Wednesday, May 19, 2010

What to Consider When Hosting a Picnic

Do you love spending time outdoors? If you do, have you ever thought about hosting a picnic? Although hosting a picnic can be a fun and exciting experience for you, it can also be a stressful and overwhelming one. That is one of the many reasons why not all individuals are able to handle hosting their own picnics, especially those that are larger in size. Before you decide to host a picnic for your friends or family members, there are a number of important factors that you will want to take into consideration. A few of those factors are outlined below for your convenience.

One of the many factors that you will want to take into consideration, when trying to determine if you should host a picnic is the size that your picnic would be. Who would you like to attend and how many people would you want to come? This is an important question that you will want to answer, as soon as possible, as it has a huge impact on the picnic planning stages, as well as whether or not you even want to host a picnic. For that reason, you should create a rough draft of the guests that you would like to invite to your picnic. If you are concerned with hosting a large picnic, you may want to start out small and only invite a few of your closest friends and family members.

Once you have determined an estimated number of picnic guests, you will then want then focus on the location. There are a number of different locations that are ideal for picnics. These locations tend to include state parks, local parks, campground parks, lakes, ponds, as well as in your own backyard. Why it is advised that you wait until after you have an idea as to how many guests you would like to invite to your picnic, is because the size of your picnic may limit your options. For instance, if you have a small backyard, you may not be able to have a large picnic. In that instance, a state park or a local park may be a better option for you, and so forth.

As you likely already know, hosting a picnic involves a lot more than choosing a location or creating a guest list. As the host of a picnic, you will likely have to arrange all of the food and drinks, as well as purchase them. For that reason, you will want to focus on how much money you want to spend. In fact, you may actually want to focus on how much money you do have to spend. Creating a budget for yourself is nice, as it can serve as an important guide for you. A budget can help prevent you from spending more money than you need to spend or more money than you have to spend.

Speaking of the food and drinks, you may want to examine what food and drinks you would like to serve at your next picnic. What is nice about being the host of a picnic is that you have the freedom to serve whatever you want. With that in mind, you should know that popular picnic food includes barbeque meats, as well as sandwich meats. As for picnic drinks, bottled drinks, such as bottled water, comes highly rated and recommended among many picnic goers. If you are looking to reduce the amount of money that you have to spend, you may want to think about asking your guests to contribute. They can easily do this by brining a side dish with them.

The above mentioned factors are just a few of the many factors that you will want to take into consideration, before you decide to host a picnic. Although hosting a picnic may seem like a long, complicated, and overwhelming process, it isn’t always. With that in mind, you will find that the payoff, which is a great picnic, makes all of the planning more than worth it.

For more great reading Great Picnic Locations

Monday, May 17, 2010

Great Picnic Locations

Are you interested in having a picnic adventure? If you are, you are definitely not alone. In the United States and all around the world for that matter, a large number of individuals, families, and couples love hosting or attending picnics. One of the many reasons for that is because picnics don’t just involve eating, they also involve socializing with friends or family, as well as playing outdoor games and sports.

If you are in interesting in hosting a picnic, you may be wondering what your options are, in terms of location. If you are, you will want to continue reading on. Below, a few of the many places that are great for picnics are outlined below.

Perhaps, the best place for a picnic is at a park. When it comes to parks, you will find that you have a number of different options. No matter where you live, you should have access to a number of nearby parks, parks that many include public parks, campground parks, or state parks. Most parks have areas that are ideal for picnics. These areas often include shade from trees, picnic tables, and nearby fun activities, like a pool or body of water for swimming or fishing.

Speaking of a body of water, you may also want to think about having your next picnic, should you choose to have one, near a body of water, such as a lake. As previously stated, it is possible to find public parks that are located near lakes; however, you may also be able to find public land that is ideal for picnicking. These areas may not necessarily have playgrounds for children or public restrooms, but they may provide you with a little bit seclusion, as well as an absolutely beautiful view.

Speaking of seclusion, if you are looking to have your picnic double as a romantic date, you may be looking for privacy. One of the many ways that you can find privacy is in a wooded area. This is best if you are already visiting a state park, public park, or campground park. You can also use wooden areas around your home, namely ones that you may be familiar with. As nice as having a picnic on a blanket in the forest may sound, it is important that you use your best judgment when taking this approach.

As great as it is to go camping in a beautiful location, a secluded location, or one that gives you access to a number of other fun outdoor activities, like swimming or boating, you may be looking to stay at little bit closer to home. If that is the case, you can have your picnic right in your own backyard! This is ideal if you are looking to have a picnic with your family, namely small children. Doing a few “practice,” picnics at home may help to prepare your young children for the real thing later on.

Although not as glamorous as the above mentioned picnic locations, you can also have a picnic right inside your home. This is best if you had a small picnic planned, but the weather took a turn for the worse and you are unable to have your outdoor picnic. Laying a blanket down in a family room may provide you with enough space to have the picnic of your dreams, just indoors. This is particularly ideal if your picnic was intended to be a romantic date for you and your partner.

The above mentioned locations are just a few of the many places that you may be able to hold a picnic. When deciding where you would like your next picnic to occur, it is important that you place a focus on the size of your picnic, like how many people you plan on inviting. Doing so will enable you to choose a location that will allow you and all of your guests to have a great time.

More great reading Can Dads Do Picnics Too?