Getting together with your colleagues can be tough sometimes, especially now. Seeing them face to face and being able to connect on another level is important for culture, morale and even productivity. If you happen to have colleagues that live close by, one great idea to keep that connection up is to plan office picnic.
A picnic allows you to keep everyone outside and enjoy the beauty of nature. There are a ton of different opens to choose to fit your budget and needs.
Keep reading to find out how to keep things simple.
Find Your Location
Having a good location for a picnic can make or break it. You want to look for something that is in good proximity to everyone to ensure people can make it no matter how they travel. Look for bus routes, train routes, and of course a good parking lot.
Another key component is the availability of sun and shade. A location that offers both options is great because you can eat in the shade, then hang out in the sun to catch up. It’s also great for those who prefer to be in the sun or shade!
A great view can make an office picnic even more enticing. Think water side or in a park that has beautiful trees and flowers surrounding it. The better the view, the more excited your colleagues will be.
You will also want to consider if you need to rent out or reserve the location you have chosen. Some parks require registration all year round and others just require it now during these times. It’s important to make sure you have all the details and the dates the parks are available before choosing your location.
Coordinate a Date
Now that you have chosen the perfect location for your office picnic, it’s time to choose a date. This can often be a daunting task depending on how many people you work with. The one thing to remember is that you want to choose the date where most people can attend.
Start with providing your colleagues with a few options that the park has available. You can send out a poll, a survey or even just a quick email that they can respond to. Let them select their top two options. From here you will be able to see what date will look the best.
After the date is chosen, head back to your contact from the location if needed to secure the date.
Food Options
The options for food at a picnic have change over the last year or so. One of the simplest ways is to have your colleagues each pack their own lunch. This allows you to avoid talking about dietary restrictions, figuring out how much food is needed and worrying about who likes what.
An office favourite is a potluck. You can still achieve this form of food with a picnic too. Just create a sign-up sheet of the different options that will be needed. Don’t forget to include a list on the sheet that has everyone’s dietary restrictions. You want to make sure this is a sheet EVERYONE can see – we recommend using a google doc.
Catering is also an option here. Just the same way you would do it in the office, but you may have to pick up the food instead of having it delivered. Make sure you order ahead of time to know your options.
Finally, a new option is to book a catering company that specializes in picnics. They will set up your picnic at the location of choice with all the fixings. This includes, décor, seating, food and more. This will be the more costly option, but a great surprise for all your colleagues.
Add in Some Fun
What would a picnic be without some fun? If you have many colleagues coming you may want to start a small committee to help with this, but if it’s just a few you’ll be okay to plan on your own.
We spend a lot of time chatting to our colleagues through email, zoom, phone, text and in person. Therefore, a picnic is the perfect time to play some games and do team building. You can hire a company to help, but there are some great ways to do this all on your own.
Think relay races, board games, and simple sports. You can have a friendly competition and get that team morale up!
Final Thoughts
Despite the circumstances, we can all think outside the box and make office get togethers fun this year. Remember it’s important to spend time with your colleagues every once in a while, to keep the connection strong and the morale up!