Yes Virginia, there IS such a thing as “field day for adults”

I know, I know - we learn something new every day. But I don’t think I have ever heard of “field day for adults” until I was involved in one yesterday.  

Picture this: 

Programmers walking around at the park down the street from work, in 90 degree weather, clad in tee shirts that denoted the department manager for whom you work. Everybody is out in the park, playing various games like: 

• Football Toss 

• Chip the Golf Ball 

• Flip Cup 

• Pong Tac Toe 

• Tilt-A-Cup 

• Shake the Golf Balls Loose 

• Spike Ball 

• Frisbee Golf 

• Ladder Toss 

• Ring Toss 

• Ring the Department Manager 

Each department was playing to win the most tickets to secure bragging rights AND an Amazon gift card for each programmer in that department. 

Yep, that really happened. I witnessed it and have pictures (and video) from this event. 

The most fun, though? 

Multiple people who are permanent remote workers actually came out to enjoy the festivities and reunited with group members that they had not seen in person since before the pandemic. That was a beautiful thing. A lot of fun was had by all, and of course some delicious food trucks were out feeding us lunch and dessert. 

I learned several things at that event that I think you will enjoy learning too. 

• You have to have a team to help pull off an event like this. There were a ton of moving parts and the managers and admins made everything seem so smooth. 

• There are competitors, there are those out having fun, and there is also comic relief. We had a few people in a couple of departments who played every single game - multiple times - until they won, and their hard work paid off with lots of tickets in hand for door prizes. There were some who just came to have a great time away from the stress of work projects. We also had those who tried their best and legit could not win anything. (I’m in the third group, and I’m not ashamed about it either - haha!) 

• Laughter is the best medicine. I walked past several games where the people were laughing uncontrollably. Some of the same folks had been dealing with stress in the office, so that laughter was a release for them - like a pressure valve being turned on. 

• Enjoy the moments, even in the heat. Yes it was 90 degrees, but the frozen ice was being enjoyed, the water bottles were disappearing, the milkshakes were being slurped up, and everyone was having a good time - as far as I could see. We could have been at our desks still frustrated with being stuck on a project, but we were instead cheering each other on. 

The courses in the Rewrite Your Health Story Marketplace won’t have you out in the oppressive weather doing field day. They also won’t have you embarrassing yourself with not being good at games. However you will gain knowledge and inspiration, plus actionable items, to help you on your fitness journey. 

Ready to find your place?