You found our list of the best birthday games for work.
Birthday games for work are activities that colleagues can do during work birthday parties. For example, Office Cake Walk, Gift Wrapping Race, or Birthday Whodunit. The purpose of these games is to celebrate the guest of honor and have fun. These games are also known as “activities for work birthdays” and “birthday celebration games at work.”
These birthday games for work are a subset of party games and similar to office birthday party ideas, virtual party games, and gifts for employees.
This list includes:
- activities for work birthdays
- birthday activities for employees
- birthday celebration games at work
- birthday fun at work
- birthday game ideas for the workplace
- birthday games for the office
Let’s get started!
List of birthday games for work
From Birthday Relay Race to Office Birthday Roast, here is our list of the best games to play during office birthday parties.
1. DIY Cupcake Decorating Contest
A DIY Cupcake Decorating Contest is a delicious addition to a work birthday celebration. To set up the contest, give each participant plain cupcakes. Also, set up a station with toppings such as frosting, sprinkles, and candy decorations. When the game starts, set a timer for five minutes. Players compete to make the most beautiful cupcakes. The birthday VIP can give out prizes based on their favorite cupcakes.
To make this challenge a bit more difficult, you can also set up a decorating theme. For instance, rainbows, flowers, or emojis.
This activity promotes creativity and friendly competition among colleagues. Plus, the whole team gets to enjoy a tasty snack after decorating!
2. Birthday Whodunit
To add some excitement to a birthday celebration at work, try a Birthday Whodunit game! This interactive activity will get the whole office involved in the mystery. To set up the game, choose one player to be the detective. Then, assign each participant a role in the whodunit scenario. The birthday celebrant can choose which role they want to play.
Throughout the day, give out clues related to the mystery. Stories could range from murder mysteries to missing office supplies. The detective and participants must piece the clues together and solve the case. This game fosters teamwork and problem-solving skills. In addition, a whodunit adds an element of surprise and intrigue to your office birthday celebration.
Here are the best crime-solving games for work.
Want some free team building tools?
$49 value (100% free)
- 100+ fully tested icebreaker questions
- 24+ themed Bingo generators
- 5+ PDFs (including the 8% Rule)
- 2024 team building calendar
- and more...
Enter your email for instant access
3. Birthday Bingo
Birthday Bingo is one of the most fun and engaging birthday activities for employees. You can create custom Bingo cards with different birthday-related themes.
Here is a sample Bingo card:
As the party progresses, participants mark off the items on their cards. Whoever completes a line or pattern shouts, “Bingo!” Players who get a Bingo earn a prize.
4. Office Cake Walk
An office cake walk is a fun and engaging game that can add excitement to a work birthday celebration. To play this game, set up a circular path marked with numbers on the floor or using tape. Each number corresponds to a cake or a slice of cake displayed on a table. Participants walk around the circle while music plays. When the music stops, players stop on a number. Hosts call out a random number, and the player standing on that number wins the cake.
This game adds an element of surprise and anticipation to the party. In addition, participants all get to enjoy delicious dessert in the end!
5. Birthday Relay Race
A Birthday Relay Race is an exciting and engaging game that can add a touch of fun to any work celebration. To set up the race, create a relay course with various challenges or tasks at each station. Examples of relay games include putting on birthday hats and making balloon bouquets.
Next, split participants into teams. Teams take turns completing the challenges and reaching the finish line first. Whoever completes all the challenges first wins! This game fosters teamwork, communication, and friendly competition among colleagues.
6. Baby Picture Guess Who
Baby Picture Guess Who is a fun and engaging activity to include in birthday celebration games at work. To play the game, employees each bring in their baby pictures. Hosts will make a Guess Who board to project at the party. Coworkers fill out a sheet matching each picture to the correct colleague. Whoever identifies the most baby pictures correctly wins!
This game adds an element of excitement and nostalgia to the celebration. Further, the game promotes team building and interaction. Your team will have a blast looking at their colleagues’ cute baby photos!
7. Piñata Party
Piñata Party is a fun and exciting game that can add a festive touch to any birthday celebration at work. To host this event, start by filling a piñata with different goodies. Examples include candy, stickers, and small toys. Participants will put on a blindfold, spin around a few times, and then try to hit the piñata. Whoever breaks the piñata first wins a prize! Be sure to let the birthday guest hit the piñata first.
For a more competitive twist on this classic activity, give each player a basket. Then, folks will try to collect as many treats as they can. Whoever gets the most candy and toys wins an extra prize.
8. Pass the Parcel
Pass the Parcel is one of the most classic birthday games for the office that can add some fun and excitement to your work celebration. To play the game, wrap a small gift in several layers of wrapping paper. Coworkers gather in a circle. Then, start playing some lively music. Participants pass the gift around the circle. When the music stops, the player holding the box unwraps one layer. The game continues until a participant unwraps the final layer and gets the prize inside.
This game adds an element of surprise and excitement to the party. This competitive game is a great way to give partygoers fun prizes!
Here are more fun gift swap games.
9. Pin the Candle on the Cake
Playing Pin the Candle on the Cake is an entertaining game for birthday celebrations. To host this activity, hang a large poster of a birthday cake on the wall. Then, cut out candle shapes from paper and attach small pieces of double-sided tape to the back.
