Holiday parties are one of the best times to bring employees together, recognize their achievements, and spread feelings of cheer and appreciation. However, since many teams are spread across different locations or remote, in-person holiday parties aren’t enough for many companies.
It’s time to rethink how we celebrate holidays at work. With the right tools, knowledge, and a little bit of creativity, virtual holiday parties at work can be just as fun, meaningful, and rewarding as any in-person event.
Interactive Holiday Party Ideas for Remote Teams
Interactive virtual activities are great for remote holiday parties. They can get everyone involved and make sure everyone feels part of the celebration!
1. Virtual Office Escape Rooms
One of the best virtual holiday party games for work is an escape room—yes, these can be just as fun virtually! They test the mental acumen of employees while giving them fun challenges to overcome as a team. A virtual escape room provides digital hints and clues where teams can collaborate and solve puzzles together over their devices.
2. Virtual Charades or Pictionary
Many online tools exist to let teams play virtual games, such as charades or pictionary. Let teams act out or draw holiday-themed activities or items and get everyone in the spirit with some laughs.
3. Virtual Contests
Work parties are a great time to show off your holiday fashion. For example, a great virtual office Christmas party idea is to host an ugly sweater contest over Zoom, complete with voting and prizes! A virtual costume contest is another great idea for the spooky season.
4. Remote Holiday Trivia
Trivia is a classic virtual holiday party idea. Create trivia based on each holiday and toss in some questions about different employees so that remote teams can learn more about each other in a fun way.
Family-Friendly Holiday Ideas for Remote Employees
One of the best parts of company holiday parties is that employees can often bring their families or partners to enjoy the dinner, games, or activities. And virtual parties don’t have to lose this benefit!
1. Virtual Family Bake-Off
If there’s one immutable feature of the holiday season, it’s the enjoyment of baked goods. Plan a virtual bake-off, send the required supplies to each employee’s household, and watch as people build amazing holiday memories baking cookies or making pumpkin pie with their loved ones. Then let them show off their creations over Zoom or other corporate communications.
2. Holiday Story Time
For a unique remote holiday party idea, bring guest readers in to share virtual stories with the team and their children in a cozy virtual setting.
3. Gingerbread House Competition
Send virtual employees a gingerbread construction kit, and then host a virtual contest and let each employee and their family build a home complete with plenty of candy decorations. This is great for young kids, couples, and single people, so every employee can get in on this tasty task!
Virtual Holiday Party Ideas With a Charitable Twist
Employees want to work for a company that gives back to the community, and the holiday season is the perfect time to do so. Plan a virtual work party with real meaning by providing remote employees an opportunity to give back.
1. Virtual Team Volunteering
There’s no shortage of charitable giving teams can do together (virtually):
- Creating care packages
- Blanket tying
- Donating food or school supplies
- Writing letters to those in need
2. Online Charity Auction
Bring some gift-giving excitement while also donating to charity with an online auction! Have employees donate items for others on their team to bid on, then send all proceeds to a chosen charity. This fits perfect in with the other virtual office holiday party ideas while also giving to a good cause.
Virtual Holiday Party Entertainment Options
While virtual activities are great, you don’t have to stop there. Bring in some remote-friendly entertainment to really set the holiday party apart. Ideas include:
- Live virtual holiday concert. Hire a local musician or band to play a live-streamed concert. This creates a festive and fun atmosphere while supporting local artists.
- Interactive virtual improv show. Hire a comedian for a virtual show, including plenty of audience participation to keep everyone laughing and engaged.
- Virtual magic show. Magic and mentalism tricks can still be mind-blowing, even over virtual calls. This is a great idea for employees and their families!
Gifts for Remote Employees
How do you give remote employees holiday gifts when you can’t see them in person? Good question! First, you have to send out a survey to learn more about what each employee likes. Sending everyone the same branded mug is going to backfire, big time.
Instead, send a survey that asks about their interests, hobbies, likes, dislikes, etc. Only by figuring out that information can companies give gifts that feel personal, genuine, and meaningful.
This is important because 84% of employees say they’ve received gifts from their companies that they didn’t care for or want! So here are some ways to offer virtual holiday gifts for employees.
1. Digital Gifts
Digital gifts are a great way to celebrate remote employees because you can send them with a simple click. Some examples of digital gifts include:
- eBooks or audiobooks
- Subscriptions or online memberships, such as fitness, mental health, or entertainment
- eGift cards to restaurants, stores, or events
Remember, don’t send everyone the same thing! Maybe Brian would love a self-help book on Audible but Christi would treasure a Masterclass subscription.
2. Care Packages
Imagine for a moment that you’re sitting at home when a knock sounds at your door. You open it only to see a package sitting on your step that you don’t remember ordering. Upon opening it, you realize it's a package full of personalized items from your company! Wouldn’t that foster a sense of gratitude and loyalty? We think so. Consider sending customized packages to remote employees based on what you know of their interests and their local area.
3. Cash for Class
What is each employee interested in learning more about? Do they want to learn to draw, sew, or work with wood? Are they interested in business, automotive, or writing classes? Once you know this, give the gift of a spot in a class that’s been bought and paid for. Or, give employees a stipend to use on classes so they can choose the class and time that works best for them.
4. Travel Voucher
Give employees the ability to travel wherever they wish with a travel voucher that makes it more affordable. Even a discount can help remote employees see the world without as much stress.
Planning the Perfect Virtual Holiday Party
To ensure your virtual work party goes off without a hitch, here are some planning strategies to keep in mind.
Choose the Right Platform
Will you host the party over Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, or another video platform? Do you need breakout rooms, polls, or screen sharing for your planned activities? These considerations will help you pick the right tools.
Consider Different Time Zones
Remote employees may work in different parts of the country or even world. Make sure to consider this when planning the time and activities of your party. Choose a time that works for everyone, and give time off if it falls during some employees’ work schedules.
Communicate Early
Virtual parties can be seamless, but only with the right preparation. Ensure excitement and participation by sending out invitations, holiday kits, and reminders well in advance. If you need to send out gifts or materials, make sure to send them out with plenty of time to spare!
Make This Season Memorable for Remote Teams
When it comes to how to celebrate a remote holiday party, the answer is pretty simple. Choose activities that your remote employees will enjoy, provide gifts personalized to them, and make it fun for everyone! With these strategies, your virtual holiday party will be a smashing success.
For more holiday-specific best practices, check out our other posts in this series:
An avid lover of fantasy books, a proud Hufflepuff, and a strong proponent of escapism, Jeff has a love of good storytelling. He relies on that for both his professional work and his writing hobby (don’t ask about the 10+ novel ideas collecting virtual dust on his computer).
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