One of the best ways to celebrate all the wonderful aspects of summertime is by hosting a picnic.  Memorial Day, Labor Day, July 4th -- any weekend will do!  Invite your family and friends, and prepare to celebrate the warm weather, vacations from school, and all the other fun things the summer months have to offer.

Start off by making sure that you have plenty of drinks on hand to keep everyone hydrated, and don’t forget to take care of yourself as well.  You want your guests to remember the fun and the food, not the host’s heat stroke!  Though beer and soda are traditional picnic beverages, it is also important to have plenty of water available on a hot day.  Encourage everyone to drink up!   

Naturally, a picnic isn’t complete without traditional fare.  Hamburgers, hot dogs, coleslaw, potato salad, chips, and other classics are all you need to satisfy your guests’ taste buds.  If you want to add a gourmet touch to your grilling, craft your burgers from scratch using yummy spices or dry onion and mushroom soup mix, and then top them with gorgonzola cheese instead of American or cheddar.  Fill bowls with Terra chips instead of Ruffles, and include a yummy chili dip to go along with your chips.  Serving your guests a mix of classic fare and gourmet goodies will make your picnic stand out among the many events they might attend over the course of the summer.

Let your family and friends exercise off the delicious meal you served by playing badminton, volleyball, or croquet.  Make sure to have some activities for your smallest guests, too.  Children will get a thrill out of water balloons, relay races, and the limbo.  Pair up adults and their kids for sack races or three-legged races, and you can be certain that all of your guests will be smiling.  When it’s time to take a break, crank up your favorite summer tunes to keep the mood light. 

After the games are done, you can expect everyone to come clamoring for dessert.  Make sure to have classics on hand, like an array of delicious brownies and soft chocolate chip cookies.  If you are picnicking at home and can keep them cool until it‘s time for dessert, chocolate covered pretzels are always a party favorite.  Fruit salad  and watermelon slices are two other great options to have available at a picnic so that guests who cannot partake in the sweeter treats can still enjoy dessert. 

If you serve up some gourmet treats alongside your traditional barbeque fare, and keep your guests entertained with active games and summertime tunes, you can be certain your friends and family will be talking about how much fun they had!