Holidays
Diwali Office Party Ideas: 15 Games and Activities
· 9 min read
A good office Diwali party feels like a festival, not a meeting: lights, colour, sweets and a few games that get everyone involved, whether they celebrate at home or are joining in for the first time. Here are 15 Diwali office party ideas, from rangoli competitions and tambola to a team quiz, plus how to include remote colleagues and a simple plan for the day.
Quick guide
| Game | Time | Group size | Works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rangoli competition | 45–60 min | Teams of 3–5 | In person |
| Diya and lantern decorating | 30 min | Any | In person |
| Ethnic day | All day | Any | Both |
| Best-decorated bay | 1–2 days | By team | In person |
| Diwali quiz | 15–20 min | Any, in teams | Both |
| Tambola (housie) | 30–45 min | 10–200 | Both |
| Antakshari | 20–30 min | Two or more teams | Both |
| Mithai potluck | During lunch | Any | In person |
| Diwali gift exchange | 10 min draw | 3+ | Both |
| Emoji Pictionary | 15 min | 6+ | Both |
| Guess the song | 15 min | Any, in teams | Both |
| Photo booth | All day | Any | In person |
| Survey says, Diwali edition | 10–15 min | 6+ | Both |
| Give-back drive | 1 week | Any | Both |
| Plant a sapling | 30 min | Any | In person |
1. Rangoli competition
45–60 min · Teams of 3–5 people · in person
How it works: Give each team a floor space and coloured powder, flower petals or rice. Set a theme and a time limit, then have the whole office vote for the winner.
Why it works: The centrepiece of most office Diwali celebrations: creative, colourful, and it fills the office with photos.
2. Diya and lantern decorating
30 min · Any people · in person
How it works: Hand out plain clay diyas or paper lanterns with paints and glitter. Everyone decorates one to take home.
Why it works: Relaxed and hands-on, and people leave with something they made.
3. Ethnic day
All day · Any people · both
How it works: Invite everyone to dress in traditional or festive wear. Finish with a short ramp walk or a "best dressed" vote by team.
Why it works: Instantly makes the day feel like a festival, and remote colleagues can join in on camera.
4. Best-decorated bay
1–2 days · By team people · in person
How it works: Each team decorates its own area with lights, torans and rangoli. Judges or an office-wide vote pick the winner.
Why it works: Gets every department involved and keeps the office festive all week.
5. Diwali quiz
15–20 min · Any, in teams people · both
How it works: Ten to fifteen questions on the festival, its traditions across regions, sweets and Bollywood songs about lights. Play in teams.
Why it works: A quiz works for everyone, including colleagues who are new to the festival and learn something along the way.
With TeamPlay: Write your own Diwali questions as a custom game in TeamPlay; everyone answers on their phone and the app keeps score. The free plan includes one custom game. See how it plays.
6. Tambola (housie)
30–45 min · 10–200 people · both
How it works: Everyone gets a ticket of numbers. The caller draws numbers one by one, and prizes go for the first early five, each line and a full house.
Why it works: The most popular game at Indian office parties. It scales to huge groups and everyone can play.
7. Antakshari
20–30 min · Two or more teams people · both
How it works: Teams take turns singing a song that starts with the last letter of the previous team's song. Hesitate too long and you lose the round.
Why it works: Loud, musical and impossible to play without laughing.
8. Mithai potluck
During lunch · Any people · in person
How it works: Everyone brings a sweet or snack from their home region and a card naming it. Vote on a favourite.
Why it works: Shows off the variety of Diwali food across India and gets people talking.
9. Diwali gift exchange
10 min draw · 3+ people · both
How it works: Run it like Secret Santa: draw names a week ahead, set a budget, and exchange gifts at the party.
Why it works: Personal without being expensive, and nobody has to buy for the whole team.
With TeamPlay: TeamPlay's Secret Santa draws the names; each person privately sees who they got and their wish. See how it plays.
10. Emoji Pictionary
15 min · 6+ people · both
How it works: One player describes a word using only emoji while teammates guess. For a Diwali twist, write festival words on slips (diya, rangoli, lantern, sweets).
Why it works: Fun for every age group, and the emoji clues get creative.
11. Guess the song
15 min · Any, in teams people · both
How it works: Play the first few seconds of popular festive and Bollywood songs. First team to name it scores.
Why it works: Music is a big part of the festival, and the arguments over answers are half the fun.
12. Photo booth
All day · Any people · in person
How it works: Set up a corner with marigolds, fairy lights and props. Share the photos in the team channel afterwards.
Why it works: Low effort, and the photos are what people remember.
13. Survey says, Diwali edition
10–15 min · 6+ people · both
How it works: Teams guess the most popular answers to prompts like "Something every family does the week before Diwali."
Why it works: Everyone has an opinion, and the answers are very relatable.
14. Give-back drive
1 week · Any people · both
How it works: Collect clothes, books or food for a local charity in the week before the party, or sponsor sweets for a local school.
Why it works: Adds meaning to the celebration and involves people who'd rather not play games.
15. Plant a sapling
30 min · Any people · in person
How it works: Give everyone a small plant instead of crackers, or plant a few together in the office grounds.
Why it works: A green Diwali that's welcome in offices where firecrackers aren't an option.
A simple Diwali office party plan
- The week before: announce the date and dress code, run the gift-exchange draw, and start the bay-decorating contest.
- Morning of the party: rangoli competition and photo booth while people arrive in festive wear.
- Lunch: mithai potluck or a catered festive meal.
- Afternoon: an hour of games, such as a Diwali quiz, antakshari and tambola, with small prizes.
- To finish: announce the winners (rangoli, best-dressed, best bay), exchange gifts and light the diyas.
Diwali for remote and hybrid teams
- Send a small box of sweets or a diya kit to remote colleagues ahead of the day.
- Run the quiz, guess-the-song and tambola on a video call so everyone plays together.
- Hold the ethnic-day vote on camera.
- Keep it to an hour so it works across time zones.
Keep it inclusive
Many offices have colleagues from different backgrounds and faiths. Keep religious rituals optional, explain traditions briefly for anyone new to them, offer sweets that suit different diets, and make sure the games are fun for everyone, not only for those who know every song.
Common questions
How can I celebrate Diwali in the office?
Decorate the office with lights and rangoli, invite everyone to wear festive clothes, share sweets, and plan an hour of games like a Diwali quiz, tambola and antakshari, with small prizes for the winners.
How do you make an office Diwali party fun?
Play in teams, mix departments, keep each activity short, and give out prizes for categories like best rangoli and best dressed so more people win something.
What games can we play at a Diwali party at work?
Tambola, antakshari, a Diwali quiz, guess the song, rangoli competition, emoji Pictionary and survey-style games are all popular and easy to run.
Run the games from one screen
TeamPlay runs the quiz and party games for you: share your screen, everyone joins on their phone with a room code, and the app keeps score. It works for the people in the office and anyone joining online. It's free for up to 15 people. Host a free session or see our simple office party games.