13 Fun Online Office Olympics Ideas for Work

Team Building Resources
Team Building Resources February 01, 2023 13 Fun Online Office Olympics Ideas for Work

Here is our list of best online office Olympic ideas.

Online office Olympics are fun team building games or competitions that spark friendly competition and team spirit in remote groups. Examples of these games include Parade of Nations, Typing Speed Race, and Olympics Trivia. These activities encourage remote teammates to engage, work together, and develop positive working relationships.

These events are examples of virtual team building activities and team building games.

This list includes:

  • online office Olympics games
  • online office Olympics activities
  • online office Olympics event ideas

Here we go!

List of online office Olympics ideas

From Step Challenge to Word Scramble to Olympics Trivia, here is a list of the best ideas for online office Olympics.

1. Virtual Parade of Nations

During the Olympics, athletes from different countries enter the stadium while waving their national flags. Remote teammates can imitate this parade by choosing to represent countries.

To organize this event:

  1. Teammates choose a country
  2. Team members dress in the native attire or symbolic outfits of the countries they have chosen to represent.
  3. On the day of the parade, teammates must change their background to the national flag of the country they chose to represent.
  4. The teammates will take turns showing off their national attires.
  5. At the parade’s end, the teammates will vote for the best national attire.
  6. The employee with the best national attire wins the game.

This activity helps employees appreciate different cultures and teaches teammates to see the beauty in every country’s culture.

2. Typing Speed Race

Typing Speed Race is one of the best online office Olympics activities because it solves the never-ending debate of which teammate types the fastest. This competition tests employees’ typing speed and accuracy and is a great way for teammates to test their skills.

To play:

  1. Teammates independently take the typing test on a free typing test website and send screenshots of their results.
  2. Or, have the employees share their screens as they take the test in real-time.
    When all the teammates have taken the test, you can share the results on a leaderboard in order of rank, from fastest to slowest.
  3. You can offer the top three typists a prize or medal as is custom during the Olympics.

This activity sharpens employees typing skills and fosters healthy competition among teammates. You can also turn this activity into a weekly event, with the ranks constantly changing as teammates become better and faster at typing.

Here is a free typing test website you can use for the activity.

3. Olympics Arts and Crafts

The Olympics allow folks from different countries to show off their talent and skill. Olympics Arts and Crafts is the perfect opportunity for less-athletic teammates to show off their abilities.

To organize this event:

  1. Teammates will plan to host the event on any video conferencing platform like Zoom or Google Meet.
  2. Each employee will get 20 minutes to showcase artwork or craft with an Olympics theme.
  3. The teammates may decide to write a song, choreograph a dance, paint, knit, embroider or even draw anything relating to the Olympics.
  4. At the show’s end, the teammates will vote using the in-app polls.
  5. The act with the highest vote wins a medal.

This race is fun and allows teammates to show off their abilities. This game also allows remote teammates to get to know each other better and discover similar interests.

4. Word Scramble

Word Scramble is a fun activity where teammates have to rearrange a set of displayed letters into a legible word. Employees can play this game in teams or individually.

To play:

  1. The leader will use a free generator to scramble words.
  2. Teammates will choose an order in which to play.
  3. The leader shares their screen and shows the words.
  4. Teammates have 30 seconds to shout out the answer or type it in the chat.
  5. The first player to get the answer right gets a point.
  6. Each player gets a point for every correct answer.
  7. At the end of the game, the player with the highest point wins.

This game helps teammates sharpen their spelling and vocabulary and is also an excellent opportunity for employees to engage and have fun.

Here is an online word scramble game to use for this activity.

5. Flags of the World

Flags of the World is one of the best online office Olympics games. This activity tests the teammates’ knowledge of diverse countries and cultures. This challenge is also a great game that teaches teammates to identify countries by their flags.

