How To Have a Festive Picnic In The Living Room

If you’re like us and love a good picnic but don’t want to face the cold British weather this winter. Then go the alternative route and have a festive picnic indoors this Christmas season. 

You get to enjoy your Christmas decor that runs throughout the whole house, keep warm by wearing your snuggliest clothes and get to watch your favourite Christmas films with loved ones. Whether the picnic is for a family, a group of friends or as a date, this is sure to stay with you forever. 

Food For the Festive Picnic

When it comes to food for a picnic, it always comes back down to what you eat and personal preference. However, we have some classics that are sure to go down a treat at the picnic. 

The classic picnic foods to have as part of the spread can include:

1. Sandwiches – ham, cheese or chicken and stuffing (sticking to that Christmas theme)
2. Pizza – since you’re at home you can just pop this in the oven and wait for it to be done and enjoy hot
3. Peppers, cucumber, tomatoes, celery – healthy snack foods to munch on when you are waiting for the main food to arrive
4. Christmas Dinner leftovers – you don’t have to have to have the picnic before Christmas Day, in fact, you could do it on Boxing Day and veg out watching films and relaxing after Christmas Day nibbling on the leftovers
5. Crisps – you could by the classics like Salt and Vinegar, Cheese and Onion and Ready Salted, or you could also buy the seasonal crisps like Pigs in Blankets and Stuffing
6. Cookies – you could bake these for the picnic on the day or beforehand. You could even have some gingerbread houses to decorate as well
7. Fruit Platter – so that you can have something sweet, yummy and fresh to finish off your picnic

Remember that whatever you decide to eat at your picnic make sure that there is enough for the number of people that will be at your festive picnic in your living room.

Drinks For the Festive Picnic

Now, when it comes to the drinks for the festive picnic. Rather than leaving the drinks in the kitchen you could go all out and put them in thermos’ or similar. Besides by keeping the hot drinks in a thermos, you’ll be able to enjoy the drinks for longer. 

1. Hot Chocolate
2. Tea
3. Coffee
4. Mulled Wine 
5. Mocktails 
6. Alcohol – for the adults
7. Juice, squash, soft drinks

With these drinks, you can keep some on a table out of the way just in case you have little ones running around. Then you can keep other drinks you have in cool boxes if you really want to get that full picnic experience. 

Setting up your Indoor Festive Picnic

Your living room will already be fully decorated to the max but you will need to decorate and set up a little more for the picnic. 

In order to set up your picnic area to the comfort and cosy extreme, you will need a few bits to add to your living room. Also if needed you can move some of the furniture around just so you have a little more room to work with. 

1. Fluffy blankets – so you have something comfy to lay on and to wrap up in when relaxing in your winter wonderland of a living room 
2. Sheets – if you want to create a canopy and sort of fort to cosy in
3. Fairy lights – if you haven’t put all of them up already! But hand them around the tables, TV just any space that isn’t filled already with fairy lights
4. Cushions / Pillows – something comfy to lean against and sit on when you are sitting on the floor watching films, eating and playing games

Movies to Watch

For your picnic, as it is most likely going to be rather cold outside, you can stay inside and watch the remaining Christmas Movies you haven’t already watched this seasonal period. 

If you haven’t watched these films already, you could enjoy them together on your picnic. Or if you have seen them, why not watch them again, after all, Tis the Season. 

1. Elf
2. Arthur Christmas 
3. Scrooged
4. Love Actually 
5. Muppets Christmas Carol
6. Die Hard
7. Trading Places
8. Edward Scissor Hands
9. The Nightmare Before Christmas

With this array and variety of films, you will be set for the whole day!

Games and Challenges

To continue the fun and laughter of the day. You could play some Christmassy games with your loved ones.

1. Pictionary
2. Charades
3. Musical Chairs
4. Musical Statues
5. 5 – Second Rule
6. Chocolate Coin Hunt
7. Candy Cane Hunt 
8. Guess The Christmas Song
9. Guess The Christmas Movie
10. Guess Who

You could either make the games competitive or non-competitive depending on what people are feeling. These games are fun-filled and entertaining for all ages! I mean, Christmas is the time of year when we start to feel our child side coming out a little more. 

Then you are all set for your very own festive picnic in the living room this Christmas. Enjoy the setting up you could pop on some banging Christmas tunes or even a movie so that you have something in the background to listen to. Or even whilst you are prepping your food. Just enjoy the day!