Putting together a picnic basket for the big day is a bit of an art form. Luckily, we've broken down a sure fire way to make your family picnic basket a triumphant success. It takes a little planning, good food, and dual purpose uses for some items. The goal is to bring enough great food for everyone but in a way that the basket does not become too heavy to carry to your ideal picnic destination. This means dishes that are pre-cooked and prepared ahead of time.

• Food preparation ahead of time is key. Forget anything that needs to be cut, mixed, cooked, or prepared on site. The ideal food items should not require tools like cutting boards, knives, BBQ's, stoves, kitchen sink, etc. It is just too much of a headache to worry about these things on a day to be spent enjoying the family.
• Prepare finger foods that go well together with more than one item. For example, a container of hummus goes great as a dip for pretzels such as our Tomato Basil Pretzel Sticks, pre-cut carrot sticks, or flatbread.
• Lightweight tin bowls with plastic lids are very useful when packing items that you do not want crushed or have a little liquid like salad dressing or fruit salad. Also, the plastic lids can also serve as impromptu plates and you can eat right out of the bowl. This set is from Steelware and is just an awesome thing to have in general in any kitchen.
• Depending on the size of your family or group, you may need more than just one basket. Put items that are not heat sensitive in your basket such as pre-made sandwiches, snacks, and cloth napkins. Consider putting foods that do not do well in the heat like cheese with cold can drinks and an ice pack in a small cooler or enclosed cooler bag.

Outdoor Games

For small family picnics, depending on size and ages, it's always best to keep things easy to set up and simple to play. We love games or toys that do not require lots of gear and have multi-purpose uses. Toys that only have one use should be left at home. Other things to leave at home are most electronic devices as well. This is a time to connect, laugh, and love. Simple games that encourage teamwork are always a great way to get everyone involved in the fun.

• Blow up beach balls are easy to pack and blow up quickly. These work for all kinds of games aside from just bouncing back and forth. For example, divide your group into teams and use the beach ball in relay races passing the ball from one teammate to the next.
• Games using a large fabric cloth are just lovely and can serve as a blanket too. Think solid colored blankets and then use masking table or chalk pen to draw classic games like tic-tac-toe. Have the kids search around the park for natural items like color flowers or same colored rocks to use for the "X" and "O".

Picnic Location

Just like in real estate, location is everything for a great picnic. Location, location, location. Search nearby parks for the classic picnic location and find a quiet spot. Also, consider other outdoor options such as natural trails, vista points, or even city settings. One of my all-time favorite picnics was taking my daughter downtown to a busy city area with lots of tourists. We set up a picnic blanket right on the sidewalk off to the side and watched everyone strolling by as we had our picnic lunch.

• Nearby parks
• Vista points up in the hills or local mountains
• Nature trails
• The beach at the ocean, lake, or stream
• Downtown city settings with lots of tourist foot-traffic
• Local Arboretum or city garden
• Places that are not part of your day-to-day routine