Coming up with new office party ideas can get tiresome. Sometimes it feels like everyone has been to more office holiday parties than they can count. Not to mention, there is often so much going on at year-end, employees may feel dragged down by yet another event they must attend.
So, why not treat your office to a summer outing instead? Not only will you have more venues to choose from, but your team is sure to bond over the new, shared experience.
Office Party Ideas for Summertime
Another benefit of hosting a company-wide function during summer, as opposed to wintertime, is the difference in price. How much does it cost to rent a ballroom at the swanky, local hotel? How much does it cost to reserve a gazebo in the nearby park? Most likely, the totals aren’t even close.
To keep reading, click here: 5 Summer Office Party Ideas that Are Better Than Holiday Parties
Those sound wonderful, except maybe office sports day, depending on the company culture. In a particularly competitive office they can be an excuse for office bullies to have a field day, making it less of a holiday for others.
If you go the grill route, be prepared with alternatives for your employees who are vegetarians, vegans, do not eat pork for religious reasons, and do not eat beef for religious reasons.
I worked for a University that had a May end-of-school grill out and every one of these issues came up. One of my employees was a vegetarian Muslim who could not even eat the baked beans because they had pork in them.
These are all good ideas, but — to me — the best idea is to heavily involve the actual employees in the planning of the party. That way, all of the potential issues — and pitfalls — will be addressed. I worked in an office that did this, and we had wonderful, very inventive, and different, office celebrations. Examples were: touring the Women’s Museum and the Latino Cultural Center, time off to go to the State Fair, numerous pot-luck meals (including one in which employees were encouraged to bring dishes reflecting their ethnic heritage), cook-offs of various kinds, costume contests, sing-a-longs, gift exchanges, public service projects, etc.
And then you have disabled persons like me, who also have pretty deadly bee and wasp allergies and asthma for whom the idea of being outside is a terror. I would not attend anything with food in an outside venue during the summer these days. and other disabled persons might not like being stuck being scorekeeper yet again because they can go out but can’t play the games.
I am with Grannybunny on this idea, especially since I am one of those people who find office parties awkward and uncomfortable in any setting, because I don’t feel office coworkers are part of my friend group beyond the workplace. An office party should be developed just like a work project as a team so all agree on all the details. (Key word-team which has no I ). Everyone has an input and everyone is happy to participate.
I worked at an office where they had cookouts in the parking lot at least once a summer. The employee fund provided the meats and everyone brought a pot luck dish. Those who couldn’t/didn’t want to eat outside got a dish and took it back inside. It was a favorite activity for everyone.
Great idea MtnLaurel.
These might be good outside ideas in some parts of the country, but not the desert SW. But they could be alternatives to the traditional Holiday Party in the winter.