Celebrate International Fun at Work Day Every April 1
Do you have fun at work? Many people don’t, which is sad since we spend so much time there.
But at least once a year you have the perfect excuse to enjoy yourself: International Fun at Work Day.
Yes, yes. We know it’s also April Fool’s Day, which many people do use to have fun at work. But April Fool’s jokes usually involve having fun at the expense of someone else. This day is intended for coworkers to have fun together.
Now, you may have heard of a Fun at Work Day back in January, too. And it’s true. In the US, we celebrate National Fun at Work Day on January 30 … or January 28… or the last Friday in January, depending on who you ask.
The point is, there’s at least one other fun at work celebration. Which means enough people think fun at work is important that more than one person has created a day just for it.
And fun is important, even at work. It makes the workday more enjoyable. And that makes for happier employees. Which also makes for more productive employees.
So whether you’re a low-level employee or a boss, it’s worth thinking about how to make the workday more enjoyable.
How International Fun at Work Day Began
The folks at Playfair—“The World’s Leading Experts on Fun and Play at Work!”—created International Fun at Work Day in 1996. The company believes it’s vital to have a playful attitude at work. And experts in fun at work ought to know!
This day happens every year on April 1. But if the 1st is a weekend it moves to the first Thursday of April. Which makes sense, since it’s hard to have fun at work if you’re off work!
Scroll down for some ideas on celebrating this fun unofficial holiday.
Ideas to Celebrate International Fun at Work Day
The best idea is to get the whole company involved in a fun activity or two to celebrate.
But if management isn’t on board with that, individual employees can still do something smaller. Just make sure it won’t interfere with getting your job done … Even if it’s not much fun, we’re guessing you probably do want to keep your job.
Individuals
There are lots of little things you can do that shouldn’t interfere with your job.
- Wear silly clothes (as long as you won’t be meeting with clients/vendors/etc who may not understand).
- Switch offices for the day.
- Take a few short breaks just to be silly. If you’re only allowed specific, assigned breaks, then plan for silliness during those.
- Get outside for lunch. Make it a long lunch if the boss will let you. Have a picnic. Then play games, like Frisbee or cornhole.
And if your company culture is so stuffy you’re afraid to try even these little mood boosters, then at least have fun after work. Grab your favorite co-workers and have dinner or drinks. But make discussing work issues forbidden; the idea is to have fun!
Companies
Having fun, or at least getting a sanctioned break from deadline and stress, really can help employees be happier and more productive. So in the spirit of the day, consider holding a company-wide Fun Event.
Or at least announce employees will be allowed to do something like what’s suggested above.
Ideas for morale boosters could include:
- Have lunch catered. Ask for employee input on where to get the food and which items should be on the menu. If the weather’s nice, do it outside and follow it with games.
Or have a potluck, with employees each bringing a dish. In larger companies you might want to split it up so that it doesn’t get too overwhelming. Maybe have two or three divisions get together for lunch.
- End lunch with a toast to each other and the company. Use real champagne or sparkling juice.
- Have fun competitions, either physical or mental. Some ideas:
- Cornhole (also called Baggo, Bean Bag Toss, and other names)
- Trivial pursuit
- A Family Feud style game
- Have each employee bring in either old pictures of themselves or a picture of their pet (decide which ahead of time!). Then post them and try to guess which photo goes with which person.
Consider making the games personalized to your business. So make up trivia questions about the business and/or your industry, for example. Rename Cornhole to something related to your company (and if you’re going to make it a regular game, consider having bags custom-made with your company logo).
Don’t forget the prizes!
And if you’re interested in creating a more fun culture on a daily basis, consider this post for simple ideas on workplace fun.
More Ideas
Need more ideas for having fun at work? Check out some of these books.
You might discover how to make work fun on a daily basis. Or at least you may be inspired to make Have Fun At Work Day a regular thing. Quarterly or even monthly, maybe?
So? How will you be spending International Fun at Work Day?
[…] it should not be confused with International Fun at Work Day, held on April Fool’s Day every […]
[…] International Fun at Work Day: It’s been more than 2 months since January’s Fun at Work Day. So you’re due for some workday fun! Luckily, here comes an international day dedicated to just that. So make your plans to be a little (or a lot!) silly! Yes, this day is normally on April 1. But since that’s a weekend it moves to Thursday. Why Thursday? No clue … Have fun anyway! ???? […]
[…] International Fun at Work Day: For many of us, this will be a very different celebration than it might have been in years past. But no matter where we’re working, we need to fit in some fun. And for those still having to go to work, finding ways to have fun, even for a few moments, can help relieve the stress. So do have some fun in whatever ways possible. And really, try to do that every day. […]