The Summer Olympics Games are a week away, so what better way to celebrate this week with your teammates than with some friendly competitions in the office?! Let’s explore some healthy team-building office Olympic games.
Participating in office Olympic games is not just about fun. It’s about fostering a positive work environment. These games enhance communication, break down barriers, and encourage open communication among team members. They boost office morale, increase job satisfaction, and, most importantly, improve collaboration and promote unity.
Creative décor. Get creative with colorful banners and flags to represent different teams or countries using office supplies like paper, markers and tape. Build a simple dais using boxes covered with paper or fabric for the medal and opening/closing ceremonies. Craft Olympic rings from hula hoops or large pieces of cardboard painted in the traditional Olympic colors. Don’t forget the doves! Craft a few origami doves to string together and hang for the closing ceremony.
Go for the gold. Craft awards and ribbon medals that are unique to the office. Use wide ribbons and attach large paper circles or lightweight plastic discs painted gold, silver and bronze. DIY trophies using recycled materials like empty cans, bottles and lids and decorate them with spray paint and glitter. Make badge-style medals from cardboard, markers and safety pins for participants to wear and detail them with the company’s logo.
Inclusivity games. Modify traditional games to make them accessible to all employees. For instance, physical activities can be replaced with mental challenges. Mix teams so employees from different departments and with various skills can work together and support each other. Promote an environment where colleagues cheer for each other and celebrate big and small achievements. Be sure to offer a range of activities, allowing employees to participate in the games they feel most comfortable with. Also, some virtual games should be included for employees who work remotely.
Three, Two, One. Now for the fun part—the Games! The office can offer a variety of games such as chair races, relay races, paper airplane contests, Pictionary, trivia games and quizzes, and memory games. If choosing to do more quizzes and memory games, make some of them work-related so everyone can get a chance to learn and have fun. This would help those new to the office get better acquainted with work products and strategies. Useless trivia is so cliche to play for trivia games, so change them up and make it themed for the Olympics. For those more physically inclined team members, set up an obstacle course around the office by stacking paper reams and boxes and then having participants hold a cup of coffee while running through the course. This will get everyone excited and take a little more skill and concentration other than just running.
Opening/closing ceremonies. The opening ceremony is one of the most anticipated events during the Games. It sets the scene and gets everyone pumped up. Begin the week off with an opening ceremony with a catered breakfast and music in the breakroom. Have those participating in the Games introduced and present them with their participation badge. For the closing ceremony, if the budget allows, celebrate in style and rent a few food trucks for a special treat and a photo booth with fun Olympic-themed props for the winners to take pictures with everyone. Be sure to get social and show off your fun on social media channels to inspire others.
So gear up for some healthy competition and lots of exhilarating fun!
