Celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day at the office can be a fantastic way to boost morale, foster team spirit, and inject some fun into the workplace. It’s an opportunity to honor a day steeped in Irish tradition with activities that can engage everyone, regardless of their heritage.
From creative challenges that spark the imagination to simple, laughter-inducing competitions, our list of Saint Patrick’s Day games is designed to transform your office into a lively, festive space. So, let’s dive into our handpicked selection of games that are guaranteed to bring the luck of the Irish to your office!
Lucky Limericks
A limerick is a type of short, humorous poem that has a very distinctive rhythm and structure. although the exact origin is unclear, it is often attributed to Ireland as its birthplace. The subject matter can range from silly to outright ribald, but always in a light-hearted manner.
A limerick writing contest can be a hilarious event for you and your work companions. To write your own limerick, you can follow this simple template:
- Line 1: Introduce a character and a setting, making sure to end with a word that offers plenty of easy rhymes.
- Line 2: Add an action, situation, or continuation of the setup, again ending with a rhyme for the first and fifth lines.
- Line 3: Introduce a related action or scenario, but this time, the line should be shorter, setting up for a different rhyme.
- Line 4: Continue or conclude the action introduced in line 3, maintaining the short length and rhyming with line 3.
- Line 5: Deliver the punchline or conclusion, going back to the rhyme scheme of lines 1 and 2, often featuring a twist or unexpected outcome related to the character or situation introduced at the beginning.
Example of a Limerick Structure:
– There once was a [character] from [place]
– Who [action or characteristic].
– Then one day, [event or situation],
– [Result or reaction],
– [Punchline or surprising twist].
Limerick Example:
There once was a man from Peru, Who dreamed he was eating his shoe. He woke with a fright, In the middle of the night, To find that his dream had come true!
This template should help you craft your own limericks. The key is to let your imagination run wild and always keep things light and positive.
Baile Bout
Test your knowledge, have fun, and maybe learn a thing or two about the Emerald Isle’s charming locales.
Rules & How to Play:
- Individual Challenge: Each participant/team will have a set amount of time (e.g., 5 minutes) to list as many names of towns in Ireland as they can.
- No Internet/Phone Use: To keep the playing field level, the use of the internet, smartphones, or any other resource to look up town names is strictly prohibited during the contest.
- Submission: Once the time is up, all participants must immediately stop writing and submit their lists to the contest organizer.
- Scoring: Each correctly named town counts as one point. Duplicate entries or misspelled town names will not count. The participant with the most points wins.
Famous Lads & Lasses
Challenge your colleagues to see who can name the most famous people from Ireland – be they actors, musicians, writers, or other well-known personalities. It’s a fun way to showcase your knowledge and maybe learn about some notable figures you weren’t aware of.
Rules & How to Play:
- Individual Challenge: Participants/teams will have a predetermined time limit (e.g., 5 minutes) to write down as many names of famous Irish people as they can think of.
- No External Help: To ensure fairness, using the internet, mobile phones, or any other sources to look up answers during the contest is not allowed.
- Submitting Your List: When time is up, all participants must stop writing and submit their lists to the contest organizer for scoring.
- Scoring System: Each correctly identified Irish celebrity will earn you one point. Repeated names or incorrect entries (e.g., non-Irish celebrities) will not be counted. The person/team with the highest score wins.
By the way, if you are in charge of office parties where you work, you may want to check out this list of office tailgate games that are actually fun.
St. Patrick’s Day Scavenger Hunt
Embrace the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day with a thrilling office scavenger hunt! This contest invites you to explore and discover various St. Patrick ‘s-themed items hidden around the office. It’s a fantastic way to add some excitement to the day, engage with colleagues, and celebrate Irish culture.
Rules & How to Play:
- Individual or Team Participation: Depending on office size and preference, this scavenger hunt can be played individually or in small teams. Each participant or team will receive a list of items to find.
- Scavenger Hunt List: A list of St. Patrick’s-themed items will be provided to each participant or team at the start of the hunt. These items might range from a shamrock, a pot of gold (chocolate coins), and green items, to specific items that have been given an Irish twist.
- No Disturbing Work: While searching for items, participants must not disturb their colleagues’ work or disrupt the office environment. The hunt is designed to be fun and should not interfere with the normal operation of the office.
- Time Limit: The scavenger hunt will have a set time limit (e.g., 30 minutes to 1 hour). All items must be found and presented to the contest organizer before the time expires.
- Taking Photos: If physical collection of items is impractical, participants can take photos of the items. This is particularly useful for items that are too big to move or are part of the office decor.
- Scoring: Points will be awarded for each item found, with some items possibly being worth more points than others due to difficulty. The participant or team with the most points at the end of the hunt wins. In case of a tie, a bonus challenge or question related to St. Patrick’s Day may serve as a tiebreaker.
