It's Official: Today (January 26th), is Have Fun at Work Day!
We at Strategic Play will always promote the idea of 'Strategic Play' at work, and we totally support everyone having fun. When people have fun together at work, they have something to look forward; there is a long list of benefits, too. When people are having fun together, they are more likely to build lasting relationships. They are also more willing to help each other when needed. When you create an atmosphere of fun at work, you are creating more and better social networks and people are less likely to leave your company.
Some of the benefits you will enjoy include:
-team engagement
-staff participation
-improved corporate culture
-elevated health and well-being
-increased motivation
-increased retention
And all of these ideas will benefit your organization with an increased ROI.
Here are our top 10 low-cost ways to have more fun at work.
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Host a monthly pot-luck:
Pick a date and invite anyone who is interested to bring a dish. This is a great way for people to bring their favorite foods and share with the group. Nothing builds friendships like breaking bread together. Those who don't partake the first time will smell the food and hear the laughter. Before you know it, everyone will be joining in.
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Break out the LEGO ducks:
Do a simple building activity using the six duck bricks. It only takes a few minutes and can be a fun way to start a meeting. Ask everyone to build a duck in one minute. Provide no instructions or photos, and than compare the ducks. The activity illustrates diversity of thinking. There is no right or wrong way to build a duck. We have lots of ducky ideas in our new book: Now What The Duck? (available soon on Amazon).
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Run a trivia contest:
Ask people to form groups of three or four. Pick a date, and a few weeks out ask people to submit their favorite trivia questions. Pick an equal number of questions from each group. Create prizes with company swag, candy bars, etc.
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Leave LEGO bricks out on the boardroom table:
Spread out the bricks with no instruction or reason. Watch and see if people start to build aimlessly. You just might have the best meeting yet.
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Recycle Auction:
Ask people to bring something from home they no longer want. You can create rules around this, like it must be in good condition or be no larger than a set of given measurements. The item must be wrapped like a gift to keep it a secret. Everyone who brings a gift can draw a number. Number one picks a gift and opens it. Number two then decides to either pick a gift or steal the gift number one opened. If they steal the first gift, number one can pick a second gift. You can place a rule on how many times a gift can be stolen. This is a great activity, and you can add themes like “Favorite T-Shirts” or “Best books” etc. Everyone takes home something new to them.
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Scavenger hunt:
Hand players a scrabble tile or two and tell them to find something in the area (you set the parameters) that starts with that letter. Set a timer. Note: Instead of scrabble tiles, you can write numbers on scraps of paper.
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Treasure hunt:
Get a box and fill it with something fun, like candy, dollar store items, or company swag. Wrap it like a treasure and hide it somewhere; then you will provide clues to help people find it. You can run this over a lunchtime or give clues out each week to stretch out the fun.
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Card games:
Ask people to suggest card games like crib or euchre, and create a card tournament. Build teams, and consider hosting a lunch time event to give everyone a chance to learn the game first. If you don't have a budget for cards, ask people to bring a deck of cards from home. Many people have decks to spare.
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Clothing contests:
The options are endless. From ugly sweaters to favorite t-shirts, this is a great activity that engages the group and creates fun. Remember to take photos.
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Pet photo day: Who looks like their pet?
Ask people to anonymously submit photos of their pets. Create a board, either physically or electronically, showcasing all the pets. Ask people to guess which pet belongs to who. Have a fun pet themed prize ready to go.
These are just a few ideas; we could go on forever. Once you start this type of fun at work project, get ready for others to join in and make suggestions.