You found our list of beach party ideas for work.
Beach parties are celebrations that give vibes of reveling on a carefree beach or exotic island. Examples of activities include scavenger hunts, tropical drink happy hours, and bocce ball. Beach parties for work are an excellent way to bring your co-workers together for a laidback, fun event.
These gatherings are examples of office parties, outdoor team building events, and summertime team building activities. You can also use these events as part of company spirit weeks, team retreats, or corporate family fun days.
This list includes:
- beach party activities
- beach party games
- beach-themed office party ideas
Here we go!
Beach party ideas for work
From sand sculpture competitions to paddleball, here is a list of beach party ideas that bring on all the beachy feels.
1. Beach Scavenger Hunt
A scavenger hunt makes one of the best beach party games. You can split the group into teams and give players lists of clues to find and challenges to complete within a set amount of time.
For example:
- Six whole seashells
- Giant umbrella
- Matching beach towels
- Melted ice cream
- Animal tracks
- Fish
- Picture of a shark
- Fishing nets or lures
- Driftwood
- Sunscreen
- Seagull
- Fancy sunglasses
- Beach ball
- Strike your best muscleman pose
- Build a sandcastle
- Sing a Beach Boys song
- Take a picture with a lifeguard
Players must retrieve the objects, snap a photo of the item, or take pictures or videos of teammates completing a challenge. The team that completes the most items on the list wins the game.
Here are more scavenger hunt ideas for adults.
2. Beach Blanket Bingo
Beach Blanket Bingo is the name of a classic beach movie. Taking inspiration from this title, you can run your own game of Bingo at your beach party. First, give each player a card. To mark off squares on the board, players must mingle and find coworkers who fit the description. The first player to get five consecutive boxes wins the game.
We made a template for your game:
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3. Tahitian Sunsets Theme
Tahiti is home to some of the world’s most exotic beaches and sunsets. You can bring its splendor to your beach party with a Tahitian Sunset theme. To plan this party, first, buy decorations.
A few decoration ideas:
- jumbo Tiki cardboard cutouts.
- Tiki string lights
- fake jumbo palm trees
- luau leaf paper lanterns
- plastic Tiki totem pole
Next, set up a Tiki Bar. You can buy a pre-made bar or DIY with separate Tiki Hut awnings and skirt pieces. Be sure to stock up on Tiki cups and cocktail umbrellas. Then, pick your drink menu.
A few drink ideas include:
- Zombies
- Mai Tais
- Singapore Slings
- Lapu Lapus
Finally, add ambiance with lit Tiki torches, fresh tropical flowers, and Tahitian music. Adopting an in-depth theme will make the beach party more momentous and is more exciting to workers than a simple trip to sandy shores.
4. Beach Arcade Game Night
Inspired by Santa Monica Beach Pier’s famous beachside arcade, you can set up a series of carnival games to entertain guests. For example, skee ball, ring toss, balloon darts, and water gun races. Partygoers can compete for traditional fair prizes like stuffed animals and inflatables, or you can turn the contests into a team competition, and the group who racks up the most tickets at the end of the evening wins bragging rights and a group prize to share, like a team dinner.
To further set the atmosphere, you can serve snacks like kettle corn, cotton candy, corndogs, and soft pretzels.
5. International Beach Theme
An international theme is one of the best beach-themed office party ideas. You can encapsulate some of the world’s most beautiful beaches with international beach themes. For example, Florida’s Miami Beach, India’s Goa beach state, Greece’s Navagio Beach, Mexico’s Baja Beach and Brazil’s Copacabana Beach.
To plan your party, first, decide on the beach and country. Next, plan menus that best capture the locale’s best recipes and drinks.
You can dazzle party-goers with unique beach traditions like Mexican candy carts filled with paper bags of candy, nuts, and dried fruit or a Brazilian cocktail bar with specialty drinks.
An international beach theme is not only a fun way to bring one another together but it is also an opportunity to introduce cultural traditions to your team.
6. Beach Paddleball Game
Beach paddleball is an international favorite known for its versatility. You can either play this game in pairs or a group. The game’s objective is to volley the ball back and forth like a tennis game.
You will need a set or sets of beach paddle balls to play the game. Keep in mind that beach paddles are bigger and flatter than regular paddles. To start the game, separate pairs or groups an equal distance from one another. Next, instruct players that the paddles cannot touch the ground and that each ball missed or dropped is a point for the other team. Then, determine how many points are in each game, for example, 30 points per match. Finally, the team that reaches the set points wins the game. Paddleball is the perfect way to get everyone moving and engaged, and can encourage teamwork and friendly competition!
