Looking for some picnic inspiration?
Then you've come to the right place!

“Let’s have a picnic!”

Do these words excite and delight you?

Or do you find planning an outdoor social event a bit of a challenge?

Do you conjure up images of tree-lined meadows or gentle waves breaking on a sandy shore . .

a hamper over-flowing with delicious food, a cool-box full of ice and exciting drinks . .

friends and family laughing together in the sunshine . . . . . . .

But then worries creep in . . .

• What will the weather be like?
• What kind of food should I buy?
• Which recipes are suitable? Which are quick and easy?
• What should we take to drink?
• How do I make it really spectacular?
• How will we pack it all? How will we keep it fresh?
• Where will we go? What will the children do?
• What if . . . . . .

There seems like a multitude of things to think about and organise and you don’t have the time!

I think we all feel like that sometimes! We get used to cooking and entertaining at home but venturing outside to entertain is a different matter somehow.

So stroll through this picnic site! I'm sure you'll pick up some new ideas for eating and having fun outdoors.

If you wish, you can also participate by adding your own picnic recipe or perhaps you'd like to join in by suggesting an outdoor game to play.

As you move about the site, you'll come across good locations for "dining out", and some ideas for games to play when you get there.

There's a ready-made packing list and you'll find some menu suggestions and easy ideas for food and drinks.

Al fresco meals can be planned in a variety of ways and in a multitude of different locations. With picnic equipment at your fingertips, you’ll be ready for all of them!

Yes, outdoor meals can take many forms . .

Let's think about menus where almost no preparation is required at all, to recipes for moveable gourmet banquets.

That fear you might be having about the weather, however, is one that in certain parts of the world (such as the UK, where I live) is difficult to deal with!

I've done my best by including a page on weather forecasting but I’m not convinced it'll help you much! :)

So I hope you'll find some inspiration to eat outdoors when the sun is hiding or has gone to sleep – campfire cooking, or romantic meals under the stars, for example.

I'd also like to get you thinking about some original themes and let you really enjoy hosting outdoor parties, because, whatever the occasion, a picnic makes the event more memorable.

Hey, it has other advantages too, such as:

• no house cleaning before or after
• the neighbours can't complain about noise
• cheaper than a restaurant
• you can choose the location
• space is no problem for large numbers
• no difficulties with parking
• instead of just a meal, it becomes a day out
• you don't normally have to worry about children being bored

One of the secrets of success is careful planning. Honestly, boring though it sounds, this will ensure that the picnic runs smoothly and that everyone (including you!), has a relaxing time.

So no more worries! I'm going to help you pack up and go!

for my US visitors:

Sale of picnic gear Join the bidding for the best picnic gear online

Welcome to my picnic blog This Picnic Blog keeps you up-to-date with all additions and changes to the-picnic-site.com web site. Subscribe here.

Who writes the Picnic Site? Some background info about the author and why and how she made this site

Picnic venue - choose it carefully! A great picnic venue is one vital ingredient of a perfect picnic. Will it be a woodland, meadow, beach, park, or garden of a stately home?

Turn picnic panic into picnic planning Picnic planning is essential for a perfect picnic but don't let that get you down. Check here and your friends will be calling you Ms Organised Picnic Person!

You'll need picnic food if you go down to the woods today Supplies of picnic food needed? Look here for ideas.

Picnic drinks to add variety to your alfresco dining Fizzy or still, fruit or hops, tea or chilli chocolate? These picnic drinks ideas will get you thinking about the best combination for your perfect picnic

So much picnic equipment to choose from! With so much improvement in picnic equipment, there's no excuse not to eat out more often

Picnic with a barbecue Forget the kitchen and grill or roast outside on the barbecue. Try some new recipes while you lounge around in the sunshine

Picnic games can be enjoyed by all ages A few picnic games can go a long way to making a picnic a huge success.

Introducing the eco friendly picnic set Nigel's eco friendly picnic set is fully compostable and you can order it here

A kids picnic party is fun for them, easy for you tips and ideas to help you organize your kids picnic party

A family picnic is a fun way of spending quality time together Tips for an enjoyable family picnic and suggested menu

A healthy picnic should include exercise and a healthy menu Suggestions for a healthy picnic, whatever the weather

Dress your gourmet picnic table and prepare a lavish feast Make your own gourmet picnic for Glyndebourne, Henley, Ascot or the Epsom Derby

Beach picnic time? Then you need to surf in here! explore the shore with a beach picnic at any time of the year

A romantic picnic is a wonderful way to spend a lazy day, or just an hour or two with the perfect setting for a romantic picnic, and sensuous food, romance will thrive

Celebrate with a wedding picnic a wedding picnic is so much more memorable than a stuffy hotel reception!

Enjoy a winter picnic because eating outdoors is great anytime of the year (keep the) chill out with warm food on your winter picnic

Company picnic ideas and planning tips The company picnic is a beloved tradition at many firms. It's an opportunity for employees to let their hair down and enjoy the company of colleagues outside the work environment

Camping is cool, especially if you make it one long picnic, with your ca Camping allows you to experience things you haven’t since childhood and enjoy campfire cooking

Fishing picnic ideas for you or your loved one, if you’re packing A Fishing picnic needs to be easy to eat yet substantial enough to give you all-day energy

It’s springtime, Easter picnic time An Easter picnic means fresh new food ideas

Teddy Bears Picnic Teddy Bears Picnic words by Jimmy Kennedy. He wrote the lyrics to this American tune

picnic safety tips to avoid food poisoning picnic safety tips before, during and after the picnic

If you’re a picnicker, you need the Picnic Post! As a picnicker, you'll love this free quarterly newsletter . . subscribe now and glam up your next picnic with our free recipes, ideas and special offers

Free ebook free ebook for Picnic Post members

Turn your picnic recipe into your own web page on this site Be acknowledged for your best picnic recipe by visitors from all over the world

Picnic cook books are among my favourites on the kitchen shelf and here I recomm My three favourite picnic cook books are by Claudia Roden, David Herbert and Jane Pettigrew. Let me tell you a little about them

Find recipes for picnics with this recipe Site Plan an easy way to browse through the recipes for picnics on this site

Search The Picnic Site or the world-wide web find whatever you're looking for quickly and easily by entering key words in our search boxes

Please share this website via your own website or blog html code to easily include The Picnic Site in your blog or website and share the info with your visitors

Links and resources A list of links and resources, which I think you might find useful, interesting or fun.

I love Picnic and other video clips Video clip of I Love Picnic and more

Picnic ideas are what this site’s all about. Inspiration is here a-plenty! you’ll find picnic ideas, inspiration, recipes and games galore here