Emoji collection

Activities & Play Emoji

Sport, games, music and things worth celebrating.

45 entries

01Soccer BallA football, standing for the sport, match day and playing generally.Meaning & copy 02TrophyA gold cup for winning, achievement and being best at something.Meaning & copy 03Video GameA controller representing gaming, play and leisure time at a screen.Meaning & copy 04Clapper BoardA film slate, used for movie and cinema talk, video production and the moment something begins.Meaning & copy 05Artist PaletteA painter's palette standing for art, creativity and design work. The usual paint emoji.Meaning & copy 06MicrophoneA handheld mic for singing, speaking, performing and podcasts.Meaning & copy 07BalloonA red party balloon for birthdays, celebrations and light-hearted occasions.Meaning & copy 08Confetti BallA burst of confetti from a paper ball, used for celebrations that have already started.Meaning & copy 09BasketballAn orange basketball, standing for the sport and for a game arranged with friends.Meaning & copy 10Sports MedalA medal on a ribbon, marking a placed finish rather than an outright win.Meaning & copy 11Game DieA single dice showing a one, standing for board games, chance and taking a risk.Meaning & copy 12Musical ScoreA stave with a treble clef, representing written music rather than a recording.Meaning & copy 13Circus TentA striped big top, used for festivals, shows and any situation that has become chaotic.Meaning & copy 14Wrapped GiftA wrapped box with a ribbon and bow, standing for a present that has not been opened.Meaning & copy 15Christmas TreeA decorated evergreen with baubles and a star, standing for Christmas and the wider festive season.Meaning & copy 16Santa ClausFather Christmas in a red hat and white beard, the figure at the centre of the secular Christmas.Meaning & copy 17American FootballThe pointed brown ball with laces, used for American football and nothing else.Meaning & copy 18Person CartwheelingA figure mid-cartwheel, the closest the set comes to gymnastics.Meaning & copy 19Person Lifting WeightsA figure holding a loaded barbell overhead, the standard gym emoji.Meaning & copy 20Jack-O-LanternA carved pumpkin lit from inside, the single emoji that means Halloween.Meaning & copy 21FireworksA firework bursting over a dark sky, used for New Year and public celebration.Meaning & copy 22SparklerA handheld sparkler throwing off light, the small counterpart to 🎆.Meaning & copy 23Woman DancingA woman in a red dress mid-dance: the dancer emoji, for celebration and going out.Meaning & copy 24Boxing GloveA red boxing glove, for the sport and for fighting your corner.Meaning & copy 25Puzzle PieceA single jigsaw piece, for puzzles and for things fitting together.Meaning & copy 26BaseballA baseball with its stitching, for the sport and the season.Meaning & copy 27BowlingA bowling ball striking pins, for the game and nights out.Meaning & copy 28Chess PawnA black chess pawn, for chess, strategy and being a small piece in something.Meaning & copy 29DrumA drum with sticks, for music, rhythm and a drumroll.Meaning & copy 30Fishing PoleA rod with a fish on the line, for fishing and for baiting people.Meaning & copy 31Graduation CapA mortarboard with tassel, for graduation, study and finishing a course.Meaning & copy 32SkateboardA skateboard, for skating, street culture and getting around.Meaning & copy 33TennisA tennis ball, for the sport, matches and tournaments.Meaning & copy 34TrumpetA trumpet, for brass, jazz and fanfare.Meaning & copy 35ViolinA violin and bow, for classical music, orchestras and lessons.Meaning & copy 36VolleyballA volleyball, for the sport, beach games and team play.Meaning & copy 37Pool 8 BallThe black eight ball, for pool, predictions and being behind the eight ball.Meaning & copy 38SelfieAn arm holding a phone up, for selfies and taking your own photo.Meaning & copy 39Performing ArtsThe comedy and tragedy masks, for theatre and drama.Meaning & copy 40SkisA pair of skis and poles, the ski emoji.Meaning & copy 41Flag in HoleA flag on a golf green, the golf emoji.Meaning & copy 421st Place MedalA gold medal, for winning first place.Meaning & copy 43Martial Arts UniformA white martial arts uniform, the karate emoji.Meaning & copy 44Musical KeyboardA piano keyboard, the piano emoji.Meaning & copy 45Mirror BallA disco ball, for parties, dancing and nights out.Meaning & copy

Category guide

Understanding activities & play emoji

Activity emoji label what is happening rather than how anyone feels about it. A football, a controller or a trophy names the plan, the hobby or the result in a single character, which is why invitations, fixtures and announcements lean on them so heavily. That literalness is their strength: there is far less to misread here than in a face or a heart.

How they appear across devices

Sport, game and music emoji are old and very widely supported, so they render almost everywhere. Artwork still differs — the ball, the controller and the trophy all vary in shape and colour between Apple, Google, Microsoft and Samsung — but the object being depicted stays obvious.

Choose with context

How to pick the right emoji

Let it do the labelling

One activity emoji at the front of a message tells people what the message is about before they read a word of it.

Watch the regional reading

A football emoji means different sports to different readers, so name the sport in the text when it actually matters.

Keep celebration proportionate

A trophy for a genuine milestone lands well; a trophy for finishing a normal task reads as a joke, which is often exactly what you want.

Common questions

About activities & play emoji

Do activity emoji change meaning in different countries?

Some do. The ball, the sports and the awards they suggest depend on where the reader is, so pair them with a word or two when precision matters.

Are activity emoji safe in work messages?

Generally yes. Because they describe a subject rather than an emotion, they carry much less tonal risk than faces or hearts, which makes them well suited to announcements and calendar invitations.