Suggestions needed

[selenay]

In a couple of weeks, my team at work is supposed to be having a fun day. The idea is to do some kind of fun activity in the afternoon followed by a meal, all paid for by the company.

Except none of us can think of a fun activity to do. Seriously, we've got nothing here.

Has anyone out there on my lovely f-list (or even lurkers, really) got any ideas? Pretty please?

If we don't do it (and spend what was budgeted) our budget for these things gets cut next year. As I work for a company that loves to cut staff benefits and treats to fund savings regularly (all new staff at my level have just lost their health care - glad they can't do that to me as an established member of staff *sigh*), we're determined that they won't get the excuse to do it on this issue :-)

Comments

[nic]

The first things that pop into my head:

- A theme park/carnival
- A river / boat cruise (hiring a party boat, which includes both the outing and the meal)
- A cooking class / some other 'learning activity' totally different to what you do during a normal workday
- The pub. ;)

[selenay]

Hmm, all of those sound rather nice :-)

[paranoidangel]

The best company day out we had was when we had African drumming lessons. Although I liked it because I was musical - there were some completely inept people who weren't quite so keen.

[gaspodex.livejournal.com]

We did the drumming too... with a sort of scrapheap challenge thing before hand ... Great fun ... Suposed to be a team building thing

Otherwise .. go for the A:ton Towers Option

[selenay]

Hmm, Alton Towers would probably get support but my only experience with it resulted in a fairly nasty bad back! I'm assuming my back didn't like the rides :-( But drumming and scrap heap challenge could be good :-)

[selenay]

I have a suspicion that this wouldn't work for us because none of us are at all musical! But I'll put it in the hat, thank you :-)

[tejas.livejournal.com]

Maybe something silly like miniature golf.
Is there a 'hands on' museum in your area?
Zoo
volley ball (softball, whatever)
Can't remember where you live... got a beach?

[selenay]

Ooh, silly could be fun! Not sure about museums around here, but we're not too far from London and the science museum always has some good stuff :-)

[tejas.livejournal.com]

There ya go.

The only way I've ever seen or heard of these kinds of things being actually useful is when they get people out of their usual comfort zones with their coworkers. Get into an entirely different type of environment and get a chance to know each other all over again.

[selenay]

That makes a lot of sense :-) The response of my colleague who is organising this thing to the list of suggestions that I emailed today was "Wow, you've actually got several good ideas!"

I can't decide whether the surprise was at me having ideas or the ideas being good :-)

However, the ideas that we don't have time to organise (it's on 12th October) are being put into a file for the next one and I think we'll be sorting out what we do at the beginning of next week. And hey, this time around we might actually have fun as opposed to the other office 'fun' days that we've all pretty much hated :-)

[(Anonymous)]

I would recommend a day's archery, if I were you...

Tx

[selenay]

Already suggested!

[munchkinott.livejournal.com]

Depends on the kind of activity - does it have to be work related (i.e. team-bonding) or can you get away with an office social?

Office Social - race day, Eden Project, Alton Towers etc.

Team Bonding - Laser tag, craft/voluntary event at the National Trust, theatre workshop etc.

[selenay]

I have a feeling that we're just having an office social :-) Those are all very cool suggestions, thank you!