Office Birthday Party Ideas, Games & Activities

Here is our list of the best office birthday party ideas for work.

Office birthday parties are events where teams celebrate one another’s birthday. Example features of these events include desk decorations, cakes, and cards. The purpose of these activities is to make employees feel recognized on their special days.

These celebrations are in-person versions of virtual birthday parties and can be team celebration ideas and morale boosters for the office. You can play fun party games and birthday games during these events.

This list includes:

• office birthday ideas
• birthday party activities for work
• office birthday celebration ideas
• work birthday ideas
• office birthday ideas for the boss
• birthday games for work

Here we go!

List of Office Birthday Ideas

From virtual experiences to frozen pudding shot bars, here is a list of ways to make birthdays memorable in your office.

1. Ooh La L-et’s Party

You can bring Paris to the birthday star with a DIY crepe bar. First, order pre-made crepes online. Crepes typically come in packages of 8 to 10. Next, decide on crepe fillings and toppings.

Ideas for crepe fillings and toppings include:

• Fruits like raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, peaches, and bananas
• Fillings like cream cheese, hazelnut chocolate spread, cookie butter, mascarpone, and pudding
• Sprinklers like powdered sugar, candy pieces, chocolate chips, and marshmallows.

Partygoers can mix and match ingredients for fun concoctions like banana crème pie, s’mores, and peaches ‘n cream crepes!

You can complete your party with a virtual tour of the Eiffel Tour, the Louvre, or the Paris Catacombs.

2. Signature Cocktail Idea For Bosses

For the boss who has everything, you can create a namesake cocktail and throw a cocktail hour in their honor.

First, find out your boss’s favorite liquor. Then, put your mixology skills to work by Googling ingredients that go well with that liquor. For example, rum and pineapple or wine and sparkling water. It is often best to experiment ahead of time with different liquor and ingredients to get the concoction right.

Next, buy inexpensive cocktail glasses at a dollar store. Finally, personalize the event with signature cocktail signs. You can find templates online or use simple chalkboards.

For more ways to honor the boss, check out this list of virtual Boss’ Day ideas.

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3. Fried Chicken and Waffle Spread

You can give the birthday employee the gift of comfort food with a fried chicken and waffle spread.

First, choose a place to buy buckets of fried chicken. Upscale grocery stores or fast-food restaurants are excellent options. Then, ask a few team members to lend out two or three waffle makers for fresh waffles. Or, purchase frozen waffles in bulk. Next, put together your waffle spread.

Some ideas for your waffle spread:

• Fruit toppings like strawberries, blueberries, bananas, and pineapple
• Syrups like blueberry, caramel, strawberry, chocolate, and maple
• Sweet toppings like marshmallow fluff, Nutella, whipped cream, and hot fudge
•  Butter like peanut, almond, or honey
• Sprinkles like nuts, cupcake sprinkles, powdered sugar, and crumbled graham cracker
• Savory toppings like bacon, cheddar cheese, avocado, goat cheese, lox, and cream cheese

You can encourage partygoers to mix and match ingredients with a chalkboard of suggestions like “the peanut butter cup waffle: peanut butter and hot fudge” or “the California Waffle: avocado, bacon, and cheddar cheese.”

4. Bumper Chicken Relay Game

A play on, “why did the chicken cross the road?”, this game’s objective is to see which team “crosses the road” first in bulky inflatable bumper suits! These suits are easy to find online and a good investment for future team building activities.

To play the game, set up two obstacle courses of 8 to 10 soccer cones. Be sure to keep the courses very close together for more challenging navigation. Then, pick a participant to keep time. Next, divide party goers into two teams and line players up, one behind the other. When the timekeeper says, “go,” the first player puts on the suit, runs through the course, doubles back to their team, and hands off the bumper suit to the next team member in line. Finally, the team that gets all players through the obstacle course first wins!

5. Mac ‘n Cheese Birthday

You can rekindle childhood nostalgia with a DIY Mac ‘n Cheese bar. First, choose your noodles and cheeses. I recommend giving partygoers two to three options such as white cheddar, sharp cheddar, gruyere, and goat cheese. Then, pick your toppings. There are a lot of fun and unconventional ideas that can elevate your culinary creations!

Some topping ideas:

• Meat like bacon or chicken
• Sauces like buffalo sauce, pesto, hot sauce, or truffle oil
• Vegetables like edamame, jalapeños, green onions, avocado, chipotles, or poblanos
• Cheese like blue cheese, cheddar, and mozzarella

Finally, create a menu of suggestions like “buffalo mac ‘n cheese: buffalo sauce, chicken, and blue cheese” or “some like it hot mac and cheese with cheddar and jalapeños.”

6. Noodle Obstacle Course Activity

Games are a birthday party staple. Engaging your partygoers with a pool noodle course is bound to bring laughs.

