It’s nearly here – the most wonderful time of the year! The holidays bring out the best side of us, and nothing feels better than indulging in the festive spirit.
My Favorite Virtual Holiday Party Ideas
- Put on a virtual magical holiday event
- Remember it’s not a virtual holiday party without excellent, home-cooked food
- Enjoy a festive playlist of your team’s favorite seasonal music!
- Have a virtual at-home scavenger hunt
- Get together for a team holiday dinner via video call
- Hand out a free holiday vacation day!
- Orchestrate a holiday gift exchange between all your remote team members
Finding the right place to start might be challenging if you’re celebrating holidays remotely. But nowadays, it’s easier than ever to put on a virtual holiday party – and I’ll let you know exactly where to begin!
See Related: 11 Virtual Celebration Ideas For Remote Teams This Holiday Season
Celebrating The Holidays Remotely
Getting into the holiday spirit is something that brings so many of us insurmountable joy. When we can spread some holiday cheer, it fills our hearts with gratitude and appreciation for the things and people closest to us.
And so, it would only make sense to bring these festive and joyous feelings to our employees, even if we’re working remotely! So, how can we do that?
Practicing Gratitude And Employee Appreciation At A Distance
Virtual workplaces are on the rise, and we’re just along for the ride! But one thing that should stay the same is our fundamental emphasis on expressing appreciation and recognizing our employees.
And the holidays give us the perfect opportunity to do this!
Virtual holiday parties allow us to connect with our team members and remote employees, no matter how far away they might be. In-person holiday parties are out, and virtual celebrations are in!
There are many fantastic virtual holiday party ideas out there, but what’s important is finding one that will speak to your employees on a personal level.
And what’s even better is finding a virtual holiday party idea that you and your team can add to your organization’s holiday traditions!
Viral Virtual HOLIDAY Party Ideas For Remote Teams
Virtual parties don’t need to be “distant.” It’s actually incredibly easy to make your virtual holiday party a fun, enjoyable, and interactive experience!
Maybe it seems like a tall order. But don’t worry – I’ll tell you some of the best ways to make your HOLIDAY party one for the books!
#1. Host A Magical Virtual Event
The holidays are a special time of the year, and celebrating this festive season with your team deserves more than a company email wishing them “the best holiday season”. So start the New Year with a bang by putting on a virtual holiday event with the best virtual party host you could have!
Wondering what I mean by that? Your virtual event needs a stellar master of ceremonies. This person will set the tone for the entire holiday party and provide top-quality entertainment to your team.
And that’s where corporate emcees come in!
You need someone funny, personable, and humorous to leave your employees laughing and give your team memories to carry forever. And emcees know precisely how to reach a crowd and tickle their minds.
Just make sure you avoid crude or dirty MCs. Not only is that off-limits for a work event, but it’s also inappropriate during the holidays. You don’t need an emcee who will divide the crowd and make your team uncomfortable – that’s not what this is about!
Comedy is the best way to connect with people. After all, it’s easiest to form bonds with others when we can share a laugh. So take advantage of this fun way to celebrate the holidays, and bring your workplace relationships to the next level!
#2. Open The Door To Competition Via A Bake-Off!
Everyone knows that holiday and Christmas traditions usually involve food – and a lot of it. Starting with Thanksgiving, the festive season seems to place immense importance on our seasonal meals and the enjoyment that comes with them.
So let’s embrace it and treat both our stomachs and our remote employees to the cheer that festive foods can bring!
An entertaining and enjoyable way to celebrate the virtual holiday with our team is with a bake-off. I’m sure that we all know of at least one or two people who think their Christmas pies are “to die for”, so let’s put that seasonal pride to the test!
Fun and creative challenges make for a great way to share cultural holiday cuisine and build lasting bonds with our team members. And we all know that a virtual holiday party isn’t complete without delicious food!
#3. Listen To A Holiday Playlist Together
There are a few things that can truly remind us of the holiday season. Fluffy, white snow, a sparkling, shining Christmas tree, and feel-good, joyous holiday songs all are iconic parts of this season.
Music is an incredibly powerful tool and can bring out emotions we may have forgotten about. So enjoying holiday playlists with your team can quickly put you all in the festive spirit.
And luckily, we all live in a digital age. So finding ways to listen to music together and in sync is pretty straightforward!
#4. I Spy A Virtual Scavenger Hunt
Sharing is caring. And sharing also is one of the best ways to feel connected to those around us.
Whether we’re sharing information about how our weekend plans progressed or we’re revealing our grandma’s best banana bread recipe, sharing and connecting with those around us shows that we value their opinion and we want to grow closer to them!
A fun and interactive idea for a virtual holiday party includes putting on an online holiday scavenger hunt! Online team-building games like this classic venture make it easy to feel connected with your team.
