70+ Small Fun Office Activities, Games & Ideas For Employees

small fun activities for employees in office
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Table of Contents

Work can easily get monotonous – long hours, tight deadlines, and the same old routine can drain your team’s energy and creativity. That is why it is so important to inject some excitement into their workday. Small fun activities for employees in office can do wonders for their morale, productivity, and overall job satisfaction.

In this article, we have rounded up 71 small but fun work games and activities that can be implemented with minimal effort and cost. So if you want a workplace where productivity is high and creativity flows freely, these fun work activities are sure to do the trick. 

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10 Best Fun Employee Activities At A Glance

Here’s a quick look at the top 10 exciting and fun office games and team-building activities:

ActivitySetup EaseGreat ForQuick How ToBest Time To Do
Desk CharadesVery EasyCommunication, FunAct out work-related themes silentlyBreak Time or Team Meetings
Office BingoEasyEngagement, FunCreate bingo cards with office phrasesDuring Weekly Meetings
Lunchtime Lip Sync BattleModerateTeam Bonding, EntertainmentPerform lip syncs of popular songsLunch Breaks
Guess Who? (Office Edition)EasyIce Breaking, CommunicationWrite/ guess fun facts about colleaguesStart of a Team Meeting
Mini Team Building ChallengesEasyTeamwork, Problem-SolvingCollaborative tasks or puzzlesFriday Afternoons
Emoji StoryVery EasyCreativity, FunCreate stories using emojis, others guessMidweek Breaks
Flash Fiction FridaysVery EasyCreativity, SharingWrite short stories, share with teamFriday End-of-Day
Office Scavenger HuntModerateTeamwork, ActivitySet up clues around the officeSpecial Occasions or Team Building Days
Recipe SwapVery EasyCultural Sharing, EngagementExchange favorite recipes with colleaguesMonthly Team Lunch
‘What’s in the Box?’ ChallengeEasyFun, CuriosityGuess items in a box by touchAnytime, Great for Quick Breaks

Most Popular Fun Work Activities For Office Employees

If that little preview got you interested, get ready – we are just getting warmed up. Here are some of the most popular and fun office ideas and games to bring into your office.

1. Desk Charades

Participants take turns acting out a work-related word or phrase without speaking, while their teammates try to guess. Use a timer to limit each round.

  • Duration: 10-15 minutes
  • What You Need: Timer, list of work-related words or phrases
  • Resources: Charades Idea Generator

2. Office Bingo

Small fun activities for employees in office - Bingo card

Create bingo cards with common office phrases, events, or items. Distribute cards to employees, and throughout the day or meeting, participants mark off squares. The first to get a line wins.

3. Lunchtime Lip Sync Battle

Employees choose a song and perform a lip sync in front of their colleagues. Make it competitive by having judges or a vote to decide the winner.

  • Duration: 30-60 minutes
  • What You Need: Music player, list of songs, makeshift stage
  • Resources: Billboard Top 100 for song ideas

4. Guess Who? (Office Edition)

Employees submit 1 unknown fact about themselves. Facts are read aloud, and everyone guesses who each fact belongs to. 

  • Duration: 15-30 minutes
  • What You Need: Paper, pens, container for submissions
  • Resources: Icebreaker Ideas 

5. Mini Team Building Challenges

 Small fun activities for employees in office - Spaghetti Tower

Set up short activities that require teamwork, like building the tallest freestanding structure with spaghetti and marshmallows. Teams compete for the best solution.

6. Emoji Story

Small fun activities for employees in office - Emoji story

Participants use emojis to create a short story or describe a movie, book, etc., and others guess what it is. This can be done via email or in a group setting.

7. Flash Fiction Fridays

Employees write a short story (100 words or less) on an office-related theme. Stories are shared at the end of the day.

8. Office Scavenger Hunt

Create a list of items or clues that guide employees around the office. Teams or individuals compete to find all items or solve all clues first is the winning team.

