Company Family Day: how to organise a family day people will remember

There are colleagues you have shared meetings and coffees with for years and yet you know almost nothing about them outside work. You have no idea that the very serious colleague in the next team has three small children, or that the head of administration is the one who laughs the most when she plays with her nephews and nieces. A Family Day (a day for employees' families at the company) exists precisely for that: to open a door into the lives of the people you work with and, at the same time, to let their families see with their own eyes where and with whom they spend so many hours a day.

It sounds like a simple idea, and it is, but organising it well takes some thought. You have to think about children of very different ages, adults who do not want to end up as "activity leaders", grandparents, the heat, the food, the insurance, and making sure nobody feels obliged to come. In this article we go through what a Family Day actually is, when it is worth doing, which decisions are best taken in advance, what a typical day might look like and which mistakes come up again and again.

What a Family Day is and why it works

A Family Day is a day out together in which employees invite their family (partner, children, parents, sometimes friends) to an event organised by the company. It is not a meeting or a training session: it is a day of shared leisure, usually outdoors or at a venue with plenty of space, with activities designed so that all ages can take part.

It works for a reason that is easier to understand from the human side than from the organisational one. When colleagues see each other in a different setting, things happen that a team meeting cannot achieve: you see them playing, laughing, looking after their children, losing a sack race. Guards come down and new conversations start. Families also get a better idea of what the person at home does for a living and who they work with, which usually means more understanding when a working day has to run late or someone has to travel for work.

There is also a sense of pride in belonging that should not be underestimated. For a child, seeing the place where their mum or dad works, or meeting the people they hear about at home, creates a positive image of the company that stays in the family. And for the company, that emotional bond weighs more than it seems when someone is thinking about changing jobs.

It is worth being honest about what a Family Day does not do: it does not fix a poor working atmosphere on its own, nor does it replace good team management. It is a very valuable complement, but it works best when the company already treats its people well. If you are interested in the relationship between shared leisure time and the working atmosphere, our article on how to measure workplace climate before and after a team building may help.

When it makes sense to organise one

There is no single right date, but there are moments when a Family Day fits especially well:

• Company anniversary. It is a natural excuse to celebrate with families. If that is your case, also take a look at our ideas for the company anniversary.
• End of the high season or of a demanding project. After months of heavy workload, a day with the families is a way of thanking people for their effort, and also those who have been waiting for them at home.
• Spring or early autumn. In much of Spain these are the most pleasant times of year to be outdoors: neither the summer heat nor the cold and rain of midwinter. If you are thinking of summer, first read what we say about activities for the summer season, because the middle hours of the day change the plan considerably.
• Start of the school year or before the Christmas holidays. These are dates when many families have more open diaries and children are more available.

Weekday or weekend is a weighty decision. A weekend makes it easier for families to attend (schools closed, other jobs off) but asks employees for a personal effort. If it is held on a working day, the company signals that this time counts as part of work, but many children will have school. A formula that works well is a Saturday morning with lunch included, so that nobody has to give up their whole weekend.

The decisions that really matter

Most Family Days that go well do so because of small decisions taken in advance, not because of one big star activity. These are the ones that weigh the most.

The venue

A good venue solves half the work. It should have enough space for children to run around safely, shade and rest areas, accessible toilets, reasonable parking and, if possible, a covered alternative in case the weather changes. It could be the company's own site if it has an open area or garden, a park, a country estate or a sports facility. If you are unsure how to choose, we have a specific guide on how to choose the location for a team building that applies almost point by point.

Who is coming and what ages they are

Before designing the programme, ask. A short survey of the staff (how many people are coming, how many children and of what ages, whether anyone has reduced mobility or serious allergies) avoids surprises on the day. An event with fifteen babies and toddlers is not the same as one with teenagers, or one with lots of couples without children. The more mixed the audience, the more varied the offer needs to be.

The organising team and the instructors

It is very tempting to put it together "among the office people". It usually costs a lot in time and stress: the employees who organise end up not enjoying the day. Bringing in a specialist company to take care of the instructors, the equipment and the running of each area means the HR team can be as relaxed as the rest of the guests.

Insurance and safety

At an event with children and inflatables, safety is not a formality. Check that the organising company has public liability insurance for the activity, that the inflatables and games come with the relevant documentation and that there is enough staff to supervise each area. Also define who is responsible for minors: the usual and prudent approach is that each child is always accompanied by an adult from their family, and that the organisers make this clear from the invitation onwards.

Food and drink

Food shapes the mood of the whole day. Work out quantities carefully, offer options for children, plan alternatives for people with allergies, coeliacs, vegetarians and those who do not eat pork or drink alcohol, and do not skimp on water, especially if it is hot. Simple, plentiful catering (sandwiches, pizza, fruit, ice cream) goes down better than a sophisticated menu that keeps everyone seated for a long time.

Communication beforehand

A clear, well-presented invitation sets the tone. State the date, times, venue, how to get there, which activities there will be, what food is offered, how many people each employee can bring and the deadline for confirming. Make it clear, too, that attendance is voluntary: a Family Day that is experienced as an obligation loses exactly what makes it valuable.

