Free office games ideas

For example, you might pick the safest driver as your getaway driver in a bank heist — or you might select your best sales person to be a hostage negotiator. This game is a great way of focusing on the skills and abilities of the different people in your group, while having a bit of fun along the way. The winner is the person who comes up with the best dream team selection and rationalisation for each scenario.

In this game, each player takes on a secret role — werewolf, or villager. Howard Gardner was well known for proposing a theory of eight intelligences. But normally, players will pick an intelligence, and represent that intelligence as if they were stranded on a desert island. Each intelligence must make its case as to why it should remain, and which skills it can provide… and if you want to make this even more realistic, why not get participants to actually take a test to see which of the eight intelligences is their strongest?

OK, so if you fancy getting down to some serious world-building, storytelling and role-playing fantasy action, then we can recommend a very interesting website called War of the Wizards. During the session, your group will exercise their skills of communication, problem solving and teamwork, to make important decisions. The premise of the game is that each player takes turns at being the storyteller.

The storyteller then reads this prompt out loud, which may be along the lines of: I have a terrible secret. You see, turn by turn, each other player cross-examines the storyteller, asking questions about the story.

The storyteller must survive for as long as they can before failing to think of an answer, giving an answer that contradicts a previous answer, or simply running out of time. The goal is simple: Try not to laugh. Alternatively, you can set up a series of funny video clips, and watch them together. Last one standing wins the game! Remember the classic game of pictionary? Step 3: The team that manages to find the maximum number of trophies wins. Since it is a guessing game, it requires some quick thinking skills and also the ability to look at the bigger picture.

In this fun game, one team member puts the phone on their forehead, the rest of the players can see the item written and give clues. Then the player has to guess the word written from the given clues. There are numerous categories, ranging from singers to animals, that make this an excellent team-building activity. A perfect team-building activity that allows team members individuals to flex their decision-making skills.

All Adrift helps you see that you're more liable to make smarter decisions than on your own. As a team. The traditional scenario given in All Adrift is that your boat catches on fire, and you have to abandon it. You only have a few minutes to grab items.

Some examples are first aid kits, rope, canned food, bottled water, etc. Step 1: First, each team should write down the items that they would grab from in the order of most necessary to survive. Step 2: Then, as a team, they have to decide and agree on which 10 are the top priorities and fill in the worksheet.

Step 3: Finally, compare every team's list with the scoring sheet readily available online. The team with the highest points wins. The Recommended Number Of Players: team members.

Playing this fun game in office will boost communication and creativity among the team members. It will also encourage teamwork as communicating with the rest of the team is necessary. Step 1: Have a list of well-known pairs think Mario and Luigi, salt and pepper, yin and yang, shadow and light, peanut butter and jelly, Mickey and Minnie on hand. Step 2: Separate the pairs, and only one of them should be written on each sheet of paper.

For example, Mario on one paper chit and Luigi on the other. Step 3: Tape one paper on the back of each person, making sure the rest of the team can't see it. Step 4: When the game starts, every team member must walk around asking yes or no questions to find out what word they have taped to their backs. Step 5: Once they figure that out, they'll be able to find their other pair. The two will sit down and learn three to five interesting facts about one another.

Inspired by the popularity of jigsaw puzzles, this team-building game aims to utilize the problem-solving and leadership skills of the team members. Step 1: Have everyone break off into small, equal-sized groups. On the holiday party invitations , encourage employees to come dressed in a plain sweater or T-shirt. Then, provide embellishments such as felt shapes, string lights, bows, and ornaments. If you have an extra crafty crew that does not mind permanently altering their duds, then you can even lay out fabric or paint markets.

To incentivize participation, you can host an ugly sweater competition and award a prize to the most creative ensemble. To vote, you can give guests stickers and have attendees place a sticker on their favorite sweater, or go the old-fashioned route and use ballots. Pro tip: For extra fun, throw a few wildcard objects into the mix such as stuffed squirrels, stick-on mustaches, or rubber chickens.

Here are more tips about ugly sweater parties for work. Setting up a gift wrapping table is one of the more unique corporate Christmas party ideas. Your employees are busy, and handling present-wrapping crosses off one item on a seemingly endless holiday to-do list. By providing gift wrapping services, you can save your staff time and stress. You can book a professional wrapper, or recruit an acquaintance that packages presents nicely.

