After months of lockdown and not being able to see our friends the time has come where we can finally see them again, that is from a safe distance.

So what better way to meet up and catch up then the ultimate picnic?

To make sure you do it right and have the best picnic ever, here are all the things you need to think about…

Location

A great location is key to any picnic, as you want to be somewhere flat, with nice views, and not too near anyone else as the last thing you need is a football crashing into your picnic or a stranger’s dog running off with the food.

Theme

Some of the best picnics have themes, although this is not essential it can be more fun and is definitely more memorable. Why not have a Disney picnic where everyone dresses up, a masquerade picnic where everyone wears fancy masks, or even a rainbow picnic so everything and everyone is colourful. Most supermarkets will sell coloured paper plates, cups and napkins. But if you don’t have a theme it may still be useful to decide on a dress code.

Friends

Although you can have a picnic alone, or even with one or two other people, it really is the more the merrier. As this lockdown has prevented us from seeing our friends in so long a picnic would be a great chance to meet up and catch up. So why not start with your 5 closest friends?

Food

Since everyone loves different food ask everyone to bring some and then share it out. Or to be even more organised assign everyone a category like primary school teachers do every year for the annual Christmas parties. You can have one friend bring crisps, another sandwiches, another cakes, and so on.

Drinks

It’s best to bring drinks according to the weather as well, so if it’s cold bring a flask of hot chocolate, and if it’s warm bring some squash or fizzy drinks. Depending on where you have you picnic depends on if you can bring alcoholic drinks, and if you are allowed it’s better to bring cans then glass bottles as they are easier to dispose of and can be put in a public bin instead of being brought home.

Games

A good picnic cannot be complete without a few games, so why not take with you a pack of playing cards or some other games. Although it’s best to avoid board games as they usually have too many pieces which are easily lost. Games like Cards against humanity, travel edition of board games, and charades are best suited for picnics.

Cleaning Up

It’s always best to bring an empty carrier bag with you to put the rubbish in once you’re done. By having a designated rubbish bag you can throw stuff away as you go on, and it can save dozens of trips to the bin. Having your rubbish already in a bag makes it easier to throw away, and can make it less likely to fall or blow out of the bin as well.