The Office Playground Blog

April is National Autism Awareness Month

April is National Autism Awareness Month. Autism is a complex spectrum disorder that affects kids and adults. To learn more about Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) visit The Autism Society Web Site.

Office Playground has a wide variety of toys that can help people facing the unique challenges of autism find some relaxation and fun. Fidget toys provide a unique tactile experience with different textures. Some toys with sound or repetitive actions are relaxing and comforting. There are also toys for developing large motor skills, fine motor skills, and coordination.

See Autism Toys from Office Playground here.

Image courtesy of Beverly.

Bring Toys Not Donuts

Are you still bringing donuts to meetings? WAIT! You don't need to do that anymore. There's a better way to get everyone energized and excited at your next meeting. It's simple: bring toys, not donuts.

We all know that donuts are bad for you and the sugar crash is a serious downer. Bringing donuts to meetings is like saying, "Here, I hope you all feel sick for the next 5 hours and act like zombies all afternoon." Donuts only take a minute to eat, give you heartburn and require an extra workout to burn off the empty calories. On the other hand, a good office toy is long-lasting, stress relieving and brightens up your workspace.

Note the health considerations of Donuts versus Toys:

Have some fun at your next meeting and bring a box of office toys. Who knows, maybe you'll impress your boss so much, you'll get further in your career (we make no guarantees).

Instead of a dozen donuts
Image Credit: Emran Kassim
Bring a Stress Ball Box	Or a Meeting in a Box	Or a Desk Toy Box

Be more playful and bring some fun and health to your office...Bring toys, not donuts!

Playfully,

Bill Ross
The Office Toy Guy
OfficeToyGuy@OfficePlayground.com

www.OfficePlayground.com
We help you play on company time.

Get Smart! - The Benefits of Puzzles

At OfficePlayground.com, we often mention that one of the main benefits of playing with office toys at work is to help reduce stress. But, did you know that playing at work can make you smarter?

Well, your IQ probably won't increase and you still might think the capital of Oregon is Portland, but you can boost your brain power with a mini-workout each day.

According to the September 2009 issue of Redbook Magazine, "research has shown that doing puzzles—from crosswords and Sudoku to Rubik’s Cube—might help ward off diseases such as Alzheimer's and dementia." Further, the recommendation is to spend 10 minutes a day exercising your brain muscle.

We've always loved the Office Playground Puzzle Category because of classics like Rubik’s Cube and the Fifteen Puzzle. And as always, these old standbys don't disappoint. But, more recent products like the Find It games and the Hoberman Brain Twist give a fun flair to puzzling.

Visit our puzzles category to pick out your next piece of exercise equipment so you can start to get smarter just by sitting at your desk and playing. No pain, a lot of gain. It doesn't get easier than that!

Expert Says Business Meetings Need Toys

We've been hearing more and more lately from our customers that they want to have a little more fun during their meetings and training sessions. Apparently the experts are saying the same thing. One of the thought leaders in the business meetings arena, Michael Begeman, uses several strategies for creating effective meetings. In an interview with Fast Company, an innovative business magazine, Begeman reveals how he makes his meetings better.

Here are the steps Begeman uses to create positive and efficient meetings:

• Start with a plan
• Know the type of conversation the meeting should have
• Play by the meeting’s rules
• Schedule time for small talk to get it out of the way
• Hand out toys
• Get feedback

He hands out toys? Go figure. For a meeting with a group of senior executives he handed out a mouse pad and a stress ball. He also recommends Slinkys in meeting rooms. Begeman has found that "when people have something to play with, when they can get more of their body involved in what they're doing, they become more creative."

To read the full article from Fast Company, click here.

Best Practices in Using Stress Balls for Meetings

Toys, such as stress balls, can make your meeting or training event more successful. Please refer to our blog posting, Better Meetings with Toys to learn why you should offer toys to your meeting/training attendees. There are certain variables to consider when you shop for your next batch of meeting stress balls. (See all of our Stress Balls here.)

Distribution – We recommend laying out a variety of stress balls together, maybe in a large bowl, and let the attendees take their pick. The folks who show up early get the best pick and the ones who are late get whatever is left (they won’t be late again).

Top Picks – Here are some of our best Meeting Stress Balls:

Koosh Ball	Mood Dude Happy	Cyber Gel Ball
Happy Face Ball	Gripp Stress Ball

Customize a Stress Ball – We can print your message/logo/tagline or whatever you wish on a stress ball. Print the main takeaway message of your training session so attendees are reminded throughout the day as they see it on their desks. Click here to see the range of stress balls we can custom imprint.

Make the best choice for your meeting:
Noise – Some stress balls make noise and that is too distracting for a business meeting or training event. Avoid balls with water or any liquid inside since they’ll make a squishing sound when squeezed. Also, some stress balls actually talk back when squeezed. While that is funny the first couple of times, it doesn’t work when the meeting really gets underway.

Filling – Any stress ball with liquid or gel inside has the potential to break. Our stress balls are strong, we don’t sell weak ones, but sometimes they do fail. You don’t want the contents of a Fishy Squishy all over the table during a meeting.

During these stressful business times, giving out the right stress balls at your next business meeting, training session or event will yield huge returns.

Bill Ross
Founder & CEO
Office Playground, Inc.

Better Meetings with Toys

You can improve your business meetings by using office toys. Here are some ways to get more out of your next training session, company-wide meeting or weekly team reviews.

Attention span – Keep their hands busy and their minds open. Hand out office toys to keep attendees focused. Attention spans will increase if attendees have something to manipulate in their fingers. If meeting goers are busy fidgeting with a Tangle or Magic Loop, they will listen and retain more content.

Attendance – If employees know that toys are given out at a meeting, they will show up and will stay to the end. Give toys to employees who arrive on time. If they arrive late, they don't get a toy. Late arrivers will be very disappointed. On the flip side, give an office toy to folks who stay for the entire meeting. It'll be a fun reward for staying.

Participation – Encourage people to give feedback and get involved in the meeting by giving office toys to audience members who ask good questions or who are the first to answer. The entire room will be on the edge of their seats, absorbing everything you say.

Bowl of Office Toys – Place a bunch of small inexpensive toys in a bowl or basket in the middle of the table or near the door. Choose office toys that are all the same style or a variety. Be sure to pick "quiet" office toys so they aren't a distraction during the meeting. Foam Stress Balls, Thredz-Flex Ziggy Variegated, Bendeez Confetti are all good examples. Folks should return the office toys to the basket after the meeting to be used next time.

Handouts/Rewards – Keep a variety of office toys on hand to give out during the meeting. Popular office toys such as Newton's Cradle 5" Silver or Mini Deluxe Zen Garden are great rewards for reaching certain business objectives, making a quota or staying within budget. Fun office toys, such as Happy Face Stress Ball or Laughing Stress Ball are great handouts for folks who participate and for positive attitudes. Extremely affordable items such as Stretchy Body Bits and Funny Monster Clips are ideal for folks who arrive on time or answer/ask questions.

Props and Games - Use office toys as props to support your lessons. Themed office toys help reinforce key ideas and points. Trainees will be reminded of important messages long after the meeting has ended. For example, use an Affirmation Ball to reinforce positive customer service behavior or a Beach in a Box to remind your sales staff of the trip for folks who reach annual goals. Create teambuilding exercises by playing games with office toys. Participants are sure to bond over a Boss Toss competition, Downtown Shootout or Basket Case Hoop Game.

Let's face it, business meetings aren't on the top of everyone's list of favorite things to do. But, they are a necessary part of the operation. Take it from us, business people love to play with office toys and will respond favorably if you incorporate them into your next meeting. So, go ahead and give it a try!