  • Duration: 30-60 minutes
  • What You Need: List of items/clues, prizes
  • Resources: Scavenger Hunt Ideas

9. Recipe Swap

Employees bring in a favorite recipe to share. They can also bring samples. 

  • Duration: 10-20 minutes
  • What You Need: Recipes, optional samples of dishes
  • Resources: AllRecipes for recipe sharing. 

10. ‘What’s in the Box?’ Challenge

Place different objects in a box. Participants reach in and guess the object by touch. This can be themed around office supplies, seasonal items, etc.

  • Duration: 10-15 minutes
  • What You Need: Box, various small objects
  • Resources: Play What’s In The Box game setup and object ideas

Fun Work Games & Activities To Improve Employee Communication Skills

Good communication skills prevent office conflict and help build healthy work relationships. Here are some fun employee activities to help you and your team with that.

11. Compliment Cards

Small fun activities for employees in office - Compliment cards

Give everyone a card to write a compliment for a colleague. Collect and distribute them randomly or display them on a positivity wall.

  • How it Helps with Communication Skills: Boosts employee morale and encourages positive feedback.
  • Setup Ease: Very easy.
  • What You Need: Cards or sticky notes, pens.
  • Best Time to Do: Start of meetings or team-building days.

12. Silent Line-Up

Divide everyone into small groups and make them line up in different orders, by alphabetical middle name, company tenure, or birthday, all without talking. Set a timer and see which team gets the most correct order.

  • How it Helps with Communication Skills: Improves non-verbal communication skills and the ability to follow instructions accurately.
  • Setup Ease: Very easy.
  • What You Need: Timer.
  • Best Time to Do: Team building event or icebreakers during training.

13. Would You Rather

Ask employees to create hypothetical questions of 2 scenarios. Each participant will be given the chance to ask everyone which of the two they’d rather do. 

  • How it Helps with Communication Skills: Enhances listening ability.
  • Setup Ease: Very easy.
  • What You Need: Board and marker to write scenarios.
  • Best Time to Do: Lunch or happy hours.

14. Two Truths and a Lie

Instruct the team to create 3 statements about themselves and present it to the group, 2 are facts and 1 is a lie. Everyone will guess which statements are true and which one is false, and the majority of the votes will be the final guess.

  • How it Helps with Communication Skills: Improves listening actively because it forces players to pay close attention to details to spot the lie.
  • Setup Ease: Very easy.
  • What You Need: Board and marker to write the statements.
  • Best Time to Do: Team-building event.

15. Quick Feedback Round

Form groups and task them with creating a brief presentation for a hypothetical business proposal. Each group has 15 minutes to craft their presentation creatively. Afterward, other groups provide feedback and assign scores. The team with the highest score wins.

  • How it Helps with Communication Skills: Encourages open communication.
  • Setup Ease: Easy.
  • What You Need: Timer.
  • Best Time to Do: Icebreaker games during meetings.

16. Office Trivia

Prepare a series of trivia questions related to the company, team members, or general office knowledge. Divide employees into small teams, and ask each team to answer the questions. You can make it competitive by awarding points for each correct answer, with a small prize for the winning team.

  • How it Helps with Communication Skills: Encourages open dialogue.
  • Setup Ease: Easy.
  • What You Need: Prepared trivia questions, scorecards, and optional prizes.
  • Best Time to Do: During team meetings or casual team-building sessions.

17. Memory Wall

Set up a dedicated wall or board where employees can post memorable photos, notes, or achievements. Encourage team members to contribute by sharing highlights from work events, team outings, or personal milestones.

  • How it Helps with Communication Skills: Strengthens connections and encourages storytelling.
  • Setup Ease: Easy.
  • What You Need: Bulletin board or wall space, pins or adhesive, and markers.
  • Best Time to Do: Throughout the year as an ongoing engagement activity.
???? Did You Know?

81% of employees in companies rated as “great” describe their workplace as “fun.”

