Once a year, we’re allocated a day to give back to our loved ones. This one special holiday we like to call Valentine’s, is a world-renowned season for the recognition and celebration of love in all forms. Whether it be platonic, familial, or romantic love, we like to honor this day and spread our gratitude through gifts, verbal affirmations and, of course, quality time.
Regardless of whether or not you have a date for the occasion, you should still be able to enjoy the 14th of February with your friends and family. However, if you’re going to be spending this year’s Valentine’s Day at work, it might be a good idea to incorporate a few games to help liven up the festivities for your office party.
Office Valentine’s Day Ideas
If you’re going to be throwing a mini celebration, we’re here to help. So you won’t have to do all the thinking yourself, we’ve compiled various Valentine’s Day office ideas for you to enjoy with your coworkers.
Valentine’s Day Left Right Game
The first activity on our list is my favorite Valentine’s Day Left Right game. To prepare, you must have your Left Right story template like this one from our Etsy shop. Have everyone bring their own presents, and assign one person to read the story out loud, as participants sit in a circle. Pass the gifts around clockwise or counterclockwise everytime you hear the words left or right. Continue swapping the gifts around until the end of the story. Once it’s over, participants all get to keep the one in their hand, and the game is now complete.
Much like your traditional party game, this one’s just a reinvented version of the classic gift exchange. Regardless of its simplicity, this mini game is bound to make things more fun and exciting.
Secret Valentine Gift Exchange
You know what they say, love is one of life’s greatest mysteries… and so is your Valentine! To host your own Secret Valentine, start by writing down the names of all your colleagues on a piece of paper, and place them into a basket or bowl of your choice. Then, have everyone draw lots and pick out a name from the bowl. The name each participant picks out will be their assigned Valentine, for whom they will have to pick out the gifts in time for the holiday.
Sounds exciting, doesn’t it? We thought so, too! We figured this variation will be better suited to groups that prefer a more mysterious, yet personalized way to exchange presents this Valentine’s Day.
Valentine’s Bingo with Conversation Hearts
Bingo is another one of those classic party games that just never get old. This time, make it sweet with some cute conversation hearts! For this activity, you’re going to need a Valentine’s Bingo template wherein the numbers are swapped out with little candy hearts. You can make them yourself by using the little phrases on each candy to fill up the boxes.
Once all the cards are ready, hand them out to players, and give them some candy hearts to use as markers. Then, it’s as simple as drawing out the calling cards for the game. Have fun filling out the boards in different ways, and hand out prizes in ascending order to the corresponding winners. Those who don’t win won’t leave empty-handed, as they’ll have some sweet candy to enjoy as a snack.
In the end, this game is just the same as your typical bingo. Only this time, it imbibes the Valentine spirit. Even if you all don’t go home as winners, you’ll have a little delightful treat in your pocket to remind you of the fun and laughter you shared with your colleagues.
V-Day Taboo Game
Looking to get amped up and score points through a competitive word game? You’re in luck because, for this idea, we bring to you a funny Valentine’s Day Taboo game!
Much like the original, the rules for this game are simple. Provide a set of clues to your teammates that can help them guess the answer on the card you drew. Only, you’re not allowed to give out obvious keywords or descriptions, which are listed as “taboo” on the card you picked. Of course, you’re going to need a set of Valentine’s Day-themed Taboo Card printables to play.
Once all of the items are ready, prepare your buzzer, and divide the group into teams of two. Each group will take turns with one representative giving out the clues, while the other team watches to make sure no taboo words are mentioned. Each time the representative says a taboo word, the other team will press the buzzer, and the guessing team’s turn is over. One correct answer is equivalent to one point, and the team with the most points wins.
Getting together for a game like this will not only have you and your workmates scratching your heads, but will also boost the camaraderie among members. Without you noticing, the bond you build over an activity like this makes it a perfect game to play on a holiday that celebrates love.
Valentine Scattergories Game
Up for another word challenge? This time it’s Valentine edition Scattergories, which will get you and your colleagues’ minds to work. You’re going to need a bunch of Valentine-themed printables list, so you can customize this classic party game. If you don’t have a dice, you can draw each letter per round to start off.
Once you have selected a letter, set the timer and have each member of the group name one thing that starts with the chosen letter based on the provided list. At the end of each round, players will reveal their answers, cross out repeats, and provide a point to each answer that wasn’t named by other players. At the end of three rounds, the player with the most points wins the game.
While still similar to the original Scattergories, these new mechanics will test your Valentine’s Day knowledge and put you head to head against your coworkers. Regardless of who wins, it’s a great game, which promotes creativity and healthy competition among your buddies.
