How to throw a rad picnic - even in a thunderstorm

by Siobhan O'Brien

We show you how to have a picnic in a park, in the rain, in your mate's house and in a pub. Oh, we show you how to have a picnic, all right! The best picnic there EVER was!

It's Sunday: the sun is shining (maybe), the birds are singing (hopefully), you've already watched the Hollyoaks omnibus and in your purse lies only last night's travelcard and a receipt for a £30 round of drinks - ergo, you're broke and bored. A few calls to your friends confirms that nobody can afford little more than a McDonalds Happymeal and the looming return of the daily grind on Monday morning has everybody in a state of lethargic depression.

What is a girl to do in said dire situation?

Go on a picnic, of course!

Nothing can make you feel more child-like and free of responsibilities than sitting on a rug eating out of a basket. Yet at the same time, arranging a picnic can give you an amazing sense of being in control and can feel, well, quite civilised. Sort of like a grown up, really.

Organising a picnic is simple, and far more fun that organising a house party or a night out. There are no age restrictions - there should be nothing in a park that can be deemed inappropriate for little 'uns so y'all can bring the apples of your eyes to join in the festivities, unless it's a naked picnic, but that's a whole other how-to guide.

You don't have to worry about an over zealous guest trashing your stereo or vomiting in your bed. You don't have to be anywhere at a specified time lest you not be allowed in or the entry price has doubled. Picnics can go on all day and nobody has to stay for the entire event - we know you all have places to be.

So how do you make sure your outdoor lunching experience goes off without a hitch? Well you can't - sorry, kids. We all know a picnicker's worst enemy is rain and aside from checking the weather report there is not much you can do to compete with mother nature. You can, however, have a contingency plan.

THROWING A PICNIC WHEN THE GODS ARE SMILING ON YOU

If the weather is perfect, you're onto a winner. This is why most picnics tend to be impromptu - you wake up, it's a nice day, picnic!

If this is how you roll, arrangements are simple. First pick a venue. If it's a last minute gig, somewhere fairly close by is your best bet so everybody can get there sharpish before the sun runs away. You want somewhere pretty and that is not likely to be completely overrun with people playing croquet or whatever it is children do in parks these days.

Call everybody you know (well not everybody, you only want pleasant, happy-go-lucky types at a picnic) and tell them the venue. Otherwise it will just be you in a park with a sandwich, and nobody wants to see that.

There won't be much room for dictating what everybody should bring, as an impromptu picnic involves people grabbing what they can find in their fridge and heading out the door pronto. That's fine, it can be more fun that way. You never know what crazy food might make an appearance. 'Reggae Reggae sauce, anybody?'

Grab a blanket to sit on, your ipod if you've got speakers to go with it, an umbrella in case the Gods get angry, and you're sorted. Picnic preparations done.

OPTIMISTICALLY FORWARD-PLANNING A PICNIC

If you are willing to take a chance on the weather, arranging a picnic in advance can be really fun, as there is no end to the things you can bring with you and the people you can invite. There's no maximum capacity in a park (well, there might be, but I'm sure you don't have that many friends).

Firstly, choose somewhere to go. You've got a bit more choice of you're planning in advance, because people can work out how they're going to get there and set off in plenty of time.

If you're UK-based, take a look at The Guardian's top picnic locations. Ideally you want somewhere close to a train station or bus stop as people might be carrying heavy loads, and it's always nice to sit near something pretty like a lake, if just to make your photos look a bit more exciting.

Next, invite people, telling them how to get to your chosen location and what they should bring. As in the last section of our guide, you may choose to live on the edge and allow guests to offer up whatever delights they so wish. A picnic Russian roulette, if you will. This may end up with a blanket full of cakes, biscuits and sweets, with no actual food, or vice versa. Therefore you might opt for a slightly more organised approach and have a chat with a few guests in advance to see what they are bringing.

Remind those with specific dietary requirements that they may need to fend for themselves. You don't a vegetarian turning up expecting a veritable feast of new culinary experiences only to discover his/her bag of carrot sticks is the only thing they can eat.

Picnics are all about sharing but they are also all about being poor - people may not want to spend a fortune catering for all potential food allergies and aversions and are more likely to bring things they already have at home.

It is also a wonderful idea to bring some alcohol. Drinking wine in the sun is one of the most fun things you can do.

Don't forget plastic cups, unless perhaps this is a gathering of swingers and sharing saliva is nothing compared to sharing.. well anyway, cutlery, plates and cups are easy to forget but difficult to manage without.

So, location - tick. Food - tick. People - tick. The only other thing that could make this picnic more magical is music. Bring an ipod, make a playlist in advance and find out if anybody has portable speakers. Nothing makes lying in the sun with your friends more special than the perfect soundtrack.

Picnic music suggestions:

* Here comes the sun - The Beatles

* Your love gets sweeter - Finlay Quaye

* On my balcony - Flunk

* Walking on sunshine - Katrina and the waves

* Kokomo - The Beach Boys

* Where's summer been - Ben Folds Five

* Breakdown - Jack Johnson

* Ladybug Picnic - Elizabeth Mitchell

* Pleasant Valley Sunday - The Monkees

As I said, there is no limit to what you can plan or bring. Board games, newspapers, frisbees. Use your imagination.

WHAT TO DO IF THE HEAVENS OPEN

Go inside! Sure, the dictionary definition of a picnic is eating outdoors, but who needs to define everything? We're cool, bohemian free spirits! Do what you want!

Factor the possible change in weather into your plans and make sure you've got a few umbrellas between you to tide you over until you reach a rain-proof structure.

If somebody lives nearby, perfect. Set your blankets down on the floor, spread your food out and you're good to go again. It's still a picnic if you're sitting cross legged and eating other people's food, I always say.

Turn the music up, get comfortable and now, with no worries about it getting cold and dark, the party can continue into the night. You will have to go home when the host goes to bed, though.

If you do not have the luxury of relocating to somebody's house, you may have to go to a pub. This can be a little disappointing, as the landlord is unlikely to let you eat your own cocktail sausages and drink your own warm beer at his tables. But don't worry, you can shelter here until the rain stops. Or play a game to see who can sneak the most food from their baskets into their mouths without being noticed by the staff. Japes abound!

Most importantly, have fun and remember to clean up after yourselves. Nobody likes a litterbug-picnicker.

Picnics, parties and tea party ideas on Mookychick:

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• How to have a tea party
• Picnic ideas
• How to have a Japanese hanami party
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• How to have an unbirthday party
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