There's really no better way to enjoy a sunny, summer afternoon than a warm and friendly family picnic. It's the warm sun, a soft breeze, some home made sandwiches -made just the way you like them- the company of your loved ones, and about a million uninvited ants. That's the snag in the plan every time. You lay out your favorite blanket only to find your food and family covered in a tiny, six-legged army before you know it. Well, there are always sensible alternatives, and for this particular problem a good solution is utilizing park benches rather than running for the hills.

These days, almost every park is furnished with a plentiful supply of tables and park benches for public use. They get you and your food off the ground and save you dirtying a good blanket. They also make it easier for older members of your family to partake in the fun. Grandma and Grandpa don't always have the easiest time getting up and down off the ground. These benches provide a comfortable way to enjoy eating outdoors without the outdoors enjoying eating you.

Park benches are even found in many large home back yards; and why not? They make the yard more inviting and a more comfortable and enjoyable place to take your meals or other activities. Some park benches are conveniently housed in covered gazebos so that even poor weather need not interrupt a picnic or other family outing. Whether in a public park, near a national landmark, or in your own back yard; benches make the great outdoors seem a bit more like home.

The family picnic is becoming a rarity in these modern times and that seems a terrible shame. The beauty of nature is often going unappreciated simply due to its inconvenience. This needn't be the case. There are many perfectly good occasions for a picnic and the open air provides a lot to do for the whole family.

Summer holidays and birthdays, anniversaries, or just bright and lazy days offer up an excellent chance to enjoy the outdoors. Gatherings can be organized in parks without much cost or prior arrangement. Picnic tables and park benches are often clustered together and provide a good grouping for parties. There is also quite often a public grill provided in many parks, which will allow for a family barbeque.

While adults utilize the comfort of the tables and benches to catch up, socialize and gossip; children are free to run about in the open space, play sports, or enjoy playground equipment that may be near by. While a simple, open field may seem unappealing for a family outing, public parks have furnished themselves with many of the comforts of home and a number of other ways to keep the troops entertained from swimming pools to soccer fields. The park bench is one of the many ways we've made nature more palatable to the modern family and time outside can again be time well spent.