What are some different activities to have in an office to keep morale up?

Question

We have had pot lucks, and little carry-ins but people are tired of doing the same things over and over.

Answer 1

have a cook-out in the parking lot that's always fun!!
For Christmas do the everyone bring a gift under ten dollars and play that game where you pick a gift and then someone can either pick one or take yours so on and so on...or
Have secrect santas.
Have different days once a month like wear your favorite sports team shirt, or hat day , silly stuff like that is fun!!
Have a chili competition this winter, or dessert everyone loves to get involved in those type things!

Answer 2

Here are some of the things we do where I work:
*As well as Secret Santa we also do what we call Secret Valentine & Secret Ghoul (halloween). It's the same rules as Secret Santa but with different themes!
*Create an "All About Me" folder/binder/file. Make up a form that asks different questions like "What's your hobby? What's your favorite color? What do you do to relax? What's your favorite magazine?" Etc... Then have everyone fill one out and keep them all together in a place that every employee can get to easily. This way if someone is having a bad day or it's someone's b-day you can go to the binder and know exactly what to do to cheer that person up! (Also works well for when you're doing the Secret Someone activities.)
*Schedule Happy Hours! I know it sounds a little goofy to actually schedule these things, but it can be fun. It gives people enough notice to make plans, find a baby sitter, etc.

If your company is small, then it should be fun - most people will participate!
Good luck.

Answer 3

Is your company willing to spend a little money on this? If it is, even just a relatively immaterial amount can go a long way. I am a Vice President in a mid-sized corporation with eight people working for me. We get together socially a few times a year (Christmas and once or twice during the summer) and this involves not just the employees, but their immediate families as well. For $300 or so, you can usually get something catered to feed 20 - 30 people. Buying the crew lunch at a restaurant on occasion can help as well. If your organization has any kind of sports tickets, see if you can get them for the benefit of employees to reward them for hard work. Also, ask your vendors for free-bee types for things that you can then give to your employees (ball-caps, shirts, that sort of thing). Be creative with these things. Oftentimes a little money will go a long way!

Answer 4

Staff retreats for a day are always nice! If you have an Outward Bound Ropes Course in your area, its a wonderful guided opportunity for staff to learn to work together and laugh together as well.

Also, Spirit Awards! Once a month have a potluck wherein Spirit Awards are given (along with Monopoly Money and Hershey's Kisses as "payment") Spirit Awards should be given to folks in a variety of categories from "Most Helpful" to "Creativity". They can be fun and entertaining!

Invite a local therapist or life coach in to do a lunch time presentation on diversification in the workplace or some other topic of interest.

Good luck!

Answer 5

Activities/Team Building in the Office/Building:
Euchre tournament
Poker Tournament
Holiday White Elephant Gift Exchange
Holiday Murder Mystery Lunch
Secret Santa
Treasure Hunt

Activities outside the office:
We have gone bowling
Hay Rides
Picnic with games such as horseshoes, kickball, bocce ball

If I think of more, I'll come back and edit

Answer 6

After someone "accidentally" ingested small shards of broken glass at a potluck breakfast TWICE, I have given up a single activity as it eventually just reveals how nasty people can be to one another...the teeth-gritting smiles pretty much say it all. When I need to improve morale I call in sick and sit at home and watch daytime TV. After a day of bizarrely-acted soap operas, banal talk shows and smut I am almost always glad to get back in the ol' salt mine even if it is among vipers who thinly disguise their contempt for one another. Cheers!

Answer 7

Have a different staff member come up with a 'thought for the day' inspirational quote on a whiteboard in the lunchroom.

Have different staff members chair meetings.

Have everyone write something nice (anonymously) about each staff member and place it in a box to be read out aloud at the next meeting.

Answer 8

We had a round robin indoor games tournament. ONe floor had putt putt golf, the next had plastic bowling pins and stupid games like that. It was casual and everyone had a good time. Especially after you completed your one round, you got a beer to go to the next floor or area

Answer 9

I have seen

Take the department Bowling

Bring in a mass use - everyone gets a 5 minute mass ace

Answer 10

Get them into teams and have a fantasy football league with prizes.(pizza day, casual day or something) If no sports fans, have weekly paper airplane races with teams designing their planes with same prizes.