Chinese New Year office activities in Singapore

1. Lo hei and a team lunch

Lo hei gives the team a shared activity before the meal. For a small office, you can order yusheng alongside lunch. For several teams, separate platters let people take part around their own tables rather than crowding one central table.

When ordering, check the serving size, ingredients and dietary options with the caterer. Order suitable alternatives alongside the main platters so colleagues can take part together.

Someone who knows the wishes can lead, with a brief explanation for colleagues unfamiliar with them. If lunch is the whole celebration, you don't need to fill the rest of the break with games; leave time to eat and catch up.

2. A CNY snack tasting

A shared snack table works for colleagues who cannot all take lunch at the same time. Pineapple tarts, love letters and kueh bangkit give people a few familiar options to try over a tea break.

To make it an activity, choose a few versions of one snack and invite people to vote for their favourite. Number the samples, keep ingredient information available and reveal the brands after the vote.

The tasting can stay open through the afternoon, so people join when they're free. Keep original packaging nearby for dietary information. This is easier to accommodate than a performance when colleagues are coming and going.

3. A lucky draw

A lucky draw suits a gathering where lunch is the main event and you want a short shared activity afterwards. Shopping vouchers and festive hampers offer different kinds of prizes: vouchers let winners choose, while a hamper is something they can take home or share.

Decide whether the draw covers everyone in the team or only those attending. That matters when colleagues are on shift or working remotely. Announce the rule before collecting entries, and keep the number of prizes manageable for the time you have.

You can use festive envelopes for the prize reveal, with a voucher or prize slip inside. That adds a CNY detail without turning the draw into a game people need to learn.

4. A lion dance performance

A lion dance suits a celebration where colleagues can gather to watch at an agreed time. It needs more planning than a draw or snack table because the performers, building arrangements and available space all affect whether it can happen.

Send the troupe photographs or a floor plan of the intended area. Ask what their proposed performance includes, how long it runs and what space they need. A reception-area visit and a larger staged performance may call for different arrangements.

Confirm the location and route with building management before booking. This matters particularly for shared lobbies or corridors. If the office cannot accommodate the sound or movement, choose an activity at the tables rather than booking a performance and trying to fit it afterwards.

5. A CNY team quiz

A quiz gives colleagues something to do together without leaving their tables. Use a mix of visual and multiple-choice questions so it doesn't depend on knowing Chinese phrases or remembering every tradition.

An example set could include:

• Matching photographs of festive snacks to their names.
• Putting a few zodiac animals in order, using a supplied list.
• Matching a greeting to its meaning, with translations provided.

Have someone check the answers before the party and explain them briefly after each round. Where a custom varies between families, avoid presenting one version as the only correct answer. Explain unfamiliar terms so colleagues can learn something as they play.

This needs a colleague willing to prepare and host. If everyone is short on time, a draw gives the lunch a shared ending with less preparation.

6. Festive dress and team photos

Invite colleagues to wear festive colours or an outfit they already own. A red top or accessory is enough to join in; there is no need to make traditional dress the expectation.

If the team wants a best-dressed vote, make entering optional and choose a simple category such as best colour combination. Arrange a group photo while everyone is together. This is a small addition to lunch, not something that needs its own long programme slot.

7. A calligraphy workshop

Calligraphy gives colleagues a chance to learn a skill and make a decoration to take home. Chong Zheng Calligraphy offers tailored corporate workshops, with themed experiences for occasions including CNY.

For a mixed-experience team, ask the facilitator what beginners will make and how the session is taught. A guided character or short greeting is a clearer brief than asking for a generic cultural workshop. Confirm which languages the facilitator can use for explanations.

The practical question is whether you have enough table space and uninterrupted time for everyone to practise. Ask about session length, included materials and taking the finished work home. Food and ink need separate table time, so plan the workshop before or after the meal.

Choose this when the activity itself is the reason for gathering. If colleagues only have a short lunch break, lo hei, a draw or photos is a more manageable combination.

8. A photo booth with festive prints

A photo booth lets colleagues take part in small groups while others eat or chat. Decide whether the keepsake needs to be in colour: red and gold artwork will look different on a monochrome print.

With Monotone for corporate events, guests scan a QR code and take photos in their phone browser. An operator handles the print station, where guests collect custom black-and-white photo receipts. A note or drawing can accompany each photo.

The company name and festive wording can be included in the agreed receipt design. An optional digital guestbook can also collect the photos and messages. A conventional booth is a better fit if you want controlled lighting, a backdrop and colour photo-paper output.

Place collection away from the buffet and lo hei tables so people can get their prints without interrupting the meal. This is useful as an optional activity; everyone doesn't have to stop and participate at once.

Choosing activities for the time you have

For a lunch break, lo hei and a short draw give colleagues two activities to join together. Photos can happen around the meal. If colleagues are on different schedules, a snack tasting gives them something to join throughout the day.

For an afternoon celebration, choose a main activity: a calligraphy session for people who want to make something, or a lion dance for a shared performance. Add smaller activities only if there is time to enjoy them.

For CNY photo receipts, contact Monotone with your date, venue and approximate attendance.