10 Olympics-inspired activities to connect your teams

Any time is a fantastic time to create fun and connection across your business. Here are some ideas that can help foster collaboration, trust, engagement, productivity and inclusivity:

1. Wellness challenge

The wellness challenge is a great way to promote wellbeing and camaraderie within your team.

Set up categories like steps taken, minutes of exercise or specific activities such as yoga, running or cycling, and make sure you cater to various interests and fitness levels. Use apps like Strava or a shared Google Sheet to track progress and create a leaderboard for friendly competition.

The wellness challenge should encourage healthy habits and foster a sense of community and mutual support among employees.

• Categories + tracking: Create different categories such as steps, minutes of exercise or specific activities like yoga, running or cycling.
• Shared board/app: Use an app like Strava or a shared Google Sheet where employees can log their progress and cheer each other on. You could even create a leaderboard for some friendly competition.
• Ensure inclusivity: Due to varying abilities and health conditions, not all employees can participate in physical fitness challenges. Offer a range of activities that can accommodate different fitness levels, and consider including non-physical wellness activities (such as mindfulness or nutrition challenges) to ensure everyone can join in and feel included.

2. Virtual office olympics

Virtual office olympics bring fun and excitement to your workplace while bolstering team spirit and collaboration.

Encourage each department to create unique games or challenges, like trivia quizzes or quick scavenger hunts. Employees can record themselves completing these challenges and share their videos on platforms like Slack or a dedicated Google Drive folder.

Keep the momentum going by creating weekly highlight reels that showcase everyone's efforts, celebrating achievements and maintaining high levels of engagement and camaraderie.

• Department games: Encourage each department to create a unique game or challenge. Games could range from a trivia quiz to a quick scavenger hunt.
• Video submissions: Employees can record themselves completing the challenges and submit their videos to a shared platform like Slack or a dedicated Google Drive folder.
• Highlight reels: Create weekly highlight reels to showcase everyone's efforts and keep the excitement going.

3. Olympic-themed art challenge

The olympic-themed art challenge is a creative way to engage employees and showcase artistic talents.

Encourage participants to use any medium they’re comfortable with, whether digital art, painting or crafting. Set up a virtual gallery using a tool like Padlet or Google Slides, allowing everyone to view and comment on each other's creations.

The olympic-themed art challenge nurtures creativity and provides a platform for employees to express themselves and connect over shared interests, fostering a sense of community and inclusivity within the workplace.

• Design + medium: Allow employees to use any medium they're comfortable with, such as digital art, painting or crafting.
• Create themes: Blank canvases can slow innovation and creativity. Draft a list of themes that can be starting points for artwork.
• Digital gallery: Set up a virtual gallery using a tool like Padlet or Google Slides where everyone can view and comment on each other's creations.

4. Olympics bingo

Olympics bingo is a fun and engaging way to bring some friendly competition into your workplace. 

Create custom bingo cards filled with Olympic-related activities or events such as "Watch the opening ceremony," "See an athlete break a world record," or "Learn about a new sport." Employees can mark off completed activities, and you can offer small prizes for completed bingo lines or full cards to keep motivation high. 

Olympics bingo should be designed to encourage engagement with the Olympics and with each other.

• Custom bingo cards: Create bingo cards with Olympic-related activities or events (e.g., "Watch the opening ceremony," "See an athlete break a world record").
• Prizes: Offer small prizes for completed bingo lines or total cards to keep motivation high.

5. Pass the torch

Pass the torch is an inspiring activity promoting employee connection and storytelling. 

Create a virtual torch that can be passed from one employee to another, symbolizing unity and teamwork. Each recipient shares an inspiring story or quote or leads a short, non-physical exercise like a mindfulness activity or a brain teaser. Use a Miro board or Slack to post these stories, quotes and exercises, creating a living document of shared experiences.

Pass the torch encourages personal sharing, strengthens bonds and fosters a supportive and inclusive work culture.

• Virtual torch relay: Create a virtual torch that can be passed from one employee to another.
• Story sharing: Each person who receives the torch shares an inspiring story or quote or leads a short, non-physical exercise, such as a mindfulness activity or a brain teaser.
• Virtual board: Post the stories, quotes and exercises on a Miro board or within Slack, creating a living document of shared experiences.

