A company picnic is a great way to strengthen team bonds and create lasting memories in a relaxed environment.
At Picnic Makers, LA’s leading event planning company, we’ve spent years improving the picnic settings to a top-notch level.
In this blog, you’ll explore fresh company picnic ideas and discover playful games and engaging activities that will make your event a standout occasion on your corporate calendar.
On this page:
- Creative ideas for your company’s corporate picnic
- The best company picnic themes
- Team picnic games to explore
- Innovative team-building company picnic ideas
- Unique team retreats with picnic makers
Creative Ideas for Your Corporate Picnic
These creative company picnic ideas will create an unforgettable experience that brings the team closer, making your corporate picnic a year’s highlight.
1. Photobooth 📸
A photo booth is a great addition to any company picnic. It’s a fun and interactive way for employees to capture memories of the day. With a bunch of props and backdrops that match the picnic theme or company culture, employees can let loose and show off their creative sides.
Creative Twist: Turn the photo booth into a styled Picnic Portrait Studio. Use fresh florals as a backdrop, add lounge furniture with a vintage touch, and include custom Polaroid frames that reflect your company culture.
Offer 360-degree video captures for a modern twist. Display a live gallery where guests can view and download their snapshots. Everyone walks away with a keepsake, and the brand gets ready-made visuals to share.
Related: Employee Appreciation Day ideas
2. Talent Show or Karaoke 🎤
Hosting a talent show or karaoke session is a great idea for a company picnic. It’s a great way to showcase the hidden talents within your team. It’s a chance for employees to show off their other talents in singing, comedy, magic, or anything else.
Creative Twist: Host an outdoor stage experience that feels casual and inviting. Get a karaoke machine, set up cafe-style seating with soft lighting and a host to guide the flow. Invite employees to sign up in advance or spontaneously.
Offer fun categories like lip-sync challenges or comedy sets. Create space for lighthearted competition with small prizes and plenty of applause. The goal is comfort, not perfection.
This works well for team-focused picnic events where bonding matters more than the spotlight. It adds energy to your work picnic atmosphere and gives everyone something to cheer for.
3. Wellness Activities 🧘♂️
One way to boost your team’s health and morale is to add a wellness company picnic to your activities. Yoga sessions, guided meditation, or group fitness challenges are great ways to energize the body and promote mental well-being.
Creative Twist: Create a shaded wellness zone where guests can reset between activities. Include short yoga classes and simple breathing sessions that don’t require workout gear.
Add calming details like herbal iced teas, essential oils, and soft mats. Keep things easy to join and easy to leave. This quiet space offers a refreshing balance to the day’s livelier events.
Wellness activities round out the experience for employees who prefer a slower pace, making your company picnic ideas more inclusive and mindful.
4. Charity Initiatives
Adding a charitable event to your company picnic can make it more meaningful by tying it to a cause that aligns with your company’s values. They could be anything from a cleanup drive at a local park to putting together care packages for those in need, or even a friendly competition where the proceeds go to a chosen charity.
Creative Twist: Build in purpose with small group activities that support local causes. Offer options like packing snack bags for shelters or writing notes for community care kits.
Let each team choose their task and track their impact visually through simple displays. Light competition can add motivation, but the focus stays on contribution. Include a moment during the event to acknowledge the collective effort.
This meaningful layer fits naturally within employee appreciation picnic planning. It creates a shared sense of value while reflecting company culture beyond the office.
5. Arts and crafts area 🎨
Setting up an arts and crafts area at your company picnic is a great way to let your employees relax and express themselves creatively. This space can be tailored to suit different interests. It’s a great way to get people thinking creatively and to help team members learn new skills or discover hidden talents.
Creative Twist: Design an open-air creative studio where employees can explore hands-on activities. Offer simple projects like custom tote bag painting, flower crown making, or collaborative murals.
Include guided instructions at each station so anyone can join in, regardless of skill level. Use natural materials and seasonal colors to keep the space inviting and on theme. Leave time at the end for a casual show-and-tell.
This relaxed addition helps bring out creativity in a casual setting. It complements team picnic activities by encouraging self-expression and easy conversation.