Course Activity Ideas:

• Crawling under pool noodle arches
• Hula hooping
• Jumping rope for a specific time
• Hopping through pool noodle rings
• Leaping over pool noodles laid flat
• Bouncing on a hop ball for a specific time

Course Supply Ideas:

• Pool noodles
• Duct tape
• Lawn stakes
• Hula hoops
• Jump ropes
• Adult hop balls

To set up the course, pick a wide, open area. For example, a local park or a backyard are good venues. Then, set up the course according to your activities. For instance, crawling under noodle arches, hula hooping, then hopping through pool noodle rings.

PRO TIP: For noodle rings, bend one noodle into a circle, and secure the ends with duct tape. For noodle arches, tape two noodles together, then bend them into an arch, securing each end of the arch with a yard stake.

7. Virtual Getaway for Bosses

One of the most unique work birthday ideas is to celebrate your boss with a virtual getaway. To plan the getaway, first narrow the experience based on your boss’s interest. For example, if your boss is a beachgoer, then send them on a 3D 360 experience in Tahiti. If your manager is a mountain enthusiast, then put them on an ascent climb of Mt. Everest.

Other unique virtual escape ideas:

• Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam
• Yellowstone National Park
• Kenai Fjords
• Buckingham Palace
• Pharaoh Ramses VI Tomb-Luxor, Egypt

You can add to the experience with a lunch or snack that pairs with the virtual theme. For example, fish and fries for a Buckingham Palace escape or salmon for a Kenai Fjords escape.

For inspiration, check out this list of virtual tours.

8. Frozen Pudding Shot Idea

A frozen pudding shot birthday is an out-of-the-ordinary celebration idea. First, plan the shot menu.

Frozen shot ideas:

• Chocolate mudslide
• S’mores
• Caramel apple martini
• Strawberry cheesecake
• Salted caramel
• Birthday cake
• Pina colada

Then, find mixology volunteers to make the shots at home. Finally, add happy hour snacks like Chex mix with white chocolate chips or white chocolate-covered popcorn.

Pro tip: Hold the festivities at the end of the workday so that the celebrations do not impact employee focus!

9. Pudding Finger-Painting Activity

Adulthood does not have to mean abandoning pudding or finger painting. You can delight your birthday employee’s inner child with a pudding paint party. First, decide whether partygoers will finger paint on one shared canvas or whether each partygoer will get their own canvas. Then, gather supplies.

Recommended supplies:

• Vanilla pudding boxes (the amount of boxes will depend on the number of partygoers)
• Food coloring
• Foil cupcake pans
• One large canvas or small individual canvases

Finally, prepare the pudding as directed on the box, adding 5 to 6 drops of food coloring to each batch. There are many food coloring colors out there, and you can get creative! When the pudding is ready, spoon it into the foil cupcake pans.

Pro tip: The pudding is edible and you can encourage your partygoers to snack as they paint!

10. Snow-DODGE-ball Game

Snow-DODGE-ball is one of the perfect games for office birthday parties. A spin on classic dodgeball, this game replaces dodgeballs with fake snowballs. You can buy packages of fake snowballs online or buy white floral foam balls at any craft store. To get started, buy eight fake snowballs or floral foam balls and colored masking tape.

To play:

1. Find a large space like a conference room.
2. Run approximately 10 feet of masking tape down the middle of the room. The tape is your center line for the snowballs.
3. Run another 10 feet of masking tape on either side of your center line, approximately 10 feet parallel to the center line.
4. Set up six snowballs on the center line.
5. Divide party goers into two teams. Each team starts with one ball. Once play begins, it’s a rush to the other four snowballs.

Teams win the game by hitting all members of the opposing team with a snowball below the shoulders.

11. Mimosa and Sorbet Spring Birthday

Pairing mimosas with sorbets is magic in a champagne flute. To create your own office birthday magic, host a mimosa and sorbet brunch for office spring birthdays. Spring is the perfect time of year for brunching!

First, choose mimosa flavors to pair with champagne.

For example:

• Peach, pineapple, mango, strawberry, orange, blackberry
• Lemon and raspberry together
• Orange and cranberry together
• Pineapple and coconut together

Then, choose sorbets that would go well with the different flavors like:

• Lemon
• Raspberry
• Orange
• Mango
• Strawberry

Finally, include pastries and quiches for an added brunch feel.

12. Sangria Night for Summer Birthdays

You can welcome summer by throwing a sangria night celebrating all office summer birthdays.

First, decide on a drink menu. Some sangria menu ideas:

• Red wine with melon balls
• White wine with peach and thyme
• Rosé with blood oranges

You can also blend wine with other alcohols for a unique sangria. For example, combine vodka, red wine, blackberries, and rosemary together.