6. Olympic trivia night

Olympic trivia night is a fun and engaging way to unite employees for a friendly competition and learning night.

Host a virtual trivia event focused on Olympics history, fun facts and current events using an interactive platform like Kahoot! Form teams with a mix of remote and in-person employees to boost collaboration and inclusivity. 

Olympic trivia night provides an opportunity for team bonding and sparks interest in the Olympics. It creates a lively and interactive atmosphere that enhances employee engagement and morale.

• Virtual trivia: Host a trivia night on Olympics history, fun facts and current events. Use platforms like Kahoot! to make it interactive.
• Teams: Form teams with a mix of remote and in-person employees to boost collaboration.

7. International cuisine week

International cuisine week is an exciting opportunity to celebrate global diversity and unite employees through food.

Invite employees to share recipes from their nominated countries, encouraging them to cook and share photos of their dishes. Organize virtual lunch dates where employees can eat together, discuss their culinary creations and explore the cultures behind the recipes. 

International cuisine week fosters cultural appreciation, encourages social interaction and creates a sense of community, making everyone feel included and valued in the workplace.

• Global potluck: Have employees share recipes from their nominated countries, encourage them to cook and share photos of their dishes.
• Virtual lunches: Set up virtual lunch dates where employees can eat together and talk about their dishes and the countries they represent.

8. Olympic mentorship program

The olympic mentorship program is a unique initiative that promotes skill-sharing and knowledge exchange in the spirit of international cooperation.

Pair employees from different departments or locations to mentor each other, sharing expertise and learning new skills. Create a list of skills employees want to learn or teach and facilitate the matching process to ensure meaningful and productive partnerships. 

The olympic mentorship program enhances professional development and builds cross-departmental relationships, fostering a more connected and collaborative workplace.

• Mentorship pairs: Pair employees from different departments or locations to share skills and knowledge, inspired by the spirit of international cooperation.
• Skill exchange: Create a list of power skills employees want to learn or teach and facilitate matching.

9. Cultural exchange sessions

Cultural exchange sessions provide a dynamic platform for employees to share and learn about the diverse cultures represented in the Olympics.

Encourage employees to present short sessions on different countries, highlighting interesting cultural facts, traditions and personal experiences. Include an interactive Q&A segment to engage participants and deepen their understanding.

Cultural exchange sessions foster cultural awareness, celebrate diversity and create a more inclusive work environment where employees feel valued and connected through shared learning experiences.

• Country spotlights: Have employees present short sessions on countries participating in the Olympics, sharing interesting cultural facts and traditions.
• Interactive Q&A: Include a Q&A segment to make these sessions more engaging and interactive.
• External experts: Invite external experts to facilitate conversations about identity, cultural diversity and inclusion. These experts can provide deeper insights, share their experiences and lead discussions that challenge employees to think critically about cultural identity and its impact on the workplace. This adds an enriching layer to the sessions, enhancing understanding and fostering a more inclusive environment.

10. Learning olympics

Learning olympics is an innovative activity designed to inspire continuous learning and personal development within your team.

Encourage employees to log learning hours, explore various topics and share their insights with colleagues. Create categories such as most hours logged, diverse topics covered or impactful lessons learned. Incorporate learning from Olympic athletes and coaches by hosting virtual sessions where employees can hear about their experiences, strategies and mindsets.

Learning olympics promotes a learning culture and fosters motivation, curiosity and a drive for excellence among employees.

• Learning logs: Encourage employees to maintain logs of their learning activities, noting the hours spent, topics covered and key takeaways. This tracks progress and allows recognition of those who demonstrate a solid commitment to personal and professional growth.
• Guest speakers: Arrange virtual sessions with Olympic athletes and coaches to discuss their experiences, training regimens and the mental strategies they use to achieve peak performance. These insights can provide valuable lessons in discipline, resilience and goal-setting that employees can apply to their careers.
• Competition + prizes: Introduce an element of friendly competition by offering prizes for categories like most hours logged, most diverse topics covered or most impactful lessons learned. This adds excitement and incentivizes participation, encouraging employees to fully engage in their learning journeys.

Ready to enhance your team's engagement and learning?

By incorporating these Olympic-themed activities, you’ll foster a sense of unity, excitement and continuous growth among your employees. These initiatives enhance team spirit and inclusivity and drive personal and professional development.

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