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75 fun activities at work, from five minutes to a whole day

Meeting openers, lunch-break games, afternoon builds and whole-day ideas, each marked with where it works and what it costs.

KraftyLab TeamUpdated 12 min read
Coworkers cheer as a colleague putts a golf ball along an indoor putting green in an office hallway.

The best fun activities at work fit the time you actually have. These 75 ideas are sorted that way: five-minute games for the start of a meeting, 30-minute office activities for a lunch break, builds and hosted games that fill an afternoon, and ideas for a whole day. Each one says whether it works in the office, remotely or both, and whether it's free, cheap or worth booking. None of them repeat our office competition ideas, team bonding activities, group games for adults or employee morale activities, so use them together.

20 five-minute fun activities for work meetings

Openers for a standup, a team meeting or the last five minutes of a long call. No prep beyond a timer.

  1. Weekly weather report. Everyone describes their week as a forecast: sunny, foggy until Wednesday, storms on Thursday.Office, remote or hybrid · Free
  2. Speed this-or-that. Read ten quick pairs, like beach or mountains, and everyone answers at once with a hand or an emoji.Office, remote or hybrid · Free
  3. Sixty-second desk reset. Start a 60-second timer with music on and everyone tidies their desk until it stops. The best desk wins praise.In the office · Free
  4. Guess my number. Pick a number from 1 to 1,000. The team gets ten yes-or-no questions, and halving the range each time always finds it.Office, remote or hybrid · Free
  5. Company fact or fiction. Read three statements about your company's history and vote on which one is made up.Office, remote or hybrid · Free
  6. Sixty-second doodle. Give a silly prompt, like a cat running a meeting, set a one-minute timer and hold drawings up to the camera.Office, remote or hybrid · Free
  7. Hidden phrase mission. Send each person a silly phrase by private message to slip into the meeting; the team guesses who had which.Office, remote or hybrid · Free
  8. Dance break. One upbeat song, cameras optional, everyone stands up. It resets a long afternoon.Office, remote or hybrid · Free
  9. Meeting riddle. Open with one riddle and reveal the answer at the end of the meeting, so people stay to the end.Office, remote or hybrid · Free
  10. Tongue twister round. Each person tries one tongue twister three times fast. The laughing is the point.Office, remote or hybrid · Free
  11. Three things in five seconds. Name a category, point to someone, and they have five seconds to name three things in it.Office, remote or hybrid · Free
  12. Hand shadow guess. Someone makes a hand shadow animal on the wall with a desk lamp, and the team guesses what it is.Office, remote or hybrid · Free
  13. One-minute stretch. Someone leads a minute of seated stretches. Rotate the leader each meeting.Office, remote or hybrid · Free
  14. Compliment chain. Each person gives a specific work compliment to the next person on the list until it comes full circle.Office, remote or hybrid · Free
  15. Guess the price. Show a photo of a strange product sold online and have everyone guess the price. Closest wins.Office, remote or hybrid · Free
  16. Five-word review. Each person reviews the last show, book or meal they loved in exactly five words. Steal the best recommendations.Office, remote or hybrid · Free
  17. Longest word sprint. Show nine random letters. Whoever makes the longest real word in 60 seconds wins the round.Office, remote or hybrid · Free
  18. Background theme contest. Everyone sets a video background on one theme, like dream vacation, and the team votes on the best.Remote · Free
  19. Office haiku. Three minutes to write a haiku about Mondays, meetings or the coffee machine, then read them aloud.Office, remote or hybrid · Free
  20. Baby animal names. Ask what a baby kangaroo, goat or swan is called. Answers: joey, kid and cygnet, and there are dozens more.Office, remote or hybrid · Free

For games people can play at their own desks all week, see our office desk games.

20 fun office activities that take 30 minutes

A lunch break, a Friday wind-down or the slot after an all-hands. Most need a few cheap supplies.

