Adding some fun and games to your Big Lunch is a great way to make it more inclusive and enjoyable. Don’t worry about needing lots of equipment – adapt the activities

to suit your community and space. From classic childhood games like hide-and-seek and hopscotch, to face painting and dancing, here are a few ideas for

getting playful with The Big Lunch.

Get playfulGet playful

Scott

It was the first time we had done a talent show, and it was

great! We had people doing stunts on their scooters, a Michael

Jackson dance tribute, and gymnastics! The quiz, talent show and

music were brilliant...fantastic ways for everyone to connect.

Get competitive, hard boil a few eggs, steal some spoons from the table and you’ve got yourself an egg and spoon race. See who can do the most

hulas, odd house numbers versus even for a tug-o-war or run a three-legged race.

A good game for a giggle is animal tag. Whoever’s ‘it’ calls out an animal, everyone has to act and move like

it as they try to avoid being tagged.

Playing is a great way for people join in, and starts conversations – for more ideas and games, head to thebiglunch.com

Let us know what you’ll be playing with #TheBigLunch

Discover who is the star baker with a biscuit or cupcake

decorating station. Turn it into a competition and get everyone

to vote for their favourite.

Jumpers for goalposts! Build up your Big Lunch

appetite with a game of five-a-side football.

Fancy a game of cricket? Wheel

out a wheelie bin or drag out

a dustbin to use as a wicket.

Mix people into teams and have a quiz. Questions can be about your community,

or general knowledge. Great for all ages!

Collect some clothes that are easy to put on and run in (hats, scarves, large wellie boots

etc.) and have a dress-up relay race – share your pics with #TheBigLunch

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Time to shine! How about holding a talent show? It’s a great

opportunity to showcase skills and learn more about one another.

Mix up your menus: invite some people to bring

savoury and others sweet. Divvy up ideas, themes

or courses between odd and even house numbers.

Suggest that people bring along their own cutlery and plates to avoid using

disposables. Plus, it’s much easier to cut a quiche with a knife that doesn’t bend!

Get creative with

presentation Make monsters out of sandwiches, bake

biscuits in fun shapes and create rainbow fruit kebabs. Jazz up jugs of water with a

slice of cucumber, some fresh mint or lemon wedges.

Bring along some guaranteed crowd-pleasers. Did you know...Ready salted is the nation’s favourite crisp flavour, cheese and ham is the most sought-after sandwich and

lemon drizzle has been crowned the UK’s top cake!

Think about the temperature of food. If you’re using a BB

don’t rush the cooking. If it’s a sunny day keep food covered and cool when outside. No one

wants a wilty salad!

Ask people to label ingredients, it can help in case of any allergies or dietary

requirements. Encourage people to bring

along recipes too, so people can take the idea away if they’ve enjoyed it.

Have a plan for leftover food. keep Tupperware to hand so food is easy to share out and

take home. You could consider donating unopened items to your local food bank too.

It was really nice to see people taking

pride in what they eat at home and the

different cuisines really reflected the

different residents who live on our estate.

Lucy

tickle your

taste buds

tickle your

taste budsEveryone enjoys a bite to eat, and sharing food is a key ingredient for bringing people together at a Big Lunch.

Home-cooked, home-grown, shop-brought, spicy samosas or sweet strawberries, it doesn’t really matter, it’s about inviting everyone to get involved and chip in

with what they can.

We’ve put together some top tips to get you thinking about your Big Lunch spread.

Sharing food is a great way to get people together. For tasty recipe ideas and more tips visit thebiglunch.com

Let us know what went down a treat with #TheBigLunch

Get creative! Adding extras is a great way to start conversations ahead of the day and can make your Big Lunch feel special. For simple things to make and do visit thebiglunch.com

Share how you get creative with #TheBigLunch

Music can help create

a party atmosphere.

put together a

playlist, showcase

local talent with some

live music, or get a

budding DJ to set up

their decks.

Brighten up tables with

some fresh flowers.

Ribbons around old jam

jars make perfect vases!

Think about having spaces

to sit – depending on who’s coming along you might

want to have a mix of tables and chairs and cushions

and blankets. If your lunch is outside, consider using trees

for shade or a gazebo for some shelter.

Bunting is a Big Lunch party staple and an easy way to inject

some colour. See what materials people have tucked away and visit TheBigLunch.com for

how to make your own.

Put up a sign to welcome people. Decorate a wall, pavement or

blackboard with chalk, use paper or draw on an old sheet to create your own Big Lunch banner – see if any children would like to lend a hand.

Try your hand at tissue-paper pom-poms or use old magazines to make paper chains. Once the event is over,

store everything carefully and reuse it again next year.

add a little extraadd a little extra

People and food are all you really need for a Big Lunch, but if you’ve the time there are a few little things you can do

to make it feel extra special. Everyone loves bunting, flags, flowers, fairy lights and bright tablecloths and there are lots

of cheap, even free, easy ways to add them to your Big Lunch.

Ask around, people may already have bits and bobs they can bring along to add a touch more colour and creativity. If not, there’s bound to be someone who can lend a hand to make and create. Here are few simple ways to add a little extra…

Kam-Mei

One year we made our own bunting by posting one

triangle through every door, to be decorated in any way

you wanted, they were then all sewn together and it’s

now brought out every year.

If you’re holding a Lunar Lunch, fairy lights, lamps and lanterns

add a bit of star-like sparkle. A bundle of blankets may help

if it’s chilly and maybe someone has a brazier or fire pit you can sit

around to share stories.