We’ve all been to a picnic at least once in our childhood, and while those precious memories are filled with BBQ food and fun you might hit a wall when trying to plan the fun filled part of your next outdoor event.
Picnics are the perfect vehicle to explore the numerous great picnic parks in San Diego and socialize with family, friends and coworkers. But if your day out culminates in only eating food, and lots of it, then you’re missing the point. While the food is a very important part of any great picnic, it is equally important to plan well ahead of the event by choosing the right activities and games for your group to ensure everyone gets more out of their picnic than a calorie overload.
Picking the perfect activities that will keep your group entertained and interacting with each other largely depend on the makeup of your group. Identify your audience and design your picnic for maximum fun; here are a few ideas on how to do just that depending on your group:
Ages 1-3: Toddlers love bouncing about in the safety of an inflatable bounce house, bonus points if you go for a bounce slide combo! If you really want to make this group go nuts, plus get great images to share on Instagram, book a petting zoo with cute baby goats, pigs, chickens and other dosil animals of your choice. Young children learn for these interactions so make sure to also have an experienced educational host, dressed in farmer clothes… preferably with a southern twang.
Ages 4-8: Older kids are much more energetic. The parents attending your picnic will love games that tire this group out. Friends are everything for this group and they roll in packs. Pair up individuals or create teams and run relays or other competitive small or large team activities. These same activities work great for adults, too. Remember, communication is the key to making their day and the event successful. And your event MC is the one to get the job done; instructing, demonstrating, running and passing out prizes for these activities. Depending on the group size and level or involvement you want from your group, your MC should have a few assistants to help coordinate.
Age 9-12: – Keeping your picnic budget in mind, there are a variety of inflatable bounce, slide, obstacle course options for rent. Pre-teens and early-teens are better kept active as well. Offer prizes for participation or book a video game truck. Typically, games trucks book by the hour and a two hour tournament might be exactly what is needed to get this group out of the sun for a minute.
Ages 13-18+: It’s socializing that gets this age group up and into the picnic! Collaboration and creativity is at an all time high, so prioritize activities that emphasize both physical and social development. Similar adult team-building activities and games work great at the company picnic when pairing employees with 13-18+ year old sons and daughters for parent/child relays. When was the last time you participated in a wacky activity with your teenager? It doesn’t happen too often so take advantage of this as an opportunity to further develop loyalty and comradery with family, friends, and company.
All Ages: Annual Tournaments bring out the best in participants and on-watchers providing the best long-term event outlook for any company looking to celebrate another great year. For less physical activities that are great for all ages at a picnic, think board games, but GIANT! Giant Jenga, chess, checkers, connect four, tic-tac-toe, and others are always crowd favorites.
All of the picnic activities and games listed are great for private or company events, but who will be your picnic host? The role of a master of ceremonies, or MC, is a vital one. Their job is to welcome attendees and hype up the picnic excitement early. Picnic MCs use their likable outgoing personalities to run games, connecting all ages, and keeping the energy going throughout the day. Besides coordinating various competitions, declare winners, and awarding prizes to all who participate, your MC is simply the engine that makes your activities run!
Picnic, team-building events, and themed parties all have one thing in common… they all have great giveaways and prizes! Encourage involvement and effectively boost engagement and participation while attaching memories to fun prizes and gifts.
Need help planning activities for your group event? Get in touch with the pros at Picnic People. We are your fun experts!
It's never too early to start. Give us a shout to find out how we can deliver the most scrumptious picnic catering in town and help you throw an epic event from start to finish.