Planning a company picnic isn’t just about stepping out of the office; it’s a fantastic opportunity to strengthen team bonds and create lasting memories in a relaxed, natural setting. Whether celebrating milestones, boosting morale, or enjoying a sunny day, a well-organized picnic can work wonders for your team’s spirit and cohesiveness.
In this blog, we are excited to present various innovative and exciting company picnic ideas, games, and activities that will make your event the highlight of your corporate calendar.
Table of contents
- Creative ideas for your company’s corporate picnic
- The best company picnic themes
- Team picnic games to explore
- Innovative team-building company picnic ideas
- Discover unique team retreats with picnic makers
Creative ideas for your company’s corporate picnic
These creative company picnic ideas elevate your next event from ordinary to extraordinary. You’ll create an unforgettable experience that fosters team spirit, appreciation, and a deeper connection among colleagues, making your corporate picnic a highlight of the year.
1. Photo booth 📸
A photo booth is a fantastic addition to any company picnic, offering a fun and interactive way for employees to capture memories of the day. With a range of props and backdrops that reflect the picnic theme or company culture, employees can let loose and show off their creative sides.
These photos make for wonderful keepsakes and can be shared in the company newsletter or on social media, helping to strengthen the community feel within the team.
It’s a simple yet effective way to add more enjoyment to the event, encouraging everyone to participate and share a laugh.
2. Talent show or karaoke 🎤
Hosting a talent show or a karaoke session is a brilliant company picnic idea to showcase the hidden talents within your team. It’s an opportunity for employees to express themselves beyond their professional roles through singing, comedy, magic, or any other talent they wish to share.
3. Wellness activities 🧘♂️
Incorporating a wellness company picnic idea as one of the activities can have a lasting positive impact on your team’s health and morale. Options like yoga sessions, guided meditation, or group fitness challenges energize the body and promote mental well-being.
These activities can be tailored to all fitness levels, ensuring everyone can join in and feel refreshed.
4. Charity initiatives
Adding a charitable component as a company picnic idea can enrich the experience by aligning it with a cause that reflects your organization’s values.
Such initiatives can significantly boost team spirit, whether a cleanup drive at a local park, assembling care packages for those in need, or a friendly competition where proceeds go to a chosen charity.
Engaging in community service strengthens employee bonds and enhances your company’s reputation as a socially responsible entity.
5. Arts and crafts area 🎨
Setting up an arts and crafts area at your company picnic provides a creative outlet for employees to relax and express themselves. This space can cater to various interests, from painting and pottery to making jewelry or designing custom tote bags.
It’s a fantastic way to spark creativity and allows team members to learn new skills or discover hidden talents.
6. Raffle prizes 🎁
Organizing a raffle with exciting prizes is a surefire way to add an element of anticipation and thrill to your company picnic. Prizes can range from extra vacation days, spa vouchers, and gourmet dinner experiences to the latest tech gadgets or gift cards.
This incentivizes participation in the event’s activities and builds excitement throughout the day as everyone looks forward to the draw.
Find top raffle ideas for work in this guide.
7. Live entertainment 🎶
Music and laughter are universal languages that can bring people together, creating a lively and engaging atmosphere.
Consider your team’s preferences when selecting entertainment to ensure it adds to the day’s enjoyment. Live entertainment not only serves as a great icebreaker but also as a memorable highlight of the event.
8. Food tasting stations 🥗
One of the most popular company picnic ideas is a culinary adventure with food-tasting stations. This concept allows your team to explore a variety of flavors and cuisines, turning the picnic into an interactive and delightful dining experience.
Each station can offer a unique taste and story, from gourmet cheeses and artisanal bread to exotic dishes worldwide.
The best company picnic themes
Themed corporate picnics bring a fresh and exciting twist to conventional company gatherings. By incorporating a specific theme, these picnics infuse an element of anticipation and joy that elevates the overall experience. Let’s explore some themed picnic themes to inspire your next corporate outing:
Retro ’80s 📻
Take a trip down memory lane with an ’80s-themed picnic, neon decorations, classic arcade games, and a playlist full of nostalgic hits.
Encourage everyone to fully immerse in the theme in their best ’80s attire, from leg warmers to neon headbands.
Set up stations for Pac-Man, Space Invaders, and other iconic games to spark friendly competition. Organize a dance-off or lip-sync battle featuring the decade’s top tracks to keep the energy high.
