Sure, the next Olympic Games aren’t happening anytime soon, but summer is! And it’s the perfect time to spark excitement in your workplace with these fun office Olympics ideas.
Office Olympic games are a fantastic way to bring your team together, boost morale, and promote a healthy work-life balance.
In this article, we’ll explore the benefits of engaging your team with Work Olympics before diving into some of our favorite Office Olympics game ideas. Ready to inspire winning performances both in and out of the workplace?
Why Organize Summer Office Olympic Games?
Summer is the perfect time to host some exciting Office Olympic Games. The warm weather and longer days make it easier to plan outdoor activities, and the more relaxed season can help improve team dynamics.
Organizing summer Office Olympic games can:
- Help boost employee morale
- Create a positive, inclusive work environment
- Encourages collaboration
- Foster a positive team spirit
- Break the ice for new employees
- Prevent employee burnout
Plus, team Olympic games also bring all the benefits of team building to your workplace. Here are some of the many perks you stand to gain:
- Increase employee retention and job satisfaction
- Build trust between team members
- Encourage friendly competition
- Improve team performance
- Enhance employee engagement and morale
- Bridge gaps between departments
- Strengthen problem-solving and communication skills
The list could keep going, but you didn’t come here to read about team building—you’re here to check out our favorite Office Olympic ideas, so we’ll stop there!
Our Favorite Office Olympics Ideas
If you’re looking for some exciting and engaging team building Olympic games, we have you covered! Here are a few that are perfect for the summer season:
Quickfire Olympics
Unleash your team’s Olympic spirit with Quickfire Olympics! Through a series of timed challenges and games, participants engage in friendly competition, fostering collaboration and camaraderie.
From brain-teasing trivia to high-energy physical challenges, the Quickfire Olympics keep participants on their toes, testing their agility, problem-solving skills, and quick thinking.
With the help of innovative technology and a skilled facilitator, teams will connect, communicate, and conquer challenges, creating a memorable experience for in-person or online teams.
Outrageous Games
If you want an action-packed event, Outrageous Games is a fantastic choice. This program brings together teams from various organizations and departments to compete in thrilling challenges designed to foster teamwork and unleash the spirit of adventure.
The Outrageous Summer Games offer an electrifying atmosphere where participants can break free from their daily routines and create lasting memories. Here’s some of what you can expect:
- Exhilarating obstacle courses
- Mind-bending puzzles
- Epic water balloon fights
- Creative boat-building competitions
In It to Win It
Inspired by the television game show, In It to Win It will have your team members competing in a series of entertaining and high-energy challenges within a specified time frame.
With a focus on fostering effective communication, problem-solving, and strategic thinking skills, this interactive experience brings teams closer together as they work towards a common goal.
Check out our Virtual In It to Win It for virtual Office Olympic games.
Corporate Survivor
Want a unique event that will challenge your team? In Corporate Survivor, they’ll have to navigate a series of thrilling and immersive challenges that test their problem-solving, communication, and adaptability skills.
By simulating the intensity and dynamics of a survival scenario, participants are encouraged to work collaboratively, think creatively, and make strategic decisions under pressure.
Through a combination of physical and mental challenges, it strengthens team cohesion, fosters leadership skills, and promotes a resilient and resourceful mindset.
Participants emerge from this exhilarating experience with a deeper understanding of their teammates’ strengths, enhanced communication abilities, and a renewed sense of unity within their organization.
DIY Office Olympics
If you’d prefer to set up some team building Olympics yourself, start by selecting a date and rallying your colleagues’ enthusiasm for the event.
Next, brainstorm a variety of games and challenges that can be easily set up in your office space. Consider activities that require minimal equipment and space:
- Desk chair races
- Paper airplane distance contests
- Modified ping pong using office supplies
Divide your colleagues into teams, ask each one to create a team name and color, and encourage them to dress in their team color for the day. Set up a point system to track individual and team performance throughout the games.
At the end of the day, celebrate the winners with fun prizes or certificates.
More Office Olympics Ideas
In addition to physical challenges, you can also organize mental and creative challenges to promote teamwork and problem-solving skills. Here are some alternative ideas for summer Office Olympics games:
- Scavenger Hunt: Organize a scavenger hunt around the office or in a nearby park. Create clues and puzzles that require employees to work together to solve.
