Office Picnic Games
With the announcement of the annual office picnic, many employees begin to groan about their lack of interest in the event. This is unfortunate, as this opportunity for office mates to loosen up and enjoy themselves can be a true morale booster for a company. However, companies need to provide more than a picnic table and some food to promote the fun. Light-hearted competitive games are the quickest way to get the party started and the surest way to turn a so-so office picnic into a much-loved annual event.
Whereas many holiday parties are held in banquet halls or restaurants, office picnics are frequently smaller budget events held in less sophisticated venues like company parking lots. This shouldn’t be a deterrent to incorporating games and activities into a picnic, but they should be modified for the limited space.
One game that is always a winner at a company picnic is the old classic kids’ game “Simon Says.” The key to modifying this for an office get-together is to have someone other than a manager as “Simon.” Designate the mail clerk or receptionist to be Simon, and let that person delight in giving orders to the management team.
For those who don’t remember how to play this fun game, it begins with all of the players lined up facing “Simon.” Simon will call out an action that the players must follow. Actions can be anything from touching your toes to jumping on one foot. If “Simon” gives the order by first saying “Simon says” then the players must follow the order. If “Simon” says the order without saying “Simon says,” the players who follow the order must sit down and are disqualified from the game. The last person standing is the winner of the game and the next “Simon.” This game is fun for a company picnic because everyone will get to see first hand who is a good listener and who isn’t. Everyone will also get a good laugh at watching their supervisor take orders instead of giving them.
Another wonderful way to get the office picnic revved up is to have a piñata. Who wouldn’t love witnessing their office mate trying to bat at a piñata while blindfolded? Make sure to fill the piñata with a bevy of treats like gift certificates, office supplies, and other useful items. To play, blindfold the first participant and hand him or her a wooden stick. Make sure the crowd is standing safely away from the swinging stick. Now, let the employee bat at the piñata with the intention of breaking it open. Limit the number of swings that each participant can take. When the piñata is broken, let everyone join in the fun of collecting the contents that has fallen.