(Source)

Fun Activities At Work To Improve Employee Time Management

Time management skills have been proven to boost productivity without delaying any tasks, and reducing stress with overwhelming tight deadlines. To help your team master this, try some of these activities for office fun.

18. Five-Minute Mystery Tasks

Create 3-5 small groups. Set a 5-minute time limit to solve a mystery story. Each participant will pick a card for their character. The goal for the remaining characters is to correctly guess the murderer.

  • How it Helps with Time Management: Develop focus and concentration skills.
  • Setup Ease: Easy.
  • What You Need: Paper and pen.
  • Best Time to Do: Icebreaker during meetings or team-building days.

19. Speed Sorting Challenge

Establish sorting rules, like “Arrange by color, shape, etc.,” within a specified time limit. The participant who correctly sorts the most items in the given time wins.

  • How it Helps with Time Management: Prompts quick and effective decision-making.
  • Setup Ease: Moderate.
  • What You Need: Items with different colors, shapes, lengths, etc. that can be sorted.
  • Best Time to Do: Breaks or team-building days.

20. Quick Plan-Off

Give each participant an office event and ask them to create a detailed plan in 10 minutes. The quickest, most creative, and most detailed plans will be recognized and awarded points.

  • How it Helps with Time Management: Instills a sense of urgency and discipline.
  • Setup Ease: Easy.
  • What You Need: Timer.
  • Best Time to Do: Team-building days.

21. Email Inbox Zero Race

Small fun activities for employees in office - Email inbox zero race method

The game aims for zero pending emails by the end of each day. Responses should be timely, concise, and prioritized. Reward the first person who does this well with a time management star title.

  • How it Helps with Time Management: Help employees identify and prioritize tasks.
  • Setup Ease: Very easy.
  • What You Need: Board tracker of accomplishments.
  • Best Time to Do: Regular work day.

22. Daily Goal Setter Challenge

Small fun activities for employees in office - Daily goals setter (SMART)

Ask employees to set a daily goal for the next few weeks with the SMART concept (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Timely, Realistic) and update the online chat room with photos once they accomplish each goal. For example, engage in a conversation with at least 2 employees from other departments during lunch break.

  • How it Helps with Time Management: Provides clear objectives for the day to improve task planning.
  • Setup Ease: Very easy.
  • What You Need: Planner or to-do list boards.
  • Best Time to Do: Start of the work day.

23. Time-Blocked Brainstorm

Assign a specific problem or topic to each employee and establish a time limit for brainstorming. Ask them to present their solutions or new ideas after.

  • How it Helps with Time Management: Enhance adaptability to deadlines.
  • Setup Ease: Very easy.
  • What You Need: Timer.
  • Best Time to Do: Before the start of a meeting.

24. Birthday Lineup

Ask employees to line up in order of their birthdays, from January to December, without speaking. They can only use non-verbal cues like gestures or facial expressions to communicate.

  • How it Helps with Time Management: Encourages time efficiency and quick decision-making.
  • Setup Ease: Easy.
  • What You Need: No additional materials are required.
  • Best Time to Do: During team-building events or to break up a long meeting.

Fun Office Ideas & Activities To Boost Teamwork & Collaboration

Teamwork improves communication and lets everyone work together by sharing their skills to reach a common goal. Here’s how you can achieve this by doing these fun activities at work. 

25. Pair-Up For a Day

Generate a pool of employee names. Everyone selects a name, and the chosen person becomes their partner for the day. Partners will spend lunch breaks together to share hobbies and favorites.

  • How it Helps with Teamwork and Collaboration: Encouraging employees to build relationships for easy communication. 
  • Setup Ease: Easy.
  • What You Need: Paper and box.
  • Best Time to Do: At the beginning of the workday.

26. Paper Airplane Contest

small fun activities for employees in office - Paper Airplane Contest
Image Source

Divide employees into teams, give each a sheet of paper, set design guidelines and a time limit for crafting paper airplanes. Designate a flight area in the office that is safe, and the team with the farthest-flying airplane wins.