  1. Paper boat race. Fold paper boats, set them in a tray of water and race them across by blowing through straws.In the office · Low cost
  2. Paper hat contest. Teams get newspaper, tape and 15 minutes to make the most impressive hat, then everyone parades.In the office · Free
  3. Mini brick build. Teams get the same pile of building bricks and 20 minutes to copy a model from a photo.In the office · Low cost
  4. Blind taste test. Line up three kinds of chips, cookies or sodas and see who can match each to its brand.In the office · Low cost
  5. One-sheet paper chain. Each team gets one sheet of paper, scissors and tape. Longest chain in ten minutes wins.In the office · Free
  6. Chair curling. Tape a target on the floor and slide a rolling chair, with nobody in it, as close to the center as you can.In the office · Free
  7. Friendship bracelet table. Embroidery thread, tape and a simple pattern card on a table; people make bracelets and swap them.In the office · Low cost
  8. Ten-minute masterclass. Three people each teach a skill in ten minutes: a card trick, a knot, a spreadsheet shortcut.Office, remote or hybrid · Free
  9. Project comic strip. Teams draw the last quarter as a four-panel comic strip and present them.Office, remote or hybrid · Free
  10. Office map from memory. Teams draw the office floor plan from memory in ten minutes, then walk the floor to see what they missed.In the office · Free
  11. Fill-in-the-blank story. Collect nouns, verbs and team words without context, then read the funny story they complete.Office, remote or hybrid · Free
  12. Coloring break. Coloring pages and markers on the big table for half an hour, with music on. Calm, not competitive.In the office · Low cost
  13. Rock painting. Paint small rocks with acrylic paint pens, then hide them around the office for others to find.In the office · Low cost
  14. Famous painting recreation. Recreate a famous painting with people and office objects, take a photo and vote on the best.Office, remote or hybrid · Free
  15. Desk shuffleboard. Mark scoring zones at the end of a long table and slide coins or bottle caps toward them.In the office · Free
  16. Thank-you postcard session. Hand out postcards and pens and give everyone 20 minutes to write a note to a coworker or customer.In the office · Low cost
  17. Trail mix bar. Bowls of pretzels, dried fruit, cereal and chocolate, with nuts in their own labeled bowl. Everyone builds a bag.In the office · Low cost
  18. Virtual museum tour. Share your screen on a museum's free online tour and let the team vote on which room to visit next.Remote · Free
  19. Team crest design. Each team designs a crest with a symbol and a short motto, then presents it in a minute.Office, remote or hybrid · Free
  20. Succulent potting. Small pots, soil and a succulent for everyone. Each person leaves with a desk plant.In the office · Low cost

20 fun things to do for work events: an hour or an afternoon

Activities worth blocking a calendar slot for, from builds and tournaments to hosted games you book.

Four coworkers laugh while stacking paper cups into a tall tower on a conference table.
  1. Hallway mini golf. Each team builds one hole from boxes, books and tape, then everyone plays the full course.In the office · Low cost
  2. Cardboard arcade. Teams build a working arcade game from cardboard boxes, then everyone plays each other's games.In the office · Low cost
  3. Board game afternoon. Set up three tables with different games, from quick card games to a strategy game, and let people rotate.In the office · Low cost
  4. Phone film festival. Teams shoot a two-minute film on a theme with their phones, then the office screens them together.Office, remote or hybrid · Free
  5. Mystery basket snack challenge. Each team gets the same surprise bag of no-cook ingredients and 30 minutes to make the best snack plate.In the office · Low cost
  6. Marble run build. Build the longest working marble run from cardboard tubes, tape and cups.In the office · Low cost
  7. Tie-dye shirts. Plain shirts, dye kits and an outdoor table. Everyone wears theirs on the next Friday.In the office · Low cost
  8. Kite build and fly. Build simple kites from kits in the morning and fly them in the nearest park after lunch.In the office · Low cost
  9. Hometown tour. Each person gets three minutes to show photos of where they grew up or live now.Remote · Free
  10. Silly debate tournament. Teams argue light topics, like whether cereal is soup, and a panel of judges scores the arguments.Office, remote or hybrid · Free
  11. Invention pitch. Teams invent a ridiculous product for office life and pitch it to a panel of judges.Office, remote or hybrid · Free
  12. Cornhole tournament. Two boards, a bracket on a whiteboard and doubles teams mixed across departments.In the office · Low cost
  13. Collaborative mural. Sketch a design on a big canvas or roll of paper and let everyone paint a section through the afternoon.In the office · Low cost
  14. Managers' pancake breakfast. Managers cook and serve pancakes to the team during the first hour of the workday.In the office · Low cost
  15. Trivia with a Twist! A live host runs trivia rounds on your video call, with challenges that use different parts of the brain.Hosted on your video call · 60 minutes · From $975 · covers 25 people
  16. Your Favorite Game Shows! A host leads teams through game-show style rounds on your video call.Hosted on your video call · 60 minutes · From $975 · covers 25 people
  17. The Actual Virtual Magic Show. A live, interactive magic show on your video call that pulls the team into the tricks.Hosted on your video call · 60 minutes · $3,200 flat rate
  18. Feud Night. A host runs a Family Feud-style survey game at your office: teams guess the most popular answers.Hosted at your office · 60 minutes · From $1,750 · covers 50 people
  19. Blitz-Speed Trivia. A host runs fast trivia at your office where every player competes solo, answering on their phone.Hosted at your office · 60 minutes · From $1,750 · covers 50 people
  20. Canvas Painting. A host brings canvases, easels and paint to your office, and everyone paints a piece to keep.Hosted at your office · 60 minutes · $55/person + $750 base fee

