Don’t have the budget to host a summer picnic for your employees? You don’t have to! You can boost employee morale and engagement with low cost activities right in your office.

At Baudville, our favorite employee celebrations include an activity every day of the week, like during Customer Service Week. You can put on a week-long celebration for your team – just because! – with a summer camp theme. We’ve come up with all the activities for you, so the hard work is already done!

Day One – Welcome employees to “camp” with a Sweet Treat on their desk and materials to decorate their camp name badges using paper ID badge stock. Display the new name tags in badge holders and lanyards. Encourage campers to wear their new IDs by giving on-the-spot prizes to campers sporting their badges.


Day Two – What camp is complete without arts and crafts!? Plan a craft like building photo frames out of popsicle sticks or making friendship bracelets. Set up an arts and crafts station in a central location, and encourage campers to visit it all week to work on their creations. Then, display your crafts in the office!

Day Three – Test your campers’ aim with your own archery field. Draw a target on a white board in a meeting room and mark the shooting line with a piece of masking tape. You can arm your campers with either a toy bow and arrow or rubber bands. Present certificates to the campers with the highest score.

Day Four – Host a camp potluck lunch. Ask your team to bring their favorite picnic dish to share and a copy of the recipe. Create a cookbook out of the recipes and give it to every camper at the end of the week.

Day Five – Divide your campers into two teams, and begin a game of capture the flag in your office! The objective of capture the flag is to discover the opposing team’s flag and return it safely to your home territory. For a work-friendly version, hide several flags around the office. The team to find the most flags by the end of the day wins!



Day Six – End the week with a campfire. Gather your team in a meeting room or outside gathering area to share a treat together. If you’ve taken pictures of the different activities throughout the week, show them in a slide show set to camp songs. Present each camper a certificate of completion to celebrate their successful week at “camp!” 

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Cori is Baudville's in-house Recognitionista (she's officially a Certified Recognition Professional, too)  and a member of the Millennial generation. Get her employee recognition tips and special discounts by liking Baudville on Facebook. 

Fourth of July is on a Wednesday – who scheduled that!? It’s tough having a holiday in the middle of the week, and we know that it will probably zap productivity today. Most likely, your staff is waiting for you to say the magic words (time to go home) and begin their mid-week summer holiday.

Take advantage of the mid-week summer holiday to express appreciation for your team. Download our free Freedom Passes and write a short note of thanks for each individual on your team. Pass it out to employees and send them home with a Happy Fourth of July!



Why? This appreciation is easy, free, and meaningful. Your employees will love it, and they’ll appreciate you in return.

Have a fun and safe Fourth of July!

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Picnics and summer go together like vanilla and ice cream!  Hosting a picnic for your team or organization is a great opportunity to show your appreciation and boost camaraderie. At Baudville, we have a summer picnic every year where employees and their families enjoy a local attraction. This year, we’re heading to the minor league baseball park for an evening game, dinner, and fireworks!

Are you celebrating summer with a team picnic or event? Here are four theme ideas and activities to spark your creativity for this year’s memorable event!

1. Company Carnival. You can put on a full carnival right at your facility! Rent games from a local event company for both kids and adults, and order prizes for the winners like Twist Top Tumblers and lunch bags.

The school year is coming to a close, and both teachers and students are looking forward to their summer vacations! Before school is out for summer, it’s important to thank the teachers for their hard work and dedication. After all, they spend a lot of time with your child!

When you package your end of the school year teacher gift, be sure to include a personal note or card. A handwritten note that mentions specific moments from the school year will make a huge impression on the teacher. Long after the gift has been used, the handwritten thank you will remain as a touching tribute to the teacher. You can also attach one of our free printable teacher appreciation Print and Posts for a fun appreciation message.

Here are five end of the school year teacher appreciation ideas that will say thanks:

1. School Supplies Tower.
Teachers are always in need of more school supplies! At the end of the school year, refill your teacher’s supply cabinets with crayons, notebooks, pencils, rulers, and more. Your teacher ill appreciate the practical gift, and the unique presentation will make the gift memorable! You can find several arrangements of this teacher appreciation idea on our Gifts for Teachers Pinterest board. 

2. Fun in the Sun.
Help your teacher get ready for a relaxing summer with a summer-themed gift. Arrange a beach towel, sunscreen, flip flops, and magazines or paperback books in a beach tote. You could also include a gift card to a local bookstore, so the teacher can choose her own beach reading or buy supplies for the classroom. Your teacher will be able to take the bag directly to the beach for some light reading and time in the sun! 

Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer in Michigan, and many of us enjoyed the warm weather last weekend doing summer activities: boating, swimming, visiting the beach, and anything else outside. After five months of cold, wintery weather, Michiganders love to be outside! 

I especially love to be outside in the summer, so sitting in the office on those beautiful days can be tough. But I also love the chance to participate in the many summer team events Baudville plans. Whether it’s a short tournament of backyard games over a lunch break or an evening at the ballpark, summer is a great opportunity for team building.