Picnic & Play

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

Sunshine & Sausage Rolls!

August 22nd, 2023|Comments Off on Sunshine & Sausage Rolls!

Find out what the Cranhill  group got up to in their latest Picnic & Play adventure! BALLOCH We had a WONDERFUL trip to BALLOCH with the Cranhill Families! We enjoyed [...]

Picnic & Play at The Tall Ship!

August 3rd, 2023|Comments Off on Picnic & Play at The Tall Ship!

It wasnae a dark n stormy night for our motley jelly headed crew!  Excited our friends gathered below deck on the Tall Ship... We played games & sang some of our favourites [...]

Funky Lions! Unicorns & Dancing Dragons

July 21st, 2023|Comments Off on Funky Lions! Unicorns & Dancing Dragons

37 play in The Green Green Wood! There were 37 of us to play in The green green North Kelvin Meadow & Children’s Wood last Friday for the Maryhill/Ruchill Licketyspit [...]

From Bridgeton to Troon – dancing, sea, sand & a big bye to Ruby!

July 13th, 2023|Comments Off on From Bridgeton to Troon – dancing, sea, sand & a big bye to Ruby!

Salsa, Sand, Sea & Send offs TROON We had a WONDERFUL trip to TROON with the Bridgeton Families! Some of us – led by Taz & Andre - had to [...]

Treasure Hunts, Witchy fingers & lots of SEA

July 12th, 2023|Comments Off on Treasure Hunts, Witchy fingers & lots of SEA

Curious shells, Sunny spells, Mermaid Grandma, Ice lolly Treasure! Castlemilk group’s latest adventures Week 3 of Porridge & Play Castlemilk 2023 Wednesday 12th June We had a truly wonderful time [...]

Picnic & Play Balloch!

July 7th, 2023|Comments Off on Picnic & Play Balloch!

Picnic & Play Balloch, 2023 Friday 7th July It was a beautiful Sunny day for our Online group's Picnic & Play Balloch! We announced ourselves to Balloch Castle as BIG as [...]

Govan Picnic & Play Trip to Troon!

July 6th, 2023|Comments Off on Govan Picnic & Play Trip to Troon!

Picnic & Play Troon Thursday 6th July Jellyfish friends? Naughty Seagull Feather? Hot sweet chai? Anyone fancy digging a really deep hole?! Our Govan Picnic & play group were out in force on Thursday [...]

Potato Parades for Refugee Festival!

June 26th, 2023|Comments Off on Potato Parades for Refugee Festival!

Find out what we got up to at our latest Picnic and Play in the Hidden Gardens! Refugee Week! Saturday 17th June We had a wonderful time taking part in [...]

Picnic & Play at the Tall Ship Glenlee!!

July 26th, 2022|Comments Off on Picnic & Play at the Tall Ship Glenlee!!

Find out all about our Picnic & Plays with the Bridgeton, Castlemilk and Cranhill Hubs! These blog posts show what we got up to and all the Storyplay-ing we did! Porridge & Play Hubs [...]

Picnic & Play on a Canal Boat!!

July 25th, 2022|Comments Off on Picnic & Play on a Canal Boat!!

Find out all about our Picnic & Plays with the Bridgeton, Castlemilk and Cranhill Hubs! These blog posts show what we got up to and all the Storyplay-ing we did! Porridge & Play Hubs [...]

Picnic & Play at the Dream Machine

July 21st, 2022|Comments Off on Picnic & Play at the Dream Machine

Find out all about our Picnic & Plays with the Bridgeton, Castlemilk and Cranhill Hubs! These blog posts show what we got up to and all the Storyplay-ing we did! Porridge & Play Hubs [...]

Picnic & Play at The Sensory Hub!!

July 13th, 2022|Comments Off on Picnic & Play at The Sensory Hub!!

Find out all about our Picnic & Plays with the Bridgeton, Castlemilk and Cranhill Hubs! These Blog posts show what we got up to and all the Storyplay we did! Porridge & Play Hubs is [...]

Licketyspit at the Refugee Festival Scotland!

July 12th, 2022|Comments Off on Licketyspit at the Refugee Festival Scotland!

We went to the Scottish Refugee Festival!! Saturday 18th June We had a wonderful Licketyspit Picnic & Play to celebrate the Scottish Refugee Festival in Elder Park on Saturday 18th June with 14 families [...]

Picnic & Play at The Hunterian Museum!!

June 14th, 2022|Comments Off on Picnic & Play at The Hunterian Museum!!

Find out all about our Picnic & Plays with the Bridgeton, Castlemilk and Cranhill Hubs! These Blog posts show what we got up to and all the Storyplay we did! Porridge & Play Hubs is [...]

Family Art Voyage

July 29th, 2021|Comments Off on Family Art Voyage

30th July 2021 Exciting opportunity for Artists to deliver workshops for Licketyspit Children & Families Network Licketyspit children’s theatre & play organisation seeks 6 artists to deliver 3 online workshops for 3-12 [...]

Margaret & Magnus at the Museum!

July 28th, 2021|Comments Off on Margaret & Magnus at the Museum!

Watch the film and join Margaret and Magnus on an adventure round the National Museum of Scotland!They are joined by intrepid adventurers Mahek, Franky, Zofia, Shullamite, Simon, Jessica and Lily Rose. What [...]

Picnic & Play at the Dream Machine

March 9th, 2020|Comments Off on Picnic & Play at the Dream Machine

29th Feb 2020 We had an incredibly busy Picnic & Play at the Dream Machine with 58 people!* However, it was wonderful to introduce so many new families to Lickety Play and have so many [...]

Big Porridge & Play Gorbals Week 5

June 6th, 2019|Comments Off on Big Porridge & Play Gorbals Week 5

30th May 2019 Travelling from the St Francis Centre in several taxi’s, we all managed to avoid the wind and the rain arriving at the wonderful and exciting Dream Machine on the London Road! [...]

Other Picnic & Play Partners

Modern Art Gallery
Museum of Scotland
North Edinburgh Arts