Picnic Ideas

Looking for some great picnic ideas?

Summertime is made for picnics. It doesn't matter whether they take place in the backyard, at a local park or on the beach. Where the kids are concerned, it won't matter where you are at. To them, a picnic is always fun and they will enjoy it no matter the location.

Pack a picnic basket; bring sunscreen and lots of ice water. Plan some kid's picnic games to keep the children entertained.

The best picnic activities are simple and portable. Picnic games should be easy for children to participate in without complicated rules.

Here are some easy picnic ideas to get you started.

Fun Picnic Ideas

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Easy Volleyball

Place a long length of string or yarn between two trees. Let the children try to hit balloons or foam balls back and forth.

*For a challenge, try using 2-3 balls or balloons at a time.

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Bean Bag Toss

Buy or make several bean bags.

Find 3-4 boxes that fit inside each other. There must be room to spare between the boxes. Set the boxes inside each other and tip at an angle. Award points for each box they are able to get a bean bag into. The outside box is worth more points since it is generally the hardest to hit.

Or…Using an old sheet, draw a large clown face on it. Cut out the nose making sure that it is outlined in a bright color so it is clearly visible from a distance. Hang the sheet between two trees and let the children try throwing the beanbags through the clown’s nose.

These are both fun picnic ideas for kids because they are so much like carnival games.

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Frisbee Throw

Line all the children up behind a designated line. Let them each take a turn to throw a Frisbee as far as they can. Mark the spots where the Frisbee's land with craft sticks

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Pop-Ups

Use an old sheet cut to 8-9 feet in diameter. Have the children stand around the sheet, and then grip it around the edges. Place 10-15 foam balls of assorted sizes on the sheet. Say “Go” and let the children shake the sheet until the balls pop out of it.

*Children of all ages like this activity and will willingly retrieve the balls to do it again.

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Air Bowling

Place a lightweight ball in netting and suspend from a tree branch. Arrange plastic bottles or washed out milk cartons off to the side of the ball. Let the children take turns swinging the ball to see who can knock the most “pins” down.

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Obstacle Course

Make a homemade obstacle course for an active activity. Use items that encourage children to go over and under, around ad through, and inside and outside. Some suggestions: a ladder lying on the ground, old tires or hula hoops, chairs, laundry baskets, or cardboard boxes.

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Relay Races

One of the easiest picnic ideas is relay races. They are easy to set up and work well with groups.

Children love relay races, and there are so many to choose from. Set up a designated area with start and finish lines.

Crab Walk: Sit on the ground with arms behind you, and then raise your bottom to walk on your hands and feet.

Lawnmower: One child walks on their hands, while another child walks behind holding the first child’s ankles.

Spoon Races: Run with an egg, cotton ball, or ping pong ball on a spoon. If the item falls off, they must stop, put it back on, and continue from the same spot.

Bucket Races:

Place a bucket with water on one end and an empty bucket on the other. Make sure each team starts with the same amount of water. Children dip a cup in the bucket and run to put it in the empty bucket. Each child runs back and hands the empty cup to the next member of their team. The team who can fill the empty bucket with the most water wins.

*Use a ruler held upright to measure the water in the buckets.

Ball Relay: Line the children up in two lines of equal number. Have them stand a few feet apart. Give the first child in each line a ball. They will throw it to the next child in their line, and so on, until the ball gets to the end of the line. The child at the end of the line will start the ball moving back up the line, until the original child has the ball back.

Three Legged race: Tie the left leg of one child loosely to the right leg of another child. They'll have to run in tandem to win this race.

Ball Walk: Place a ball between the child’s legs. Tricky to do, but fun for them.

Potato sack race: An old favorite. Put each child in a potato sack and have them jump to the finish line.

*Pillowcases work too.

Extra Fun for Relays:

Make some relays a little more challenging by having the children wear large wading boots during the race. The bigger, the better. They should easily fit over the child’s shoes.

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Face Painting

This homemade face paint comes right off with soap and water. For each separate color, you will need:

1 teaspoon corn starch

½ teaspoon cold cream

½ teaspoon water

food coloring

Stir together the corn starch and cold cream until well blended. Add the water and mix well. Add food coloring one drop at a time until you achieve the color you want. Use small paintbrushes to apply to the children’s faces.

*Leftovers can be stored in small baby food jars.

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Make an area for a long jump:

Give the children a running start and keep track of the longest jumps. Simply write the children's names on craft sticks and push into the ground as markers.

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Tug of War:

This works well for older children. Make sure the teams are pretty equal in size.

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Ring Toss:

This is the simplest of picnic ideas.

Place a few poles outside and let the children try tossing rings over them.

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Give out Awards:

Don't let the fun end just because the activity is over. When you are putting together your picnic ideas, plan on giving out awards.

Make sure each child receives a ribbon or paper certificate of some kind. Some suggestions:fastest runner, most enthusiastic, top racer, good sportsmanship, best jumper, greatest team effort.

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Fun Activities for Kids

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