  • How it Helps with Teamwork and Collaboration: Help individuals learn from each other and develop strategies.
  • Setup Ease: Moderate.
  • What You Need: Paper and measuring tape.
  • Best Time to Do: Breaks or a team-building event.

27. Two-Minute Ideas

Present a topic like gadget must-haves or office even suggestions to the group. Allocate 2 minutes for each participant to generate new ideas on the given subject. 

  • How it Helps with Teamwork and Collaboration: Encourages support for each other.
  • Setup Ease: Very easy.
  • What You Need: Timer.
  • Best Time to Do: Before the start of a meeting or icebreaker games during a meeting.

28. Team Puzzle Race

Divide everyone into teams and give each a puzzle. The race is on to see which team can complete their puzzle the fastest.

  • How it Helps with Teamwork and Collaboration: Enhances team communication skills.
  • Setup Ease: Moderate.
  • What You Need: A set of puzzles and a timer.
  • Best Time to Do: Team-building days.

29. Desk Swap

Put everyone’s names in a container. Each person picks a name randomly to find out which desk they’ll use for the day.                                                     

  • How it Helps with Teamwork and Collaboration: Encourages cooperation.
  • Setup Ease: Easy.
  • What You Need: Paper with names and container.
  • Best Time to Do: First hour of the working day.

30. Corporate Pictionary

In teams, employees take turns drawing words related to the company or industry while others guess what they are. The team with the most correct guesses wins.

  • How it Helps with Teamwork and Collaboration: Enhances collaboration as team members communicate.
  • Setup Ease: Easy.
  • What You Need: Whiteboard or paper, markers, and a list of words.
  • Best Time to Do: During breaks or as a fun activity during meetings.

31. Build-a-Story Together

The first person starts the plot with a phrase like “Once upon a time.” The next person adds a sentence, and the other employee goes next and continues the story until it has an ending.

  • How it Helps with Teamwork and Collaboration: Promotes active participation and enhances listening skills.
  • Setup Ease: Easy.
  • What You Need: Closed room.
  • Best Time to Do: Before the start of a meeting or happy hours.

32. Virtual Team Lunch

Organize a virtual lunch for both the onsite and remote teams. Everyone will have the opportunity to socialize with each other during the event.

  • How it Helps with Teamwork and Collaboration: Encourage open communication.
  • Setup Ease: Very easy.
  • What You Need: Online meeting platform.
  • Best Time to Do: Lunch breaks.

33. Murder Mystery

Divide employees into small groups and assign them different roles for a murder mystery game. Each group works together to solve the mystery by finding clues and collaborating on theories.

  • How it Helps with Teamwork and Collaboration: Fosters teamwork and coordination.
  • Setup Ease: Medium.
  • What You Need: Murder mystery kit or custom scripts with clues.
  • Best Time to Do: Team-building events or as a fun break during a long meeting.

34. Team Emblem

Ask each team to design an emblem or logo that represents their group’s values, mission, or personality. The emblems can then be presented to the entire office.

  • How it Helps with Teamwork and Collaboration: Encourages creativity and collective brainstorming.
  • Setup Ease: Easy.
  • What You Need: Markers, paper, or digital tools for designing.
  • Best Time to Do: Team-building sessions or brainstorming meetings.

Fun Things To Do At Work To Enhance Employee Problem-Solving Skills

Problem-solving skills open employees’ analytical and creative thinking to create innovative solutions to challenges the company is facing. Here are some office fun activities that can help with that.

35. Office Riddles

Keep a collection of riddles in a box. Each workday, 1 employee chooses a riddle to solve. Post the riddle on the bulletin board or online group chat. The first person to provide the correct answer wins.

  • How it Helps with Problem Solving: Enhances memory and recall.
  • Setup Ease: Very easy.
  • What You Need: Riddles from books or online websites.
  • Best Time to Do: Icebreakers during team meetings.