However, do not assign or ask employees to volunteer for the gift wrap table, as staff should be free to enjoy their own party. To set up the table, lay out fancy paper, bows, bags, and gift tags, and stock plenty of scissors and tape. Attendees can RSVP for this service and sign up for slots to make the process more organized. After getting the presents wrapped, participants can either check the presents in a coat-check style room or take the boxes out to their cars, if the lot has security.

Or, if this system seems like too much of a hassle, then you could simply pay for gift wrapping services to be done at their leisure as an employee perk. Photo booths are special touches that make parties more fun. Holiday themed photo booths are especially amusing because of the potential for Christmas props. These items tend to be inexpensive, and you can buy the bulk of your props from the dollar store.

You can also rig up a wintery background by stringing lights or garland or hanging a few snowflakes or ornaments. Photo Booths are easy to DIY. You can set up a camera, smartphone, or tablet with a timer or trigger, or have an event staff member man the camera. There are apps that can add frames and effects, and you can send the photos in your thank you emails or have a mini photo printer handy to print instant copies. If you would rather not go through the effort, then you can go the professional route and hire a photo booth company as a party vendor.

Chances are, these entertainers have holiday props on hand. Corporate Christmas parties are known for their bars. You can help staff get in the holiday spirit by mixing up holiday spirits. First, decide on a few seasonal cocktails such as peppermint martinis, spiked gingerbread eggnog, and gin poinsettia punch.

Then, book a bartender to demonstrate how to make the drinks. Mixology lessons are more hands-on than just having a seasonal-themed bar. As an added plus, employees learn how to recreate the drinks so that they can wow their friends and relatives at other Christmas cocktail parties.

Plus, the activity is a shared experience that can help team members bond. Christmas Carnivals are one of the most interactive office Christmas party ideas, and are especially fun if kids are in attendance at the event. First, set up Christmas-themed game booths. For example, throwing snowballs to knock over milk jugs, wreath ring toss, and tossing darts at balloon Christmas ornaments.

Be sure to offer festive prizes such as giant candy canes, stuffed reindeer, and bedazzled Santa hats. You can also rent a moon bounce and rig up simple rides such as a Christmas train or Santa sleigh ride on a tractor. Petting zoos make a fine addition, especially if you stock them with seasonal animals like donkeys and reindeer. You can also build a North-pole-style funhouse and a Christmas village out of plywood or cardboard. Another fun touch is to create photo-stand-in boards where guests can become snowmen, elves, or Santa.

Silent Night Discos are one of the most unexpected alternative office Christmas party ideas. To do this activity, provide employees with headphones.

However, if you do not have access to this kind of equipment or have limited funds, then you can also ask attendees to provide their own music to listen to via smartphone or iPod. When this segment of the event begins, participants don the headphones and dance to different songs. To outside observers, the room is completely silent, however participants groove to their favorite holiday tunes.

This approach means that no guest has to endure a Christmas carol they simply cannot stand to hear one more time this year. Plus, this exercise works well as a midday dance party to relieve stress. Pro tip: To make the event extra festive, make the headphones look like earmuffs by adding fake fur. Simply encourage attendees to wear seasonal-themed pajamas, or the most fuzzy set they own.

You can award a prize for the best dressed. Also, serve Christmas-breakfast foods like gingerbread French Toast and omelettes with red and green peppers. Be sure there is plenty of seasonally-flavored coffee and hot cocoa available as well. Never Have I Ever is an icebreaker game that encourages players to fess up to past deeds. Never ho-ho-have I Ever is a Christmas-themed version of the game. The game continues until only one player remains, or, if playing with a larger group, after a certain number of rounds.

Check out this list of Never Have I Ever questions for work and more fun question games. Corporate holiday parties tend to have awesome dessert options.

To take your Christmas party to the next level, instead of merely putting out a great spread of sweets, show guests how to create delightful desserts. To arrange this activity, book a professional baker or chef to give decorating demonstrations. For instance, frosting an ice cream cone to look like a Christmas tree, truffle towers or cake pops, or making candy snowflakes. Be sure to provide ingredients so that guests can practice, and have bags or boxes handy so participants can bring the treats home.