Blarney Stone Blunders
Blarney Stone Blunders transforms mundane office tasks into a series of fun and challenging upside-down activities to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in the workplace. The goal is to complete a series of ordinary office tasks while being upside down, adding a twist based on the famous Blarney Stone to the workplace environment.
Here are a few potential events in your upsidedown endeavors:
- Upside-Down Typing Test: Participants attempt to type a simple sentence on a keyboard upside down. The fastest and most accurate typist wins points for their team.
- Inverted Filing Frenzy: Hanging upside down, participants must sort a pile of mixed documents into correct folders according to the labels. Efficiency and accuracy count toward their score.
- Rotated Sticky Note Relay: In this team challenge, one upside-down member must dictate a short memo to another team member who is right-side up. The catch is the dictation must be done through a mirror, adding an extra layer of difficulty.
Remember, this will take some help from others to either physically hold participants upside down, but you could simply flip things upside down instead of the person. For example, turn the computer screen and keyboard upside down for the typing contest.
St Patrick’s Scavenger Hunt
A scavenger hunt can be a fun and competitive way to bring some fun to your office this St. Patrick’s Day. A scavenger hunt is ideal for an office because everyone already knows the basic rules and this version is designed to cause as little disruption to your normal office operations.
How to Play
The host will need to come up with a list of things for the hunt. Participants will go on a quest to find as many things on the list as they can. At the end of the day or at the end of a set time. The person with the longest list wins.
For a fun and festive Irish-themed scavenger hunt in honor of St. Patrick’s Day, participants can search for items that celebrate Irish culture, history, and the spirit of the holiday. Here’s a diverse list of items and tasks to include in your scavenger hunt:
- A Shamrock Plant: Find a live shamrock plant or clover. Bonus points if it has four leaves!
- Green Clothing Item: Locate a piece of clothing that is predominantly green, symbolizing the color most associated with Ireland and St. Patrick’s Day.
- Irish Music CD or Vinyl: Find a CD, vinyl record, or digital playlist featuring Irish music, whether it’s traditional folk, U2, The Cranberries, or Enya.
- A Book by an Irish Author: Track down a book written by a famous Irish author, such as James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, Sally Rooney, or Bram Stoker.
- Irish Beverage: Locate a can or bottle of Guinness, a bottle of Irish whiskey, or even a non-alcoholic Irish soda or tea. Remember to celebrate responsibly!
- Potato Recipe: Find a recipe for a traditional Irish potato dish, such as colcannon, boxty, or Irish stew, and bring back either the recipe or the dish itself if you’re up for cooking!
- Leprechaun Drawing: Draw or find a picture of a leprechaun, the mischievous fairy folk of Irish folklore, complete with his green suit and hat.
- Photo with Something Green: Take a selfie or group photo with a major item or landmark that is green or can be temporarily decorated in green (e.g., a building, statue, or tree).
- Irish Saying or Proverb: Write down an Irish saying, proverb, or blessing. For example, “May the road rise up to meet you…”
- A Piece of Celtic Jewelry or Art: Find or create a piece of jewelry or artwork that features Celtic knot designs, which are emblematic of Irish heritage.
- Irish Flag or Symbol: Locate an Irish flag or print one out. Alternatively, find any item that prominently displays the harp, the national symbol of Ireland.
- A “Kiss Me, I’m Irish” Button or Sticker: Hunt for this popular St. Patrick’s Day accessory, or get creative and make your own.
This scavenger hunt list combines physical items with activities and creative tasks, ensuring participants explore Irish culture and have a lot of fun in the process. Adjust the list based on your location and availability of items for a personalized experience.
Irish Jig Off
Overview: A dance competition where participants showcase their best Irish jig. Can be judged by a panel or through audience applause.
How to Play:
- Set up an area as the dance floor and play traditional Irish jig music.
- Contestants take turns performing their jig. The performances can be solo or in pairs.
- Judges or audience members vote for their favorite performance based on enthusiasm, creativity, and adherence to the traditional jig style.
Don’t think you can get enough people to participate? Read this guide to getting people involved for help!
The Emerald Isle Scribble
This game is simple and will offer a unique challenge. The goal is simple, see who can draw the most accurate map of the country of Ireland. A judge or panel will decide on who’s map is most accurate.
Irish Movies Memory
Finally, we have a simple contest that anyone will be able to participate in. The rules are simple. Give contestants a set amount of time to list the titles of as many movies about Ireland, set in Ireland, or with a distinct Irish or St. Patrick’s Day themes, references, etc.
Examples:
- The Quiet Man
- Boondock Saints
- The Wind That Shakes the Barley
- The Banshees of Inisherin
- Leap Year
- The Luck of The Irish
- Calvary
Conclusion
As St. Patrick’s Day rolls around, embracing the festivity in your office will no doubt provide a welcome break from the regular drudgery. Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with these engaging games could spark new traditions that your team will look forward to each year. Here’s to a day filled with joy, teamwork, and perhaps a little bit of that famous Irish luck!