36. Flash Brainstorming

Introduce a topic to the team: productivity hacks, new product ideas, cost-saving strategies, or technological upgrades. Ask participants to generate as many ideas as possible within 5 minutes. 

  • How it Helps with Problem Solving: Improves response speed.
  • Setup Ease: Very easy.
  • What You Need: Paper, box, and pen.
  • Best Time to Do: Before the start of a meeting.

37. Quick-Fix Competition

Small fun activities for employees in office - Quick-fix competition (Disassembled calculator)

Teams select a table numbered with disassembled office materials such as pen, stapler, keyboard keys, and more. Groups aim to fix them within a 3-minute timeframe. The team accomplishing the repairs in the designated time wins. 

  • How it Helps with Problem Solving: Improves critical thinking under pressure and encourages new solving approaches.
  • Setup Ease: Hard.
  • What You Need: Broken materials, papers, box, and pen.
  • Best Time to Do: Team-building days.

38 Problem Solving Relay

Put different problem-solving questions into a box. Split everyone into teams. Each person picks a question and solves it on paper or a board. The team that solves the most questions before time runs out wins.

  • How it Helps with Problem Solving: Strengthens analytical thinking and improves attention to detail.
  • Setup Ease: Easy.
  • What You Need: Paper, box, board, and markers.
  • Best Time to Do: Team-building week or icebreakers during long-hour meetings.

39. Escape Room (Puzzle Sheets)

Use empty office rooms, place puzzle sheets in each room, and challenge participants to solve them one by one to move forward and ultimately escape to the final room.

  • How it Helps with Problem Solving: Develop pattern recognition and logical reasoning.
  • Setup Ease: Hard.
  • What You Need: Puzzle sheets and room decorations based on the puzzle.
  • Best Time to Do: Team building event.

40. Desk Drop Quest

Ask team members to bring an item from their desk to be stacked on a large table. The objective is to collaboratively build a tall tower.

  • How it Helps with Problem Solving: Promotes resource utilization and creative thinking.
  • Setup Ease: Easy. 
  • What You Need: Items found on the desk.
  • Best Time to Do: Office breaks.

41. Mystery Box Challenge

Load different items in a covered box. Participants feel the item inside and guess what it is within 1 minute.

  • How it Helps with Problem Solving: Stimulates critical thinking.
  • Setup Ease: Moderate.
  • What You Need: Box with lid and office supplies with different textures.
  • Best Time to Do: Icebreakers during meeting or break time.

42. Egg Drop

small fun activities for employees in office - Egg Drop
Image Source

Provide teams with materials like straws, tape, rubber bands, and paper. The task is to create a protective structure around an egg, so it doesn’t break when dropped from a height.

  • How it Helps with Problem Solving: Encourages creative thinking, resourcefulness, and testing hypotheses.
  • Setup Ease: Medium.
  • What You Need: Eggs and different materials for building the protective structure.
  • Best Time to Do: Team-building sessions or as a fun break during meetings.
???? Here’s an Interesting Fact!

90% of highly engaged employees say they work on a fun team, while only 37% of disengaged employees feel the same.

(Source)

Office Fun Activities For Improving Employee Adaptability

Employees who are adaptable can consistently provide solutions to challenges. Explore these fun things to do at work to help your team improve this skill.

43. Role Reversal Game

Prepare a game plot, have participants pick a role from a pool initially, and give them a little preparation time. Ask them to return it, and then pick again for their actual roles in the game with no preparation time.

  • How it Helps with Adaptability Skills: Boosts thinking flexibility.
  • Setup Ease: Moderate.
  • What You Need: Paper and box.
  • Best Time to Do: Team-building days.

44 Surprise Task Lottery

Spin a wheel with employee names and tasks. Then spin the task wheel to assign a task. Employees need to complete the assigned task within a set deadline.

  • How it Helps with Adaptability Skills: Find effective solutions in work tasks. 
  • Setup Ease: Easy.
  • What You Need: Online wheel of names.
  • Best Time to Do: Starting hour of work day.