6. Raffle Prizes 🎁
Raffles with great prizes are a great way to get people excited about your company picnic. This excites people about the day’s activities and keeps everyone looking forward to the raffle draw.
Creative Twist: Make the raffle part of the experience by spreading prize announcements throughout the day. Use custom-designed tickets, and let guests earn extras by participating in games or activities.
Offer thoughtful rewards like extra time off, local food tours, or curated gift boxes. Highlight winners during meal breaks or stage moments so the energy stays high.
Find top raffle ideas for work in this guide. Raffles keep the momentum going during employee picnics. This simple addition adds excitement without requiring much planning from the team.
7. Live Entertainment 🎶
Live entertainment is a great way to break the ice and make the event more memorable. Likewise, music and laughter unite people and create a lively and engaging atmosphere.
Creative Twist: Choose live acts that match your company’s vibe and the event’s pace, such as acoustic duos, jazz trios, or light comedy. Set the performers in central spots like lawn corners or near lounge seating.
Rotate sets through the afternoon so the sound shifts with the mood. Keep the volume comfortable enough for conversation. The entertainment adds atmosphere without stealing focus.
Live performances bring warmth to outdoor company events. This type of feature works well with any picnic theme and encourages people to linger longer.
8. Food Tasting Stations 🥗
One popular company picnic idea is a culinary adventure with food-tasting stations. This concept lets your coworkers try out a bunch of different flavors and cuisines for a fun and tasty dining experience.
Creative Twist: Swap the buffet for a curated tasting trail. Offer a series of small bites with local flair, like craft sliders, street tacos, or build-your-own salad jars. Each station can highlight a unique flavor or theme.
Use chalkboard signage to tell the story of each dish and give guests a sense of discovery. Spread stations across the venue to keep the lines short. Check our guide for more picnic food ideas.
This upgrade turns basic meals into interactive company picnic activities. Guests connect naturally over food, and the experience feels curated rather than routine.
Best Company Picnic Themes
Themed corporate picnics are a great way to liven up traditional company get-togethers. Let’s take a look at some ideas for themed picnics to get your next corporate event off to a great start.
Retro ’80s 📻
Bring the neon era to life with a vibrant ’80s-themed picnic. Use bold colors, cassette tape decor, and retro arcade stations to set the tone.
Invite guests to dress the part with leg warmers, high-top sneakers, and headbands in electric shades. Set up gaming corners with Pac-Man, Space Invaders, and other classics to spark friendly competition.
Keep the vibe alive with a dance-off or lip-sync showdown set to the decade’s most iconic tracks. This theme brings high energy and pure nostalgia to your company gathering.
Carnival Fun Fair 🎡
Upgrade your picnic with a carnival fair theme. It’ll be a blast!
Set up booths for traditional fair games like ring toss, cornhole games, and a mini shooting gallery. It’ll be fun to see who wins.
Tip: Decorate your picnic area with banners, string lights, and gingham tablecloths. It’ll be a festive atmosphere that delights the senses.
Sports Show 🏅
Get the party started with a sports-themed picnic, where everyone can enjoy the thrill of competition and the spirit of teamwork.
Set up some of the best picnic games, like soccer matches, volleyball, frisbee, and relay races, to cater to different athletic preferences.
Get guests to wear their favorite sports team jerseys to help build comradeship and team spirit.
Hawaiian Luau 🌈
How about some tropical paradise taste? Bring the Aloha spirit to your team picnic with a Hawaiian Luau-themed picnic! Add some color to your picnic area with multicolored streamers, palm leaves, and bright tablecloths to create a tropical atmosphere.
Tip: Encourage your coworkers to wear flower leis and grass skirts. It’ll make them feel like they’ve stepped onto the sandy shores of Hawaii.
Outdoor Movie Night 🍿
Transform your picnic into an enchanting outdoor movie night. Start by setting up a big screen and outdoor projector in a good spot so everyone can see clearly. Then, add some comfy seating with floor cushions and bean bags for ultimate comfort.
To make it even more fun, serve up some classic movie snacks like freshly popped popcorn, assorted candies, and refreshing beverages to enhance the viewing experience.
