Recycle your picnic into a game

Ask kids what they like most about neighborhood or family picnics, and they’ll likely say that being together with family and friends is the key ingredient that makes the outing fun and memorable. Sure, the hot dogs and potato salad are essential to a gathering, but it’s the conversations, giggles, hugs and laughter that become the lasting impressions kids cherish.

Here are some creative activities for entertaining the crowd at your next picnic. When everyone has eaten the last of the cake and ice cream, don’t throw out the plastic plates. Recycle them into party games.

Ring-Toss Game

To create the rings, cut out the center of at least six rinsed and clean dinner-size plastic party plates. (Save center cutout pieces for Juice Bottle Baseball below.)

Tape two rings securely together, rim to rim, using masking tape or electrical tape. Repeat with other plates.

Place three or more 64-ounce plastic bottles (filled with water for stability) on the ground, spacing them a few feet apart and labeling each one with point values using a permanent marker. For a festive touch, you might add cone-shaped party hats with elastic over the bottle’s cap section and write a different point amount on each hat.

To play, have party guests toss rings onto the bottles for points.

Juice Bottle Baseball

Use the center circle cutouts from ring toss plates to create four bases for a small baseball diamond.

To play, hold an empty 64-ounce juice or soda bottle at the neck of the bottle like a baseball bat. Toss an inflated balloon in the air and try to hit it. Run the bases.

Beanbags

Cut off a top portion of any size plastic juice or soda bottle and use as a funnel to fill sand into deflated party balloons. Knot and use for a beanbag toss.