30 Super Tips for a Successful Picnic this Summer

With warmer weather coming, the ultimate outdoor dining experience is a picnic. I love a picnic, the freedom of being outdoors on a lazy afternoon or evening with a lovely array of delicious food spread out on a pretty blanket. So I have 30 super tips for a successful picnic this summer.

Doesn’t food taste better outdoors? I don’t know about you, but there is something about eating outside (or dining, if you want to be more formal) that seems so appealing to me.

Whether it’s a lovely evening on a restaurant patio sipping chilled white wine or a rosé or in your own backyard, dining al fresco is just so, well, romantic.

Now, if the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “picnic” is ants, bugs or other crawling things, then I hope you’ll indulge me.

Celebrate the Holiday with Summer

Before we get into the tips, let me share that today is our monthly Celebrate the Holiday blog hop. Sometimes we celebrate a season, and today we are celebrating the coming of summer.

You may find an idea for a summer party, a recipe, a home decor idea or a summer DIY project.

If you are coming from Missy of Sonat Home Design, then welcome to Bluesky at Home.

Getting Ready for Summer

The first thing that influences your picnic plans is your destination: a park, the beach, the lake, or your backyard.

Well, here in Dallas, we are 800 miles from any beach, so let’s X the beach for now.

Actually, one of our favorite picnic destinations is the Dallas Arboretum. It’s one of the top 10 garden destinations in the country, “one of the world’s premier gardens”. (If you are visiting Dallas, put it on your agenda.) We are so fortunate that it is just 20 minutes from our house. You can’t beat the location for beautiful flora and fauna.

Over the years, Sweet Shark and I enjoyed several beautiful Sunday afternoon at the Dallas Arboretum. We didn’t bring fancy food – in fact, we usually picked up fried chicken and sides on the way. A blanket, tableware, a bottle of prosecco and glasses completed the equipment. It was a great day.

Goodness, we look young in this picture. Notice the hair color!

How to Enjoy a Successful Picnic this Summer: 30 Super Tips

Besides having a great mix of people, whether it be family, friends or an end-of-baseball-season celebration, a successful picnic has the same characteristics: planning ahead, preparing ahead and bringing the right equipment, food and beverages.

Equipment Tips for a Successful Picnic

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• 1. A cooler – a must for transporting your cold food items. I recommend one on wheels like the one that Sweet Shark and I have. The bonus of a cooler is that once you’ve removed your meal items, the cooler can be used as a small table or a seat. 
• 2. Bug spray – yes, let’s acknowledge that we live in the land of mosquitos and chiggers and ants. Spray the attendees and the surrounding area as soon as you arrive at your picnic spot BEFORE unpacking anything so the spray doesn’t get on your picnic area.
• 3. Sunscreen – if it’s a daytime picnic in summer, you don’t want to burn to a crisp while enjoying the experience. Some kind of spray antiseptic is also good if kids are involved.
• 4. Trash bags – for gathering up and discarding trash (plates, napkins, empty bottles, etc.)
• 5. Baby wipes and/or hand sanitizer – a package of baby wipes are my go-to for cleaning  hands and (kids’) faces.
• 6. Paper towels – can be used as napkins or to wipe up any spills.

• 7. Beach towels or a blanket – I like as soft a surface to sit on as possible. Large fluffy beach towels or a large cotton blanket provide a nice area to sit on and can be easily washed if any spills occur. I love these new ones that I ordered from Sobel at Home. They were the towels at the hotel we stayed at in Sandestin several years ago. 

• 8. Plastic picnic tablecloth – I like to place a pretty plastic tablecloth on top of the blanket. It provides extra padding to sit on and it is easily wiped clean if a spill occurs.
• 9. Cutting board or large tray – provides a firm surface to set your meal or drinks on. I love the Boos cutting boards that we have because they are attractive and sturdy and last forever.

• 10. Large beach tote or a second cooler for all the other eating paraphernalia: napkins, food items that don’t need refrigeration (chips, nuts, bread, condiments, plastic baggies for taking home leftovers.) I love the lemon motif on this tote that a group of ladies from one of my cooking classes gave me.

