Employee Appreciation Day 2026 Ideas
As the end of the year wraps up, we all begin looking ahead to the next. The year’s end is a perfect time to start planning an Employee Appreciation Day. National Employee Appreciation Day 2026 is on March 6th, but we like to book things ahead. This ensures the ship runs smoothly, so there’s no time like the present to start thinking about your next staff picnic! If you need a little inspiration, we have plenty of ideas to go around. Here are just a few ideas to get you started.
Planning Your Menu
What’s a company picnic without food? Here at A Company Picnic, we offer no shortage of catering options for our clients to choose from. Whether you’re wanting grilled BBQ or novelty food trucks, we’ve got you covered! We offer plenty of catering packages for you to choose from. Our Classic Menu, with picnic favorites like hamburgers, hotdogs, and potato salad, is a great starting point. If you’re looking for something a little more luxe, we have our Deluxe and Premier Options. Deluxe Menu contains grilled tri-tip, BBQ ribs, and brisket, as well as kabobs and a wide variety of sides for your guests to enjoy. Premier offers prime steak, grilled fish, whole roasted pig, mozzarella and tomato salad, Parmesan mac and cheese, and so much more.
Menu Must-Haves
- Grilled Hamburgers and Hot Dogs
- Fresh Salad
- Ice Cream Desserts
- Freshly Squeezed Lemonade
- BBQ Ribs
- Warm, Oven-Baked Cookies
- Fair-Style Corn on the Cob
Add Something Special
Our Novelty Add-Ons are also extremely popular. We partner with some seriously amazing chefs to bring you novelty ice cream treats, fresh churros, candy apples, fresh coconuts, and anything else you can think of. They’re sure to bring any menu to the next level!
Tailor Your Menu to Your Theme
We also offer themed menus, like California Dreamin’, which brings grilled burgers and dogs, teriyaki chicken, fresh grilled corn on the cob, and more to the table. We can even cater food according to themes as well, like we did at a Havana Day Dreamin’ themed company BBQ. For this, we brought out fried caramelized plantains, churros, Cuban rice, and Caribbean grilled meats. Whatever theme you choose, be it Western or Luau, we can bring in catering to fit it.
Theme-Specific Foods
- Churros
- Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
- Hot Cocoa
- Western-Style Baked Beans
- Carne Asada
- Circus-Style Roasted Peanuts
- 50s Milkshake Bar
Choosing a Theme
For Employee Appreciation Day picnic themes, we have endless options, like the 80s company picnic theme for one example. And if you want a truly customized picnic, we can do that too. As for theme ideas, we have plenty of them for you to choose from.
As mentioned above, we’ve thrown an amazing Havana themed company picnic, bringing in salsa dancers, live bongo drummers, costumed greeters, and Caribbean décor to give our client a taste of Havana in their own backyard.
Carnival themed company picnics are also always a winner. We can bring in real carnival games and rides for your staff (and their families!) to enjoy. Whether it’s a Ferris wheel, the Tidal Wave carnival ride, or some classic Ring Toss booth games, if you dream it, we can bring it. Imagine your employees having their very own day at the fair, with corn on the cob, freshly popped popcorn, and all the rides they could want.
Treat your employees like the superheroes they are with our superheroes company picnic theme! Bring in costumed actors and play themed field games or trivia and celebrate the heroes that make your company special.
Themed Entertainment
- Costumed Greeters
- Western Lassoers
- Costumed Dancers
- Sports Zone Games for Sports Theme
- Ferris Wheel for Carnival Theme
- Pony Rides for Western Theme
- Themed Bouncers
- Horse-Drawn Sleigh Rides for Winter Theme
Team-Building Themes
If your event is focused on team building, we have the all-encompassing team building themed company picnic or the classic Field Day theme, which brings in a wide variety of fun team bonding games and competitions. You could even go with a Sports Theme, which incorporates many of the same games and bonding experiences. If you’re planning a summer picnic, our Splash Zone theme may be right for you, bringing in water slides, water balloon tosses, surfing lessons and games, and so much more.
