Employee Engagement : 10 ideas for holiday team fun

Celebrating the holidays as a team in the office or remotely is always fun and exciting. However, planning interesting activities and games for your employees can be difficult, even complicated. However, these events are essential to corporate life, as they help create team synergy and a sense of belonging. In the long term, they can even help you increase employee engagement.

In this article, we’ll give you some ideas for activities to make this holiday season memorable for your employees. Let’s go!

1. Hold a contest for the ugliest holiday sweater

Employee engagement can be strengthened by creating moments of joy and conviviality within the company. One of the most fun ideas during the holidays is the famous ugliest sweater contest. Employees can either buy a ready-made sweater or choose a simpler one and dress it up to their liking. Organize a face-to-face parade, or a videoconference meeting so that everyone can present their ugliest sweater and award a prize to the winners!

2. Engage your employees in a wellness session

For many, the holiday season is a stressful time. Between work, the end of the financial year, gifts to buy and numerous parties to organize, employees often find themselves exhausted before the vacations even begin. To reduce the feeling of stress, there’s nothing better than planning moments of well-being. Why not encourage your employees to attend a group meditation session before starting their day, or take part in a lunchtime yoga session? These moments of respite will certainly be appreciated, especially after a year of hard work.

3. Create a photo station

This holiday season, why not put together a photo station by gathering festive accessories such as Santa hats, jingle bells and tinsel around a dedicated stand? Your employees can then come and take photos with their colleagues using these accessories. Imagine the magic of those festive shots! And to make the experience even more magical, why not add some fake snow to the floor? It’s a simple, inexpensive idea that’s sure to create a warm, engaging atmosphere within the company, strengthening the bond between employees.

4. Organize culinary events

Food has always had the power to bring people together. It creates moments of sharing and conviviality, helping to strengthen bonds between individuals. In a professional context, organizing culinary events can be a great way to encourage employee involvement within a company. A cooking competition, for example, encourages employees’ hidden talents to express themselves. Whether you’re choosing a specific cooking theme or a potluck formula, this contest will showcase everyone’s culinary skills. Cooking talents will be revealed and appreciated!

5. Treat your employees to a pyjama day

Pyjama days are a holiday classic, so why not organize one at the office? Ask your employees to wear their best pyjamas for a day of comfort and offer them coffee and cookies to add an extra touch of fun to their special day. For remote employees, you could have a special snack delivered to their home office so they can enjoy it too. This special attention demonstrates the importance attached to their well-being and helps reinforce their engagement with the company.

6. Organize a Christmas tree decorating contest

The Christmas tree decorating contest may not seem very original, but it’s fun to try it out with your work colleagues or at an office party. The concept is simple: divide employees into teams so that they can decorate small Christmas trees within 20 minutes. Once the timer runs out, let each team present their work and vote for the most original tree. Winners could even be awarded a prize to celebrate their achievement. As well as generating enthusiasm and bringing a festive atmosphere to your workplace, this activity can be a great team-builder.

7. Share a moment of relaxation with a holiday movie screening

What better way to spend the holiday season than immersing yourself in classic films like The Grinch and The Santa Clause? Whether you’re at home in your pyjamas, or in a projection room at the office, a holiday movie session is the perfect opportunity to share a moment of relaxation. Christmas movies are known for their ability to create a warm and entertaining atmosphere, and this is sure to be reflected in employee engagement and motivation. So, get the popcorn ready, make yourself comfortable and let yourself be transported by the magic of Christmas thanks to this holiday movie screening.

8. Play board games

Whether it’s online or face-to-face, there’s no substitute for playing games as a duo or group. Board games are always popular for bringing people together and creating laughter. Beyond the results, everyone wins by having a good time. By playing together, colleagues get to know each other in a different way, fostering better mutual understanding and team cohesion. Ultimately, team play can help improve work dynamics and increase employee satisfaction, which in turn has a positive impact on their engagement.

9. Volunteer as a team

It’s always a good time to give back, but the holiday season is a great time to do it as a team. Ask your employees if they’d like to get involved in supporting a cause close to their hearts. Whether it’s collecting donations or offering your time, volunteering as a team will bring a sense of calm and happiness to your employees. What’s more, this activity is proven to improve people’s happiness and mental health through the social connection it offers. It will therefore have an impact on your employees’ well-being, which is sure to be reflected in their motivation and engagement.

10. Give Christmas cards

The holiday season is the perfect time to recognize your employees. Give them Christmas cards, either virtual or physical, to thank them for their hard work, contribution, and engagement throughout the year. And why not empower your employees to be the bearers of recognition and gratitude? Provide them with blank cards, allowing them the opportunity to craft heartfelt messages for their colleagues. Despite the advances in technology, a good old-fashioned holiday card still has a positive effect on your employees’ motivation, engagement, and loyalty.

Creating little moments of happiness during the holidays is not complicated if you have the right ideas to propose to your employees. These activities, although simple, can have a big impact on employee motivation, well-being and engagement. So don’t wait, choose your favorite activity idea from the list below, and let the magic of the holiday season begin!