Celebrate National Backyard Games Week with Fun at Work!

May 21, 2012

This week is National Backyard Games Week, and I love my backyard games! I’ve built up a decent collection of them in my garage. At my house, we’re always ready with a game of bean bag toss, ladder golf, badminton, Frisbees, and even bubbles for the neighborhood kids. It’s common to find me outside on a beautiful summer evening playing a game with neighbors and friends. Backyard games provide an opportunity for camaraderie, fun, and enjoying the outdoors – all things I love!

I’ve noticed that my time spent playing backyard games has improved my friendships (and my sweet game skills!), so it makes sense to me that we should bring games to work. If playing games at home is energizing and improves relationships, imagine how it could influence your team!

This is a great thing to do the week before Memorial Day weekend. Organize a game tournament during the week. You can create teams or have employees compete individually. Each day, play another round of the game and post scores and updates. Employees will be engaged in the tournament and want to come to work for all the fun. You can also make the games available during lunch hour or breaks so employees can play just for fun. They will welcome the opportunity to get in some practice before the holiday weekend!

We’ve even brought backyard games inside during the off-season and played a bean bag tournament along the marketing aisle. It makes a little extra noise, but gets everyone away from their desk for a moment and engages in a team-building opportunity. If you don’t have any of your own backyard games to bring to work, ask your teammates. You could even check out this Popular Mechanics article for these 10 Fun DIY Backyard Games. They all look like a blast and very easy to create.

Can’t get outside? If it’s impossible to get your team outside this week, try one of the ideas in our 52 Ways to Have Fun at Work eBook. It’s a free download in our Recognition Resource Center full of ideas for infusing work with fun throughout the year.

How do you have fun at work? What are your team’s favorite games? Tell us here!

--------------------

Cori is Baudville's in-house Recognitionista (she's officially a Certified Recognition Professional, too) and a member of the Millennial generation. Get her employee recognition tips and special discounts by liking Baudville on Facebook.

The Economics of Appreciation via Seinfeld

I love when I find examples of employee appreciation in pop culture! I can always count on scenes from “The...

Will Your Act of Kindness Inspire Someone?

Those who know me will not be surprised at all by this story. Crazy things happen to me all the time. Last ...

Celebrate National Backyard Games Week with Fun at Work!

Previous Article

Next Article

Celebrate National Backyard Games Week with Fun at Work!

Previous Article

Next Article

Most Recent Articles

(H1): 4 Step Guide To Rocking Employee Appreciation Day!

We thought it might be helpful to do a quick follow up piece with some of the realities of onboarding. We recently hired a variety of new team members here at Baudville, so here is some feedback f

5 Ways to Celebrate Employee Appreciation Day | 2020

As much as we are all exhausted from the pandemic, we know that it's still just as important to stay safe and stay spread out. So we got creative with our party and hosted a virtual beach bash.

Employee Appreciation Day, is almost here! Here are 6 quick and easy ways to show your super-stellar team members exactly how grateful you are for them.

We’ve collected some ideas to help you disregard the Sirens’ lure, stave off the cravings, and get you free sailing toward your 2021 healthy eating goals.

Ditch the Resolutions. Focus on Good Habits.

Here are 15 ideas to get your professional energy flowing and goals on track. Let’s welcome the new year with positivity, joy, and hope for all the great things to come!

Our seasonally-curated kits are perfectly packaged and ready to be sent to that special someone’s doorstep.

When it comes to making a long-lasting impression, personalized gifts rule. Here at Delightly, we spend every morning, noon, and night curating the best possible gift kits.

Client gifts are extra special—they show your sincere gratitude and set you apart from your competitors. The extra thought and care Delightly brings to these gifts makes a lasting impression.

The calendar may say we’re past peak growing season, but there’s never been a better time to plant the seeds of appreciation.

Promotional products are purposeful and a highly effective marketing tool. They serve as a reminder keeping a business within eyesight and in the minds of customers.

Onboarding may have a different look—remote, virtual, social distanced, or a combo of all three—but it’s always been and will always be about people.

The power of mantras is scientifically proven to boost your mood. Your mental health will thank you while your inner strength and resilience grows.

Expectations to keep a social distance and the ever-important need for team building and connectedness pose an interesting challenge. Here's how to overcome it.

Summer picnics have always been a great way to show your staff some well-deserved appreciation and give them something to enjoy together as a team outside of the office.

As your community starts to re-open, and your team starts to come back together, we thought it would be beneficial to have a team activity made specifically for you to re-acquaint yourselves again.

Here’s a simple truth: Rewarding your employees often and publicly can mean the difference between them staying put or losing them to a competitor.