The October issue of Wired Magazine has a very interesting article on how to use common office items to create “Tiny Weapons of Fast Construction.”

Basically, the article describes how you can make a bow and arrow out of a ruler and rubber band and then use a ballpoint pen as your arrow.  It also describes how to turn a mechanical pencil into a “BB Pencil – range up to 30 feet!”  I never thought I’d get that kind of information from Wired.  The information seems so unsophisticated and non-technical.  I did enjoy learning how to make a Claymore Mine simulator out of a mousetrap, speaker wire, and gumballs (“or other candies”).  I really never even knew what a Claymore Mine was, prior to the article.  I did, however, know all about the damage one could do with gumballs.

The article got me to thinking about how far we’ve come in the area of  “office distractions.”  It used to be that anything “Nerf” was a good enough distraction for a group of creative folks.  Darts, basketball, football, Frisbee.  You name it.  If it was soft and it flew, it was a winner!  Even the occasional donut worked if it was fresh enough (and not stuffed with some kind of filling).  I guess those days are gone.  Now not only do you have to be really creative in your job (especially if you were hired to be creative), but you’ve got to be really creative in your incentives to be creative.

To that end I’ve come up with some new, potentially “hot” office games using common office items.  They’re simple.  Anyone can play (providing you’re ambulatory).  And, they don’t cost a penny – they may cost you your job – but not a cent to play.

Toilet Ball – Using a simple bathroom plunger as the bat and a roll of toilet paper (preferably wrapped) as your ball.

Hide the Stapler – self-explanatory.  Get a stapler.  Hide it.  See who can find it first.

Gum Darts – Everyone playing needs to chew some gum (chewing briefly is better than chewing longer as the gum will be more pliable).  Once the gum has reached the right consistency, simply pick out an existing wall tile as a target.  Draw a circle in the middle using something bright (and erasable, again if you want to keep your job).  Then each contestant throws (not spits) their gum at the target.  The contestant closest to the target is the winner.  The losers have to buy the winner more gum.

The list goes on, but I’ll save additional games for a follow-up posting.