Picnic activities for kids
Six easy ideas for a picnic on a park lawn, a balcony or a blanket on the living room floor. Each one lists an age hint, what to bring, simple steps and a notice question to talk about. Nothing needs to be cooked, and the picnic can be as small as one blanket and one snack.
Safety first
Stay with the children the whole time, and keep to picnic spots that are open to visitors. An adult should prepare and pack all food, and check with families about allergies before anyone shares a snack, and consider keeping the food nut-free as a caution. For children under three, keep small parts, nuts, whole grapes and other choking hazards out of the basket, and have everyone sit down to eat. Choose unbreakable cups and plates, and leave out hot drinks, flasks of hot water, knives and glass bottles. Keep food cool and covered, wash hands before eating, and use shade and water on sunny days. Check the ground for litter and sharp objects before laying the blanket, and take every wrapper home. Age hints are only a guide, so you know your child best.
1. Teddy bear picnic
Age hint: 3 and up.
Bring: a blanket, a few soft toys, unbreakable cups and pretend food made from paper or cloth.
- Spread the blanket and sit the soft toys in a circle.
- Set a cup and a paper plate in front of each guest.
- Serve pretend snacks and take turns saying thank you to every guest.
- Sing a short song or tell a very short story before the toys go home.
Notice: Which guest do you think enjoyed the picnic most, and why?
2. Build-a-snack plate
Age hint: 4 and up.
Bring: an unbreakable plate each and a few snacks that suit your family, which a grown-up has already cut and checked with allergies and food choices in mind.
- Ask a grown-up to set out the snacks in small bowls.
- Make a face, a flower or a rainbow on your plate.
- Say what you made before you eat it.
- Share one piece with a picnic friend if the grown-up says it is fine.
Notice: Which shape or colour did you choose first?
3. Picnic menu cards
Age hint: 5 and up.
Bring: paper, crayons and a clipboard or a book to lean on.
- Fold a sheet of paper in half to make a menu.
- Draw the picnic foods on the front, and write or tell the names.
- Take turns being the waiter who reads the menu and the guest who orders.
- Hand out the real snack that matches the order.
Notice: What would you put on a menu for a picnic on the moon?
4. Pack the basket
Age hint: 3 and up.
Bring: a basket or a bag, a blanket and a few safe things, such as a cloth napkin, a paper cup, a toy and a picture book.
- Lay all the items on the blanket where everyone can see them.
- Decide together what a picnic needs and what can stay at home.
- Pack the basket one item at a time, with the heavy things at the bottom.
- Unpack at the picnic spot and spread everything out again.
Notice: Which thing did you pack first, and which one nearly stayed behind?
5. Picnic story time
Age hint: 4 and up.
Bring: a picture book, a short story from memory or a story you invent together.
- Sit close on the blanket with your back against a bag or a tree trunk that a grown-up has checked.
- Ask the storyteller to begin with the words once there was a picnic.
- Let each person add one sentence to the story.
- Finish with a story ending that everyone agrees on.
Notice: What happened in the middle of the story that you did not expect?
6. Blanket look-around
Age hint: 3 and up.
Bring: only the blanket and some curiosity.
- Lie back or sit and look at what is above, beside and below the blanket.
- Take turns finding one thing for each colour you can name.
- Point and whisper what you see, but do not touch insects, plants or anything unknown.
- Leave everything exactly where you found it.
Notice: Which colour was the hardest to find near the blanket?
More to do on Rangooo
Plan the food with no-cook kitchen activities, play host with pretend cooking games, sort what goes in the basket with sorting and collecting games, stroll first on a nature walk, spot visitors with bird and bug watching, run about with outdoor games for kids, read a tale from short stories to read aloud, browse more stories and activities, or see resources for teachers.
Questions
What is the best age for picnic activities?
Most of these ideas suit ages three to eight with a grown-up. The teddy bear picnic, pack the basket and blanket look-around work well for the youngest children, while menu cards and picnic story time suit slightly older ones.
Can we have a picnic indoors?
Yes. A blanket on the living room floor, a balcony corner or a space near a window is enough. Every idea here works indoors, and you can use the same blanket again on another day.
What food is safe to bring for a picnic?
Keep food simple, cool and covered, and let a grown-up prepare it. Check with families about allergies, and consider keeping the food nut-free as a caution. For children under three, avoid nuts, whole grapes and other choking hazards, and have everyone sit down to eat.
What if the weather changes?
Move the blanket under a shady spot or indoors. Keep the same games and just change the place. Pack extra water on warm days, and do not sit under branches or near water without a grown-up.
These are our own simple ideas. Weather, places and children differ, so adapt each one to your own setting. Always supervise young children around food and outdoors. If you spot a mistake, please tell us and we will fix it.