One at a time, blindfold participants and spin them around. Players will try to pin the candle onto the top of the cake. Whoever gets the closest wins! This game combines laughter and a touch of silliness, making it a great birthday party activity.
10. Office Birthday Roast
An office birthday roast can be a fun and entertaining way to celebrate a colleague’s special day. This exercise involves lighthearted teasing about the birthday celebrant. To organize a roast, ask colleagues to write some jokes about the honoree. However, be sure to specify that jokes should be all in good fun. Then, colleagues take turns sharing their jokes and stories about the guest of honor. Folks will laugh and have a good time.
The main focus of the event should be on celebrating the birthday VIP’s achievements or amusing experiences. This lighthearted activity is great for birthday fun at work.
11. DIY Birthday Hat Decorating
DIY Birthday Hat Decorating is one of the most creative activities for work birthdays. For this activity, gather materials like plain party hats, markers, stickers, and glitter. Teams can spend time decorating hats to wear to the birthday party. To make the experience special for the celebrant, you can get them a special hat, such as a large crown.
For a competitive edge, you can set a timer for five to ten minutes. When time is up, give awards to the individuals who make the best party hats. This exercise is a quick way to gamify birthday party decorations. Plus, coworkers get to showcase their artistic creativity.
12. Birthday Raffle
A Birthday Raffle can add excitement to any workplace celebration. To set this activity up, create raffle tickets with each employee’s name on them. On the birthday celebrant’s special day, draw a ticket from the raffle box and announce the winner. The lucky colleague gets a small prize or token of appreciation.
This game fosters team spirit and camaraderie among coworkers. Raffles are a great way to make birthdays at work memorable and enjoyable for the whole team.
Check out more office raffle ideas.
13. Gift Wrapping Race
A fun game to include in a birthday celebration at work is the Gift Wrapping Race. When setting up this activity, create stations with wrapping paper, tape, and scissors. When the game starts, set a timer for five minutes. Whoever wraps the neatest present within the time limit wins!
This friendly competition enhances coordination and creativity skills. Best of all, you can use the birthday honoree’s real presents as props during this activity.
14. Birthday Scattergories
Birthday Scattergories is a fun addition to your list of birthday game ideas for the workplace. To host this activity, create a list of categories such as “Types of Cake,” “Gift Ideas,” or “Party Themes.” Then, choose a letter at random. Players have to come up with words that fit each category and start with that letter. The goal is to think quickly and creatively to come up with unique answers. Players earn one point for each unique answer. Whoever has the most points in the end wins.
This game encourages teamwork, creativity, and friendly competition among colleagues. Birthday Scattergories can bring laughter and excitement to work birthday celebrations.
Check out these free Scattergories lists.
15. Cupcake Tower Challenge
The Cupcake Tower Challenge is a fun and engaging competition. Participants split into teams and grab plain cupcakes and frosting. Hosts will set a timer for ten minutes, and teams will race to make the tallest cupcake tower in the time limit. The group that makes the biggest tower wins!
This experience is a fun way to foster camaraderie and teamwork. In addition, participants all get to enjoy tasty treats after the contest.
16. Guess the Birthday Gift
Guess the Birthday Gift is a fun game to play at work birthday celebrations. Colleagues will bring in gifts for their colleague celebrating a birthday. Once all the gifts arrive, players can take a few minutes to write down guesses about what each item is. As the celebrant opens each present, players can mark which presents they guessed correctly. The guest who earns the most points wins!
This game encourages deduction and problem-solving skills. Guess the Birthday Gift also adds excitement and anticipation to the birthday festivities.
Here are more guessing games you can play with coworkers.
17. Birthday Toast Challenge
The Birthday Toast Challenge adds a hilarious twist to the party! Before the event, write several silly birthday toasts on slips of paper. These messages should be as goofy as possible. At the end of the party, pass out drinks to each colleague. One at a time, participants will draw a silly toast out of a bowl. The goal is to read the whole message to the birthday celebrant without laughing. Players who get through the toast with a straight face win a small prize.
This game is a great way to make partygoers laugh. Plus, colleagues get to celebrate the birthday VIP with several funny messages.
18. Birthday Time Capsule
A Birthday Time Capsule is a great game to add nostalgia and fun to a work birthday party. For this exercise, have each team member bring one item that represents the past year or their time at work. These items could be photos, trinkets, or mementos. Then, collectively create a time capsule by placing all the items in a decorated box or container. Another option is to add pictures or items from the birthday party itself to the capsule.
Finally, seal up the capsule and set a date to open it at the next year’s birthday celebration. This activity is a unique way to reflect on memories and celebrate growth together as a team.
Final Thoughts
Birthday parties are the perfect time to play games with your team. These games can either be competitive or cooperative. Several activities involve delicious snacks teams can enjoy after the games. In addition, these activities help folks unwind, create connections, and celebrate the birthday honoree. With these games on your agenda, employees will always look forward to birthday celebrations!
Next, check out our posts on virtual birthday party ideas, virtual team celebrations, and fun party games for work.
Michael Alexis