I always enjoy work more during the summer. First, it's nice to drive to my office when it's light outside and come home to more sunlight and time outdoors. There's also a lighter, more casual tone in the office during the summer. People are working hard, but the edginess of winter is nonexistent.

To celebrate summer in your office, Promotional Consultant Today shares these fun work ideas from Canada-based Mike Kerr, a successful motivational speaker.

1. Hold a family open house. Not just a barbecue or social event, but plan something that allows family members to see the inner workings of your workplace. Families are part of your employees' support team. Winning over the hearts of their families can turn employees into raving, loyal ambassadors for your business.

2. Set up an ice cream sundae bar every Friday afternoon. It will be something that everyone looks forward to, and offers a nice, cool break at week's end.

3. Two words: stealth disco. Two more words: goofy fun. Here's how it works: Someone videotapes a fellow employee (under the pretense of doing a survey or interview) while someone else stealthily disco dances in the background unbeknownst to the person being recorded. Compile a collection, edit and screen to uproarious laughter-especially if you get your senior managers involved.

4. Stage a Ferris Bueller's Day Off contest. Have employees share what their ideal day of hooky would look like. It's a great way to generate some laughs while learning something about your teammates. Put names in a basket for a drawing and the winner gets to live out their day (within reason, of course!).

5. Hold an ugliest/tackiest Hawaiian shirt day/contest. Take the concept of the ugliest holiday sweater and apply it to the summer tropics. This is a great way to get remote employees involved too, as they can also share images of themselves in their shirts.

6. Schedule fishbowl Fridays. Everyone's name goes into a fishbowl, then you draw a name to see who gets let out of the fishbowl one hour early on Friday afternoon. Keep going throughout the summer until everyone has had an early release.

7. Participate in community charity events. Summer is also the ideal time to get out of the office and clean up a local park or give back to your community. It provides great team building and great marketing (post your efforts on social media), and if you get folks out of the office for an afternoon, it's a great perk as well.

8. Compete with team lemonade stand contests. Each week a different team sets up and markets a lemonade stand in the office. Proceeds go to a charity of choice. The team that demonstrates the most creative approach to marketing, raises the most bucks or has the best-tasting lemonade wins the coveted Lemon Masters of the Universe trophy, which includes your company kicking in extra money for that team's favorite charity or project.

Sound fun? Have other ideas? Let PCT know how you and your team are having fun this summer.

Source: Michael Kerr is one of Canada's most requested motivational keynote speakers and business trainers. He is the author of Putting Humor to Work and Inspiring Workplaces. For great ideas and inspiration, sign up for the weekly e-zine, Humor at Work.