GoodHolidayStore planning guide
3 Office Games That Leave the Pens in the Drawer
You found the game sheets, booked the break room and remembered the biscuits. Now every pen in the office has vanished. Run a game with spoken responses instead: read-aloud coworker voting, a short prize-passing story, or picture bingo with removable markers. Each asks something different of the room, so start with your people and your space, then get on with the party.
Start with what's already in the room
A circle of chairs makes prize passing easy. Tables make bingo comfortable. A group that already knows each other can jump into coworker voting with a single host sheet. Begin there and you won't rearrange the whole room for an activity that was supposed to be simple.
| Game | What players do | Host supplies | Best starting point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office Most Likely To | Point or raise hands to vote | One printed host copy | Coworkers comfortable with group votes |
| Office Appreciation Pass the Prize | Pass a wrapped prize as lines are read | Printed story and one wrapped prize | A circle of 6 to 12 |
| Office Bingo | Match called pictures using markers | Boards, calling set and markers | A seated group sharing a clear view |
No pens changes the supplies, but you still have to explain the action. Before you start, say what people will do and what ends the round. Keep it short enough that someone holding a sandwich can follow.
Office Most Likely To: one host sheet, a roomful of votes
1. Read it aloud and count hands
Office Most Likely To supplies 12 themed prompts. You read each aloud, coworkers point or raise their hands, and you compare the votes. The listing calls for one host copy, so you hand out no response sheets.
The download has a two-page US Letter PDF and a matching two-page A4 PDF, both fixed and ready to print. Pick your paper size, read through the prompts and put the pages in order before the gathering starts.
It works through recognition: someone hears a prompt and immediately thinks of a colleague. That gets a familiar team talking fast. A room of new hires may have little to base votes on. Picture bingo, below, gives them a shared task from the first call.
Let people skip a vote or an explanation, and keep comments friendly. Invite a few short explanations after a vote, then move to the next prompt. You set the pace. If everyone justifies every choice, a brisk read-aloud game turns into a very long meeting.
Office Appreciation Pass the Prize: a five-minute circle
2. Wrap one prize and read the story
Office Appreciation Pass the Prize is a left/right circle game with a suggested playing time of about five minutes and a suggested group of six to twelve adults. You wrap one small prize, read the printed lines and let the passing carry the action. The named player on the final line wins and unwraps it.
It gives the group something physical to follow. Set chairs close enough that people can pass easily, with bags and spare chairs out of the route. Hold the prize at the start and explain the passing before you read the story.
The files include US Letter and A4 versions, plus two-up options for both sizes. The listing allows color or black-and-white printing. The reader has to see the lines clearly, so go full-page if the lighting is poor or you'll stand a little away from the sheet.
Wrap the prize before the event. It's easy to postpone, and then you're hunting for tape while six people watch. A small, easy-to-handle parcel keeps the passing smooth. Read at a pace that lets the object catch up instead of racing ahead of the circle.
Office Bingo: picture matching for busy hands
3. Call the pictures, cover the squares
Office Bingo uses familiar workplace objects such as a laptop, sticky notes and a coffee mug. It includes 50 player cards with a FREE center, 36 illustrated calling cards, a caller checklist and a host guide. Players cover matching pictures with markers instead of writing.
Choose full-page or two-per-page cards in Letter or A4. The full-page PDFs have 58 pages and the two-up files have 33; those totals include the support pages. Print the player boards you need and one complete calling set, not every format.
Cut the callers before the group arrives. Put markers at each seat, mark FREE and agree on a row, column, diagonal or full-card win. Draw each caller, read its label and show the picture. Keep drawn cards aside and tick the checklist so a winning claim is easy to check.
The listing allows removable tokens, coins or reusable sleeves. Printable token sheets are included too, but they need printing and cutting. Short on prep time? Gather markers you already have and check that they leave the pictures easy to see.
No printer either? Talk instead
For a free spoken warm-up, ask an original question like "Which desk snack deserves a permanent place in the kitchen?" Let each willing person give a brief answer, then move into the rest of the social. You can run it from memory with no materials at all.
If you pick one of the printable games, prepare its host copy and supplies ahead of time. A pen-free party feels easy when everything's already within reach. Pick one activity, explain it once, and let the group finish a round before you ask whether they want another.
Questions and answers
Which option needs the fewest player supplies?
Office Most Likely To. It uses one printed host copy, and players vote by pointing or raising hands. Read the 12 prompts before the event to decide whether public coworker voting fits your team.
Can we play bingo without marking the paper?
Yes. The listing allows removable tokens, coins or reusable sleeves, and includes printable token sheets. Put markers at each seat before starting and clear them between rounds.
How large should the prize circle be?
Six to twelve players. The Office Appreciation prize story suggests that size and about five minutes. Seat everyone close enough to hear the reader and pass the wrapped prize comfortably.