Need some ideas to get your festive scavenger hunt started? Whoever brings back an item fitting the description first gets a point!
- Favorite holiday gift
- Ugliest sweater
- Winter boots
- Gloves or mittens
- A Christmas movie
- Their most prized possession
- Hot chocolate mix
- Favorite fuzzy socks
- Snow! (if weather permits)
#5. Dinner And Drinks Is A Classic!
Company dinners are a classic and timeless way to celebrate a precious moment with our team. But for those who work from home, that’s not always a feasible option.
So instead of going to the dinner, bring the feast to your team. After all, a virtual holiday party isn’t complete without a delicious meal! Just schedule a time for a video call, whip up a tasty meal, and sit down with your remote team to share some excellent food.
And, enjoy!
You can also finish the evening with drinks, some holiday-themed games, or even welcome a funny speaker to add some comedy to your evening. Appreciate the moment with each other, and enjoy a simple, relaxing evening outside working hours.
#6. A Little Quality Time Can Say More Than Words
Often we get caught up in the idea that the best way to celebrate the holidays and show someone our appreciation is with a physical gift. But who says your contributions need to be tangible?
When it comes down to it, isn’t what our employees want more than anything around the holidays, a little extra time off? So give it to them!
Allocate a free vacation day to your remote team members to give them extra time to indulge in the holiday spirit. We can focus on virtual parties all we want, but no one ever said “no” to free time off!
#7. You Can’t Go Wrong With A Gift Exchange
I didn’t forget the most iconic part of any virtual Christmas party – the gift exchange!
It should go without saying that one of the best virtual holiday party ideas has to do with presents. After all, for many of us, that’s been our favorite part of the holidays since we were kids.
Orchestrate a virtual Secret Santa and let the festive spirit freely flow within your remote team. When it comes to virtual Christmas parties, you really can’t go wrong with a classic gift exchange tactic like Secret Santa.
Don’t remember how Secret Santa works? All you need to do is assign one team member to another team member, and they’ll be in charge of finding them a holiday gift. But, of course, it works best if it’s done randomly so that only the assignee knows who their target is!
Each person will then get a gift for their partner and mail it to them. And yes, since it’s a virtual secret Santa, it would make sense for some of these gifts to be e-gifts. Don’t forget to set a reasonable price limit as well.
Lastly, create a Zoom meeting and open all the gifts together!
Here are some ideas for great virtual secret Santa gifts in case you’re a little stumped in shopping for someone.
- Wireless phone charger
- Reusable straws or cutlery
- Personalized coffee mug
- A home humidifier
- Moleskin notebook
- A trusty water bottle
Bonus: Roles & Responsibilities Of A Discussion Moderator
The Sky’s The Limit When It Comes To Your Holiday Party
Each remote team is different, and every organization has its own unique holiday tradition. However, employees must know that you care about their happiness, especially during the holidays. So show them your appreciation in your own unique way.
I’ll help you narrow down what will be exactly the perfect idea for your perfect online holiday party.
Virtual Holiday Party Games You Need To Show Your Team
Let’s face it – our remote employees deserve to indulge in real fun. So why not invite them to play some holiday party games online?
Here are the best ones you can try, perfect for anyone to play!
#8. A classic and timeless way to enjoy some competition is with virtual holiday trivia (best with a corporate emcee if you ask me)
#9. Try out the collaborative problem-solving fun of The Escape Game game show
#10. Put your employee’s holiday knowledge to the test with some holiday jeopardy
#11. Promote some real team collaboration with the Holiday Extravaganza game show
Low-Key Ideas For A Relaxing Holiday Party
Exciting, fun games aren’t the thing for you? Here are some other low-key ideas that are super easy to put together for your virtual party this festive season.
#12. Invite your team to a virtual gingerbread house-making class
#13. Gather materials and craft your own festive Christmas tree ornaments
#14. Make a company Christmas card with your team and send it out to your families
#15. It can be simple! Take a hot chocolate break during the workday and enjoy its delicious warmth
#16. Send a holiday stocking full of goodies and sweet treats to your team
#17. Hop on a video call together as you and your team are putting up holiday decorations
#18. Nothing boosts our moods like a virtual holiday dance party!
#19. Jam out to some Christmas carol karaoke!
#20. Share your favorite holiday recipes with each other – after all, food is one of the best parts of the holidays!
Even if you don’t see your team in person and you’ll just be celebrating a Zoom holiday party, you and your team can still enjoy the holiday cheer together. Building a company culture of appreciation, laughter, and bonding is the best way to create an enjoyable working place.
Happy Holidays!
Keep Reading: The Importance Of Communication In The Workplace
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Adam Christing has been called “The Tom Brady of emcees.” He has hosted more than 1,000 company meetings, special events, gala celebrations, and more. He is the author of several books and founder of CleanComedians.com. For more event tips, follow Adam Christing on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
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