Q&A for How to Plan a Picnic

Outside of the food, cleaning up and sticky fingers! Definitely bring paper towels or wet wipes.

Anything you want! Most people bring sandwiches. But some other options are fried chicken, corn, pasta salad, and potato salad. You could even bring hotdogs to cook if your location has a grill.

If you mean during the year, probably spring or summer when the weather is nice and warm. If you mean the time of day, that's completely up to you, but the weather does tend to get hotter towards the later afternoon (1-2 PM), so a late morning/early afternoon picnic might be better.

As many as you want! Just make sure that there is enough food to go around, and that there is enough space for you all to sit.

Yes. Ready meals are a lot easier to bring rather than loose food. However, you should bring napkins and plates with you, because they could be messy!

Prepare the biscuits and bring them to your picnic. Make sure to bring butter and depending on the sort of biscuits they are, either gravy for North American ones or a good cup of tea for British ones.

Invite family, pets, or even stuffed animals, if you like.

Most parks have pavillions and/or park benches that are perfect for picnics. You can also have a picnic in your yard.

Depending on your picnic location, time of day, temperature et cetera, it may be more beneficial to plan a picnic in the shade. Plan it wherever it seems like a good idea.

No.

You could wear a coat and scarf, and make sure that you have warm boots/ shoes on.

Yes, picnics can be held pretty much anywhere.

Yes. You could use your teddies or even invite your friends over and lay down a blanket on your floor and have fun.

You can play hide and seek or tag, or you can bring a deck of cards and play card games. You can also just hang out and talk.

If you can't find a park to picnic in, some other choices include the beach; the waterfront alongside a river or lake; your backyard or a friend's backyard; a grassed area near a public monument or building; somewhere with a good view; the back of your truck; on public seating somewhere pleasant; or indoors if it's raining or cold.

You could go prepared with gloves and garbage bags to collect the litter first and clear a space but this activity might spoil the picnic atmosphere and some people might hate doing that. Another option is to move to a spot without litter; sit on public seating instead; go to another place altogether; or forgo the picnic this time but call the municipality and complain about the state of the picnic area and request it be cleaned up.

The perfect place is only something you and your fellow picnickers can select. However, some key things to look for when selecting a spot include: Privacy (not too close to other people); safety (no cliffs, ant hills, dangerous animals, or ball kicking); level ground; grassed area rather than just soil or gravel, although sand is okay for some; a good view/scenery; ease of access to car or public transport; plenty of space for everyone; if you want your dog to go too, a place that's okay with dogs being there; shelter if the weather is inclement; barbecue facilities if cooking anything; and shade if hot.

Using a small tent for shade would be a good idea for a hot day, especially where trees are scarce or if you're picnicking on the beach. Be sure to choose one large enough to accommodate everyone attending and to have quality ropes and tie-downs to keep the shade tent from moving in the breeze.

Autumn (fall) is a lovely time for picnics, with the changing seasonal colors and cooler air. Ensure that everyone brings sufficiently warm clothing and have a blanket or groundsheet able to withstand any moisture that might be on the ground. The food should be a little more substantial than for warmer weather - more bread and other starchy food can be helpful, along with pastries, cake and buns.