Carnival fun fair 🎡
Upgrade your picnic with a lively carnival fair theme, encapsulating the joy and excitement of a day at the fair.
Set up booths for traditional fair games like ring toss, cornhole games, and a mini shooting gallery to spark friendly competition among guests.
Decorate your picnic area with vibrant banners, string lights, and colorful tablecloths to create a festive atmosphere that delights the senses.
Sports extravaganza 🏅
Kick off your picnic with a sports extravaganza theme, capturing the thrill of competition and team spirit.
Set up various games such as friendly soccer matches, volleyball, frisbee, and relay races to cater to different athletic preferences.
Encourage guests to wear their favorite sports team jerseys to boost camaraderie and team pride.
Hawaiian luau 🌈
Bring the spirit of aloha to your team picnic with a Hawaiian Luau-themed picnic offering a tropical paradise taste.
Decorate your picnic area with vibrant decorations such as multicolored streamers, palm leaves, and bright tablecloths to create a lush tropical atmosphere.
Encourage guests to get into the spirit by wearing flower leis and grass skirts, making it feel like everyone has stepped onto the sandy shores of Hawaii.
Outdoor movie night 🍿
Turn your picnic into an enchanting outdoor movie night where cinema’s magic meets nature’s beauty.
Begin by setting up a large screen and outdoor projector in a strategic spot to ensure all your guests have a clear view. Arrange cozy seating with floor pillows and bean bags for ultimate comfort.
Complement the atmosphere with classic movie snacks like freshly popped popcorn, assorted candies, and refreshing beverages to enhance the viewing experience.
Provide cozy blankets and warm throws, allowing guests to snuggle up and enjoy a selection of films under a canopy of stars. This will create a memorable and relaxed evening outdoors.
Beach party 🏖️
Host your company picnic with a beach party theme to capture the laid-back vibe of a seaside escape. Arrange a colorful array of beach towels for comfortable lounging and scatter beach balls for a fun and festive touch.
Organize a sandcastle competition to spark creativity and teamwork. This playful and collaborative activity encourages everyone to engage and enjoy the day, strengthening team bonds in a delightful beach setting.
Complement the seaside ambiance with refreshing tropical beverages, like fruity mocktails and coconut water, served in festive glasses to keep everyone cool and hydrated under the sun.
Garden tea party 🫖
Turn your outdoor gathering into a refined garden tea party. Arrange delicate tea sets on beautifully laid tables, accompanied by finger sandwiches, scones, and pastries, perfect for a sophisticated afternoon of leisure.
Adorn the space with floral decorations, from table centerpieces to garlands, enhancing the natural beauty of your garden setting.
Around the world 🌎
Set off on a culinary journey with an Around the World-themed picnic highlighting the wonderful diversity of global cultures.
Arrange a menu with various international dishes, allowing guests to savor flavors from different continents—from Italian pasta and Japanese sushi to Mexican tacos and Indian curries.
Enhance this global feast with decorations that feature flags, traditional patterns, and iconic symbols from various countries, creating an immersive and educational experience for all attendees.
Complement the global dining experience with decorations inspired by the flags, traditional patterns, and iconic symbols of different countries.
Superhero adventure 🦸♂️
Bring out the capes and masks for a superhero adventure corporate picnic, a thrilling day where guests become their favorite comic book icons.
Invite colleagues to arrive dressed as their cherished superheroes, adding a splash of vibrant colors and dynamic energy to the gathering.
Set up a series of superhero-themed games and activities that play to their ‘superpowers.’ Arrange an agility obstacle course, superhero trivia to test their comic knowledge and fun, interactive challenges that allow everyone to demonstrate their heroic skills in friendly competition.
Game of Thrones 👑
Create a Game of Thrones-inspired picnic that catapults your guests into the mythical world of Westeros. Decorate the area with medieval flair using house banners, flameless candles for ambiance, and wooden table settings to evoke a regal banquet hall atmosphere.
Invite guests to don costumes representative of their favorite series characters or houses, which will enhance the immersion and excitement of the gathering.
Offer a feast fit for the Seven Kingdoms, featuring robust meals, fresh-baked bread, and sumptuous desserts reminiscent of the series’ grand feasts.
This setting makes for a majestic dining experience and sparks lively discussions and camaraderie among guests, sharing their favorite series moments and character arcs.