For the full effect, complete the menu with a Spanish antipasto platter of marinated olives, ham, almonds, manchego cheese, and dried apricots.

13. Wine Bingo Game

I hosted a wine night complete with my version of Spanish bingo. In Spanish bingo, pictures replace numbers, so I used wine-related pictures. Everyone had a blast!

To host your own wine bingo game, first gather and save 56 wine-related pictures to your computer.

Some picture ideas:

• Pictures of fruits like blackberries, strawberries, oranges
• Pictures of different wines like white, red, and rosé
• Pictures of alcohol bottles like champagne and vodka.

Then, use Canva’s free Bingo generator to create your template. Or Google “free Bingo generator programs.” There are plenty of options! Next, buy Bingo chips. You can either buy the chips online or DIY with fun items like small candies. Finally, gather up small prizes for the winner.

For more Bingo games, check out this icebreaker Bingo generator.

14. Fall Farmer’s Market Idea

Nothing says fall like a farmers’ market. To celebrate the fall birthdays in your office, create a farmer’s market spread for employees. First, plan your market items.

Suggestions:

• Pumpkin breads
• Coffee blends with fall flavors
• Fall pies like apple or blackberry
• Fall fruits like apples or pears
• Hot Cider

You can add ambiance with real pumpkins, Indian corn, and dried lavender in Mason jars.

There are many potential office birthday party activities, however, photo scavenger hunts are a personal favorite. I have done fall scavenger hunts as a soccer coach and can vouch that the game is fun. You can add items to the list like a husk of corn, a bushel of apples, and a black crow.

Here is a list of photo scavenger hunt ideas.

15. Hard Cider Tasting Activity

Hard cider tasting has taken off in many cities. This sampling is an easy way to celebrate a fall birthday. If you do not have a cidery or cider tasting in your area, then you can DIY. Most grocery stores carry a variety of ciders. Or, you can order cider online from cideries across the country.

16. Errand Roulette

Errands can be daunting. One of my favorite office birthday ideas for bosses is running their errands in an errand roulette game. To set up this exercise, ask your boss to write out errands on small pieces of paper. Then, put the papers in a hat alongside blank pieces of paper. Next, have team members pick slips from the hat. Participants who pull a blank piece of paper do not have to run an errand.

17. Chinese Food and a Tour

Chinese take-out is an easy birthday food option for a small or large crowd. To kick up the experience, arrange a streamed virtual tour of The Great Wall or Dazu Rock Carvings.

18. Happy Birthday Everyone Idea

Similar to celebrating seasonal birthdays, a Happy Birthday Everyone party celebrates all office birthdays with one big event.

Since this occasion honors multiple employees, you can pool budget and spring for a more extravagant event.

Here are some suggestions:

• Sporting event like a baseball, hockey, or football game
• Fancy dinner catered in-office or at a restaurant
• Retreat like spas or skiing
• Paintball
• Escape room

For added flair, create t-shirts or tumblers for the event. Here are lists of team attire and employee swag for inspiration.

19. Sliders and Tots Birthday Idea

Sliders and tater tots may be the perfect food marriage. Not to mention, these treats are super easy to put together! To create your slider and tater tot spread, decide on a menu.

Some slider ideas:

• Meatball
• Hawaiian beef
• Ham and cheese with dijon
• Pot roast
• Pulled pork
• Barbecue shredded chicken

Next, pull together your tater tot bar. Some tater tot ideas:

• Meat like bacon or shredded chicken
• Vegetables like green onion, jalapenos, diced tomatoes, black olives, and peppers
• Shredded cheese
• Sour cream
• Sauce such as Sriracha or sour cream

Finally, finish off the spread with different types of beer or ale.

20. Piñata party

You can get creative with a classic piñata party by filling the piñata with adult treats.

For example:

• Small plastic bottles of alcohol
• Coffee gift cards
• Boozy gummy bears
• Scratch off lottery tickets
• Office coupons like “get an extra hour at lunch” or “take the afternoon off”

For extra fun, pick piñatas shaped like alcohol bottles, chili peppers, or sock monkeys.

Pro tip: Be sure to hang the piñata in an open area of the office where players are less likely to damage any furniture or equipment with a bat swing.

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.

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:

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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 during next year’s birthday celebration. This activity is a unique way to reflect on memories and celebrate growth together as a team.

Conclusion

Celebrating office birthdays is a great way to make your team feel included, recognized, and special. Party ideas can be as simple or elaborate as you want. These out-of-the-ordinary occasions and celebrations can help employees feel like they are part of something amazing.

Next, check out these collections of Valentine’s Day ideas for work and office Christmas party ideas.

We also have a list of fun mixer games and activities for the office and happy birthday messages for employees.