Are two-thirds of your employees missing from the company holiday party? No matter your attendance rate, organizations are struggling to build culture (or even a little excitement) through such events. Roughly 64% of employees don’t want to go. Sorry!
There are better ways to celebrate and strengthen connections. Today, we’ve got some simple, fun holiday team-building activities that achieve what no meet-up at a local restaurant or banquet hall can.
What’s wrong with many “team-building” holiday party ideas?
If your annual holiday party is a hit, you can skip this part. Those who aren’t seeing a great return on investment or are deliberating throwing their first holiday bash should take warning.
Employees are only too glad to share (anonymously) why they don’t want that party:
- It takes place after work, cutting into their personal time.
- They feel pressure to have the fun that has been scheduled for them.
- The holidays are for their friends and family, with whom they already have plans.
- They feel they’ve done enough socializing with coworkers during work.
- There’s no existing, meaningful connection to coworkers/company, making it weird and socially awkward.
These concerns align with what research has revealed about the failure rate of complex team rituals. When employees feel like they’re making sacrifices or following an instruction, they’re not having fun and building community.
10 fun, low-pressure holiday team-building ideas
In-person or virtual holiday team-building activities work best when they’re small occasions that organically lead to camaraderie. Being invited to play a game or share a treat during work hours is less obtrusive and a natural fit for the holidays.
🏆1. Semi-annual paper plate awards
The holiday season is a great time to host your paper plate awards ceremony. It keeps virtual happy hours and in-office gatherings from going quiet or seeming pointless. It’s also the perfect opportunity to add a winner for Ugliest Christmas Sweater.
🎄2. Team tree decorating
Invite employees to bring in one ornament to contribute to a small holiday tree in the office. Have them share the significance of the ornament, garland, or other decoration they bring. Remote teams can “decorate” together by choosing holiday backgrounds or filters for Zoom.
🤔3. A Very QuizBreaker Christmas
Organize a pre-holiday-break afternoon of fun with trivia, icebreaker games, and other QuizBreaker offerings. Remote teams can even finally participate in the mother of all team-building activities by navigating a virtual escape room together.
🧸4. Toy drive
Invite teams to partner with local schools or businesses to make the holidays brighter for kids in need. Area hospitals, food banks, rec centers, and more may have initiatives your organization can contribute to.
🧦5. Stocking stuffers
Stocking stuffers let in-person teams make merry all month long. Hang stockings in the office with care, where employees can leave handwritten messages of gratitude and small gifts for coworkers to take home at the end of the month.
🎬6. Holiday film festival
The days leading up to a holiday break can really drag on. Try playing everyone’s favorite holiday movies in the office or streaming virtually. Employees can nominate their favorites a week or two in advance and have everyone vote for what makes the cut.
📖7. Cookbook collab
Teams can contribute their heirloom cookie, best holiday latkes, or time-honored macaroni and cheese recipes to the company holiday cookbook. Create a digital version on Canva that everyone can help design. It can even be sold with proceeds going to a charity of the team’s choice.
🍪8. Treat trade
Not ready to give up the family’s secret recipe? Employees can make treats to bring in and swap with others. Virtual teams can even plot a snail mail swap. Cut those who don’t know their way around an oven a break and consider letting them buy treats to share and trade.
🎅🏽9. Secret Santa
Peer participation, from everyday recognition to gift-giving, is really powerful. When employees propel ideas forward, they stand a greater chance of becoming cultural traditions. Invite employees to opt into a classic Secret Santa program. Cap the cost at $20 and watch everyone get creative with coworker gifts.
🎁10. Gift wrapping challenge
Teams can share rolls of paper and ribbons for a wrap-off, or do a virtual Zoom wrapping session. Watch as they share tips, help out, and rate one another’s skills, making an average holiday chore more cheerful.
Get more team-building activities and ideas from HeyTaco
In-office teams feel pressure when you schedule parties during their personal time. Remote teams feel isolated, so focused on productivity that anything else is an interruption.
Get around both of these formidable challenges with activities that feel like a break, not a burden. Start introducing five-minute team-building exercises into their days. Create culture remotely with connection-building team rituals. Top it off with regular helpings of lighthearted, non-disruptive gratitude, and watch authentic connections take form.
Holiday team building FAQ
How can I make my work holiday party more fun?
Themes and activities pass the time more easily and take pressure off socializing. Ugly Christmas sweater contests, paper plate awards, gift wrapping, and cookie decorating are all popular activities.
You can also boost attendance and overall satisfaction by hosting parties at a time that is best for employees, such as the last few working hours before break.
What are some fun team-building activities?
Teams benefit from activities that have them collaborate to solve a problem, share common interests, or build on their skills. Escape rooms, book clubs, and workshops are a few popular examples of this.
What are some Christmas games for large groups?
White Elephant gift exchanges are a common holiday custom for large parties. Holiday-themed bingo or charades can also accommodate more people.
Gingerbread house decorating contests are also a chance for people to create teams and work together.
What’s a good Christmas-themed icebreaker game?
Special Snowflakes is a holiday icebreaker game where you create various pairs of identical snowflakes and pass them out to employees at random. They must search for the person who has their matching snowflake.
From there, pairs can have a conversation or ask one another holiday-themed icebreaker questions such as:
- Have you ever regifted a present? What was it?
- If you could be a character in any holiday movie, who would you be?
- What’s the best gift you’ve ever given to someone else?
- What is the best present you can buy someone for $10?