Team picnic games to explore
Inject fun and laughter into your company picnic with engaging games that encourage team building and friendly competition. Many activities keep everyone entertained, from classic lawn games like sack races and tug-of-war to modern challenges such as escape rooms and scavenger hunts.
These games break the ice among colleagues and promote collaboration and unity, creating a memorable day out.
1. Tug-of-war
Tug-of-war is a classic outdoor game in which two teams compete in a test of strength, endurance, and teamwork.
- The objective is simple: each team pulls on opposite ends of a rope to drag the opposing team across a central line.
- To play, all you need is a long, sturdy rope and a marker to designate the middle and boundary lines.
- The game requires a mix of strategy, power, and coordination, making it a popular choice for team-building exercises and outdoor fun.
2. Cornhole tournament
A cornhole tournament is a lawn game where players take turns tossing bean bags at an inclined board with a hole at the far end.
- The aim is to land the bean bags on the board for points or, better yet, through the hole for higher points.
- To play, you need two cornhole boards placed opposite each other at a standard distance and eight bean bags, four for each team.
- It’s typically played in teams of two, and the game continues until a team reaches or exceeds a set score, usually 21 points, through rounds of pitching.
3. Giant connect four
Giant connect four is an enlarged version of the classic tabletop game for outdoor or large indoor spaces.
- Two players or teams drop oversized, colored discs into a vertically standing grid.
- The objective is to be the first to align four of their discs in a row, whether horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, while blocking their opponent from doing the same.
- You need only the giant connect four sets to play, which includes a large frame with slots and a collection of large discs in two distinct colors.
4. Water balloon volleyball 💧🎈
Water balloon volleyball adds a fun and wet twist to the classic volleyball game, perfect for outdoor gatherings and hot days. Instead of a volleyball, teams use a water balloon, aiming not to let it burst on their side of the net by catching and tossing it back over using a large towel or sheet held between team members.
- To play, you need water balloons, a net, and large towels or sheets for each team to use for launching and catching the balloons.
- The game combines the excitement of volleyball with the refreshing splash of water balloons, ensuring laughter and cool relief on sunny days.
5. Capture the flag 🏳️⛳
Capture the flag is a team-based outdoor game that tests strategy, speed, and stealth.
- The objective is for players to infiltrate the opposing team’s territory, capture their flag, and return it to their base without being tagged.
- The playing area is divided into two zones, each team having a flag and a designated jail for captured players. To play, all you need are two flags and a clear boundary marker for the teams’ territories.
- It’s a game of pursuit and evasion, requiring teamwork and planning to outwit the opponents.
6. Outdoor scavenger hunt
An outdoor scavenger Hunt turns any picnic into an adventurous quest. Participants use clues and solve riddles to find hidden items or locations.
- To set up, organizers prepare a list of things to find or tasks to complete, along with clues or riddles that guide participants to each item or spot.
- These clues can be handed out on paper or sent via smartphone. You’ll need pens to mark off found items, prepared clues, and, optionally, small prizes or treasures for the finders.
- It’s a great way to add excitement and exploration to any outdoor gathering, encouraging teamwork and problem-solving.
7. Giant twister 😉
Giant twister takes the classic, flexibility-challenging game outdoors with an oversized mat featuring the familiar colored circles and includes oversized spinning arrows to dictate moves.
- Players take turns spinning the arrow, which instructs them to place a specified limb on a colored circle, aiming not to fall over as the positions get increasingly awkward.
- To play, you’ll need the giant Twister mat and large spinner. Place them on a soft or grassy surface for comfort during falls.
- This supersized version adds a hilarious and visually striking twist to gatherings, making it ideal for picnics, parties, and family fun.
8. Sponge relay race 👌
Sponge relay race is a fun and wet outdoor game perfect for cooling off on hot days. Teams line up, with each player holding a sponge.
- The first player in line soaks their sponge in a bucket of water, then races to pass it over their head to the next player in line, continuing until the last player wrings it out into an empty bucket at the finish line.
- The goal is to fill the bucket with water faster than the opposing team. You’ll need large sponges, buckets of water for soaking, and empty buckets for collecting water at the finish line to play this game.
9. Giant jenga
Giant jenga is an oversized version of the classic tabletop game designed to test balance, precision, and nerve. Players take turns removing one block at a time from a tall tower, each trying not to be the person who causes the structure to collapse.