45. Flash Debate

Organize a debate by assigning participants specific positions on a debatable topic. Each participant has 2 minutes to persuade and win the argument. 

  • How it Helps with Adaptability Skills: Enhance quick thinking and response.
  • Setup Ease: Easy.
  • What You Need: Timer.
  • Best Time to Do: Team-building activities.

46. Skill Swap Workshop

Identify skilled employees and make them workshop leaders in their expertise. Anyone wanting to improve a skill can join the workshop.

  • How it Helps with Adaptability Skills: Promotes the ability to take on varied tasks. Increase job flexibility.
  • Setup Ease: Moderate.
  • What You Need: Projectors for presentations.
  • Best Time to Do: Flexible timing, to be scheduled by assigned leaders.

47. Adaptation Stories Circle

Form a circle with the team and start a story with the first person. Each participant in the circle continues the narrative for a minute, with the last person concluding the story.

  • How it Helps with Adaptability Skills: Adapting to unanticipated events.
  • Setup Ease: Easy.
  • What You Need: Timer.
  • Best Time to Do: Team-building activities.

48. Impromptu Challenges

Give each person a work challenge and have them solve it on the spot within a set time.

  • How it Helps with Adaptability Skills: Enhance decision-making under pressure and time constraints.
  • Setup Ease: Easy.
  • What You Need: Paper, box, and pen.
  • Best Time to Do: Before meetings.

49. Musical Chairs (Office Version)

Arrange office chairs in circles, use 1 less chair in each round. Play music and players dance around. When the music stops, those sitting can continue playing.

  • How it Helps with Adaptability Skills: Learn to cope with unexpected changes and adapt strategies accordingly.
  • Setup Ease: Easy.
  • What You Need: Office chairs.
  • Best Time to Do: Happy hours or team-building days.

50. Change Management Challenge

Implement a role reversal game where departments swap tasks, and the team completing the task first in their new role wins.

  • How it Helps with Adaptability Skills: Encourage collaboration for better skill transferability across tasks and roles.
  • Setup Ease: Easy.
  • What You Need: Task manager to distribute work.
  • Best Time to Do: Team-building activities.

51. Quick Adaptation Game

Create situations that mirror real-life problems and ask individuals to act out scenarios, working together to come up with solutions as the ending.

  • How it Helps with Adaptability Skills: Adapt to different roles and situations.
  • Setup Ease: Easy.
  • What You Need: Online story generator.
  • Best Time to Do: Team building event.

52. No Smiling

In this game, participants must try to keep a straight face while others try to make them laugh. The challenge is to avoid smiling for a set amount of time.

  • How it Helps with Adaptability Skills: Encourages employees to maintain focus and adapt to changing circumstances.
  • Setup Ease: Very easy.
  • What You Need: No additional materials are required.
  • Best Time to Do: Icebreaker activity during meetings or team-building events.

Quick Fun Work Events For Enhancing Team Spirit

Quick and fun work events can do wonders for building stronger connections and improving morale. Here are some fun ideas for work events.

53. Office Olympics

small fun activities for employees in office - Office Olympics
Image Source

Set up a series of quick, fun challenges like chair races, paper airplane contests, or desktop ping pong. Employees compete in teams or individually in all events and earn points for each.

  • How it Helps: Promotes friendly competition and collaboration.
  • Setup Ease: Moderate.
  • What You Need: Office supplies, space for activities, and a timer.
  • Best Time to Do: Team-building days or during breaks to lighten the mood.

54. Two-Minute Talent Show

Invite employees to show a talent, hobby, or skill in just 2 minutes. Whether it’s a quick magic trick, a funny skit, or a musical performance, everyone gets a turn.

  • How it Helps: Encourages public speaking and builds confidence.
  • Setup Ease: Easy.
  • What You Need: A designated area or virtual meeting space.
  • Best Time to Do: During breaks, lunch hours, or as a fun icebreaker in meetings.

