Now that we’ve hit mid-April I believe I’m entitled to say that picnic season has officially begun! To be honest, whenever the temps hit above 60 degrees New Yorkers are game for a picnic – regardless of the season 😉 But Spring is when picnic season really thrives! The trees are blooming, the grass is finally green, the birds are chirping and we all flock to the parks for a bit of sunshine – myself included. This past weekend was in the 60s so C and I popped over to Central Park for our first stab at a casual picnic lunch. It was lovely.
Picnics in the city are a bit differnet than suburban or back yard ventures because we have to carry everything we bring ourselves – no cars or parking spots. If we can’t carry it, we aren’t taking it! It can be easy to overthink picnics and then either get overwhelmed, overpack and end up forgetting or wasting a lot of stuff. I always try to remember that the most important part of a picnic is spending time in the park with my people (and pup). As a result, we try to keep our picnics pretty low key, easy and sustainable!
So, without further ado, let’s chat about my top three tips, plus the things that we always have on hand that make the overall picnic experience much more enjoyable!
Our Top Tips
Plan Ahead
We rarely picnic on a completely whim, but we keep a few things (the essentials listed below) on hand just in case the urge strikes. Picnics can be a bit of work, so addressing the basics definitely helps: 1) where are we going? 2) how long will we stay? and 3) will we be eating? Other things I noodle on are whether or not we’ll be meeting friends and what activities we’ll do, if any. Then I pack accordingly.
Pack Light
Since we to carry everything, we always try to keep our picnic gear relatively simple. A blanket or two plus a bag and/or basket will usually do the trick. We like to pack our food – but that does require some prep! Sometimes an easy picnic means picking up lunch or not eating at all! When we do eat, I only bring what we need and plan to use.
Prioritize Sustainable Swaps
Picnics can be super wasteful! There are a few things we prioritize to avoid this conundrum. Most of the time we bring our own food and if we don’t we still pack our own cutlery / napkins / cups. I like melamine plates (Ballard has the cutest ones!) because they are lightweight and easy to clean! I toss in our regular silverware and cloth napkins, too (I live for these – such a great size for a picnic!). Using a cooler helps too – that way nothing spoils or goes to waste.
Our Essentials
(Chic) Cooler
I actually LAUGH when I think about our old soft cooler – it was square and neon blue and green and we bought it at the pharmacy. It also kind of leaked but it’s what we had and we made do. Thankfully Hat Attack recently gifted me their new cooler tote which is the woven, neutral and practical bag my Spring-loving self was missing! It’s cute and functional, with a detachable strap, insulation and a zip closure. I keep coming up with reasons and occasions to use it – that’s how much I love it!
Picnic Basket
If an item doesn’t need to be chilled, I prefer to carry a sturdy bag. I love the classic Market Bag by Apolis and have this one that also comes with a strap. We use ours for Farmer’s Market runs and weekend trips, too! I love Apolis because their bags are high quality, artisan made, give back and hold up great. My other go-to is a large L.L. Bean tote – a great staple that we use and love for lots of other purposes. An alternative to a tote is a classic appointed picnic basket that comes with all the essentials. We received ours as a wedding gift and it basically acts as decor when not in use. It’s that pretty! sThe cons? It’s a bit bulkier, doesn’t hold as much and isn’t easy/comfy to carry. If you’re in it for aesthetics though, they sure are darling.
25 oz Cooler Bottle
Contrary to popular belief (and Instagram posts) NYC does not love open bottles in their parks. We like to pour and store our bevvies in 25 oz bottles before packing them up for the park. This is a great way to store non-alcoholic beverages too and keep any liquid extra cool on hot Spring and Summer days.
Fun-Friendly Glasses
Whether you’re on the grass or a blanket, you likely won’t have a super flat surface which makes no-spill glasses key. Gone are the days of plastic solo cups because 1) they are super wasteful and 2) they are super flimsy. We love to use insulated glasses with lids: if we’re at the park, odds are we’re also hanging with friends which means no glass is constantly sipped or safe from spills! Corkcicle, Swig, Yeti and Swell all make options with sliding lids that come in cute patterns and colors. Just make sure you buy one with a spill safe lid or purchase one separately! They aren’t always included. No matter what we’re drinking we also ALWAYS pack a big HydroFlask full of water – those sunny days can be a doozy!
Blankets
There are a lot of practical picnic blankets out there but, living in a small space means we don’t have room for storing blankets for specific needs. We have a few towels and quilts that we love to bring to the park, including this one, this one and this one. All can be used in the home for showering or snuggling and are easily cleaned and stored 🙂 The Hat Attack one (c/o) says hand wash, but I washed it on cool and hung it to try and it turned out fine!
Entertainment
If we’re headed to the Great Lawn or Sheep’s Meadow then lawn games reign supreme. We love a classic frisbee, lawn tennis or even travel backgammon! Other times we bring books or just Bruce – he is highly entertaining when not chasing down squirrels!
Our Other Must Haves
Okay, here’s where the really important tips come in! If we don’t have much in the house we’ll grab a salad or sandwich on the way, which makes clean up a breeze. We also like to do finger foods and small plates, so we store those types of things and other snacks in reusable glass jars and easy-to-clean stasher bags. We always bring our own normal silverware and cloth napkins and carry an extra garbage bags for our used plates, cutlery, glasses etc., so that nothing leaks!
Our Wish List
I have to say, one thing our picnic game is lacking is seating. I’m all for a good lounge sesh but don’t really love sitting on the ground for too long because my back starts to hurt (#thisis33). We used to have big lawn chairs, then small lawn chairs, and finally, after hardly using either, struggling to store them and not wanting to carry them we ditched ’em all. I read about these chairs earlier this season and they remind me of a chic crazy creek – which means they will be easy to store and easy to carry! Win win amiright?
I hope these tips help you enjoy your next Spring picnic 🙂 Also, if someone could train my dog to have picnic-chill behavior I would so appreciate it!
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