5 fun employee engagement activities for summer

In the summer months, the office starts to feel bigger. Extending beyond the usual four walls to the surrounding parks, streets, beaches of the local area – and beyond. It’s a time for away days, off-sites and breakout sessions, often in the open air (weather permitting, naturally). It’s not about leaving work behind, it’s about taking it with you. And it’s a chance to build stronger bonds as a team, try out new things and do some literal blue-sky thinking. 

But if you’ve done the standard sports days and run clubs, you might be looking to go further and explore some other options. So we’ve put together some fun employee engagement activities to help get your team out there – some more “out there” than others…

Volunteer days

Corporate volunteering doesn’t have to mean jetting off to far-flung places. By keeping things local, you can keep your costs down and connect with the community around you. 

To make it count, think about what skills you can offer, matching the right people to the right projects. 

As well as helping the organisations you work with, volunteering is good for business. It engages your team. It raises the profile of your company within the community. And because such schemes are increasingly sought after by potential employees, it helps attract new talent, too. 

Creative workshops

Once it was just your designers who got to spend the day being creative, fuelled by free croissants. Now creative away days are becoming more of a company-wide thing. And it’s easy to see why. Photography courses, woodworking sessions and pottery classes give everyone a break from the everyday. 

And you don’t have to travel far or blow any budgets. Those calligraphers, painters, crafters and cooks may well be in your ranks already, eager to share their knowledge. Then you just need the materials, a spare afternoon, and perhaps some sunshine. 

Scavenger hunts

When it comes to fun employee engagement activities, it’s hard to beat a scavenger hunt. It may also be the easiest event to prepare for – and doesn’t have to take up much time. You can hide some chocolates, riddles, gift vouchers – anything you like – around the office and outside areas. Then integrate the hunt into the working day. 

Events like this are great for bringing lots of departments together, with plenty of opportunities for mingling over tactical chat – especially if you add an element of teamwork to the day. And they’re the perfect icebreaker for new starters.

Outdoor retreats

To really make the most of the summer, you might want to do your team-building in the open air. Many miles away from the office. Somewhere you can leave your laptops behind and switch off. It could be up a mountain, out in the desert or bathed in a woodland. 

Far from roughing it in the wilderness, survivalist style, outdoor retreats should be about treating your team – making them feel valued. It’s about creating a stress-free environment where everyone feels comfortable, refreshed and free to think. 

Wellness weeks

We all know that work can get stressful. And while wellness events can’t address the cause of that stress, they can offer ways to better cope with it. Especially when you incorporate activities like yoga and meditation. 

You can also use the week to introduce elements that become regular things, such as morning pilates or a free healthy breakfast. Think of it as a mini festival, with lots of different events planned – from morning desk drops to after-work talks.

Whatever you decide to organise, we’ll help you bring your fun employee engagement activities to life – with Postcards, Stickers, custom Water Bottles and more. And with a MOO business plan, we’ll even do the designing for you. So you can just focus on the main event. To get started, simply fill in the form below.