Tip: Provide some cozy blankets and warm throws for guests to snuggle up with and enjoy a selection of films under a canopy of stars. This will make for a great, relaxed evening outdoors.
Beach party 🏖️
Host your company picnic with a beach party theme to capture the laid-back vibe of a seaside escape. Set up a colorful array of beach towels for everyone to lounge on and scatter beach balls for a fun and festive touch.
Get everyone involved in a sandcastle competition to get creative and work together. This fun, team-building activity gets everyone engaged and having a good time, which is great for strengthening bonds in a lovely beach setting.
To get into the spirit of things, serve some refreshing tropical drinks, like fruity mocktails and coconut water, and play your shared favorite songs on the speaker cooler.
Garden Tea Party 🫖
Set up fancy tea sets on nice tables, along with finger sandwiches, scones, and pastries. It’ll be perfect for a relaxing afternoon. Add some flowers to the space, from table centerpieces to garlands. They’ll make your garden look great.
We at the Picnic Makers team love these settings. By the way, if the idea strikes your fancy, our luxury tea party picnic setup service is exactly what you need. We handle all the details, while you enjoy and relax.
Worldwide Culinary 🌎
Plan a menu with various international dishes, letting guests taste flavors from different continents, such as Italian pasta, Japanese sushi, Mexican tacos, and Indian curries.
Make the global dining experience even more special with decorations inspired by the flags, traditional patterns, and iconic symbols of different countries.
Superhero Adventure 🦸♂️
Get ready to bring out the capes and masks for a superhero adventure corporate picnic! It will be a thrilling event where guests become their favorite comic book icons.
Ask your colleagues to come dressed as their favorite superheroes and add vibrant colors and dynamic energy to the gathering.
Set up a series of superhero-themed games and activities that play to their strengths. Provide 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.
Additionally, you can use string lights and foam party machines for decor.
Game of Thrones 👑
Create a Game of Thrones-inspired picnic that will have your guests feeling like they’ve been transported to the mythical world of Westeros. Add some medieval flair to the area with house banners, flameless candles for ambiance, and wooden table settings to evoke a regal banquet hall atmosphere.
Serve up a feast fit for the Seven Kingdoms, with hearty meals, fresh-baked bread, and decadent desserts reminiscent of the series’ grand feasts.
Team Picnic Games to Explore
It`s time to add fun and laughter to your company picnic. You can easily do this with games that encourage team building, friendly competition, and Picnic Makers team guides.
There are lots of different activities that keep everyone entertained. Let`s look at some options to choose:
1. Tug-of-war
Tug-of-war is a classic outdoor game in which two teams compete to see who can be the strongest, most enduring, and most effective team.
- The goal is simple. Each team pulls on opposite ends of a rope to drag the opposing team across a central line.
- All you need to play is a long, sturdy rope and a marker to mark the middle and boundary lines.
The game requires a mix of strategy, power, and coordination, which makes 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 goal is to get the bean bags onto the board for points, or even better, through the hole for higher points.
You will need two cornhole boards placed opposite each other at a standard distance and eight bean bags, four for each team. It’s usually played in teams of two, and the game continues until one team reaches or beats a set score, which is usually 21 points, through rounds of pitching.
3. Giant Connect Four
Giant Connect Four is an expanded version of the classic tabletop game, perfect for an outdoor company picnic.
Two players or teams drop oversized, colored discs into a grid that’s vertically standing.
The goal is to be the first to align four of your discs in a row, whether horizontally, vertically, or diagonally while preventing your opponent from doing the same.
You need only the giant Connect Four set to play, which includes a large frame with slots and a collection of large two colors discs.
4. Water Balloon Volleyball 💧🎈
Water balloon volleyball is a fun twist on the classic game, perfect for outdoor gatherings and hot days. Instead of a volleyball, teams use a water balloon.
The goal is to keep the balloon from bursting on your side of the net by catching and tossing it back over using a large towel or sheet held between team members.
To play, you’ll need:
- water balloons
- net
- 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, so it’s perfect for sunny days when you need a laugh and a cool break.
5. Capture the Flag 🏳️⛳
Capture the flag is a team-based outdoor game that tests strategy, speed, and stealth.