- The game is played with large, flat blocks stacked in alternating layers of three.
- You need a Giant Jenga set and a flat, stable surface. This game adds a dramatic twist to the original, making it a captivating spectacle and interactive challenge for players and spectators alike.
10. Human foosball ⚽
Human foosball transforms the classic table soccer game into a life-sized, interactive experience. In this version, players are attached to horizontal poles across an inflatable or marked field, mimicking the setup of a foosball table. They move only side-to-side in their assigned positions.
- Teams compete to score goals against each other by kicking a soccer ball while being restricted by the poles to which they are attached.
- To play, you need a large, open space (preferably with an inflatable foosball setup), poles or ropes to serve as the players’ guides and a soccer ball.
- This game combines the foosball strategy with the physical fun of soccer, creating a unique and engaging team activity.
Innovative team-building company picnic ideas
Innovative team-building picnic activities are designed to break the monotony of traditional office environments.
One such activity is the Drone Obstacle Course, where teams navigate drones through various obstacles, promoting teamwork, precision, and technological skill 🙌. This modern twist on team-building challenges participants to communicate effectively and strategize together, making it a perfect blend of fun and skill development in the age of technology.
Another engaging activity is Escape the Park, a picnic version of the popular escape room games. Teams are given a backstory and a series of puzzles and clues scattered around the picnic area to solve a mystery or escape within a set time frame. This activity fosters critical thinking, collaboration, and a sense of adventure, as participants must work together to decipher clues and complete the challenge.
Workshops and demonstrations 📍
Workshops and demonstrations at company picnics offer a unique opportunity to blend professional development with leisure, fostering a sense of camaraderie and growth among employees outside the conventional workplace setting.
- For instance, a workshop on effective communication or leadership skills conducted in the relaxed atmosphere of a picnic can encourage more open and engaging participation.
- Employee demonstrations on wellness, mindfulness, or even a skill-sharing session can enrich the team’s knowledge and personal development, making the picnic both enjoyable and educational.
- Incorporating hands-on workshops, such as team cooking challenges or craft-making sessions, can also enhance teamwork and creativity.
Workshops and demonstrations tailored to the company’s values or mission can reinforce organizational identity and commitment.
For example, a demonstration of sustainability practices, followed by a collective effort to implement these during the picnic, can highlight a company’s dedication to environmental responsibility.
A company picnic is more than just a day off work. It’s an opportunity to foster unity, camaraderie, and appreciation among your staff. By incorporating classic and innovative games, themed events, workshops, sports, culinary delights, and mental challenges, you’ll create a memorable, fun-filled day that your team will discuss for years to come.
Discover unique team picnics with Picnic Makers
From the sun-soaked beaches of Malibu to the vibrant cityscapes of Los Angeles and the serene parks of Orange County, Picnic Makers is here to bring your luxury corporate picnic ideas to life.
With our unique and innovative offerings, we are committed to exceeding your expectations and creating a spectacular corporate picnic that will strengthen the bonds between your employees.
So, let’s step out of the office, enjoy the fresh air, and prepare for a day of laughter, fun, and team bonding. Let’s make it an event to remember! To ensure this day is as seamless and enjoyable as possible, consider taking advantage of the convenience of booking your picnic online with us.
Our expertise in crafting the perfect outdoor experience will leave you with nothing to worry about except showing up and having a great time.
FAQs
How can we ensure the event is inclusive for all employees?
Ensure your picnic is accessible, consider dietary restrictions for catered food, and arrange activities that suit different physical abilities. You can also survey employees about their preferences beforehand to ensure everyone can enjoy a variety of options.
What are some good locations for a company picnic?
Ideal locations can vary depending on your company’s size and budget. Some options could include local parks, the beachfront, a rented event space, or even your office grounds if suitable. Wherever you choose, ensure sufficient space, restroom facilities, and shade if it’s an outdoor event in the summer.
How do we handle logistics like seating and shading?
Rent low picnic tables, lounge chairs, and tents or umbrellas to comfort all guests throughout the event. Planning for these essentials in advance can prevent any last-minute issues.
Can we include families in the company picnic?
Absolutely! Inviting families can foster a greater sense of community and belonging. Just ensure activities and food are suitable for all ages.
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