55. Post-It Note War

In this fun activity, employees cover each other’s desks, walls, or computers with Post-it notes. The goal is to decorate as creatively as possible without making a mess.

  • How it Helps: Encourages teamwork and creativity while having fun.
  • Setup Ease: Very easy.
  • What You Need: Post-it notes and a designated space.
  • Best Time to Do: During a slow afternoon or as a lighthearted break.

56. Desk Chair Races

small fun activities for employees in office - Desk Chair Races

Set up a racecourse in the office or hallways, where employees race around using only their desk chairs. You can add obstacles or challenges for more fun.

  • How it Helps: Encourages friendly competition, collaboration, and communication.
  • Setup Ease: Easy.
  • What You Need: Desk chairs, a designated space, and some cones or markers for the racecourse.
  • Best Time to Do: During breaks or as a fun event after a meeting.

57. Photo Booth With Props

Create a photo booth with fun props like hats, wigs, and oversized glasses. Employees can take silly or themed photos to share with the team.

  • How it Helps: Provides a casual and creative way for employees to bond.
  • Setup Ease: Easy.
  • What You Need: A backdrop, props (hats, glasses, boas, etc.), and a camera or smartphone.
  • Best Time to Do: During lunch breaks, special occasions, or team events.

58. Mini Office Concert

Invite employees to show their musical talents in a mini concert, whether it’s playing an instrument, singing, or performing a unique talent.

  • How it Helps: Helps employees overcome stage fright and enhances confidence.
  • Setup Ease: Easy to moderate (depending on the setup).
  • What You Need: A designated space for performing, instruments (if needed), and a microphone.
  • Best Time to Do: During breaks or as a fun addition to a team-building day.

Bonus Fun Workplace Activities For Employees

Explore additional fun staff activities that not only develop skills but also encourage teamwork and collaboration among employees.

59. Virtual Coffee Breaks

Small fun activities for employees in office - Virtual coffee breaks

During online meetings with remote teams, schedule a coffee break for participants to socialize.

  • How it Helps: Boosts employee morale, alleviates stress, and promotes team building.
  • Setup Ease: Easy.
  • What You Need: Snacks and beverages.
  • Best Time to Do: Breaks.

60. Desk Decorating Contest

Direct everyone to decorate their desks in a fun way. The desk with the highest number of votes within a specified timeframe will be the winner.

  • How it Helps: Reveals personalities and creates an inspiring and fun atmosphere.
  • Setup Ease: Moderate.
  • What You Need: Materials for decorations based on individual preference.
  • Best Time to Do: Breaks.

61. Photo Caption Contest

Choose a photo and email it to all employees, requesting a caption. Compile the captions and post them on an online platform, with the most public reactions determining the winner. 

  • How it Helps: Encourages creative thinking and improves written communication abilities.
  • Setup Ease: Easy.
  • What You Need: Photos. 
  • Best Time to Do: Flexible timing.

62. Pet Day

Allow employees to bring their pets to the office. Create a designated pet lounge area with amenities. 

  • How it Helps: Boosts morale and reduces stress levels.
  • Setup Ease: Moderate.
  • What You Need: Pet care materials (food container, mats, potty, etc.)
  • Best Time to Do: Office celebration or during team building activities.

63. Online Quiz

Collect questions from various departments and make an accessible online quiz for everyone. The highest scorer wins a prize, and losers face light consequences like wearing funny hats.

  • How it Helps: Reinforces continuous learning and knowledge retention.
  • Setup Ease: Moderate.
  • What You Need: Question pool from different company departments and online quiz platform.
  • Best Time to Do: Team-building activities or flexible timing.

64. Karaoke Session

Download karaoke session videos and play them on the conference room TV or project them in wider spaces. Give everyone a chance to sing their favorite songs. 

  • How it Helps: Boosts confidence and creative self-expression. 
  • Setup Ease: Moderate. 
  • What You Need: TV, projector, microphone, and downloaded songs.
  • Best Time to Do: Happy hours.