To play:

  1. The leader will make a slideshow with at least thirty flags.
  2. The leader shares these images with players one by one.
  3. Players have ten seconds to type the country’s name in the chat box.
  4. The first player to type the correct answer in the comment box wins that round.
  5. The player with the highest number of correct answers wins the game.
  6. You can choose to award a medal to the winner of the game, as is customary during the Olympics.

Since many countries participate in the Olympics, it is only fitting that teammates learn to identify countries by their flags. This game also helps remote teams learn about each other’s origins, as players can also send a reaction when they recognize their country’s flag.

6. Olympics Trivia

The history of the Olympics dates back to 776 B.C in Olympia and has grown into a grand event held every four years. You can use your online gathering as a learning opportunity for teammates by setting up virtual trivia where teammates get to answer questions about the Olympics.

To play:

  1. Create at least 20 questions relating to the Olympics before the game.
  2. Split the teammates into groups by assigning each group a breakout room.
  3. Ask the trivia questions. For example, who won the most gold medals in the 2006 Olympics?
  4. Each team will go to their respective breakout rooms with a set of five to ten questions to solve.
  5. The groups have five minutes to get all the answers.
  6. The first group to come back with the answer wins that round.
  7. The game will continue in this manner until all questions are answered.
  8. The team with the highest number of points wins the game.

This game is a perfect opportunity for remote teammates to work together and have fun. You must give the teammates some hints about the types of questions you will ask during the game. Thus, giving the employees enough time to research and get their facts right.

7. Step Challenge

The Olympics showcases a variety of sports and activities. Remote teams can also have their own version of the Olympics by participating in the step challenge. In this game, the teammates will share how many steps they can get within a given time frame.

To play:

  1. Meet on a video conferencing platform like Zoom or Google Meet.
  2. The teammates will agree on a specific time frame for the challenge. For 24 hours or a week.
  3. Teammates keep track of their steps using the Fitbit app.
  4. At the end of the allotted time, the teammates will share their steps, and the teammate with the highest number of steps wins.

You may split the teammates into groups or leave them to work individually. This fun challenge allows remote workers to leave their desks and stay active. This game also has several health benefits. You can make this activity several days or even a month long to encourage remote employees to stay active.

Here is the Fitbit app.

8. Name the Anthem

Anthems are customary during the Olympics as different countries showcase their cultures and raise their flags. Name the Anthem is one of the best online Olympics event ideas for remote teams because it is an excellent opportunity for teammates to learn.

To play:

  1. Download national anthems of at least 20 countries before the game.
  2. Meet on a video conferencing platform with the audio-sharing feature enabled.
  3. Play the anthems for five to ten seconds and challenge teammates to guess the country.
  4. The first teammate to send the answer via the comment box wins the round.
  5. The player who guesses the most anthems correctly wins the game and gets a medal.

This exercise is a fun game that tests employees’ knowledge about different countries and exposes teammates to many cultures. You can make this event even more exciting by having employees complete the anthem of their countries. The teammates can even learn and perform these anthems if willing.

9. Slack Olympics Tournament

The Olympics are very competitive and consist of several games and activities. Remote teams can recreate these games by hosting a tournament on Slack.

To play:

  1. Create a Slack channel and add games from the Slack app directory. For example, you can add games such as tic-tac-toe, hangman, and Rock Paper Scissors.
  2. When the channel is ready, send invites to the teammates.
  3. Set up challenges and encourage teammates to play.
  4. The teammates can play several games in different rounds, removing participants who fail as they go.
  5. The goal is to have one to three finalists who will get medals for their efforts.

This activity encourages teammates to interact and builds camaraderie between remote team members. Furthermore, the Slack Olympics Tournament is easy to host and track since the Zomplay bot records the teammates’ scores and ranks them against fellow teammates.

10. This or That?

This or That? is a fun game in which players have to choose between two options. The players have mere seconds to answer and need to answer these questions in rapid succession. Remote teams can play this game on any video conferencing platform like Zoom or Google Meet, but you can play this game offline too.

