Work social event ideas that ‘push the envelope’
12th Jun 2023
The rise of hybrid workplaces and hosting Zoom meetings in your pyjamas has placed even more importance on the humble work social event, keeping us all connected and ensuring team bonding is as strong as ever.The dreary corporate team-building exercises of yesteryear are a distant memory, and workplaces are having to think outside the box to let people blow off some steam after long days of pinging emails, jumping on calls, and giving 110% at their jobs.
Luckily for you, the team here at Whistle Punks has put together a list of fun and interactive work social event ideas, taking the stress away from you and ensuring you and your team will have the time of your lives.
Why are work social events important?
There’s no I in team, but there is an I in team building. In fact, there’s more than one, there’s two and work social events are the only opportunity to bring everyone together in a relaxed environment.
The benefits of being around others is something we’ve been practising as a species since the dawn of time, and touching base with your colleagues has proven to relieve stress, increase brain function and improve long-term satisfaction. Not only this, it strengthens bonds and leads to a happy workforce; it’s a win-win situation.
There are hundreds of options out there for your work social, and most of them are far more imaginative than grabbing some drinks after the work day is over. In the interests of ‘blue-sky thinking’, let’s go back to the drawing board and take your work events to the next level.
Check out our top work social event ideas, and discover how, with the help of Whistle Punks, your team can be as close as ever.
Board Game Championships
We all thrive from nostalgia, and board games strike a chord with many people as relaxing activities that can be shared with others – when used as a work event, they’ll bring people together and spark conversation amongst a shared interest.
Devote some time to it and ask people to bring in their favourite games from childhood; whether it’s Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit, Pass The Pigs, or something even more obscure, it’s a great way of learning more about your workmates, making it one of the most effective activities for team building.
Bake-Off
This is a heartily satisfying work social idea because who doesn’t love cake? Whether you find the office equivalent to Paul & Pru to judge everyone’s culinary creations or simply have everyone contribute something to a sweet or savoury smorgasbord, this is an opportunity to learn more about the different cultures within the workplace and have everyone included equally.
A bake-off-themed work social event is the ideal opportunity to have a chin-wag and dish out a few of the famous ‘Hollywood handshakes’, which is sure to improve the mood throughout the office.
Axe-Throwing
Forget ‘put a pin in it’, it’s much more exciting to throw an axe in it.
Making memories between some friendly competition in our dedicated venues will ensure a memorable work event, and there’s something quite special about seeing ‘Dave From Accounts’ sinking a bullseye.
Whether your workforce is ten or one hundred, Whistle Punks delivers an all-in-one work-social event experience, serving drinks, delicious pizzas, and enough of that dopamine-inducing social interaction to keep you going for weeks.
Revolutionise your work socials and attend one of our axe-throwing centres, which are sure to give your colleagues an experience they have never had before!
School Sport’s Day
We’re not suggesting that you make the HR team complete a 400m relay, nor are we implying that your company’s CEO should do a pole vault – unless they’re up for that!
Instead, think nostalgic classics like the formidable egg-and-spoon race, sack racing, or three-legged racing to add a bit of silliness to your socials. Not only will you get the benefits of human interaction, but you’ll also get the right amount of physical stimulation to get those endorphins engaged, a recipe sure to improve team bonding and performance (not just in the hope that another work-social event will occur).
Awards Night
Why wait until Christmas for a good old knees-up? Coincide your socials with awards season and hold a sparkling gala-style event, encouraging people to swap their sweatpants for sequins and dressing gowns for evening gowns.
Pick up some statuettes or medals and craft a list of amusing prizes for the staff members, but don’t forget to be nice. Depending on numbers, it’s usually a good idea to have a trophy for everyone to avoid any potential hardship. Here are some suggestions:
- Most flamboyant dresser
- The Gordon Ramsay Award for best gourmet packed lunch
- Most entertaining out-of-office email
- Egg and Spoon champion
- Master of Axes
At the end of the day…
Your choice of work social event will depend greatly on your occupation and staff numbers, but the aim should always be the same: keep them fun, inclusive, and memorable. A great day out will make people feel valued in their jobs, which can only be a good thing – so even if you’ve never met your co-workers in person, it’s never a bad time to get the team together.
We hope these work social event ideas have given you some food for thought, helping you to think outside the box and move away from conventional work events, giving the office something to really look forward to!
If you are interested in booking some axe throwing for your next work social event, do not hesitate to contact us to book your place now. Alternatively, all of our locations have availability that can be booked online now.