Office Decorating Contest
Employee engagement through shared experience
Built for workplaces that want real participation, not awkward ice time, Office Decorating Contest delivers structure and spark.
Last updated: 2026-08-03
450+ corporate teams
Seasonal moments that stick
Quick overview
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Duration
30–120
Minutes total
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Group size
8–30
Participants
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Energy
Med–High
Energy level
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Format
In-person
On-site sessions
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Category
Seasonal/Special
Activity type
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Best for
Teams
Festive team events
What Is Office Decorating Contest?
Office Decorating Contest team building brings employees into a structured seasonal/special format. Teams decorate their desks/floor for a holiday or theme and are judged. Leaders choose it when they need corporate team building activities that feel human, not performative.
HR and people leaders deploy Office Decorating Contest during onboarding, offsites, and team resets because the structure reduces awkwardness while still inviting personality. That balance is why it shows up on so many lists of team building activities for employees.
If your brief is employee engagement without gimmicks, Office Decorating Contest earns its place: clear rules, inclusive pacing, and a debrief that ties play back to how the team works on Monday.
How it works
A clear session flow from brief to debrief
Follow these steps to run Office Decorating Contest with confidence, timing included so you can plan the room or Zoom agenda.
Set the frame
Welcome the group and explain why you are running Office Decorating Contest today. Restate the simple idea: Teams decorate their desks/floor for a holiday or theme and are judged. Clarify that the goal is connection and teamwork, not embarrassing anyone.
2–4 minutesPrepare the room or call
Arrange seating, breakouts, or tools so everyone can participate equally. Share timing, roles, and any boundaries unique to Office Decorating Contest.
3–5 minutesRun the core experience
Facilitate the heart of Office Decorating Contest: Teams decorate their desks/floor for a holiday or theme and are judged. Keep coaching light, rotate attention across the group, and use a timer so momentum stays high. Keep pacing inclusive, do not force one celebration style.
10–45 minutesShare highlights
Invite a few teams or individuals to share a surprising moment from Office Decorating Contest. Spotlight listening, creativity, or support, not only who “won.”
3–8 minutesDebrief into work
Ask what behaviors helped during Office Decorating Contest and where those show up in projects, meetings, or remote collaboration. Capture one team commitment before closing.
3–7 minutesTeam engagement & team building benefits
Office Decorating Contest works as one of our team building activities, scoped for employee engagement, team bonding, and outcomes HR teams can feel in the room.
Hybrid-friendly participation
With thoughtful facilitation, Office Decorating Contest gives distributed teammates equal airtime in corporate team building moments.
Cross-functional familiarity
When departments mix during Office Decorating Contest, shared wins reduce “us vs them” distance and open informal collaboration paths.
Communication under constraints
Office Decorating Contest surfaces how people listen, clarify, and decide when time or information is limited, skills that transfer to project work.
Psychological safety practice
Done well, Office Decorating Contest rewards contribution over perfection, helping quieter voices take smaller social risks.
Teamwork you can observe
Managers watching Office Decorating Contest can spot helpers, synthesizers, and encouragers, useful signal for coaching conversations later.
Culture that feels human
Office Decorating Contest reminds startups and enterprises alike that culture is built in micro-moments, not only in handbooks.
A productive energy spike
A well-timed Office Decorating Contest session interrupts meeting fatigue and restores attention before strategic work continues.
Celebration without exclusion
Office Decorating Contest can mark milestones without forcing a single personality style, useful for diverse employee populations.
Who It’s Best For
Cross-functional groups
Office Decorating Contest works when departments meet for the first time: shared structure reduces status gaps and sparks informal collaboration.
Large enterprises
Enterprises scale Office Decorating Contest with breakouts, table hosts, or timed stations so intimacy survives even when headcount is high.
Remote & hybrid teams
Facilitators adapt Office Decorating Contest for video, chat, and breakouts so remote employees are not spectators in corporate team building.
Small teams
Among practical team building activities for small teams, Office Decorating Contest keeps airtime personal so everyone can contribute without rushing.