Want someone to run it for you? The last six are hosted games we run: the virtual ones on your video call (Zoom by default; Teams, Google Meet or Webex on request), the in-person ones at your office. Book about 2 weeks ahead.

15 fun at work ideas that fill a whole day

For a team day, an offsite at the office or National Fun at Work Day.

  1. Pet day at the office. Invite well-behaved dogs for a day, with a quiet pet-free zone for anyone with allergies or nerves.In the office · Free
  2. Office carnival. Each team runs one game booth, like ring toss or a guessing jar, and everyone collects tickets.In the office · Low cost
  3. Fun-project hackathon. One day to build anything that isn't on the roadmap, with demos at 4pm.Office, remote or hybrid · Free
  4. Shadow day. Spend the day sitting with another team and learning what their job actually involves.In the office · Free
  5. Hobby fair. People set up tables showing a hobby, from bread to model trains, and everyone wanders through.In the office · Free
  6. Family recipe potluck. Everyone brings a dish with a story, from a family recipe to a hometown favorite, with a card telling it.In the office · Low cost
  7. Office garden build. Build planter boxes for a patio or windowsill in the morning and plant them after lunch.In the office · Low cost
  8. Bike to work day. Pick a spring day, map safe routes together and lay on breakfast for everyone who rides in.In the office · Low cost
  9. Work-from-anywhere day. Remote teammates work from a park, library or cafe and post a photo of their spot.Remote · Free
  10. Office art show. Everyone submits one piece, like a photo, sketch or craft, and the office becomes a gallery for a day.In the office · Free
  11. Retro video game day. Borrow old consoles, set them up in a meeting room and run an open play area all day.In the office · Low cost
  12. Meetings-outside day. Hold every meeting that can move outdoors as a walk or a picnic-table meeting.In the office · Free
  13. Parking lot cookout. Grill lunch for the whole office with vegetarian options and lawn chairs.In the office · Low cost
  14. Three-challenge day. Post a riddle at 10, a photo task at 1 and a quiz at 4; teams track points through the day.Office, remote or hybrid · Free
  15. Favor swap day. Everyone posts one favor they can offer, like a proofread or a spreadsheet fix, and coworkers claim them.Office, remote or hybrid · Free

Fun activities at work by setting and budget

The same fun work activities, sorted the other two ways. Tap a name to jump to it.

Free and good for remote or hybrid teams (33)

Run these on any video call.

Weekly weather reportSpeed this-or-thatGuess my numberCompany fact or fictionSixty-second doodleHidden phrase missionDance breakMeeting riddleTongue twister roundThree things in five secondsHand shadow guessOne-minute stretchCompliment chainGuess the priceFive-word reviewLongest word sprintBackground theme contestOffice haikuBaby animal namesTen-minute masterclassProject comic stripFill-in-the-blank storyFamous painting recreationVirtual museum tourTeam crest designPhone film festivalHometown tourSilly debate tournamentInvention pitchFun-project hackathonWork-from-anywhere dayThree-challenge dayFavor swap day

Worth paying for: hosted games

When you want everyone playing and nobody organizing, book a host. Each of these runs about an hour. Browse every virtual event, or see the in-person games we bring to offices in 17 US cities.

