Does your team feel disconnected or stuck in the daily grind? Office Olympics bring energy and excitement to any workday, helping teams bond and collaborate in a fun way.

These games are perfect for breaking routines and boosting morale, whether your team works in an office, remotely, or both.

In this article, you’ll explore in-person office Olympics and online game ideas, along with tips to create an unforgettable experience. By the end, you’ll have everything you need to organize office Olympics, with the help of tools like Braid to make it seamless.

What are Office Olympics?

Office Olympics brings teams together through fun, competitive games that energize employees and encourage collaboration.

These activities reimagine the traditional Olympics for the workplace. They offer simple, inclusive challenges designed for teams of all sizes.

Teams compete in activities like desk chair soccer or virtual word-building games, earning points as they aim for the championship title. The purpose is to create a lively environment where employees bond, break their routines, and strengthen workplace connections.

Whether you want to boost morale, celebrate a company milestone, or add excitement to the workweek, Office Olympics provides the perfect solution.

8 Fun DIY Office Olympics Ideas to Try With Your Team

Office Olympics are a fantastic way to bring energy and excitement into the workplace. With simple setups and minimal materials, these in-office games are perfect for boosting morale and building stronger team connections.

1. Rubber Band Archery

Test your team's aim and precision with Rubber Band Archery. Players shoot rubber bands at targets, aiming for the highest scores while having fun.

Setup

Create targets using paper cups or sticky notes. Place them at varying distances, with harder targets earning more points. Each player needs office supplies like rubber bands, and you should mark a shooting line for fair play.

How to Play

• Players take turns shooting rubber bands at the targets.

• Points are awarded based on target difficulty.

• The player or team with the most points wins.

Add Some Variety

Increase the challenge by moving the targets or adding obstacles. For team play, have each player hit a target before passing the rubber bands.

Pro tip: Award prizes for “Most Accurate” or “Longest Shot” to spark friendly competition.

2. Post-It Challenge

The Post-It Challenge is a fast-paced, creative game that’s all about teamwork and speed. Teams race to stick as many Post-Its as possible onto a teammate within a set time.

Setup

Provide each team with a stack of Post-Its. Select one person to be the “stickee,” and have the others stick as many notes on them as possible in a set time. Use a stopwatch or timer to track time.

How to Play

• Teams race to cover the “stickee” with as many Post-Its as possible.

• The team with the most notes stuck wins the round.

• Alternatively, create shapes or designs for extra creativity.

Add Some Variety

Challenge teams to form specific shapes with their Post-Its, like a star or smiley face. For speed, set up a “retrieval round” where participants grab notes from various places before sticking them.

Pro tip: Capture photos of the final creations to share the fun with everyone!

3. Minute-to-Win-It

Minute-to-Win-It challenges teams to complete fun tasks in under a minute. The tasks are simple but require quick thinking and creativity, making for a high-energy game.

Setup

Create stations with different challenges, like stacking cups or balancing pencils. Gather the necessary materials and assign a supervisor to each station to track scores and guarantee fair play.

How to Play

• Players have one minute to complete each challenge.

• Points are awarded for each completed task.

• The player or team with the most points wins.

Add Some Variety

For team play, set up a relay where each member must complete a task before the next player goes. You can also add bonus rounds for higher difficulty tasks.

Pro tip: Mix physical and mental challenges to ensure everyone can participate and stay engaged.

Bring Olympic Games to Your Remote Team with Braid

Office Olympic games don’t have to stop at the office door. With Braid, you can host engaging and interactive virtual Olympic games directly in Slack, ensuring remote and hybrid teams feel just as connected and involved.

4. Wordsmith 📝

Wordsmith challenges your team’s vocabulary and collaboration skills in a fun, word-building competition. Teams work together to create as many words as possible from a set of random letters.

Setup

Use Braid’s Slack integration to send each team a set of seven random letters. Set a timer to limit the round and track scores automatically - all within Slack.

How to Play

• Teams collaborate to form as many words as they can from the seven letters within the time limit.

• Bonus points are awarded for using all seven letters or for longer words.

• The team with the most points wins.

Add Some Variety

Increase the challenge by shortening the time limit. Create themed rounds and customize the visuals of the game, to mix things up.

Pro tip: Celebrate the most creative or high-scoring words to keep the energy up and make the game more enjoyable!

5. Typing Test ⌨️

Test your team’s speed and accuracy with a high-energy typing race.

Setup

Provide each participant with a text passage to type. Use Braid’s Slack integration to track typing speed and accuracy.

How to Play

• Players type the provided passage as quickly and accurately as possible.

• Scores are based on words per minute and accuracy.

• The player with the highest score wins.

Add Some Variety

Challenge participants with themed text passages to make the game more interesting or relevant to a specific group.

Pro tip: Create a leaderboard to build excitement and motivate players to keep improving.

6. Picture Puzzle 🧩

Picture Puzzle tests your team’s quick thinking and problem-solving skills as they work to identify images and solve visual riddles.

Setup

Use Braid to send a picture and a category hint to participants. How to Play

• Players must guess the word or phrase that best describes the image.

• The fewer the guesses the better - but take as long as you need.

