A picnic is a meal eaten outdoors, usually in a pleasant spot like a park, beach, or meadow. People pack food from home like sandwiches, fruit, cookies, and drinks, and bring blankets or tablecloths to spread on the ground. The appeal combines eating outside with a relaxed, informal atmosphere.

Picnics became popular in the 1800s as cities grew crowded and people sought peaceful countryside escapes. Families would pack elaborate baskets and spend entire afternoons enjoying fresh air and sunshine. Today, picnics can be as simple as grabbing sandwiches and heading to a nearby green space, or as planned as a school field day with organized games.

As a verb, to picnic means to eat a meal outdoors.

The phrase “it's no picnic” means something is difficult or unpleasant, the opposite of the easy, enjoyable time a real picnic suggests. If someone says learning to skateboard “was no picnic,” they mean it took hard work and probably some scraped knees.