Six hosted games, with today's prices. Or get a free quote.

National Fun at Work Day: a one-day plan

National Fun at Work Day is January 28 every year. The next one is Thursday, January 28, 2027. In 2026 it fell on Wednesday, January 28, 2026. It's a good excuse to try several small things in one day and keep the ones your team likes. Here is a plan that uses the lists above and works for office and remote teammates alike.

  1. 9:00 Breakfast and hidden phrases. Bagels or pancakes, and send out hidden phrases for people to slip into the day's meetings.
  2. 10:00 A five-minute opener in every meeting. Pick from the five-minute list: a tongue twister round, guess the price or a meeting riddle.
  3. 12:00 A 30-minute lunch activity. A blind taste test or a paper boat race in the office; a virtual museum tour for remote teammates.
  4. 2:00 One shared event. Hallway mini golf, a cardboard arcade or a hosted game that the whole team plays at once, office and remote together.
  5. 4:00 Awards and an early finish. Hand out silly certificates for the day's winners and let people log off half an hour early.

Keep the fun going in between: a few social channels from our Slack channel ideas and a shared playlist from our songs about work carry it through the rest of the year.

How to make fun at work inclusive

Forced fun does more harm than no fun. These rules keep activities something people choose.

  • Make it opt-in. Invite, don't assign. Watching counts as joining in.
  • Keep it in work hours. Fun that eats evenings feels like overtime, especially for caregivers.
  • Mix active and quiet. Pair a cornhole tournament with a coloring table, so there's a place for everyone.
  • Offer seated options. Every physical game should have a way to play without running, lifting or standing for long.
  • Include remote teammates. If half the team is on a call, pick something that works on video or run a parallel version.
  • Never single anyone out. No jokes, awards or games about a person's looks, age, background or mistakes.
  • Don't make anyone pay. If it costs money, the company covers it.
  • Ask afterward. A two-question pulse survey tells you what to repeat and what to drop.

The easiest way to have fun at work is to make it part of how a team treats each other every day. Our guide to team camaraderie covers the rest.

Fun activities at work FAQ

What are some fun activities at work?

Quick ones include a weekly weather report, guess the price and a tongue twister round. For 30 minutes, try a paper boat race or a blind taste test. With an afternoon, build a hallway mini golf course or book a hosted game. The 75 ideas above are sorted by time, setting and budget.

When is National Fun at Work Day?

National Fun at Work Day is January 28 every year. The next one is Thursday, January 28, 2027. In 2026 it fell on Wednesday, January 28, 2026. Some calendars list it as National Have Fun at Work Day. Plan something during work hours that everyone can join, office and remote.

How do you celebrate National Fun at Work Day?

Spread small things through the day: breakfast and hidden phrases in the morning, a five-minute opener in every meeting, a lunch activity, one shared event in the afternoon and a few silly awards at the end. The one-day plan above has times for each.

What are fun things to do for work events?

Builds and tournaments work well: hallway mini golf, a cardboard arcade, a marble run or a cornhole bracket. If you want someone else to run it, book a hosted game. Virtual games run on Zoom by default, and our in-person games come to your office in 17 US cities.

What are fun activities for work meetings?

Five-minute games fit best: speed this-or-that, three things in five seconds, a meeting riddle, guess my number or a one-minute stretch. Use one at the start of a meeting, not in the middle, and keep it under five minutes.

How do you make work fun without forcing it?

Keep it opt-in, inside work hours and free for employees. Mix active games with quiet ones, give remote teammates a way to join and never build a game around one person. Then ask the team afterward what to repeat.

What are fun activities for remote teams at work?

On a video call, try a background theme contest, a hometown tour, a virtual museum tour or a phone film festival. For a bigger moment, a hosted trivia, game show or magic show runs live on your call. See all our virtual events.

Let someone else run the fun

Hosted games on your video call or at your office in 17 US cities. Send your date and headcount and get a plan within 24 hours.

See in-person gamesGet a free quote