Hosting a Safe and Social Distance Fun Backyard Picnic

You are being asked to stay at home and steer clear of populated areas. And when the need arises to do errands such as buying groceries or prescription refills at the pharmacy, social distancing must be observed. Team sports are out, too, except virtual. You can walk, run, hike and bike alone.

The good thing is, outdoor spaces in your home can be explored and transformed into possible recreational areas for the family, for as long as you follow safety precautions. This is encouraged as going outside and doing physical activity has several health benefits. So, it is good to step outside, get some sun, breathe some fresh air, and get a picnic going for the family. 

Setting up a picnic shouldn’t be a challenge since it’ll be a stripped-down version of the previous ones you’ve organized. One, your guest list is limited to family members or the ones quarantined with you. Two, supply is limited and should be budgeted. Three, since there is a pandemic, games will be limited to what is relevant, respectful, and safe.

Stepping out requires an extraordinary amount of preparation just to do a grocery run or drop by the drugstore. It is imperative to plan well and smartly if you are organizing a backyard picnic for the family. Downscale to less is more to eliminate the unnecessary.

The Essentials

Set a Theme. This will set the tone and direction of the activity. It can be as relevant as a mask-making kind of day, or a tribute to front-liners day. It can be a wellness theme promoting physical fitness, such as yoga or doing a cardio routine. The kids may want to do something special, too.

Choosing a theme encourages creativity and active participation during preparation. It guides direction on what items should be prepared, dress code, menu, and the kind of games that are aligned with the theme.

Food and Drinks. If the goal is keeping it simple and healthy, note that flavors do not have to be sacrificed in the process. Easy to prepare sandwiches, vegetable salad, a delectable fruit and cheese platter for dessert and onwards. Fire the grill for healthy roasted seafood, chicken breasts, and some organic sausage.

 
Cool and cold drinks are a must. Bring out the cooler and ensure the drinks are well chilled before the picnic. A lemonade station is fun and easy to assemble. The adults can have their drinks spiked, however for the warm weather hydration is important.

Set the feast on an outdoor dining set that has room for everyone including the extra items for the games a little bit more extra such as the drink station. If you have a picnic table handy and have been inside the storeroom, it is the perfect time to bring them out. The kids can have their table, too, if they want to play grown-ups for a few minutes. Open patio umbrellas if it's too hot, to provide some protection from the sun.

Games & Entertainment. This doesn’t have to be complicated to assemble and prepare. A simple Spotify playlist and a speaker or even a phone would suffice for music. If you are a musical family, then the neighbors will be highly entertained. This is encouraged, too.

Along the lines of choosing a humanitarian theme such as mask making. Then make everyone compete as to who can finish the fastest without sacrificing quality. Take breaks in between to crack jokes. This is greatly recommended, too.

A fitness-themed picnic would mean setting up a routine. Many online apps can help you with this task. Board and card games can be fun for the family, too. If you have those handy, it’ll work.

There are viral challenges posted online that can be explored. There's a huge spike in Tiktok content - a social media platform for creating, sharing, and discovering short music videos. Its creators' fueled Tiktok with hashtag challenges with their homemade videos.

Celebrity handstand challenge by Spiderman actor, Tom Holland in Instagram went viral. It requires putting on a shirt while upside down supported by a wall. Simone Biles, the gymnast powerhouse, added a degree of difficulty to the same challenge. She took off her sweatpants under a minute while on handstand without the wall support.

Ultimately, the goal is to have a fun day outdoors with the family. Offer variation to the daily activities during a challenging time wherein being cooped inside the house far too long can be unhealthy. If you are one of those lucky enough to have an outdoor space, maximize its usage the best way you can. 

Prince Charles who tested positive for Covid19 in March wrote:

"When we come out of this pandemic, as we surely will, it seems to me that we must learn some lessons: of the crucial importance of Nature to our wellbeing and to our very existence; of the power of localisation; and simply of a kinder way of being. After the suffering and the selflessness we are witnessing, we cannot allow ourselves to go back to how we were. This is a moment in history."