McKinsey Summer Intern Beach Day at Tower 28

McKinsey & Company's summer interns spent a Sunday in July 2022 on the beach in Santa Monica, pairing a beach tennis session with a picnic setup from us. The chalkboard sign welcomed the summer interns as they arrived.

The beach tennis ran from noon to 2 pm, so we had snacks and activities ready about half an hour before, set up on the sand near the courts in the Ocean Park area by Lifeguard Tower 28. The group came in at about 40, and the food stayed simple with charcuterie boards, leaving the focus on the games.

Next to the tennis, we set out three cornhole sets, two ladder toss sets, three Spikeball sets and two bocce ball sets, giving interns plenty of ways to rotate in and out of play. Pairing an organized activity with a picnic base camp works well for intern classes and new teams: the activity breaks the ice, and the picnic gives everyone somewhere to land afterward.