The goal is for players to sneak into the other team’s territory, grab their flag, and make it back to their base without getting caught. The playing area is split into two sections, with each team having a flag and a designated area for captured players.
To play, you need only two flags and a clear boundary marker for the teams’ territories.
6. Outdoor Scavenger Hunt
An outdoor scavenger hunt makes any picnic more fun and exciting. Participants use clues and solve riddles to find hidden items or locations.
- To get started, organizers put together a list of things to find or tasks to complete, along with clues or riddles that guide participants to each item or spot.
- You can either hand out the clues on paper or send them via smartphone.
- You’ll need pens to mark off the items you find, the clues you’ve prepared, and, if you want to, small prizes or treasures for the finders.
7. Giant Twister 😉
The 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.
This supersized version is a hilarious and visually striking addition to any gathering, making it ideal for company picnics, parties, and family fun.
8. Giant Jenga
Giant Jenga is an oversized version of the classic tabletop game that tests your balance, precision, and nerve. Players take turns removing one block at a time from a tall tower.
The goal is to avoid being the person who causes the structure to collapse. This game adds a dramatic twist to the original, making it a captivating spectacle and interactive challenge for players and spectators alike.
Innovative Team-Building Company Picnic Ideas
We’ve got some fun, new team-building activities for your next office get-together. They’re a great way to mix things up and break the monotony of the usual office environment.
Activity Name: Drone Obstacle Course
- Benefits: Enhances precision, teamwork, and tech-savviness
- Description: Teams pilot drones through creative outdoor obstacles. It’s a modern take on team-building that speaks to today’s tech-forward culture.
Activity Name: Escape the Park
- Benefits: Strengthens problem-solving, collaboration, and creative thinking
Description: Inspired by escape room adventures, this immersive game turns your picnic setting into a playful mystery zone. Each team receives a story-driven mission, complete with clues and time-bound challenges.
Workshops and Demonstrations 📍
Company picnics are a great way to mix business with pleasure. They’re a great chance to combine professional development with some fun, and they help build a sense of camaraderie and growth among employees outside the usual work environment.
- For instance, a workshop on effective communication or leadership skills conducted in a relaxed, informal setting like a picnic can encourage more open and engaging participation.
- Let your employees show off their wellness, mindfulness, or even skill-sharing skills at the picnic. It’ll be fun and educational for everyone.
- You can also encourage people to work together more creatively by including hands-on workshops, like team cooking challenges or craft-making sessions.
Besides a company picnic being a day off work, it’s a great chance to bring your team together and show them you appreciate them.
Unique Team Picnics with Picnic Makers
From the sunny beaches of Malibu to the lively cityscapes of Los Angeles and the peaceful parks of Orange County, Picnic Makers is here to make your luxury corporate picnic dreams come true.
We’re dedicated to going above and beyond to make your corporate picnic a success. Our unique and innovative offerings will help you create a spectacular event that will strengthen the bonds between your employees.
So, let’s get out of the office, enjoy some fresh air, and prepare for a day of laughs, fun, and team bonding. Let’s make it a day to remember! To make sure this day goes as smoothly and fun as possible, you might want to book your picnic online with us.
Our team’s expertise in crafting the perfect outdoor experience means you can relax and enjoy the day without worrying about a thing.
FAQs
How can we ensure the event is inclusive for all employees?
Make sure your picnic is accessible to everyone. Consider dietary restrictions for catered food and arrange activities that suit different physical abilities. You can also ask employees about their preferences beforehand to ensure everyone can enjoy various options.
What are some good locations for a company picnic?
The perfect spot for your event can depend on your company’s size and budget. Some ideas could be local parks, the beachfront, a rented event space, or even your office grounds if it’s suitable. No matter where you choose, ensure there’s enough space, restroom facilities, and shade if it’s an outdoor event in the summer.
How do we handle logistics like seating and shading?
You can rent low picnic tables, lounge chairs, and tents or umbrellas to ensure guests have comfortable places to sit throughout the event. By planning these essentials in advance, you can avoid any last-minute issues.
Can we include families in the company picnic?
Absolutely! Inviting families to events like this helps to foster a greater sense of community and belonging. Just make sure the activities and food are suitable for all ages.
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