To play, simply read off several Olympics-themed “This or That” questions or prompts. Teammates have five to ten seconds to answer these questions via the comment box, poll, or reaction feature.

Examples include:

  • Silver or gold medals?
  • Winter or summer Olympics?
  • Volleyball or badminton?
  • Archery or shooting?
  • Karate or boxing?
  • Tennis or table tennis?
  • Opening ceremony or closing ceremony?

This game is a fun way for employees to learn all the types of activities or games that folks play during the Olympics. This activity is also an easy way for remote teammates to interact, learn, and develop work friendships.

11. Lightning Scavenger Hunts

Lightning Scavenger hunts are one of the best games or activities for remote teams. This activity encourages teammates to stay fit and promotes loud bouts of laughter which helps to ease tension.

To play:

  1. Gather on a video call.
  2. Give teammates a list of items to find one by one.
  3. Players must scramble around for these items and present them before the time runs out.
  4. The first player to show the object on the screen wins a point.
  5. The game will continue until all the teammates have a full table of items.
  6. The team or teammate with the highest number of points wins the game. Examples of requested items might include a tennis racket, a baseball bat, a volleyball, a swimming suit, a basketball or a football, or something gold.

This activity encourages teammates to engage and foster positive relationships between remote teammates. You can make this activity more exciting and thrilling by offering bonus points for the most creative or funniest items.

12. eSports Tournaments

eSports Tournaments are a set of multi-player games that users can play online. This activity is perfect for gamers who enjoy a good challenge. You can encourage teammates to play online games like Dota, league of legends, and even football.

To organize this event:

  1. The teammates must choose a particular sport to play.
  2. The teammates will select the multiplayer mode to play.
  3. The teammates will share their screens so that teammates who cannot play or participate can watch and cheer.
  4. The player with the highest score on the chart wins the game.
  5. The teammates can also play several games, and the player with the highest cumulative score wins the tournament.

This activity builds healthy competition between teammates and encourages coworkers to play and interact with each other. The tournament is also a great opportunity for teammates to show off their skills.

13. Medal Ceremony

The Olympics is often concluded with a medal ceremony and you can use this activity as an opportunity to reward teammates too. You do not have to go overboard, you can simply give medals for titles such as:

  • teammate with the highest score
  • most active teammate
  • most playful teammate

You can simply create certificates using a template on Canva or have these certificates created by other teammates as a sign of support and appreciation. The medal ceremony will make teammates feel appreciated and encourage other coworkers to participate actively in other online events.

Here is a free certificate template on Canva.

Conclusion

Online office Olympics ideas are games and activities that remote teams can use to celebrate the Olympics and spark friendly rivalry in the online office. These games include Word Scramble, Lightning Scavenger Hunts, Olympics Trivia, and This or That?

These exercises aim to foster strong bonds among remote teammates and encourage employees to interact and get to know each other better. Not to mention, these exercises are energy that can fight off work-from-home fatigue and isolation. You can organize these events via video conferencing app like Zoom or Google Meet or host short game tournaments on Slack.

Next, check out tips for building stronger teams and ways to beat workplace complacency.

FAQ: Online Office Olympics

Here are frequently asked questions about online office Olympics ideas.

What are online office Olympics?

Online office Olympics refer to games and activities that seek to commemorate or imitate the Olympics. Remote teams can play these games on video conferencing platforms like Zoom or Google Meet.

The purpose of these activities is to foster good team relationships among remote employees and create a friendly work environment among remote teams.

How do you hold online office Olympics? 

You can hold online office Olympics on any video conferencing platform like Zoom or Google Meet where teammates can comment, share thoughts or suggestions via polls, and share screens and images.

What are some good online office Olympics ideas?

Some good online office Olympics ideas include Word scramble, Name the Anthem, Lightning Scavenger Hunts, and Olympics Trivia.

written with 💖 by Tasia Duske

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