. Here are some to give you an idea of what to look for.
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Picnic baskets look lovely but remember you may have to carry things quite a way. Even a few items can get heavy and annoying to carry too far. Look for bags on wheels which are easy to pull along. |
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Some basic picnic essentials can be packed well in advance ready for any picnic.
You can keep things like a bag of picnic games or swimming gear ready to go. Then all you will have to pack on the day is the picnic food and drink.
Don't forget to take a sharp knife, a cutting board and a bottle opener.
Use your picnic list to make packing easy.
Picnic Tips for Leaving a Picnic
- Before you leave your picnic have a last look around to make sure all your picnic gear has been collected and properly stowed.
- Be careful not to leave a favourite chair or toy behind.
- Make sure that all garbage has been removed and that table tops have been cleaned. So many people leave their rubbish behind. This really spoils things for the next group of picnicers quite apart from the danger to wildlife from broken bottles, cans and plastic bags.
- Throw all your rubbish into a big garbage bag and take it home where it can be disposed of properly.
- Make a game of litter collection. The person who cleans up the most gets a prize!
- Leave the picnic spot as you found it - or cleaner.
The Most Important Picnic Tip of All
Relax and Enjoy Yourself.
