Employee Appreciation Day Activities: 15 Ways to Celebrate Your Remote Team

Employee Appreciation Day is a fantastic opportunity for organizations to recognize and reward their remote teams for their hard work, dedication, and contributions. Celebrated annually on the first Friday of March, this day is the perfect occasion to boost morale, enhance employee engagement, and reinforce a positive remote workplace culture. But what to do for Employee Appreciation Day? If you're looking for inspiration, here are 15 fun and creative Employee Appreciation Day ideas specifically for remote teams to show your gratitude and make your remote team feel valued.

1. Virtual Office Olympics

Turn Employee Appreciation Day into a fun competition with Virtual Office Olympics. Plan events that challenge different skills and bring out the competitive spirit in a lighthearted way. Here are a few event ideas:

• Typing Speed Challenge: Who can type the fastest and most accurately in a fun typing test?
• Online Pictionary: Use tools like Skribbl.io to put artistic skills to the test.
• Fastest Email Response: Set up a simulated scenario where employees must craft the perfect response to a humorous or tricky email.
• Emoji Storytelling: Challenge participants to create short stories using only emojis.
• Home Office Obstacle Course: Encourage employees to design their own creative obstacle courses at home and share their results in a fun virtual meetup.
• Trivia: Who knows the most random facts? Try many of Water Cooler Trivia’s themed-trivia games. 

Offer silly prizes like virtual medals, funny certificates, or company swag to keep things engaging and rewarding.

2. Pet Parade Show-Off

Encourage employees to introduce their furry (or scaly) friends in a virtual pet parade. Create categories such as 'Best Dressed Pet' or 'Most Unusual Pet' and award prizes to winners. You can also include:

• Pet Talent Show: Allow employees to showcase their pet's tricks or unique talents in a fun and entertaining way.
• Look-Alike Contest: Challenge employees to dress up like their pets and have a friendly competition.
• Pet Story Sharing: Invite employees to share funny or heartwarming stories about their pets and how they brighten their work-from-home days.
• Social Media Feature: Create a dedicated space on your company's social media or internal communication platform to highlight all the adorable pets and their achievements.

This event adds a personal touch to the celebration and brings lots of smiles to the team.

3. Remote Talent Show

Let employees show off their hidden talents in a virtual talent show. Whether it’s singing, magic tricks, or stand-up comedy, this lighthearted event will create laughs and memorable moments. Employees can pre-record performances or showcase their skills live for an interactive experience.

4. Surprise Snack Delivery

Send employees surprise snack boxes featuring their favorite treats. You can include international snacks, healthy options, or a variety of quirky, fun foods they wouldn’t normally try. Pair the snacks with a fun virtual tasting session where everyone can share their thoughts.

5. Virtual Escape Room Challenge

Gather your team for an online escape room experience where they can work together to solve puzzles and escape before time runs out. It's a great way to foster teamwork while having fun. Choose from various themed escape rooms that match your team's interests.

6. Personalized Digital Caricatures

Hire a digital artist to create fun caricatures of each employee and send them as a surprise gift. It’s a unique and humorous keepsake they’ll cherish. Consider displaying all caricatures in a fun virtual gallery.

7. Mystery Box Challenge

Send employees a mystery box filled with fun and random items, then challenge them to create something creative with the contents. Have them showcase their creations during a virtual meetup and vote for the most innovative or hilarious creation.

8. Office Bingo

Encourage employees to perform random acts of kindness throughout the day, whether it’s sending compliments, helping a colleague, or donating to a charity. Some fun ideas include:

• Shoutout Session: Host a virtual meeting where employees can publicly acknowledge each other's contributions.
• Compliment Chain: Start a thread where employees tag a colleague and share something positive about them.
• Virtual Gratitude Wall: Create a shared document or board where team members can post notes of appreciation.
• Pay-It-Forward Challenge: Encourage employees to perform a kind act for someone else and share their experiences.
• Surprise Thank-You Messages: Secretly assign employees to send surprise thank-you notes to each other.

9. Memes and GIF Contests

Hold a competition where employees create work-related memes or share their favorite GIFs that represent their daily work life. The funniest submissions can win small prizes. Share the best ones in a team chat or internal newsletter. Consider organizing categories such as:

• Best Work-from-Home Struggles Meme: Showcasing relatable moments like juggling meetings and pets.
• Funniest Virtual Meeting Moment: Highlighting technical glitches, funny backgrounds, or accidental interruptions.
• Most Creative Teamwork Meme: Encouraging employees to highlight positive collaboration in a humorous way.
• GIF Reaction Challenge: Asking employees to respond to specific work scenarios with the most fitting GIF.
• Throwback Office Memories: Sharing nostalgic moments that employees might miss from the office days.

10. Virtual Happy Hour with a Twist

Host a virtual happy hour with themed cocktails, mocktails, or even DIY drink-making tutorials. Encourage employees to dress up in theme and share their creations. Include fun icebreaker games and trivia to make the event even more enjoyable.

11. Remote Comedy Roast

Invite a stand-up comedian to roast the team in a fun and lighthearted way. Keep it positive and humorous to ensure everyone has a good time. Encourage employees to contribute inside jokes to make it more personalized.

12. Random Acts of Kindness Challenge

Encourage employees to perform random acts of kindness throughout the day, whether it’s sending compliments, helping a colleague, or donating to a charity. Some fun ideas include:

• Shoutout Session: Host a virtual meeting where employees can publicly acknowledge each other's contributions.
• Compliment Chain: Start a thread where employees tag a colleague and share something positive about them.
• Virtual Gratitude Wall: Create a shared document or board where team members can post notes of appreciation.
• Pay-It-Forward Challenge: Encourage employees to perform a kind act for someone else and share their experiences.
• Surprise Thank-You Messages: Secretly assign employees to send surprise thank-you notes to each other.

13. DIY Craft Hour

Send employees craft kits and host a virtual DIY craft hour where they can create something fun and personalized. Options include painting, making custom mugs, or assembling mini plant terrariums. Encourage employees to showcase their creations in a virtual gallery or during a fun sharing session.

14. Virtual Dance Party

Get everyone moving with a virtual dance party featuring a live DJ or curated playlist. Employees can vote on their favorite tracks and dance from their home office.

15. Celebrate with HeyTaco

Consider using platforms like HeyTaco to celebrate Employee Appreciation Day and beyond. HeyTaco allows team members to send virtual tacos as a fun and engaging way to recognize each other’s efforts daily. You can also organize Taco Power Hours or Taco Power Days, where employees focus on giving and receiving appreciation in a fun and energetic way. Learn more about how teams use taco power hours to celebrate Employee Appreciation Day here.

Conclusion

Employee Appreciation Day is an excellent occasion to celebrate your remote workforce in a way that’s fun, engaging, and memorable. Whether you choose to host a virtual talent show, deliver surprise snacks, or create a meme contest, the key is to keep it lighthearted and genuine. Implementing creative Employee Appreciation Day ideas can enhance workplace morale, boost productivity, and foster a culture of appreciation that lasts all year long.