The following is an article of 52 things to do with your hands if you are bored at the office. The author takes no responsibility if harm (mental, physical, or emotional) results. The author is not at fault if any person becomes terminated from a job due to the suggestions listed below.
Crochet
Create a nice seat cover for your chair at work. You can also make a gift for your boss.
Twiddle Thumbs
Go forwards and backwards. This gives your hands something to do when you lack the gumption to do anything else.
Tap Fingers
You can tap your fingers randomly, or you can try to make a beat. You remember Stomp right? Use pens, the stapler, practically anything to add to the beat.
Pick your Nose
Not recommended for doing in public. Use caution, the last thing you need is to go to the emergency room b/c your finger got stuck. You will be the talk of the office, and not in a good way.
Write an Article for AC
Duh! Not only will you have something to do, but you can get paid for it, on company time, plus whatever Associated Content pays for the article. Double bonus!
Play Paper Football
This is that game where a piece of paper is folded into a small triangle and you and a co-worker take turns kicking (flicking it w/ your fingers) through a field goal made by the other person. Designed to pass massive amounts of time.
Learn Sign Language
Not only will you be passing time and doing something with your hands, you will also be doing something productive! Everyone needs a little productivity in life. Additional Benefit: When the boss is talking during a meeting, you and your co-workers can communicate using subtle sign language.
Draw
Hey, Leonardo had to get his start from somewhere, right? Don’t feel like you have what it takes? Draw stick figures! You can even create a weekly comic strip about your office and distribute it to all of your co-workers.
Practice your Speed Typing Skills
To do this, you must type actual words. Just copy something on your desk. Note how long it took you, and try to do better each time.
Connect all of the Paper Clips together
This is better when done as a practical joke on a co-worker. While they are at lunch, take all of their paper clips and connect them together. When they return, watch cautiously as they become frustrated.
Take the Hole Punch and Make Homemade Confetti
At the next office party, you will be ready with your own supply. Also works well when put into a piñata. (The office piñata will be discussed in a later article.)
Learn How to Play the Mouth Harp
Have some people join you and you can make your own Bluegrass band.
Surf the Internet
What better way to pass time and do something with your hands? You can take this time to find that certain recipe or book your next vacation.
Make the Raindrop Sound
Perfect this skill and you can forever annoy any person that you wish!
Write Alphabet Forward and Backward
This helps improve your penmanship. On top of that, if you are ever stopped on the street and asked of you can say the alphabet backwards, you can reply with an enthusiastic “YES!”
File your Nails
Most of the time, this often refers to the female side of things. However, if you are a guy that enjoys filing his nails, by all means, do not let the stereotype stop you.
Paint your Nails
Once again referring to the female side, but that’s okay guys. Go for it.
Finger Paint
What? You haven’t finger painted in years? Well, break out that white out and prepared to get wild. If you need more colors, bust open some different color pens and have at it.
Write a Short Novel on Sticky Notes
This explains itself. For a more creative story, use different color sticky notes for each chapter. Once you are finished with it, turn it into a publisher still on the sticky notes. Maybe one day you’ll be famous for it.
Play Lincoln logs with all the Office Pens
Make a log cabin or a log skyscraper all out of the pens in the office. You can even make little paper people to live in the cabin.
Do Finger Push-ups
One, two, one, two. Build up your finger bulk and not only will you help beat arthritis, you can also break a world record or two. Note: finger push-ups are not proven to beat arthritis.
Spin a Coin
Start spinning a coin and see how long you can keep it going. Or spin many coins and see how many you can do at once.
Have a Mock Kung Fu Battle with your Fingers
You can even make little outfits for your hands and play The Karate Kid theme. If you do this, you will soon have a betting crowd surrounding your desk. The finger push-ups from before will help get your fighters into shape.
Balance a Ruler
Use the different parts of your hands to balance different parts of a ruler. Once you become a master of one, try balancing two.
Juggle Scissors
This skill should only be done by professionals. Start out by juggling one pair, and then add more pairs as you become more skilled. This should not be done in front of any age children.
Twirl a Pen
The heavier the pen, the easier it is to twirl. Most of the time, if you use a pen that also has a cap on it, it will work the best. This is a good activity to do when the boss is walking around. You can twirl the pen when he is at other people’s desk, but once he stops by yours, you can immediately start writing something “important” down.