Food Tips for a Successful Picnic

• 11. When it comes to food, easy and make-ahead is the name of the game.
• 12. Minimal silverware, finger food, or just a fork. You can use paper plates, but I think nice plastic ones add more sophistication to the event.
• 13. It depends on the type of picnic you are having and whether or not children are invited.
• 14. Just remember that food temperature is a safety issue. Certain foods have to be kept cold (potato salad, cole slaw) for safety reasons or served hot for best taste (baked beans). As much as I love them, I prefer not to include these at a picnic – less to worry about.

Here are some items that make great picnic fare.

• 15. Sandwiches – make ahead and wrap individually in waxed or parchment paper and tie with decorative kitchen string; this is really cute and makes your picnic special. I love this sandwich above styled by Leah from Freutcake.
• 16. Fried chicken drumettes or tenders – I love fried chicken because it tastes good hot, cold or room temp. It travels well and it’s great finger food.
• 17. Charcuterie – Nothing beats a charcuterie board, especially if it’s an adult only picnic. Go to your favorite deli and pick up a variety of fresh bread, cheeses, cured meats, nuts, olives, hummus (which I like because it’s not mayonnaise-based), cocktail trash, and raw or grilled vegetables. Arrange all your items on your cutting board by color or type of food and you have a lovely presentation. 
• 18. For sweets, I prefer cookies rather than cake for a picnic. They are easy to pack and eat while sitting on the ground and they aren’t messy. If you want to bring cake, keep it simple: a lemon pound cake is better than something with icing that can melt.
• 19. Sliced fruit – apples, orange sections, melons, grapes or berries are a nice addition to the meal for a cool and refreshing bite. I’d provide toothpicks for easy pick-up.
• 20. Freeze your bread before making your sandwiches. By the time you are ready to serve the meal, the bread will have thawed, but will taste fresh and it keeps the other ingredients – ham, roast beef, turkey, mayo – cold.  I promise it won’t be soggy.

• 21. Instead of squeezing lemon juice on fruit to keep it from browning, use pineapple juice. It works just as well, but doesn’t impart a tart flavor to the fruit.

• 22. Frozen grapes are delicious and they help to keep other foods cold.
• 23. For a pound cake, slice it ahead, then wrap it as one cake in foil prior to freezing.

Beverage Tips for a Successful Picnic

• 24. Always bring frozen bottled water. The frozen bottles act as ice packs and will stay cold at the picnic.
• 25. For kids, juice packs are the only way to go. They also can be frozen ahead and then later be thrown in your trash bag (you brought a trash bag, right?)
• 26. Lemonade and other fruit juices can be frozen ahead of time, too.
• 27. For grown-up libations, I like wine at a picnic, especially a rosé or a sparking wine. Chill your bottles ahead of time and bring plastic wine glasses to the picnic. (I love the ones I bought from Williams-Sonoma for Sweet Shark the first summer we were in our house – monogram included.)
• 28. Beer cans and bottles take up a lot of space to transport to the picnic and to discard afterwards. If you bring beer or soft drinks, it’s nice to provide koozies.
• 29. Lemonade can be frozen in ice cube trays and added to thawed lemonade to stay really cold and not dilute the drink. 
• 30. If you don’t want the hassle (trash disposal and they weigh a lot )of bottled water, bring a water dispenser, SOLO cups, and ice.

Here are more ideas for picnics and outdoor dining:

• 14 Fun Summer Party Ideas
• 15 Ideas How to Plan the Perfect Picnic
• Easy Outdoor Summer Tablescapes

Don’t miss Pinning these super tips for a successful picnic for this summer – or spring or fall. It’s all about the weather!

Check out this Pinterest Board for more ideas: Summer Party Ideas and Party Ideas.

I’m sure you have some other tips for a successful picnic and ideas I haven’t thought of. But I think these will get you off to a great start. Wherever you go, remember it’s about being outside, having fun and enjoying the occasion with people you love.

Now it’s time to see what my friends have to share with you for summer celebrations. Start with Kimberly of From Farmhouse to Florida and her summer party ideas on a budget.

 

Bluesky at Home – Summer Picnic Ideas