Cupid’s Charades
Tired of sitting around at the office? With this next game, get ready to get up and moving because this is your game of Cupid’s Charades!
To start, prepare a bunch of Valentine-themed nouns, objects, and characters, among other relevant words you can think of, which would suit the occasion. Gather those pieces of paper in a bowl, and divide the whole group into two.
Once you’re ready, have each team take turns picking out a piece of paper from the bowl, and have one representative act out the answer to their teammates. Every correct guess earns a point, and the team with the most points wins.
There’s a reason why this party game has been around longer than any other. It’s the combination of the simple mechanic with players’ unique and creative execution that hooks you in every time. Try it out with your workmates this Valentine’s, and enjoy a heartsy spin on this timeless merriment.
20 Questions
When it comes to love, there is never a right answer. Not unless you’re playing 20 Questions at your office Valentine’s Day party. Prepare to play this inquisitive party game for pairs by filling out a bowl with relevant Valentine’s Day answers.
Set up a timer and assign one person from each pair to draw from the lot. The other must ask 20 questions to figure out the written answer. Once they have asked 20 questions, the one who asked must be able to guess the written answer in order to win the round. Play this game with your colleagues round robin style, or any other elimination method you prefer. Take turns playing this game, until the last team stands.
Think you’ve got the skills? Play this fun and competitive game on Valentine’s Day for a challenging activity, perfect for the occasion. No matter how skilled you think you are, finding the right questions to ask is the real obstacle in this game that’ll light up (or break down!) your relationships with your coworkers.
Valentine’s Day Trivia
Are you the next Valentine’s Day Trivia King or Queen? It’s time to gear up and face the music with a trivia challenge like this for the holiday. Get started by preparing a bunch of Valentine’s Day-themed questions for your workmates to answer. You can also segregate them into order of difficulty, so there’s a bit of an added challenge every time players go up a level.
On the day of the event, prepare some goodie bags or prizes, and assign a colleague to host the game. Request for some volunteers to participate, or small groups of four to five to act as your contestants. Add in as many more twists and mechanics you like, and enjoy this fun and exciting trivia game with your colleagues.
Because of the game’s nature, it’s easy to scale up or down however you like. Be it a Valentine’s Day highlight or a small gathering you can enjoy on break, the competitive spirit that fills the room when you play this can be a worthy source of amusement you can have every year.
What I Like About You
What I Like About You is a nice little activity to have at your workplace if you want to lift up spirits and remind your colleagues of what makes them special. For starters, all you will need is a card or a piece of paper for each person involved. Then, have everyone write down their name at the very top of the page, and prepare to sit around in a circle.
Everybody grabs a pen, and passes the paper to their left. From here on out, it’s all about writing down the qualities and characteristics of the person who’s paper you’re currently holding. Once everybody’s done, pass it to the left once more, and continue to do this until the paper returns to its owner.
Once the paper goes back to you, you’ll be surprised at all the nice things your coworkers would have said about you, warming up your heart and putting a sweet smile on your face.
As simple as this activity’s mechanics are, it’s definitely a kind and gentle gesture, which can make anyone’s day. Even if your group is not that into games, this opportunity offers a nice little reminder that you are appreciated and loved by your coworkers. This is a perfect feeling to partake with them on Valentine’s day.
Secret Admirer Tree
Part of what makes love beautiful is opening yourself up to someone, and letting them know how you feel. If you want to encourage this feeling at your office for Valentine’s Day, introduce a Secret Admirer Tree all throughout the month.
All you need is a cutout or printout of a large tree you can post on a wall at your office. To aid your coworkers in filling it up, place a station filled with pens and papers beside it.
Let your colleagues know they can anonymously write down a short note to anyone at the office. It can be a short message, a simple note of admiration, or a nice compliment that can make anyone smile. As the days pass by, watch and sit back as the tree is slowly filled by words of affirmation.
Regardless of the contents, having a tree like this serves as an invitation of kindness and compassion to one another. Not only can it improve camaraderie, it can also easily become an exciting invitation to look forward to and be encouraged by every time.
Conclusion
And that’s it from us! What do you like best from this list of office Valentine’s Day ideas? Remember that the true essence of this holiday is to make everyone around you feel good and well taken care of. Be it by assisting them with their tasks or giving out a small token to your friends, Valentine’s is about spreading kindness, gratitude, and love.
At the end of the day, it’s common for us to take for granted what we have. We hope these office Valentine’s Day ideas help to bring you closer with your workmates, if not strengthen your bond this coming holiday.
We hope you have a fantastic time!
