10 Old School Games To Play At Your Next Family Picnic.
One of the biggest pain points I have being a parent of two Gen Z'ers is there insatiable want for all things digital technology.
Gone are the days where a kid was left to their own imagination and natural surroundings to find amusement for themselves, today Youtube, gaming and video messaging friends is a mere click away.
That is one of the best things I love about our picnic adventures, we set a rule that there is to be no tech bought along, we try our best to elect a picnic location that will keep them stimulated and we pack their favourite foods, so if nothing else, they enjoy the meal they had.
While on a picnic with some friends recently, the kids started their own game of hide and seek, which sparked a conversation between us Gen X parents about the games we used to play when we were kids.
Then the conversation moved to which games we think the kids would rate the highest, which we will be filming for our YouTube channel as soon as we get some good weather. In the meantime I thought it would be good to write a blog about it.
1. Frisbee
Pound for Pound, Frisbee would have to be the best game ever invented when it comes to a family picnic. What we love most about the frisbee is how compact, lightweight and easy it is to pack a Frisbee in your picnic kit, especially when you are fully packed for a day long family picnic.
Also great about Frisbee is that it is a relatively simple game, which not many people aim to master, so everyone should be of relatively equal ability, and therefore no one should feel left out, which means zero tears when everyone is playing it.
There are also a number of games that can be played with a frisbee, whether it be to replace a football and play an ultimate frisbee style game, or you might prefer a less active and more target orientated game in the style of a disc golf game.
2. Hide and Seek
What better way to get the kids (little and big) exploring your picnic surroundings than a game of hide and seek. It’s another good one to level out the different levels of athleticism as it is not always the most sporty kid winning. It’s also a great one to get everyone involved, even grandad can play this one, he might just need a longer count in.
3. Scavenger Hunt
In the same vein as hide and seek, a scavenger hunt is another classic group game that can get everyone involved moving and thinking. Depending on how much time you have to prepare the clues and items to collect, you can make it super challenging or quick and easy. As the kids need to collect items or clues to complete their list, it's a great problem solving activity for them to work their brains.
4. Mr Squiggle Art Contest
One of the most fun games you can play and a great calm down exercise to follow up more of the energetic ones on our list. All you need is a large sketchbook and either textas or crayons (easel optional) and you are on your way.
It starts by having the adult scribble something on a page which the kids then have to do their best to make it into a piece of art. Always good to get an unrelated fellow picnicker or random passerby to do the judging to keep it fair.
5.Ring Toss
Another compact and lightweight set up, this old school classic is always a crowd favourite.
6. Hacky SackThis is a good one for family team building, you can set a challenge between individuals or teams of any numbers to see how long they can keep the sack in the air.
7. Giant Jenga
This one is not as compact as most in this list but is still a classic that will keep the kids amused for ages. All you need is a piece of flat ground and let the steady hand games begin.
8. Jump Rope
All you need is a large skipping rope and you are good to go. Two people hold the rope at each end with one person attempting to get over the rope as many times before failing.
9. Paper Aeroplanes
All you need is a ream of A4 printing paper and you are all set. It's interesting to see all the different designs the dads and kids make. The aim is to build the plane that flies the farthest with the benefit of being able to recycle the planes that didn't make the cut.
10. Hula Hoop
These are a little bulky to transport but can be a bunch of fun and something the mums and grandmas might just show the kids up in. A good competition is for time with the person that goes the longest without dropping the hoop.
