With the official start of spring less than a month away, there’s no better time than now to plan some fun employee recognition activities and events. The warm temperatures give you a reason to go outside and enjoy the sunshine. Even if it’s for a short 30-minute session, recognizing employees in the warm, springtime air will leave a lasting impression on them. For some tips and ideas on how to incorporate spring into your company’s employee recognition program, keep reading.

Take It Outside

Rather than staying cooped up inside the office, you should take advantage of the spring season by going outdoors. Employees are sure to enjoy the sunlight and fresh air. There are even some studies, which suggest sunlight can ease mild depression by triggering the brain to produce more antidepressant chemicals like serotonin.

I think we’ve all had our fair share of winter weather this year. With Polar Vortex snow and ice storms creating record-low temperatures throughout the country, most people living in the U.S. are looking forward to the upcoming spring season.

Outdoor Recognition Ideas

You’re probably wondering how to incorporate employee recognition into an outdoor spring activity. Well, there are dozens of different ways to combine these two activities together, some of which includes:

• Having a company kickball or softball game with an awards ceremony at the game.
• Play a game of flag football.
• Gathering on a field for a picnic and award ceremony.
• When everyone is gathered outside, you can verbally thank your employees for all of their hard work.
• Throw the recognition event at a local park.
• Create a set of Olympic-style games for employees to compete in. With the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics fresh in everyone’s minds, this is an excellent idea that employees are sure to love.

The truth is that you really don’t need any reason at all to go outside and enjoy the warm springtime air. As long as you have half an hour or so free, take your employees outside to recognize them for everything they’ve brought to the table. A verbal acknowledgment of their dedication goes a long ways (which is something we talk about more here at the Asap Awards Blog).

Hopefully, this will spark some ideas on how to get outside any recognize your employees under the warm spring sun.