Hobbies And Interests
Scavenger Hunt
Arrange a scavenger hunt, setting the difficulty to an appropriate level for the age of the children. A nature scavenger hunt works especially well at a picnic. Include items found in nature such as pine cones, acorns, leaves or specific rocks. Alternatively, assign each team a color with the winner finding the most items of their assigned color. If you are in a large open area, assign boundaries to the hunt area and pair the children up for safety. If the kids are young, pair them with an older child or with an adult.
Bubbles
Bubbles provide hours of enjoyment, especially with younger children. Instead of the small bubble wands available commercially, make your own large wands. Straighten out the hook on a clothes hanger to form a handle, then bend the rest of the hook into a circle to form the wand. Dip your oversize wand into a large bowl or pan filled with the bubble solution. Combine a half cup liquid dish soap, 2 tbsp. of glycerin and 1 gallon of water to create your own bubble solution.
Nature Art
Use items from nature from your picnic site to create art. Collect interesting leaves and flowers and lay them out on the picnic table. Lay a plain sheet of paper on top and rub with the flat side of a crayon, to create leaf and flower rubbings. Another option is a pine cone bird feeder, which allows you to use up leftover peanut butter from the picnic. Have the children coat a pine cone with peanut butter, then roll it in bird seed. Hang the pine cones from nearby trees with a short length of twine.
Water Fun
If the weather is warm, encourage the kids to play in the water and cool down after the picnic. Bring an ample supply of water balloons or water guns and divide everyone into two teams for a water war. Alternatively, use water balloons for a friendly competition. Pair off the children and have them toss the water balloon back and forth. The kids take a step back after each catch, widening the distance between them. The last team to break their balloon wins.