Picnic & Play is a version of Porridge & Play that takes place in arts, outdoors and cultural venues, such as a museums, galleries and parks.

The project aims to remove barriers to families claiming their right to the city its rich cultural offering, by inviting them to explore arts spaces in an accessible, imaginative, child-centred way, and as part of a familiar Children & Families Network group.

Picnic & Play sessions take the same format as Porridge & Play – a delicious group meal followed by an hour of inter-generational, drama-led games, rhymes, songs and imaginary play. The session ends with Reflective Drawing and the Lickety Gallery where everyone is invited to present their artwork and talk about their experience of the session.

Picnic & Plays tend to be one off sessions, where members of the Licketyspit Children & Families Network can meet each other and enjoy Lickety play in a cultural venue or space they may not regularly use. Collaborating organisations have an opportunity to introduce their organisation and tell families what it has to offer, and Licketyspit can help plan child-centred engagement activities for our families in the venues, following the session, such as by creating trails and imaginary play stimuli for an exhibition. Picnic & Plays are also opportunities for new families to discover the company, as well as the Lickety Playcardrepertoire.

Picnic & Play developed out of Porridge & Play and is a highly adaptable project. It has taken place in Edinburgh venues including WHALE Arts, National Galleries of Scotland Modern One, City Arts Centre, Rannoch Community Centre, North Edinburgh Arts and the Botanics, and Glasgow venues including the Riverside Museum, the Tall Ship, the Botanics, Glasgow Green and the Glasgow Women’s Library. Licketyspit has a particularly strong track record working with families in communities with relatively little arts engagement and this project is highly successful in facilitating engagement between our partner venues and members of our Children & Families Network.

To read about previous Picnic & Play sessions, see pictures, feedback & more, CLICK HERE.

If you would like a Licketyspit Picnic & Play to come to your venue, or would like to discuss a collaboration, please get in touch by emailing  Ruby  at CFN@licketyspit.com, or phone 07413 800 342.

What is the best thing about Picnic & Play for you?

• “Meeting new people, trying something different rather than the usual park, soft play, etc. Lunch! : )” Mum

• “Witches fingers & delicious food” Mum

• “Joining in with the kids, seeing kids joining in, lots of fruit + fresh lunch.” Mum

• “Kids get to use there imagination” Mum

• “Less time on ipad/TV. More interaction with others. Imagination expanding.” Dad

• “Interactive time for children, meeting new people” Mum

Other comments!

• “It was very fun! 8 year old

• “Favourite game was the witches fingers! When they said poison was exciting!” 4 year old

• “You do a great work. It is great that kids can spent time like this.” Dad

• “G liked the balloon game.” Mum

• “We’ve never  been to NEA before, will come again <3” Mum

• “We got to see + imagine all the different places we could see.” 6 year old

Picnic & Play Blogs

Other Picnic & Play Partners