{"id":8037,"date":"2017-07-17T06:00:10","date_gmt":"2017-07-17T10:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.elfster.com\/?p=8037"},"modified":"2023-05-09T10:35:18","modified_gmt":"2023-05-09T14:35:18","slug":"best-office-party-ideas-cool-summer-company-picnic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/2017\/07\/17\/best-office-party-ideas-cool-summer-company-picnic\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best Office Party Ideas for a Cool Summer Company Picnic"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"summerIn the long history of spoken communication, most sentence combinations have been uttered. But one that probably hasn\u2019t is \u201cIt\u2019s such a nice beautiful summer day. I\u2019m really excited to go into work!\u201d Or, ok, it may have been said, but never sincerely. It might, in fact, be the most sarcastic sentence possible.<\/p>\n

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A summer day at the lake to inspire the office | Image courtesy Unsplash user Jens Johnson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

That\u2019s the thing about work. Most of us have to do it, but there are days when it feels almost impossible to focus on it. And as the summer drags on, employee morale might sap in light of the sun filtering in and enticing them out-of-doors. That\u2019s why you should have an office party or a summer company picnic. It\u2019s something to look forward to, a great way to bond, and if you do it right, a real boost to how your employees feel about work.<\/p>\n

But you don\u2019t have to do the same \u201cWe\u2019ll be having hot dogs in the parking lot from 12:30 to 1:15\u201d company picnic routine. Shake it up. If you can go big, you should! Having a summer party that\u2019s creative, exciting, and cool is a way to rebrand your company, both externally and internally. It becomes a place not just to work, but a place to be.<\/p>\n

Here are some of the best office party ideas for a summer company picnic.<\/p>\n

Summer Office Costume Party Ideas<\/h4>\n

Why should Halloween have all the make-believe fun? Summer invites great costume parties! You can go light and airy, or go for a throwback costume party. Either will challenge your employees to get creative without the Halloween pressure of being scary or finding something office appropriate. Here are a few of our favorite summer costume party ideas.<\/p>\n

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Gadzooks! A Great Gatsby party! | Image courtesy Etsy seller CallMeThrifty<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Great Gatsby<\/b><\/p>\n

Flapper dresses! Straw boaters! White jackets! Everyone loves the glamour and swinging thrill of the Gatsby era. You can serve delicious punch and fun finger sandwiches, as well as normal picnic fare. Get some swing music and get ready to rock away West Egg. Feel free to combine it with other period-friendly party ideas, like Downton Abbey <\/i>or Idlewild. <\/i>(If you do Gatsby, don\u2019t be afraid to consult the book<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Alice in Wonderland<\/b><\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve read our blog, you know that Alice in Wonderland<\/i> is one of our favorite books. And why not? It\u2019s sweet and funny and weird and magical. And it makes for great costumes.<\/p>\n

People can come as Alice or the Red Queen, the Mad Hatter or the nervous rabbit. They can do steampunk interpretations or create their own characters. Just make sure you have a garden party set up, with plenty of tea.<\/p>\n

A Beach Theme<\/b><\/p>\n

It doesn\u2019t matter if you live right by the shore or in the middle of Nebraska; when it\u2019s summer, you\u2019re thinking about the beach. So are your employees. That\u2019s why having a beach party is great. Rent some sandboxes, set up a volleyball net, maybe give out cool beach-themed gift bags<\/a>, and grill something delicious. It makes the summer suddenly real.<\/p>\n

We All Scream for Ice Cream at Summer Office Parties<\/h4>\n

It\u2019s one thing to have<\/i> ice cream at your party. Lots of companies might do that. A tub of chocolate, maybe some whipped cream if sales hit their 2nd-quarter goals (and if not, talk to Stan. Thanks<\/i>, Stan), etc. But to have a party where ice cream is one of the central themes, and the pi\u00e8ce de r\u00e9sistance? Well, that\u2019s a different animal altogether. A different, delicious animal.<\/p>\n

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This would be fun to see at the office | Image courtesy Stocksnap.io user Filip Sablutura<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Having a big ice cream buffet bar creates a fun, childlike air to the party. Give choices of toppings, a whole wide variety, with fruit and nuts and candy and various sauces and non-Stan-dependent whipped cream. Make sure, of course, you incorporate dairy-free ice cream options so that everyone can participate.<\/p>\n

Participate? Yup. This isn\u2019t just about eating ice cream. There are fun and games to be had! Have various contests for \u201cStrangest Topping Combination\u201d or \u201cHighest Stack.\u201d See which department can make a banana split the quickest. See which team can use ice cream and toppings to make the perfect image of the CEO (if they have a sense of humor, of course).<\/p>\n

Go all out. Get cool ice cream gear. Maybe even have the C-Level or management team don old-timey ice cream uniforms to give out some scoops. It\u2019s a great way for a company to bond on a hot summer afternoon.<\/p>\n

A Halfway-to-Christmas Gift Exchange<\/h4>\n
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It\u2019s Christmas\u2026 in July! | Image courtesy Etsy seller LaurenAstonDesigns<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s silly, when you think about it, that only once a year do we get to exchange gifts. After all, exchanging gifts is fun. <\/i>It\u2019s fun to get gifts, and to receive them. It\u2019s fun to guess what\u2019s in a box, and to guess who got it for you. And it\u2019s not<\/i> fun to have to wait until December to do so every year. So why not do a Halfway-to-Christmas or a \u201cChristmas in July\u201d gift exchange?<\/p>\n

You can do it the same way you do your December Secret Santa exchange, with a helpful online portal<\/a> to make the anonymous selection and gift ideas even easier. You can even put up Christmas decorations for a day, which is a surefire attempt to get everyone\u2019s spirits up in a goofy sort of way, and maybe make you feel cool in the hot summer. Maybe encourage summer-themed gifts as well, such as:<\/p>\n

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Fans can keep you cool, or be a cool backdrop | Image courtesy Etsy seller PomPomsArt<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Gift Ideas<\/b><\/p>\n