Ready to Trade Your Office Chair for a Picnic Blanket?
A company picnic is the perfect way to relax, bond, and show your employees some appreciation while having a blast outside the usual work environment. We’ve got the ultimate guide to help you throw a picnic everyone will be talking about. Get ready to eat, play, and connect like never before!
Get Organized
1. Start Planning ASAP
Any office event needs careful planning and coordination to ensure success, so give yourself plenty of time to get things done. Before diving into the details, set a goal. Do you want to build up company morale, encourage team bonding, celebrate a recent success, or just provide a fun and relaxing experience for your employees? Once you know what you want to accomplish, you can start working from there.
2. Enlist Some Help
Planning a company event is easier with a dedicated team. Even if it’s just one or two other employees, having support makes tackling tasks more manageable.
3. Create a Budget and Stick to It
If you need to create a budget, start by calling around for quotes. Be honest and let vendors know what you need but that you don’t have a budget yet. Once you get an idea of costs, set your budget and do all you can to stay within it.
4. Pick the Perfect Picnic Spot
Think outside the office! Whether it’s a nearby park, the beach, or even an amusement park, pick a location that offers plenty of seating, shade, and space for games. Imagine a day of fun at a ballfield or lounging by the waves—so many exciting options to consider! If you’re hosting it on-site, ensure there’s enough room for everyone with Iceberg Folding Tables and Lorell chairs.
5. Set an Appropriate Time Frame
How long should a company picnic last? Schedule enough time for everything you have planned but be mindful not to take too much time out of everyone’s schedule, or they won’t attend. Build in enough time for everyone to get their food, eat, play games, and have raffle drawings.
6. Send Out Fun Picnic Invitations
Once your date and location are set, create your invitations. Make sure to include who is invited (employee only, employee plus guest, or employee and family) and what can be expected. It’s also a good idea to ask for RSVPs to get a better idea of how much food you’ll need.
7. Plan a Theme
Themes add extra fun! Whether it’s a summer kickoff, fall festival, or brand color bonanza, let your theme guide your decorations, games, and music. You can also go all out with a Hawaiian or Western theme, complete with a luau or BBQ.
8. Build Excitement with a Raffle
Raffles are a great way to drum up excitement. Consider including a raffle ticket with your invitation and promote the prizes through emails or social media posts.
9. Decorate Like a Pro
Make it festive! Balloons, tablecloths, welcome sign and themed décor can transform any space. Go patriotic with mini flags or keep it simple and colorful.
10. Set Up a Photo Booth
Create a fun photo booth with your company logo as the backdrop. Add silly props and snap away!
11. Make a Playlist
Set the mood with some fun background music that matches your event’s vibe and theme. Mix in some classics from various genres to keep everyone grooving.
12. Craft Station
Turn a picnic table into a craft station with fun projects for kids. Keep those little hands busy and creative!
13. Hire Entertainment
Magicians, face painters, or DJs can take your picnic to the next level. Kids and adults alike love live entertainment!
14. Get Social
Encourage everyone to share their fun moments on social media using a unique hashtag. It’s a great way to promote your company and engage with everyone.
What’s on The Menu?
You can’t have a picnic without food. Good food creates unforgettable memories. Serve a variety of choices for each type of dish: appetizer, main course, side dish, and dessert. Make sure you order plenty of food so everyone leaves the picnic satisfied.
15. Drinks
16. Paper Goods
Ensure you have enough cups, plates, silverware, napkins, paper towels and garbage bags. Make cleanup a breeze!
17. Throw a Potluck
An office potluck is a wonderful way to share culture with coworkers and distribute the food cost. Plus, saving money on food means you can spend more on other things, like prizes and swag.
18. Fire Up the Grill
Nothing says picnic like a good old-fashioned cookout. Whether you stick with the classic hamburgers and hotdogs or go for chicken, ribs, and brisket, make sure you have plenty of condiments and napkins ready to go.
19. Have Some Dishes Catered
Even if you’re having a potluck or have a grill master, consider having a few dishes catered. This ensures a good meal for everyone and saves time.
20. Food Trucks
Food trucks always get people excited! Look up local food trucks in your area. For large companies, consider having two or three food trucks to accommodate everyone.
21. Provide Pre-Packed Food
Label pre-packed food items with descriptions so attendees can choose food that works for them. This helps accommodate allergies and dietary restrictions.
22. Ensure Everyone Knows What They’re Eating
Use food tent cards or tags to label each dish. This way, attendees can choose their food accordingly. If you’re having a potluck, create tent cards beforehand based on what everyone is bringing.
23. Don’t Forget the Snacks and Treats
Offer a few snacks and treats for everyone to munch on throughout the day or to bring home. Make them easily portable by placing them in a nice box or bag. Tie on a tag for a quick and easy way to add branding or a thank you for coming.
Have Fun with Games and Activities
A company picnic is perfect for team building and company bonding. Plan a few picnic games and outdoor activities for everyone to participate in and enjoy. These activities should be engaging and involve working together toward a shared goal, but in a way that doesn’t feel forced. Encourage participation but don’t make anything mandatory.
24. Get the Conversation Going with Some Icebreakers
Start things off by creating custom icebreaker name tags with fun questions. Talking about things you like encourages team building and bonding. Have you never played this before? Here’s a quick link to learn more.
25. Encourage Mingling with a Game of Bingo
Create icebreaker bingo cards with each square containing words or phrases that describe various guests. Hand out the cards along with a pencil, marker, or stickers. As they mingle and find someone that meets the criteria, they can mark off that square. The first person to get a line or whole card marked off wins a prize. Here is a link to learn more.
26. Classic Outdoor Games
No picnic is complete without classic outdoor games. Some favorites include a three-legged race, relay race, tug of war, cornhole, and a water balloon toss. Other fun activities perfect for the outdoors are a scavenger hunt, an obstacle course, an eating contest, or games of kickball, volleyball, or softball.
27. Play Indoor Games Outside
Expand your game options to ones usually played inside. Host a board game tournament, set up a puzzle contest, or play a few rounds of classic bingo. Conduct a trivia contest about the company, music, movies, or random categories.
28. Offer a Mix of Activities
Not everyone is competitive, so plan activities for those who don’t want to join the games. Casual activities include karaoke, a painting or cooking class, an arts & crafts station, a photo booth, puzzles, or wine tasting (for adults only).
29. Prizes
The promise of fun prizes builds excitement for your company picnic. When it comes to rewards, give fun yet useful items like gift baskets, gift cards, electronics, event tickets, service subscriptions, or memberships. Swag items are great for promoting team spirit and building company culture.
30. Give Out Work-Related Perks
Work perks are excellent motivators and can help make jobs easier and more enjoyable. These rewards can include office supply upgrades such as pens, new office chair or monitor, lunch on the company, a team activity day, or the use of an executive parking spot.
Ready to Plan the Best Company Picnic Ever?
With these tips and ideas, your picnic will be a hit. Let’s make it a day to remember! 🌞🎉