Entertaining lessons make great entertainment for holiday parties. Christmastime requires tons of preparation. To arrange this entertainment, book a chef to lead a quick demonstration.

These lessons should include hands-on cooking practice as well as tastings. You can also DIY this event by having each of your employees submit a favorite recipe, then compiling the instructions into a team holiday cookbook to distribute as a party favor. For more hands-on culinary activities, check out this list of online group cooking courses.

To kick off the merry mingling at your holiday party, you can provide guests with icebreaker questions. You can also use these prompts to start meetings throughout the holiday season. Check out our list of the best icebreaker questions for work and this list of Christmas icebreaker questions. Snowball fights are one of the most fun seasonal activities. First, buy indoor snowball fight kits that consist of plush cloth balls to pelt at other players.

Then, split the group into teams. Next, give each player a set amount of snowballs. Finally, blow the whistle and let the games begin. The game resembles dodgeball.

Players who get hit by a snowball are out. When participants run out of ammo, you can call a timeout and reset. The game continues until only one snow pitcher remains. Pro tip: Make sure you have a wide, open space to play in and that there are no breakables nearby. Christmas is a season not only for getting, but also for giving. Holiday parties are a time to give back to employees for a year of hard work, as well as a time for staff to practice gratitude and give back to the wider community.

There are many ways to include philanthropy in a company Christmas party. You could also hold a toy or winter clothing drive, or encourage teams to adopt families to purchase presents for through a program like Toys for Tots. You can also plan a volunteering event for half of a workday in December.

For instance, visiting seniors in retirement homes, writing cards for soldiers overseas, or organizing donations at a food pantry. If more than one invention safely prevents the egg from breaking, then the winner should be the team with the device that weighs the least. But we prefer the US game of the same name, Broken Telephone.

This is one of our favourite games to play at work, because it encourages very careful communication — and can have some hilarious results! Get everybody to stand in a long line, or even a circle.

The starting player must think of a short sentence — or you can provide them with one. They must then whisper this sentence into the ear of the person on their left. The last player must announce the sentence they believe was whispered into their ear. This is another great game to encourage communication between team members. And there are lots of versions of this game, but the one we like the best, is the one where you split your group into pairs. Each pair sits back to back.

Give one person a picture, and give the other person a pencil and paper. Then, get the person with the picture to describe what they can see to their partner — who must attempt to draw a replica of the picture, as best they can. But some might surprise you. And either way, your team members will be learning to improve their communication skills in the process.

Not all games need to be focused on something like team building or team bonding. In fact, playing games during break time is a great way to recharge your batteries and get ready for the next half of your shift. So we have decided to include a few of our favourite tabletop games that can generally be played in under an hour.

Chess is probably the most popular two-player board game in the world. And not only is it a great way to pass some time, but it hones skills such as strategic planning and forward-thinking. As with many board games, Chess is now very easy to play online — either against a friend, or against a stranger. Werewolves is such a fun game of social deduction and trickery, that we think it deserves more than one mention.

In a game of Werewolves, players are secretly assigned roles. The werewolves must attempt to convince the villagers that they are innocent, while the villagers must attempt to lynch the secret werewolves amongst them.

There is a print version of the game you can buy, or you can print your own copy and learn the rules here. Alternatively, you can just play the game online at Board Game Arena , which makes remote play possible. Another game of social cues and bluffing, in a game of Coup you rely on your individual ability to smuggle lies past the other players on the table. Or, if you are brave, you can win this game by telling bare-faced truths the whole way through!

In a game of Coup, you are attempting to eliminate all other players, through a combination of robbery, taxation and assasination. There is a physical version of this game, but if you are part of a remote working team, you can play this game online at Board Game Arena. Code Names is a wonderful game for two teams, all about communication and clues. You must attempt to pass clues to your own team, without giving away clues to the opposing team.

Code Names is a physical board game, but if you already know the rules then you can play it online here. In a game of Cards Against Humanity, somebody will draw half of a sentence from the card deck. You must then use your own personal stash of cards to complete the sentence. If your solution is voted as the funniest, you win the round.

You can print a free copy of this game from the Cards Against Humanity website , as long as you promise not to use it to make money. We believe you should encourage your teams to be physically active where possible.