65. Yoga & Mindfulness Session

Small fun activities for employees in office - Yoga & mindfulness session

Set up mats or carpets in an open area. Invite a yoga instructor to facilitate the session, and ask the workers to bring or wear comfortable clothes to participate.

  • How it Helps: Reduces stress and improves overall mental well-being.
  • Setup Ease: Moderate.
  • What You Need: Mats and a yoga instructor.
  • Best Time to Do: Team-building activities.

66. Book Club

Group the team with the type of book they want to read. Each employee reads the book within a time period and shares their takeaways.

  • How it Helps: Enhances learning by exploring new subjects.
  • Setup Ease: Easy.
  • What You Need: Books.
  • Best Time to Do: Breaks.

67. Lunch & Learn

Gather the team during the team lunches and get a speaker to teach a specific topic or skill. 

  • How it Helps: Provides professional development opportunities conveniently and inclusively.
  • Setup Ease: Easy.
  • What You Need: A speaker to facilitate the discussion.
  • Best Time to Do: Lunch break.

68. Craft Workshop

Prepare art materials to create craft works. You assign them to create a vision board for their career goals this year or you can also divide them into multiple teams for a more time-restricted workshop.

  • How it Helps: Stimulates creativity and innovative thinking.
  • Setup Ease: Moderate.
  • What You Need: Scissors, glue, colored papers.
  • Best Time to Do: Monthly or quarterly activity.

69. Health & Fitness Challenge

Create health and fitness challenges like reaching 5,000 steps a day or no fast-food delivery for the day.

  • How it Helps: Promotes healthier lifestyle habits.
  • Setup Ease: Moderate.
  • What You Need: Monitoring applications for different exercises.
  • Best Time to Do: Casual days or office Olympics day.

70. Virtual Reality Experiences

Buy Virtual Reality (VR) equipment suitable for your office and find a skill-enhancing game. Set up a safe area for employees to use the VR equipment.

  • How it Helps: Immersive training simulations to practice high-risk real-world scenarios for decision-making skills.
  • Setup Ease: Hard.
  • What You Need: VR equipment.
  • Best Time to Do: Training.

71. Culture Day

Tell everyone to come dressed in their cultural attire or bring any cultural items. Everyone will then share the background behind their outfit and the things they brought.

  • How it Helps: Promotes diversity and inclusion. 
  • Setup Ease: Moderate.
  • What You Need: Costumes and props.
  • Best Time to Do: Office celebrations or theme days.

Conclusion

Small fun activities for employees in office are a great way to create a happier and more motivated workforce. We know there are so many options on our list, so it can be a little overwhelming. 

But you can start with our top 10 fun activities in office or choose from different categories based on what your team needs at the moment. The most important thing is it should be fun for you and your team.

FAQs

1. What are small fun games and team-building activities for employees in the office?

Some of the fun things to do at work for employees are talent shows that let employees show off their skills beyond work during breaks or team-building events. Then there is blind drawing where teams recreate a drawing of the person in front of them, with the most accurate drawing winning. Another option is to get involved in community service with activities like tree planting or local health missions.

2. When is the best time to play fun office games?

The best time for fun workplace activities and games depends on how much time you can allot. Quick icebreakers, like mini riddles, are perfect for short breaks, while longer team-building games, like scavenger hunts, work better for activities that need more time and team involvement.

3. What are the benefits of small fun activities for employees in the office?

Fun work events and team-building activities benefit both the company and employees. It helps companies increase employee productivity and retention while employees enjoy improved morale, better collaboration, and a more enjoyable work environment.

4. Where can I find team-building activities?

You can find fun staff activities online through websites that specialize in workplace fun, or you can get creative and plan your own fun work games using ideas from sites like Genius, books, or even by asking your team what they would enjoy.

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IG Rosales
Genius' Head of Content, shaping HR narratives for 10+ years. Her secret weapons? A keen eye for talent (hired through Genius, of course) and a relentless quest for the perfect coffee.

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