- Office Trivia: Create a set of trivia questions about the company and its history. Divide employees into teams and see who can answer the most questions correctly. Or go with Corporate Quiz Bowl and let us do the planning!
- Office Olympics Team Spirit Contest: Have employees decorate their office spaces and dress according to their team colors and offer prices to those with the most creative team names and office decorations that reflect the most team spirit.
Tips for a Successful Summer Office Olympics
Once you’ve got a game plan in place, check out these tips and tricks to ensure your Office Olympics goes off without a hitch:
Location, Location, Location
Location is key! Make sure you find a good space to hold your Office Olympics.
While it’s absolutely possible to run this kind of event in your office, it’s important to make sure there are no electronics or fragile equipment in the room you choose. Consider clearing the furniture out of a conference room for an afternoon.
If you have access to outdoor space like a nearby park or lawn, you can also host outside!
Be Mindful of the Weather!
In our hometown of Boston, the weather can change at the drop of a hat. If you’re choosing to hold your Office Olympics outside, try to check the weather ahead of time, and make sure you have a backup location in case it starts to rain.
Also, make sure that everyone’s applying sunscreen if it’s bright and sunny out! A sunburn is not one of the things you want people to take away from a fun team day.
Play Some Tunes
Everything is more fun with music! Find some energetic music to liven up your event and get your team moving. No need to worry about a complicated A/V system—you can even run music from a laptop.
If your event is taking place outside, it might be in your best interests to find some speakers to plug a phone or an MP3 player into.
Dress Down
If your workplace observes strict office attire, consider giving your employees permission to dress down for the day. Even if your Office Olympics only takes the afternoon, it will help make the day fun and special for everyone involved.
Let everyone who’s participating know they can dress for comfort, so you won’t have to worry about anyone getting hurt trying to run in high heels!
Make Some Medals
DIY Olympic medals are easy to make! All you need are some recycled bottle caps or jar lids, glitter, and glue. Just coat the lids with a liberal amount of glue and dip them in gold, silver, or bronze glitter.
You can also buy medals from your local party store or give away some other kind of prize to the winners. If you’re going the monetary route, we recommend $5-, $10-, and $20-dollar gift cards as prizes to the winners.
Have Fun!
This might seem obvious, but it’s important to remember the motivation behind an Office Olympics. While the competition can be motivating and exciting, don’t let competitiveness take over to the point where people aren’t having fun anymore.
Keeping the prizes relatively low stakes can help with this. Higher ticket prizes, while nice for the winner, can cause a lot of resentment among colleagues. Make sure everyone is having fun by encouraging friendly support when possible.
Foster Year-Round Team Spirit
Want to lean into the team spirit and keep the Olympic vibe going all year? Here are some principles to help you capitalize on the energy you create with these Office Olympics ideas:
- You Get What You Reward: Be on the lookout for people doing good things. When you see people “doing good,” reward and/or appreciate them.
- What Motivates People, Motivates People: What drives people to perform is as unique as the individuals themselves. Explore what type of reward a person would like and take notes for when you reward them.
- The Best Rewards Often Cost the Least: Sincere verbal thanks or quick thank-you notes are often the best motivators. It’s the thought that counts, but that thought needs to be expressed at the right time, in the right place, and in the right way for the right person.
- Everyone Wants to be Appreciated: People like to feel that what they do is important and valued. Find opportunities to appreciate individually the good job that everyone does in your organization.
Let the Office Olympics Begin!
Hosting some Office Olympics Games offers a great opportunity to promote teamwork, boost employee engagement, and create a positive workplace culture.
With a range of physical, mental, and creative challenges, you can be sure to cater to different interests and strengths within your team.
By setting clear goals, providing resources, and ensuring a safe and inclusive environment, you’ll create an unforgettable experience that brings your team closer together.
Embrace the spirit of the summer season and start planning your Office Olympics games for a fun-filled and engaging adventure that will leave a lasting impact on your team.
With 25+ years of experience in corporate events and a wide range of events suited to any need, we have the knowledge and resources necessary to help teams more closely connect.
Get in touch with us today if you’d like some help bringing your Office Olympic ideas to life!