A sample day, hour by hour

Every event is different, but this structure of around five or six hours serves as a reference and is easy to adapt:

• 10:30 – Welcome. Wristbands or badges are handed out, the running of the day is explained and the map of zones is given out. Background music and cold drinks while everyone arrives.
• 11:00 – Short welcome speech. Two or three minutes from management, no speeches. Someone from the company should say thank you and not much more.
• 11:15 to 13:30 – Activities by zone. Sports challenges in mixed teams, gymkhanas, archery, inflatables, a crafts corner and face painting for the little ones. Each family moves around at its own pace.
• 13:30 to 15:00 – Lunch. Long tables, an informal atmosphere, no protocol. An ideal moment for families and departments to mix.
• 15:00 to 16:00 – Show or final challenge. A magician, a children's show or some Mini Olympics with a medal ceremony close the day on a high.
• 16:00 – Farewell. A small gift for the children, a group photo and a relaxed journey home.

If your idea of a Family Day includes team challenges, you can see how our Mini Olympics work, designed so that children and adults can take part without anyone feeling left out of the game.

Activities that work by age

The great challenge of a Family Day is that everyone has something to do without anyone feeling they are in the way. One way of looking at it is to split the offer by audience and, at the same time, include some "bridge" activities that mix ages.

• The youngest (up to about 6 years old). Adapted inflatables, face painting and crafts workshops, storytelling or clown and magic shows. The essential thing here is that there are adults nearby and quiet areas to rest.
• Children aged 7 to 12. Gymkhanas with clues, skill challenges, archery with protection, team games and races. They love competing against the adults and winning.
• Teenagers. They are the hardest audience, because they can feel that "this is for kids". What works best are proposals with an element of challenge, real competition and mobile phones (photo challenges, treasure hunts, tournaments), and giving them a certain amount of independence.
• Adults. A good Family Day has things for them too: relaxed competitions, a rest area with coffee or alcohol-free beers, activities for couples or quiet conversation in the shade. Not everyone wants to play all day.
• Grandparents and older people. Comfortable chairs, shade, calm music and a light activity (a game of bingo, for example) let them take part without effort.

If the group includes families with children and you are unsure which kind of challenges work best, you will also find useful what we say about how to organise a company gymkhana, a format that suits mixed groups very well.

Mistakes that keep repeating

After seeing how many events of this kind are planned, there are a number of fairly common failings. It is worth reviewing them before you finalise anything.

• Turning it into a corporate day in disguise. If there are banners, long speeches and results presentations, people switch off. The family is the star, not the company.
• Forgetting the heat and the shade. In late spring and summer, a space without shade goes from pleasant to exhausting within an hour. Have awnings, water and sun cream available.
• Running short of food. Nothing sinks the mood like a long queue and scarce food. Better to have too much than too little.
• Offering nothing for the adults. Employees who spend six hours playing parent without a break go home exhausted. A corner to sit and chat makes a big difference to the experience.
• Forcing participation. Not everyone wants to do everything. Letting each family choose which activities to join and when to rest is a sign of respect.
• Not planning for rain. Having a covered plan B (or at least an alternative date) avoids last-minute cancellations.
• Not collecting feedback afterwards. A short form the next day (what people liked, what was too much, what was missing) lets the next Family Day improve.

Many of these failings also appear at other corporate events; we summarise them in more detail in the article on common mistakes when organising a team building.

How much it costs and what it depends on

It is not possible to give a single figure, because the cost of a Family Day depends on several factors worth knowing before asking for a quote: the number of attendees (employees plus family members), the venue (your own or hired), the duration, the number and type of activities, whether food or catering is included, whether there is a show and whether you need inflatables, marquees or sound equipment set up. The more information you give at the start, the more accurate the quote will be. We have a guide to the points to bear in mind in how much a team building costs, which is a good starting point even if the format is different.

How to tell whether it went well

The success of a Family Day is not measured by attendance, although it helps. Look at what happens afterwards: whether people keep talking about the event for weeks, whether photos are shared spontaneously, whether people ask when the next one will be, whether employees who barely spoke start chatting over coffee. For the quantitative side, a quick satisfaction survey (from 1 to 5 and a couple of open questions) is enough. And if you want to go a step further, compare the team climate before and after, as we explain in this article.

What Kaizen's Family Day includes

Our Family Day is designed as a day of outdoor activities for employees, relatives and friends: our Mini Olympics, inflatables for children and adults, various gymkhanas and archery, plus activities designed for the youngest, such as face painting workshops, magicians, clowns and shows. Everything can be adapted to your company's needs and the space available, and it can be held at the company's premises or at another location (we can also find one for you). The instructors and the equipment needed for the activities are included.

If your company has many people with families in different places, or you simply want a special day for the team, we will talk through the format that fits best. You can see more possibilities for teams with family ties in our article on team building for family businesses, and check common questions in the frequently asked questions.

Shall we prepare your company's Family Day?

A well-thought-out Family Day does not need big investments, but it does need attention to detail: date, venue, ages, food and safety. If you would like us to design it with you, tell us how many people you expect, what date you would like to hold it and what space you have or are looking for, and we will send you a tailor-made proposal. Write to us from the contact page and we will reply within 24 hours.