{"id":8934,"date":"2012-04-04T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2012-04-04T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites-stage.familylife.com\/flministries\/?p=8934"},"modified":"2012-04-04T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2012-04-04T00:00:00","slug":"10-ideas-summertime-picnics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/articles\/topics\/parenting\/essentials\/making-memories-essentials\/10-ideas-summertime-picnics\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Ideas: Summertime Picnics"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

Countless activities compete for our time and attention today. Who couldn\u2019t enjoy a break from the hectic pace of life?<\/p>\n

Jesus understands our need for rest. We are told in Mark 6:31, \u201cAnd He said to them, \u2018Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while.\u2019 (For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.)\u201d<\/p>\n

Could you use a little refreshment today? Have you thought about going on a picnic\u2014just you and your spouse? Or, add the whole family for a special time of making memories. Here are 10 ideas for creative summertime picnics to rejuvenate not only your body, but also your soul.<\/p>\n

1.<\/strong>  Kidnap your spouse for a special picnic date! Pack a picnic basket, folding chairs, and a CD player in the trunk of the car. When your spouse comes home from work, ask him\/her to put on casual clothes. Then drive together to a local park for dinner \u201con the grounds.\u201d<\/p>\n

2.<\/strong>  Mom, help your kids plan a secret picnic for Dad. Let them choose the location, prepare the menu, and select special picnic games. Write directions to the surprise destination and put them in a sealed envelope. Give the envelope to Dad as he heads out the door with the kids and a basket filled with picnic treats.<\/p>\n

3.<\/strong>  Have a picnic on the beach. If you don\u2019t live by an actual beach, have a picnic by a sandbox\/plastic tub filled with sand. Encourage everyone to wear some beach attire\u2014sandals, beach hats, swim suits, etc. After enjoying your meal, bounce a beach ball with the kids, play a game of volleyball, and squirt each other with water from a hose.<\/p>\n

4. <\/strong> Organize a neighborhood block picnic at a nearby park or in a cul-de-sac. Set up a few grills for hot dogs and hamburgers and ask individual families to bring their own picnic blankets, drinks, and chips.<\/p>\n

5.<\/strong>  Brighten up a rainy day with an indoor picnic. Cap it off with an indoor scavenger hunt that leads to the kitchen and homemade ice cream.<\/p>\n

6. <\/strong> Help your kids and their friends plan a special family Fourth of July picnic. Include sack races, horseshoes, and Pin the Tail on the Donkey. End your outing with a watermelon seed-spitting contest to make this a picnic to remember.<\/p>\n

7.<\/strong>  After dinner, announce to the family that you have a surprise: a dessert picnic. Go to a nearby park and let the kids have fun on the playground equipment. Depending on the age of the children, you may be able to watch them play from a park bench while sipping on a cup of coffee. Have plenty of dessert in a picnic basket for everyone to enjoy before going home.<\/p>\n

8.<\/strong>  If your children are young, ask each one to bring a favorite teddy bear to a special picnic. Have a cake for dessert in the shape of a teddy bear. Play teddy bear games after the picnic: have an adult hide a teddy bear and see who can find it, let the children swing their teddy bears, and have a scavenger hunt that leads to a special gift with a teddy bear theme\u2014a necklace, stuffed bear, book, etc. (You can find many ideas on the Internet about Teddy Bear Picnics.)<\/p>\n

9.<\/strong>  Tell your spouse that you are going to pick him\/her up for lunch. But instead of going to a restaurant, go to a park for a picnic. Before returning to work, stop somewhere for an ice cream cone.<\/p>\n

10.<\/strong>  Purchase or order identical T-shirts for the entire family with some sort of picnic theme\u2014watermelon, picnic table, etc. Individually wrap the T-shirts and present them to family members at dinnertime. Then ask everyone to put on their T-shirts and go for a spontaneous picnic. Pick up a bucket of chicken and go to a local park for an evening of family fun.<\/p>\n

\n

Copyright \u00a9 2008 by FamilyLife. All rights reserved.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Enjoy a break from the hectic pace of life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":123950,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"Enjoy a break from the hectic pace of 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