Make Paper Airplanes
You can write coded messages and send them to people across the room. You can also get together with others and launch a full-scale invasion of a certain cubicle.
Create your own Dartboard and Darts
Use a piece of paper and a corkboard for the dartboard. Then, make the darts out of paper and push pins. On days when it’s really slow at the office, have a dart tournament.
Create a Paper Clip and Rubber Band Sculpture
After you are finished, put the sculpture up for auction on EBay. Someone will buy it, after all, someone bought that grilled cheese sandwich, didn’t they?
Draw a Face on your Hand and Talk to It
Instant entertainment. You can even give it a name.
Practice your Jazz Fingers
Everybody likes good jazz fingers. Switch the bluegrass band around to a jazz band and you are set for Broadway.
Draw on Both Hands and Have a Puppet Show
A new age twist to Punch and Judy. Put on a show for your coworkers, or have them join your show.
Take a Rubber Band and Thumbtack and Shoot Them at the Ceiling
You can create a new festive ceiling design by using different colored thumbtacks. Caution: The phrase “you can shoot your eye out” really does apply in this scenario. You can also use this time to shoot the tacks at other annoying co-workers, as long as you are prepared to get beaten to a pulp for doing so.
Cross Stitch a “Cubicle Sweet Cubicle” Sign
This will give your cubicle that homey touch. Or you can cross stitch one for your cubicle neighbor as a gift.
Practice your Air Guitar Moves
Once you get good enough, audition for bands and become really famous.
Create Company Greeting Cards
You can make one for every occasion. Congrats on getting fired.” “You stink as a boss, but happy boss’s day anyways.” Your possibilities are endless.
Make your Own Office Supply Village
Create a whole town out of the supplies that are sitting right there on your desk. Guaranteed to entertain for hours.
Take Fingerprints with the Scotch Tape
Have all the co-workers put their finger on the sticky side of the tape and label it with their names. Once you are able to identify everyone’s set of prints, you can now determine who took the last cup of coffee and didn’t refill the pot.
Poke yourself in the Eye
Sure, it sounds painful, but when the boss walks over and asks why you are crying, you can make up a sob story. Tell him that your loved one left you last night and this morning you ran over your cat. Proceed to tell him that you will miss your cat terribly. Often times you will be able to get an extended lunch or even a whole day off!
Flick Water onto Co-workers
When combined with the raindrop sound, you can convince others that there is a leak in the room.
Make Paper Hats for All of your Fingers
Get creative and make each finger a different hat.
Practice your Ten Keying Skills
This is actually a productive activity. When you have spare time, take the initiative to improve yourself.
Give Co-workers a Massage
Build up a clientele and give massages on your breaks. Start charging and soon you’ll be rolling in the dough.
Become a Cup Stacking Champion
Take the cups from the kitchen area and begin practicing.
Give yourself a Body Piercing
This is not for the faint of heart. Take a thumbtack and heat it up by a light bulb, then proceed. Note: This activity is NOT recommended…EVER!
Make a PowerPoint Presentation
Yet another productive activity. You can make the presentation work related or just make one to suck up to the boss. Can you say promotion?
Make a Mask
Use a piece of paper, colored pens, and a rubber band. Make several to depict each type of mood you may experience in a day. Put them on and let people know how you really feel.
Make an “Office” Pet
Make this pet out of office supplies and give it a name. You’ll always have company. When you go on vacation, make sure to select a responsible person to take care of it while you are gone.
Do the Macarena
Have the entire office join you. It’s a great way to relieve some stress.
Clean your Keyboard
Did you know that the little keys on your keyboard actually pop off? They do. Take apart the keyboard and clean the keys off, one by one. This will help at least an hour pass by, plus you will look like you are doing something productive. If your boss questions you, just tell him that you are trying not cut down on the germs being spread.
Make a Miniature Golf Course
When making this, be sure to include water and sand hazards. Use pens as the golf clubs and balls of ticky tack as the balls.
Practice Hand Modeling
Practice using your hands like a hand model does because once you do some of the items listed above, you are sure to get fired. If you have practiced hand modeling, you are sure to get another gig fast.