• The person who get the puzzle with the lowest number of guesses wins!

Add Some Variety

Make the puzzles progressively harder for more advanced players.

Pro tip: Compare clever or unexpected answers to keep the game engaging and fun for everyone.

7. This or That 🔀

This or That is a fun, quick game that sparks debates and laughs as players choose between two options.

Setup

Use Braid to launch the game in Slack and gather participants' choices in real time. Prepare a list of fun, tough choices for players to answer.

How to Play

• Players pick between two options, like “Coffee or Tea?” or “Beach or Mountains?”

• Braid collects answers and shares the results.

• The game can be played as a group discussion, where participants explain their choices.

Add Some Variety

Host themed rounds, such as “Food” or “Travel,” or award points for the majority answer to add a competitive twist.

Pro tip:  View everyone’s responses in the game’s replies section and encourage players to explain their choices for extra laughs and insights!

8. Word Link 🔗

Word Link challenges your team’s creativity and quick thinking as they build a chain of words based on the last letter of the previous word.

Setup

Use Braid to launch the game in Slack and set the number of turns per player. Guarantee everyone understands the rules before starting.

How to Play

• Players take turns linking words, starting with the last letter of the previous word (e.g., “Apple” ➡️ “Elephant” ➡️ “Tiger”).

• Points are awarded based on the length of each word.

• The player with the most points wins.

Add Some Variety

Introduce themed rounds, where words must fit a specific category, like animals or cities. Add a time limit for each player’s turn to increase the challenge.

Pro tip: Award bonus points for unique or rare words to encourage creative thinking!

How to Host Office Olympic Games

Hosting Office Olympics is easier than you might think. With the right planning and tools, you can create a fun, engaging experience for your team that strengthens connections and boosts morale.

Follow these simple steps to get started:

Plan Your Games

Decide whether you’ll host in-office games, virtual activities, or a combination of both.

Choose games that suit your team’s preferences and support inclusivity for all participants. Mix physical challenges, creative activities, and brainteasers to keep everyone engaged.

Set the Stage

Announce your Office Olympics event with enthusiasm.

Create a schedule, assign teams, and provide clear instructions for each game.

For in-office games, set up designated areas for activities. For virtual events, use tools like Braid to coordinate and run games directly within Slack.

Provide Materials

Prepare all necessary materials ahead of time. For in-office games, gather items like balls, chairs, and targets.

For virtual games, make sure participants have access to the necessary Slack channels and are familiar with how to play.

Track Points and Progress

Keep the competition lively by tracking scores and sharing updates throughout the event. Use a leaderboard to highlight top-performing teams and motivate participants.

Braid’s automated scoring features make this process seamless for virtual games.

Celebrate the Winners

End the event with an awards ceremony to celebrate the winning team.

Provide small prizes, medals, or even just recognition to boost morale and make the experience memorable for everyone.

Why You Should Host Office Olympics

Hosting Office Olympics brings more than just fun to the workplace—it strengthens teams and creates a more engaging environment.

Employees build meaningful connections through shared activities, which improve communication and foster team spirit. Friendly competition allows coworkers to bond and work better together across departments.

These events also give employees a refreshing break from their daily routines, helping them feel energized and more engaged in their work. The positive energy boosts productivity and creates a motivated workforce.

Carefully selected games make it easy to include everyone, whether they are in the office or working remotely so that every team member feels involved.

Office Olympics also spark creativity and problem-solving. Word games and puzzles encourage participants to think in new ways, developing skills they can use in their roles.

Celebrating the winners with awards or recognition strengthens a culture of appreciation, which leaves employees feeling valued and motivated to contribute more.

Create Memorable Team Experiences With Braid!

Office Olympics bring energy and excitement to the workplace, helping teams connect and collaborate in meaningful ways.

These games create a refreshing break from routine, encourage creativity, and build stronger workplace relationships.

Whether you’re hosting in-office activities or online games, the positive impact on morale and teamwork is undeniable.

With Braid, organizing these activities is simple.

From setting up games to tracking scores, Braid guarantees everyone can participate and enjoy the experience.

Ready to get started? Schedule a demo and see how Braid can transform your next Office Olympics.

FAQs About Office Olympics Games

How do you celebrate the Olympics in the office?

Host an Office Olympics with entire team games like desk chair soccer or paper airplane throwing. Use decorations, assign team colors, and hold an awards ceremony. For remote teams, use Braid to organize virtual games like Wordsmith or Typing Test.

How do you incorporate the Olympics at work?

Incorporate Olympic-inspired activities like team challenges, trivia, or Minute-to-Win-It games. Use Braid for seamless setups and to include remote employees in the fun.

What equipment do you need for the office Olympics?

You can keep things simple with basic supplies like balls, chairs, and sticky notes or add more exciting options like a ping pong table for games. Equipment should align with the activities you plan, such as setting up an obstacle course or organizing creative challenges like ping pong basketball.

How do you start the office Olympics?

Begin with an opening ceremony to set the tone for the event. This can include team introductions, a welcome speech, or even a fun activity like a symbolic torch relay. The ceremony creates excitement and helps build team spirit before the games begin.