7. Sea Glass Art Activity
A unique beach party idea is a sea glass art activity. Sea glass art is gluing sea glass pieces onto regular paint canvases, creating unique designs, animals, or shapes.
Items needed for sea glass art include:
- paint canvases of any size
- fake sea glass, which is available at craft stores or online
- glue like Tacky glue or wood glue
The best thing about activities like this is that team bonding happens naturally. Party-goers may laugh over their mistakes, admire one another’s work, or discuss creative ideas.
8. Beach Frisbee
One of the classic beach party games is frisbee. You can set up frisbee game stations like Tic-Tac-Toe, bowling, and bottle games to add your own spin.
Tic-Tac-Toe Frisbee is an easy game to set up and play. Like Tic-Tac-Toe, its objective is to get three squares in a row. To get started, buy a tarp, duct tape, and twelve Frisbees. Next, use the duct tape to make a three by three Tic-Tac-Toe grid on the tarp. Then, divide teams up into four players, instructing each player to spread out to each corner of the tarp. Finally, the first team to get three spots in a row wins the game.
Frisbee bowling is exactly as it sounds, only you use a frisbee instead of a ball. To set up, you need ten water bottles and six frisbees. Next, divide your beach party goers into two teams. Each player has two chances to knock all the pins down. Finally, the team with the most points at the end of ten frames wins!
You can find Frisbee bottle games online. Most sets include four Frisbees and two bottle holders. The game’s object is to knock the opposing team’s bottle off its pole. The game is a lot harder than it sounds! To play, set your poles six or ten feet apart. Next, divide party-goers up into teams of two. Each team member takes a turn throwing the frisbee at the opposite team’s bottle. Finally, the first team to knock the bottle off wins!
9. Beach Happy Hour
Beach happy hours immediately make most folks think of cool, fruity tropical drinks. A few tropical favorites that you can include in your beach party are:
For your beach-goers’ snacking pleasure, include snacks like barbecued bacon-wrapped shrimp, grilled plantains, and coastal sliders with ham, cheese, and pineapple on Hawaiian rolls.
Beach happy hours shake up the standard after-work-drinks routine and make the social event more exciting and memorable. Beyond tropical drinks, you can add to the fun by using coconut cups or Tiki cups, and instead of a pool, attendees can play beach volleyball. The outdoor setting may make folks feel more relaxed than a loud bar, and you can incorporate activities like Limbo, keep it up, and beachy-themed icebreakers to keep guests occupied and engaged.
For inspiration, check out Summertime Shake-up.
10. Bocce Ball
One fun beach party activity is Bocce Ball. Bocce ball, better known as Italian lawn bowling, is an ancient Egyptian game turned popular Italian beach activity. You will need a Bocce ball set that you can find online for this game. The set comes with eight large balls known as “bocce balls”, one smaller ball known as either the “jack,” and a measuring tool. The object of the game is to throw the bocce balls closer to the jack than the opposing team. The first team to reach 12 points wins.
To get your game started:
- Set up a flat area approximately 13 feet wide by 91 feet long, using masking tape to draw two foul lines about 10 feet from each end of the area.
- Divide players evenly into two teams, ideally eight players. Each team gets four Bocce balls.
- The first player rolls the jack. It must reach the center of the flat area. The player then throws the first bocce ball, trying to get the bocce ball as close to the jack as possible.
- The first player from the opposing team throws another bocce ball.
- The two teams alternate throwing balls until all balls are gone. This is called one frame.
- The leader tallies points after each frame. The team with the bocce ball closest to the jack will receive points. If both teams’ bocce balls are equal distance from the jack, then the team earns no points. Each ball is worth one point. If one team has multiple balls closer to the jack than the other team, they will get one point for each bocce ball.
To make the game competitive, you can offer different prizes like coffee shop gift cards or coupons for extra time off.
11. Kayak Tour
Taking a kayak tour is a fantastic team activity for beach parties. Employees will have to work together to paddle and steer the boat, yet the exercise is not overly difficult or strenuous and participants will get to enjoy the sights while rowing. A kayak excursion will give team members the chance to learn about the area and the surrounding environment while chatting and enjoying time with coworkers. Plus, kayaks are an option for oceans, lakes, and rivers, so your group can enjoy boat time no matter what kind of body of water is closest to your office.
12. Classic Beach Movie Night
You can channel your beach goers’ inner Moondoggy and Gidget with a classic beach movie night and picnic. To plan your party, first pick a classic beach movie like:
- Gidget
- Blue Hawaii
- Beach Blanket Bingo
- The Endless Summer
Any summery flick or popular movie also works well. Next, set up your outdoor screen. You can rent or buy an inflatable movie screen, or project the film onto a sheet or a blank wall. Attendees can bring beach blankets or chairs to lounge in, or you can set up a luxury picnic with blankets, throw pillows, and fancy furniture teammates can sit in for the show.
