Waltermelon
How to run a team hydration challenge in 6 steps
Run it for free with this kit and a whiteboard or a chat channel, or in Waltermelon, where coworkers add each other and the app tracks everyone’s day. No budget needed. One person organizes, and it takes about ten minutes to set up.
- 1
Pick two weeks and a Monday start
Two working weeks is long enough to build a habit and short enough to keep people interested. Announce it a few days before.
- 2
Everyone uses their own goal
People differ in size, activity and how warm their workplace is. Each person picks a daily goal that suits them (the water intake calculator helps), and nobody has to share the number.
- 3
Score days, not ounces
A day counts when you hit your own goal. That keeps it fair across body sizes and never rewards drinking too much.
- 4
Make teams of 3 or 4
Small teams notice when someone falls behind. A team’s score is the share of its goal days hit, so team size doesn’t decide the winner.
- 5
Check in once a day
A tick on a whiteboard, an emoji in the team channel or a quick round at stand-up. Keep it to a minute.
- 6
Finish with something small
Fruit for the team, first pick of the meeting room, a team lunch. Celebrate every team that reached its target, not only the top one.
A scoring rule that keeps it fair
Give each team a target of 70% of its goal days. Four people over 10 working days have 40 goal days between them, so 28 is a pass. A sick day or a day of back-to-back meetings won’t sink anyone. It’s the same rule Waltermelon uses for its shared challenges.
Workplace water challenge ideas
Water at every meeting
Whoever books the meeting brings a jug and glasses.
Refill on the hour
When the clock hits the hour, stand up and refill. It doubles as a stretch break.
A bottle on every desk
Bring a refillable bottle and keep it in sight. Water you can see gets drunk.
Coffee comes with water
Every coffee from the machine comes with a glass of water.
Remote check-in
Remote teams post a photo of their bottle in the team channel before lunch.
One swap a day
Pick sparkling water or water with fruit instead of one soda.
More for friends, couples and families: 15 water challenge ideas.
A classroom water challenge
The same kit works in a classroom, no phones needed. Each student keeps a water bottle on the desk, the class agrees on water breaks between lessons, and a sticker chart on the wall shows each day the class drank at every break.
Score the class as a whole and never single out a student. Let families know before you start, and agree on bathroom breaks with the school, because more water means more trips. Children’s water needs differ from adults’, so skip adult goals and focus on the habit.
Run your office water challenge in Waltermelon
Waltermelon is a free water tracker for iPhone and Android with shared challenges built in. The app does the counting, so the organizer doesn’t have to.
- 1
Everyone installs it
Free, no ads, on iPhone or Android. Each person signs in with Apple, Google or email so coworkers know who’s who.
- 2
Add each other
Share an invite link or code in the team chat, or show a QR code at your desk.
- 3
Start a shared challenge
The organizer picks Daily goal and 3 or 7 days, free to start, and invites the team. Joining is always free.
- 4
Everyone sees the scoreboard
Each person’s streak and today’s progress against their own goal, side by side. Cheer people who hit their goal and nudge the ones who fell behind.
What coworkers can and can’t see
Coworkers see your streak, today’s total against your goal and which days this week you hit it. They never see what you drank. Waltermelon is a personal app, so there is no company account or admin dashboard: everyone keeps their own account.
Big teams
A shared challenge can include as many people as you like, and each person can be in one shared challenge at a time. The reward grows with the team up to 4 people: 7 days in a team of 4 or more earns 280 Drops each. A big office can split into teams of 4 and compare how each team did. See the full reward table.
More ways to drink more water together
- 7-day water challengeThe free day-by-day plan, a 30-day version and the reward table.
- Water tracker with friendsHow friends, streaks, cheers and nudges work in Waltermelon.
- Water challenge ideas15 challenges for friends, couples, teams and families.
- Hydration accountabilityWhat a water accountability partner sees and how they help.
Office water challenge FAQ
What is an office water challenge?
An office water challenge is a set period, often one or two working weeks, in which coworkers each try to hit their own daily water goal and track it as a team. Scoring the days people hit their goal, not how much they drink, keeps it fair. Waltermelon, a free water tracker for iPhone and Android, can run it as a shared challenge.
How do you score a team hydration challenge fairly?
Count the days each person hits their own daily goal, then give each team a target share of goal days, for example 70%. That works across body sizes and never rewards drinking too much. Waltermelon shared challenges use the same 70% rule.
What are good workplace water challenge ideas?
Water at every meeting, a refill on the hour, a bottle on every desk, a glass of water with every coffee, a bottle photo in the team channel before lunch, and swapping one soda a day for sparkling water. Waltermelon’s list of water challenge ideas has more.
Can a whole office do one challenge in Waltermelon?
Yes. Coworkers add each other as friends in Waltermelon, then the organizer starts a shared challenge and invites as many people as they like. Each person can be in one shared challenge at a time, and the reward counts the team size up to 4, so a big office can also split into teams of 4.
Is it free to run an office water challenge in Waltermelon?
Yes. Waltermelon is free to download with no ads. Starting a Daily goal shared challenge for 3 or 7 days is free, and joining a coworker’s challenge is always free, whatever its length. Premium lets the organizer start 14-day, 30-day and weekend challenges and more types like Less sugar and No caffeine after 4 pm.
Can coworkers see what I drink?
No. In Waltermelon, coworkers you add see your streak, how much you’ve had today against your goal and which days this week you hit it. They never see what you drank, only the totals.
Does Waltermelon have a company plan or admin dashboard?
No. Waltermelon is a personal water tracker. Each person uses their own free account, and the team keeps score through a shared challenge, where everyone sees each other’s progress.
How long should a workplace water challenge last?
One or two working weeks suits most teams: long enough to build a habit, short enough to keep everyone in. In Waltermelon, 3- and 7-day shared challenges are free to start, 14 and 30 days take Premium for the organizer, and joining is always free.
Is an office water challenge safe?
For most healthy adults, drinking to a sensible daily goal spread through the day is fine. Don’t score by volume or reward chugging, which can be dangerous, and let anyone opt out without giving a reason, since some people have been told to limit fluids. Waltermelon reminders only run between each person’s wake-up time and bedtime.
