11 Unique Ideas To Celebrate National Fun At Work Day In 2024

As we are an employee engagement platform, keeping our employees happy is a big part of our company culture. That includes many complicated things, but it also consists of some simpler ones, like ensuring that our employees have fun at work. Perhaps this is why we are so enthusiastic about celebrating National Fun At Work Day in a way that our entire team approves of.

But before we dive into how you can celebrate National Fun At Work Day, let's first see:

When is National Fun At Work Day celebrated?

National fun at work day 2024 will be celebrated on January 26, 2024, i.e., the last Friday of January. For HRs and leaders, this day is all about giving employees a much-needed break from their hectic schedules by making their workday more fun and relaxing. Companies that place a high priority on employee engagement should take full advantage of this day by coming up with unique methods to celebrate it.

The 11 Best National Fun At Work Day Ideas Our Team Loves

Studies of positive organizations suggest the more fun we have at work, the more productive we are, and the less likely we are to suffer burnout.
~ Source (International Journal of Research in Business Studies and Management)

The below ideas have one thing in common: every one of them has been loved by our team. So, if celebrating this day is on your HR agenda, here's some inspiration for you to get started.

But before that, here are some bonus pointers that you should remember while hosting any team building activities for this day:

• Make sure that the events are held within working hours.
• Steer clear of events that require prior planning or work from the employees' side, such as potlucks.
• Also, ensure that no events require employees to spend money out of their own pockets.

Now that we've gotten the prerequisites out of the way let's get started on making National Fun At Work Day actually fun.

1. Sponsor A Team Lunch

It's difficult not to have a nice time when you're sitting in a cool restaurant, eating delicious food with wonderful people, especially on a workday. This is why, when it comes to making employees feel comfortable and recharged, a company-sponsored team lunch always strikes the mark.

The best part? This is the ideal way to celebrate National Fun At Work Day, especially if your team is working from home. If you all can't meet face to face, you can send some all get together over a call to have a nice virtual team lunch.

2. List Down Some Volunteering Options

Volunteering is not only a rewarding experience, but it is also one of those amazing team-building activities that foster empathy, understanding, and patience. This is also a great way to bond while having a good time.

Spending a day helping the underrepresented members of the community can also serve as a powerful employee morale booster for your people. So, if you haven't already considered volunteering as a good National Fun At Work Day activity, be sure to add it to your list.

3. Fun SWAG Bags

Want to boost your company's branding while also making your employees feel good about coming to work that day? If this is your objective, we highly suggest you gift your employees a company SWAG goodie bag.

The great thing about SWAG bags is that you can customize them to your liking. The possibilities are endless, from filling it with merch like cups, stationery, personalized hoodies, and caps, to including some healthy snacks.

4. Standup Shows

Standup shows are all the rage these days, and for a good reason. Sometimes all you need in life is an hour of laughter to forget about your problems. This is why, in honor of National Fun At Work Day, you should hire one of the many talented standup comedians and organize a company-wide show. This one will be a hit with your team, I promise.

5. The Team's Day Out

Team-building activities are fun. But team-building activities that give us the opportunity to spend the day outside with our peers? It's impossible to beat that kind of fun.

We especially enjoy laser tag, paintball, and bowling as a team because we believe it is a great way to bond and relieve stress. You'll quickly discover that most establishments provide some form of corporate discounts on such team-building activities, so the cost can be fairly low.

6. Office Trivia

It's hard not to love office trivia. I mean, it's simple, no one has to get up from their seat, and it's one of those fun games that doesn't cost anything extra to play. Our team likes to include some trivia questions about our company culture to make it even more fun and engaging.

Here are a few examples to get you started:

• How many people can actually remember the company's motto?
• Which month has the highest number of birthdays in our company?
• How many days will there be this year when the work day falls on a holiday?
• How many lightbulbs are there in the conference room?

7. Give Out Fun Office Awards. But Publicly.

Every workplace has its own cast of individuals, each with its own set of characteristics and peculiarities. Giving out ridiculous awards is a fun way to celebrate this sort of individuality, spread a smile, and have a bit of fun.

So, go ahead. Give away silly employee award titles like "The Walking Encyclopedia," "The Most Likely To Cry During A Movie," "The Mom Of The Group," and many more! Make these awards entertaining, creative, public, and loud.

8. Costume Contest

One of the most fun games we like to frequently indulge in is hosting our very own Office Costume Contests. Costume Contests are a terrific way to boost up the mood of an otherwise boring day and push everyone to tap into their creativity.

You can give this enjoyable activity a one-of-a-kind theme to make it even more memorable. It can be as simple as "Dress Up As Your Favorite Character" or as complex as "Dress Up As Your Favorite Music Album."

You can add another twist and make it a game by awarding prizes to the employees who make the most number of correct guesses about who the others are supposed to be.

9. Bay Decoration War

Office bays are mini-universes in and of themselves. It can house the toughest friendships, worst of enemies, or people you don't even talk to. Whatever the circumstances, it is always possible to have fun with the people you spend the majority of your days with.

We personally recommend a tried and tested method of holding a bay decoration "war" to make the day dramatically more fun than a normal day. Assign a budget to each bay and see who can come up with the most creative ideas to make their bay look spectacular.

10. Office Olympics

The objective of hosting the Office Olympics is quite simple. To play games and to have fun.

Ranging from a mini-marathon, office soccer, and table tennis to playing Call of Duty— the possibilities for team-building activities are virtually limitless. Meanwhile, invite your employees' families to the games to amp up the fun factor.

11. Make It A "Bring Your Pets To Work" Day

According to research, conducting a "Bring Your Dog To Work" day demonstrated that:

The differences in perceived stress between days the dog was present and absent were significant. The employees, as a whole, had higher job satisfaction than industry norms.

If you're not sure how to make a "Bring Your Pets to Work" Day a huge success, here are some pointers from us:

• To begin with, compile a list of all employees and their pets.
• Also, see if any of your employees have any allergies to animals. Keep track of any employees who are concerned about their pets.
• Make certain that the pets brought in that day are comfortable around people.
• Every pet should wear a tag that clearly states the owner's name and contact information.
• Furthermore, make every employee responsible for their pets' needs, such as toys, food, and so on.

Takeaways

The benefits of having fun at work are often underrated. From boosting employee morale to increasing productivity, a bit of fun can transform your culture.

Having a good time at work is an important aspect of the whole employee benefits package in today's world. As a result, celebrating National Fun At Work Day is a terrific approach for HR professionals and leaders to demonstrate that their company values a great work-life balance and a positive work environment.

This article is written by Barasha Medhi who is a part of the marketing team at Vantage Circle. Barasha can be found either searching for interesting HR buzzwords to write about or looking at pictures of cozy Bel Air mansions. For any related queries, contact editor@vantagecircle.com.