Family picnics are a great way for the whole family to unwind and also bond with one another. While we never forget to pack lots of picnic snacks for the day, we tend to forget planning out games that everyone can play. While the elders may relax, little ones get bored too easily when they don’t have much to do. So, make sure you pack up a few balls and probably some craft supplies to keep your kids entertained. Games like hide and seek, volleyball, soccer, kite flying, etc. are common but fun nevertheless.
If you’re looking to play some quirky family picnic games that you can set up using things available at home, take a look at these.
1. Sponge Relay
A very messy yet fun game, sponge relay is a great game. This game is most enjoyable when there are at least 4 players. You will need a large sponge and two buckets for each player. One bucket has to be filled with water and the other one has a line inside, marking the level of water to be filled by each player. So here’s how you play it:
- Once the referee signals, players pick up the sponge kept in front of them.
- They run to the bucket filled with water and soak it up to the maximum.
- Then, they run to the next bucket and squeeze all the water into them.
- The first player to fill water up to the demarcated line is the winner
2. Buddy Race or Three-legged race
This is an epic picnic game and a real classic at family picnics. The game is played in teams of 2. It is also called the three-legged race because one leg each of both team members are tied to another. The task is to run together from the start to the finish line. The first team to reach the finish line wins.
3. Treasure Hunt
You can never go wrong with treasure hunts! It may seem like you’ve played enough of this game already but two minutes into the game, and you will have forgotten all of that! Make a list of clues and place it all around the picnic spot. The first team to find the hidden treasure wins!
4. Humpty Dumpty Race
This is another fun race that is most fun when there are more players. The players have to carry an egg or a lemon that’s balanced on a spoon held protruding from their mouth. The first one to reach the finish line without dropping the egg/lemon wins.
5. One-minute Games
If you’re looking to play timed games with your family, you can try these one-minute games that are easy, fun and will bring out the competitor in you.
a. Cookie on the forehead
The task here is simple – at least it seems that way. The player’s head will be rested on the back of a chair and a cookie will be placed on his or her forehead. The player will have to move the cookie into his or her mouth (without using their hands) and gobble it up as soon as he or she can. The one to eat the maximum number of cookies in a minute wins.
b. Paper cup pyramid
Gather plenty of paper cups for this game. The task is to stack the cups vertically in the shape of a pyramid. The player who makes the pyramid in the shortest time period wins.
c. Keep the balloons in the air
For this game, give each player 2-3 balloons. The aim of the game is to keep the balloons in the air for the whole minute. Anyone who drops any of the balloons is eliminated from the game.
d. Spirally ping-pong balls
You will need two bowls, lots of ping-pong balls and a wine glass for this game. The task is to pick up a ping-pong ball using the wine glass and turn it upside down while the ball is being spun inside the glass. The player has to walk towards the empty bowl and release it into the balls. The player who collects the maximum number of balls in a minute wins.
e. Floating ping-pong ball
You will have to gather a few glasses of water and a ping-pong ball for the Floating ping-pong ball game. Place about 5-7 glasses of water in a straight line and a small-sized glass towards the end. The aim of the game is to move the ping-pong ball on all the filled-up glasses and let it fall perfectly into the small glass. The player who manages to float the maximum number of balls on water and collect it in the last glass wins.
All of these games are fun and easy to prepare. Which of these games did you like best? Let me know in the comments below!
