While most people know April 1 as April Fool’s Day, companies also celebrate Fun at Work Day at the beginning of this month. Business executives have a number of ways by which they can honor this holiday, from encouraging employees to wear their silliest outfits to playing games all day long. Most work days should be fun, but this holiday allows staff members to embrace their silly sides while still getting their work done.
Play games with your employees
Whether the games are meant to help foster team-building or are used more as a means of blowing off mid-day steam, these fun activities are a great way to boost office morale. Consider playing games throughout the day, or picking one specific hour during which employees can forget work for a while.
One great game that could go on throughout the day is the Office Photo Hunt Game, as recommended by Partycurrent. Employees are given a list in the morning that features several items that can be found in the office. Players, whether they’re working solo or with a partner, must take a picture of every item on the list by the end of the day. Employers can decide how extensive the list may be, whether items are limited to the office or if they can be found outside, and if employees can seek assistance from their colleagues. Additionally, companies can tailor this game to their own operations, such as a marketing firm asking employees to take a picture of a creative advertisement outside.
Business executives can distribute prizes to winning players. Myron offers a range of promotional products that can be tailored to the company or the game at hand, such as presenting the winner of the office hunt with a promotional flashlight or simply distributing customized office products for participants.
Change your surroundings
An easy way to make work increasingly more fun for the day is simply by changing the surroundings. Going outside is a great way for executives to mix up the scenery, but weather can be volatile during the spring months, and some company operations cannot be performed unless inside. However, bosses could consider organizing a company-wide picnic for the lunch hour, or simply dedicating time from the workday to relaxing and playing fun games outdoors.
If employers are not on board with temporarily moving their operations outside or if they cannot due to weather constraints, they could consider mixing up the layout of the physical office for the day. For example, executives could bring in fabric sheets and transform the office into a large tent resemblant of childhood sleepovers, or they could rearrange office furniture to offer a brief change in scenery.
Hold a silly contest
Fun at Work Day is the perfect time for companies to foster their employees’ creativity. Holding a silly contest allows employees to show their innovative and competitive sides, especially if winners are presented with prizes. Inc. Magazine recommended that companies hold a decoration contest, encouraging them to bring ornaments for their own area. Employers can choose whether they want this contest to be departmental or individual, and they can decide what materials are permissible for decoration. For example, some companies may allow employees to bring materials from their own homes while others may challenge workers to only use items that can be found in the office.
Have a photo booth
There’s nothing more fun than silly pictures. Encourage workers to bring in their most ridiculous accessories, then have a corner of the office where employees can take fun photos. Companies can either hire an outside photographer or use a digital camera that’s already on the premises. Employers can then post pictures to the company’s website, social media sites, or print them and hand them out as gifts to employees. Managers could even save the photos and place them in customized frames, making for a perfect holiday or employee appreciation gift.