Startups
Resource-conscious startups use Office Decorating Contest to build culture quickly, high signal, manageable prep, and energy that fits a busy build cycle.
Preparation
What You’ll Need & Facilitator Tips
What You’ll Need
- A facilitator who can keep time and psychological safety
- A clear goal for the session (kickoff, bonding, celebration, or skill practice)
- Theme decor or digital backgrounds that feel inclusive
- Program flow that respects cultural and dietary needs
- Photo moment or memory capture option
- A short gratitude or recognition segment
Facilitator Tips
- Close with gratitude that feels specific, not generic.
- Make Office Decorating Contest inclusive across cultures, faiths, and dietary needs.
- Avoid forced cheer; offer opt-in participation styles.
- Blend celebration with recognition of real team wins.
- Keep the program paced, seasonal events often run long.
- Create a memory artifact (photo, note, playlist) people can keep.
Variations
Variations & Adaptations
Adjust the format for remote rooms, large groups, low prep, or themed workshops, without changing the core game.
01
Large-group adaptation
Split into tables or channels of 6–10. Each pod runs Office Decorating Contest, then nominates one highlight for the full group.
02
Remote adaptation
Run Office Decorating Contest on video with chat prompts, reactions, or breakout rooms. Keep instructions on screen and assign a chat moderator.
03
Low-prep / no-materials version
Strip Office Decorating Contest to verbal or chat-only prompts so you can launch in a regular meeting with almost no setup.
04
Themed variation
Theme Office Decorating Contest around onboarding stories, customer empathy, values, or a product launch so play reinforces a business narrative.
Browse the library
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Office Decorating Contest, quick team building exercises for work
Office Decorating Contest is one of the team building activities teams use when they want team building activities for work without a heavy workshop agenda. Gotezu facilitators scope the session for your group size, format, and outcomes, whether you are planning corporate team building activities for an offsite or team building activities for employees in-house.
When teams choose Office Decorating Contest
HR and people leaders pick this format for kickoffs, culture resets, and employee engagement days where the goal is genuine connection. It fits alongside other indoor team building activities in a longer office team building activities or stands alone as a focused quick team building activities.
Related team building ideas
- Team building activities, explore similar formats in our activities library.
- Team building activities for work, explore similar formats in our activities library.
- Corporate team building activities, explore similar formats in our activities library.
- Team building activities for employees, explore similar formats in our activities library.
- Indoor team building activities, explore similar formats in our activities library.
- Office team building activities, explore similar formats in our activities library.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people can do Office Decorating Contest?
Most teams run Office Decorating Contest with about 8–30 people. For larger headcounts, split into smaller rooms or tables so participation stays high.
How long does Office Decorating Contest take?
Plan for roughly 30–120 minutes, depending on group size, debrief depth, and whether you add competitive rounds.
Is Office Decorating Contest suitable for remote or hybrid teams?
Often, with adaptation. Use video, chat, and breakouts so remote teammates get equal airtime during Office Decorating Contest.
What are the benefits of Office Decorating Contest for employee engagement?
Office Decorating Contest boosts employee engagement by creating shared energy, recognition, and safer familiarity, especially useful at kickoffs, offsites, and culture resets.
Is Office Decorating Contest good for small teams or startups?
Yes. Small teams and startups often prefer Office Decorating Contest because it creates visible culture signal without requiring a massive production budget or multi-day agenda.
Do we need special equipment for Office Decorating Contest?
Requirements vary by format, but most seasonal/special sessions need only a prepared facilitator, a suitable space or platform, and the core materials for Office Decorating Contest, not a full event build.
How do you keep Office Decorating Contest workplace-appropriate?
Brief clear boundaries up front, model the tone, offer opt-in intensity levels, and redirect anything that risks exclusion, unsafe behavior, or oversharing.
Can Office Decorating Contest work as a corporate team building opener?
Absolutely. Many L&D and HR teams use Office Decorating Contest before workshops or strategy sessions because it warms the room without stealing the entire agenda.
Ready to turn Office Decorating Contest into a memorable culture moment? Explore related activities or connect with Gotezu to plan a session that supports employee engagement without the fluff.