Be sure to provide plenty of snacks!
13. Cape Cod Clambake
A fun beach theme is an old-fashioned New England clambake. These events are so simple to put together! To start, gather the following foods:
- potatoes and corn
- sausages and hot dogs
- clams and lobsters
Next, brown sausages and hot dogs. Then, fill multiple stockpots with water. When the water comes to a boil, add potatoes, sausages, hot dogs, clams, and corn. Finally, steam for another 12 to 15 minutes. voila! Your Cape Cod Clambake is ready!
Clambakes make great communal meals, and employees can take different roles in the preparation process to encourage teamwork.
14. Sandy Pickleball
Sandy pickleball is a game that is a cross between volleyball, pickleball, and badminton. The objective of the team is to get to 30 points before the opposing team. For this game, you will need a Sandy Pickleball set that includes a net, four standard paddles, four outdoor balls, and boundary markers.
To play, first put up the net. Next, set your boundaries around the net with boundary markers. Then, divide up teams into either two or four players. Finally, instruct each team on the rules.
Sandy pickleball rules include:
- returns must be behind 5′ of the net
- each shot must be returned without a bounce
- serves are made behind the baseline
- pickleball players can serve backhand, overhead, underhand, or sidearm
- serves are “out” if they land within 5′ of the net and are “in” if they hit the net but land within boundaries
For scoring, games are played to 11 points. Points are earned to the serving team when the opposing team misses the ball or the ball goes out of bounds.
Teammates can learn the new game together and the challenge can foster team spirit and friendly rivalry.
15. Seashell Art Activity
There is an artist out of Cape Cod that paints the most beautiful seashells with acrylic paint and melted crayon. For your partygoers, you can arrange a seashell art activity where they can make their own seashell art. First, you will need:
- seashells
- wax or soy crayons
- acrylic paint
- paintbrushes
- plastic tablecloths
Next, set up your activity station on long tables covered with plastic tablecloths. Make sure you stock the table with ample crayons and paint as party-goers will be sharing. Then, for the party-goers painting with crayon, instruct them to put their seashells in the microwave for approximately ten minutes. This will heat the seashell up enough for the crayon wax to go on smoothly. If you are at a beach and do not have access to a microwave, then you can heat the shells or wax with a lighter instead. Finally, tell your party-goers to unleash their inner Van Gogh and get creative with their seashells. Your artists will love bonding over this simple activity!
16. Sand Sculpture Contest
A sand sculpture building contest is one of the most fun beach party activities. You can split the group into teams and have each team compete to build the best sandcastle possible. Feel free to assign themes for the contest, like famous landmarks, movie sets, animals, fairytales, or cartoons. Or, you can let participants use their imaginations and keep the theme open-ended. Be sure to provide pails, shovels, and water as materials. Once the time limit is up, have judges view the creations and vote on a winner. This challenge brings out teammates’ creativity and engineering skills and lets teams practice quick collaboration.
17. Keep It Up
Keep It Up is one of the simplest games to play at beach parties. First, you will need an inflatable beach ball, balloon, or volleyball. Players should stand in a circle or crowd. Each round starts with one player throwing the ball into the air. The aim of the game is to prevent the ball from hitting the ground. However, a player cannot tap the ball twice in a row, and teammates must communicate to ensure that the ball stays in the air.
18. Water Gun Fight
Water gun fights add a sense of playfulness to your event. You can tell teammates to bring towels and changes of clothes for afterwards. Then, split the group into teams and arm each team with an arsenal of super soakers and water balloons. On the mark, players will try to drench opposing teams, and the last players left dry win the game. This game helps teammates let loose and have fun and involves some strategy and cutthroat competition.
19. Beach Bonfires
Bonfires are excellent camaraderie-building activities. When night falls, you and your team can build a fire, gather round, make s’mores or roast hot dogs, and share personal or spooky stories. These experiences encourage teammates to enjoy each other’s company and learn more about each other. Plus, campfires can be a relaxing way to wind down your beach party and end the evening.
Conclusion
Throwing work beach parties is a great way to get your co-workers out of the office and bonded over food, drinks, and fun games. The magic in beach party ideas is they can be as sophisticated or as casual as you want them to be. Regardless, they are bound to leave your party goers relaxed and happy.
For more fun ideas, check out these guides to company offsites, executive retreats, and group activities for adults.
We also have a list of the best office breakfast ideas and a list of office mixer ideas.
