Hobbies And Interests
Card Games
Pack a few decks of cards. Card games are entertaining for all ages and can help bridge the gap between generations. Old Maid and Go Fish are easy for young children to play. Gin and poker get the adults together for some good-natured competition. Specialized card games, such as Uno and SKIP-BO, are equally easy and entertaining for all ages.
Tug-of-War
This is a classic picnic game that requires physical endurance. Bring a long rope to your picnic, marked in the middle with a piece of colored tape. Mark a spot on the ground where the middle of the rope will lie at the start, and one "winning" spot on either side at equal distances from the center. Split the players into two even teams. At the call of "1, 2, 3...Go!" the teams pick up either side of the rope and pull as hard as they can until one team wins by pulling the center of the rope past the winning spot.
Pie-Eating Contest
A pie-eating contest regularly turns into a hilarious activity. Buy as many pies as you want contestants in the game or let guests know in advance and have them bring their own pies if they want to participate. Set a pie on a table in front of each competitor, give them all big napkins to drape around their necks, sound a buzzer and set them off on their victory quest with only their mouths to dig into the pie--no cutlery and no hands allowed. The first person to finish his entire pie is the winner.
Horseshoes
Horseshoes is a traditional picnic game suitable for all ages. Set up a horseshoe pit by placing two stakes in the ground across from each other. Two teams of two players each are needed to play this game. The players take their turns throwing horseshoes from a designated spot and attempting to ring them around the stake opposite them.
Water Fight
If you hold your family picnic on a hot summer day, stage a water fight to combine recreation with an easy way to cool things off. Bring water guns and fill balloons up with water. Split the picnic-goers into two teams, designating who is on which team with colored arm bands. Send the teams off to run amok, trying to soak down the opposition with their water weapons. Gauge the activity to determine the best time to blow a whistle and end the game. Assemble the teams, determine which is driest overall and declare that team the winner.