How to have your best picnic with iQ Clubs

Summer Life in the UK Social life

We’ve had our first heatwave across the UK, and your exams are (hopefully) over. This means picnic season is upon us. There’s no better way to spend your afternoons or Sunday mornings than having a picnic at your local park, beach, or iQ courtyard! Whether you’re chilling with your mates or picnic-ing solo, we’ve got you sorted with suggestions on what to eat, read & play.

iQ BookClub

For us, nothing says summer more than having the time to kick back with a book in the sun. If you’re a romance book fanatic, we’ve got recommendations for you:

To Sicily with Love by Jennifer Probst - Aurora discovers a relative living in Sicily after losing her parents, and packs everything up to spend a month with them. What comes next is a whirlwind romance with an Italian man she meets, but what happens when she needs to return to the US?
Summer of Love by Lily Easton - this is an LGBTQ+ take on what happens when two Love Island contestants fall in love
The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han - go back to where the iconic TV series began with the books that started it all whilst re-living the lives of Belly, Conrad and Jeremiah
Kisses and Croissants by Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau - think Emily in Paris, but with ballerinas - escape to Paris this summer with the romance of dreams

If romance isn’t your vibe, these summer thrillers will be sure to add an edge to your summer reading:

The Lake Escape by Jamie Day - follow a group of friends who go on a trip together, only for one to vanish mysteriously - what comes next is the unravelling of their lives in a gripping and suspenseful tale
Happy Wife by Kaira Rouda - when Nora’s ultra-wealthy husband vanishes after a birthday party, she becomes the prime suspect in a world of high-society secrets
The Honeymoon by Tessa Bailey - when they discover something shocking in the water of their honeymoon retreat, Erin and Mark’s romantic getaway descends into danger
You Shouldn’t Have Come Here by Jeneva Rose – this one may give you a healthy fear of AirBnB, as NYC career woman Grace goes on a retreat, but things aren’t all they appear to be with her host, and when a woman goes missing, Grace starts getting involved too

iQ SupperClub

For what to take to snack on, why not pick up some hummus & carrot sticks, as well as some little tapas plates? Many supermarkets in the UK do a picnic deal over summer – we recommend padron peppers, some veggie sausage rolls & cheese. But, if you don’t wanna organise the cooking or buying, why not grab a picnic kit and get it delivered to your door? This one was the iQ SupperClub giveaway for May, and our resi influencers said it made their experience so much easier.

Or, if you’re wanting to flaunt your cooking skills (learnt from iQ SupperClub of course), why not try making mini pizzas to take? You could top them with whatever you like, from pepperoni to sweetcorn, or even pineapple!

For something sweet, the classic picnic fruit is strawberries, but you could grab a bar of your fave chocolate and melt it in the sun to dip them in, making super easy chocolate covered strawberries.

iQ GamersClub

We know gaming isn’t traditionally a picnic activity, but who’s to say you can’t bring your Nintendo Switch or phone to the park? Here’s a list of games we think pair well with a picnic.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons has seasons that follow where you live, so it’ll be summer as you build, explore and create your very own island
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker has you sailing across a bright blue ocean, which we think is the ultimate summer aesthetic
Alba: A Wildlife Adventure is set on a Mediterranean island, filled with exploring, helping animals and soaking up the sun

If you’re wanting screen-free time though, why not pick up some of these super portable board games to play with your mates? Our secret hack is to check charity shops and second-hand apps like Vinted, Depop or Facebook Marketplace for games, as they’ve often got loads!

Uno is the most iconic game to take on a picnic, and no matter what rules you use when you play (we think you can’t stack +4s) it’s guaranteed to be fun
Bananagrams is like scrabble but without a board, and arguably much more fun – battle it out with your mates to create the best word and reign supreme
Use a pack of cards and play a classic game like go fish or California speed

Whatever you do on your picnic, we hope you have the best time! If you wanna learn more about iQ Clubs and be in with the chance of winning one of our giveaway prizes every month, join in the iQ app today.

Bluebell G

Hi! I'm Bluebell, the Social Media Executive at iQ, and I studied history at King's College London. My Best Year Yet? Getting a cat, and calling him Blueberry Crumble.