A company picnic is truly a special occasion. We pull out all the stops to make it something truly special. Whether it’s bringing in lassoers for a Western themed picnic, or bringing a live band in for you, we do all we can to make it unique and exciting.
DEI
On the topic of themes and experiences for your company BBQ, we understand how important it is to highlight diversity in the workplace. We offer themes like an authentic Hawaiian Luau, and a Mexican Fiesta, that help to celebrate culture. We partner with native performers, as well as native people to guide us in our planning, to ensure a respectful and authentic experience. It’s a great way to celebrate culture and learn about other people.
Diversity Highlighting Themes
- Luau
- Fiesta
- Dio de Los Muertos
- International
- Havana Day Dreamin’
We also over an International theme, where we bring in authentic performers and foods from around the world, which is wonderful for a multicultural workplace. This can help every one of your employees feel seen.
On that note, we also strive to make our picnics accessible to all, bringing in wheelchair ramps, noise-cancelling headsets, translators, and so much more, to make sure everyone has a good time. Check out our blog on this topic for more information!
Raffles & Giveaways
Raffles and giveaways can be an exciting part of any event. Our clients often offer up gift cards as prizes, but it all varies from company to company. Gift cards are always useful, but if you want something a little extra, electronics or gift baskets are always a great idea.
Prize-Earning Competitive Game Ideas
- Capture the Chicken
- Giant Cup Stack
- Hula Hoop Contest
- Corn Hole
- Parachute Volleyball
- Potato Sack Race
- Wet Sponge Relay
If raffling isn’t quite your thing, but you want to reward your employees in some way, we also have a Money Wheel game and a Cash cube game. And there’s always the option of contests among staff with a prize!
Crack Open a Cold One with Your Team
What better way to spend a sunny afternoon than playing games and reclining in the shade after a good match with a cold beer? Alcohol and company picnics oftentimes go hand in hand, and we are sure to follow protocol to ensure every event goes smoothly. Whether you’re looking to sip on some full-bodied red wine or have some craft beer over a game of billiards, we can bring any of it to you.
While we can bring alcohol to any company picnic, since we give out ID wristbands, we do offer open bars at 21+ only picnics. We can bring any sort of mixed drink you’d like, and tailor it around your company picnic’s theme as well. The possibilities are endless!
Team Building Games
What’s a company picnic without team building activities? Team building games are not only a great way to spend the afternoon, but they’re excellent at bringing us together and helping us let loose. We offer a vast variety of team building games, from obstacle courses to casino games, that your employees are sure to love.
Our Favorite Team Building Games
- Tug of War
- Relay Races
- 3-Legged Race
- Popfly
- Bigfoot Racing
- Softball
- Water Balloon Toss
- Flag Football
Classic Picnic Games or Something Unique
Whether you’re looking for something classic, or something unique, we can bring your ideas to life! We have a soft spot for classic field games, which pair well with Field Day picnics, but also stand well on their own. Everyone’s sure to have a blast at a 3-legged race or a wet sponge relay. It takes us all back to our childhood field days, doesn’t it? Your team will love facing off in a potato sack race, just as much as they would love Pop Fly or a good water balloon toss.
We have plenty other games to choose from, whether it’s a VR game, a portable escape room, or a bungee cable run game. We can also provide the gear needed for a game of flag football, softball, or volleyball. Why settle for just one type of entertainment? We love to bring in a mix of things, like field games plus inflatable games, and give your employees options.
An Employee Appreciation Day to Remember
Whether you’re looking for a theme idea, or some ideas for entertainment, we’ve got you covered. When you partner with us, you can be assured that your next corporate picnic will be one to remember! And don’t forget that you are an employee, too. Let us help make your Employee Appreciation Day of 2026 easy by taking the workload off your hands, so you can enjoy your day too!
PLAN YOUR PERFECT PICNIC
