Since summer rhymes with sunny weather, it is the best time of the year to organize outdoor activities with your family and friends. Super shining grass and warm weather, let’s take a look at our picnic essentials to guide you this summer.
The location
The first step in the preparing for your perfect picnic is finding the location. Let’s dive into some possible spots to lay out your picnic blanket.
If you are willing to spend a nice afternoon at the Beijing’s largest park, Chaoyang Park offers you multiple places to enjoy the beauty of nature. Installed on soft grass, next to a lake or sheltered under large weeping willows, it is the ideal location to spend a relaxing day.
Perfect for gatherings, the National Olympic Park is a delightful place. Open from 7am to 10pm, the park offers a lake and vast areas of lush grass. This park is ideal for picnics.
If you are seeking for more spot ideas for your outing, feel free to check our other article on this subject.
The Checklist
Once you found the perfect spot, pack up your belongings and spend a pleasurable lunch. We created the perfect checklist for this occasion:
Picnic blanket and cushions
To keep your pants clean, the picnic blanket is a must! Bringing cushions will also add extra comfort.
Paper plates, utensils, and glasses
Assuring practicality, they are the fundamental of a picnic. How would you eat otherwise? You could prefer wooden or paper utensils over plastic ones for a more sustainable aspect. You can also reuse the endless utensils you receive when ordering waimai (takeout). Wine or champagne glasses will add an extra touch of fanciness to your experience.
Food and beverages
The main purpose of a picnic is eating! Try selecting dishes that are convenient to take away.
You could go for appetizers such as carrot, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes and olives, all types of salads, chips, cheese, or sandwiches for example.
Do not forget to take sweet snacks as well. Store-bought or home-made biscuits, and cookies are always a hit. Fruits like strawberries, raspberries or bananas, or chocolate, which may be risky in warm weather though.
For beverages, lemonade, soft drinks, juice, smoothies, or milkshake will take the lead but make sure not to forget a big bottle of water!
The famous picnic basket
Probably the most iconic picnic detail to make your outing a little more chic than it already is.
Napkins and hand sanitizer
Covid has undoubtedly changed our hygiene behaviors forever. Always pack some hand sanitizer and napkins. It’ll come in handy, trust me.
Board games or sports games
Fun and easy games to play outdoor such as Who am I, Times up, Twister, or sports like badminton, frisbee, volleyball or football will spice up your afternoon.
A baguette
Famous in movies, how could you forget the essential piece of bread. We could recommend you the one from T11 for its crunchy crust, Chez Morel’s baguette for its authentic French taste and consistency, or the one from the Schindler’s if you tend to prefer soft baguettes.
A loudspeaker
To add a pleasant atmosphere and music to your picnic.
Swiss Army Knife and a cutting board
Much more convenient than the usual knife, the Swiss army one is portable, takes very little space, and give you access to large possibilities of blades and tools.
Mosquito spray
Do I even have to explain this one?
Plastic bags for trash
Crucial for keeping your place tidy.
Hand-held Fans
One of the best ways to fight against warm weather.
Accessories to make your picnic picture perfect
The final key to your perfect picnic is a cute decoration. Fairy lights, flowers or the classic red picnic blanket will make your afternoon even more enjoyable.
Now that your outing is organized, just call your family and friends to enjoy a nice picnic all together!
Images: Pexels, Emma Sortais, Unsplash
