Pimp your picnic

Spruce up al fresco dining with these five fun picnic ideas

It’s a sandwich Jim, but not as we know it

When it comes to picnic food, it's all about the deconstructed sandwich – the sandwich skewer. Thread wooden skewers with bread, cheese, peppers, cherry tomatoes, grapes and avocado. These are great for fussy eaters as the fun, colourful result encourages them to give more veggies a go!

Add a colour pop

Bright napkins, plates and glasses, and stripy paper straws can elevate any kind of al fresco dining and will look great when you post snaps on Instagram. Picnic food can be just as fun – add an extra element of play to dinnertime by serving salads in kilner jars and freshly made lemonade in jam jars or mini milk bottles.

Fun and games

Keep the kids entertained (and the adults, too!) with a fun and simple piñata game. Fill seven balloons with water and attach them to a tree. Get everyone lined up and then take it in turns trying to hit the balloons with a bat while blindfolded. Remember that the more water you put in them, the easier they’ll burst for a refreshing/surprising treat!

Make sweet music

Nothing creates a great atmosphere like a good playlist. Pop a portable speaker in your bag and your mobile becomes your own disco on the go! Our favourites include:

• Sunday Morning by The Velvet Underground
• Summertime by Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
• Dog Days Are Over by Florence + The Machine

Get the kids involved and put it on shuffle so everyone’s excited about when they’ll hear their favourite song.

Get fired up!

OK, so we stole this one from the camping brigade. Picnics aren’t just for the summer, and dining al fresco with a roaring firepit on an autumn evening gives the meal a whole new twist. Grab some logs, throw on an extra couple of layers of clothing, and head for a field. Wrap jacket potatoes in tinfoil and cook them in the heart of the fire. Toast marshmallows and warm soup with crusty bread for dipping. Stories and singing round the fire are an absolute must! Handpicked recipe: Butternut Squash Moroccan Salad with Couscous and Chickpeas Shop Picnic Snacks