4 Tips to Improve Office Fun with Games, Food, Activities, and More!
Who says working in an office can’t be fun? One of the best ways to ensure that your team members are engaged, committed and focused at the office is to incorporate fun activities and games into their daily work days and weekly routines. Not every office has room for ping-pong or pool tables, so here are some ideas that will work in every office type, big company or small business.
1) Friendly Competition
Everybody loves a little friendly competition. Take office games to the next level and create office-fun centered around competition games. Employee game favorites include baking competitions, office Olympics, and office trivia. Include the entire office by assigning teams, either randomly or by department, and designate a day each season for each competition. Creating teams encourages employee collaboration and team building and bonding, as well as gives them something to look forward to and prepare for each season. Another fun way to encourage a fun work environment every day is to keep sets of cards, jigsaw puzzles or board or video games around or in a break room; who wants to play games on their phone when you can play with each other during the lunch break.
2) New Employee Activities
When hiring new employees, it is important to make them feel welcome in the office as well as provide an icebreaker for them to meet their coworkers. A great way to do this is to turn new employee introductions into an office-wide game. Organize a scavenger hunt for the new employees to complete, where they must go around the office to each person’s desk, and each room, and retrieve clues as they go. This is a fun way for new employees to make introductions as well as a way for them to navigate their new workspace. Similar to scavenger hunts, office “speed dating” is another great way to introduce employees to each other. Speed dating can be quick and casual, and as easy as just sitting at different tables during lunch and requiring your employees to switch seats with someone every five minutes. Starting at a new office can be intimidating, activities centered around employee introductions help to make the transition fun and painless.
3) Who Doesn’t Love a Theme?
Designate a day of the week each month with a fun theme. Whether that be an office party themed for the Holidays or something like casual Friday, pajama day, even ugly Christmas sweater day. On themed office days, include a fun activity such as screening a movie during the lunch break complete with popcorn, or treat the office to a catered lunch and drinks. Incorporating days into the work schedule that are themed and funny, is a great way to encourage work attendance and boost your team’s morale, plus, who doesn’t like to change up their work wardrobe and come to work in their pajamas?
4) Food Fun
Perhaps the easiest office fun and most well-received activity is food. There are many ways to add food to your office fun activities in a way that both brings the office together and for quality time both inside and outside of the office. Cater lunch to the office once a week, organize a food truck to stop by on every other Friday, or try a classic potluck lunch buffet. Bringing food to the office is a sure way to brighten your employee’s day. Or maybe an ice-cream bar or other dessert break.
Outside of the office, food-related activities include organizing an office happy hour after work, cooking classes for a couple of nights one month, and an office-wide picnic one afternoon. As fun as it is to spend time with your employees in the office, experiencing a picnic together or cheersing a cocktail after work together are all fun bonding activities your employees won’t be able to resist.
These are a few ideas that will work for any company. But you have to align these activities with your own company culture. However, providing some fun things to break up the routine at your office can really help increase your employee satisfaction, provide team building activities and ultimately increase productivity.
