An L&D Professional’s Festive Christmas Bucket List

Festive Activities To Celebrate The Holidays With Your Team

Christmas is just around the corner, and let’s face it: ’tis the season to be jolly! Considering that during festive times employees would much rather enjoy some hot cocoa next to the fireplace than work, it’s important that you take measures to bring the holiday spirit to the workplace and boost morale. And what better way to do that than with a few festive activities that will bond the team and get everyone in a cheerful mood? Here are 9 festive activities to add to your Christmas bucket list that will bring joy to the workplace.

9 Activities To Add To Your Christmas Bucket List

1. Put Up Festive Decorations

You have no idea how much a Christmas tree and a few pieces of tinsel can warm up the atmosphere in the office and get everyone excited about the holidays! Not to mention you can make the decoration process an annual tradition, where all employees gather with some festive music and snacks and decorate the office together. This is bound to bring employees closer, strengthening their sense of teamwork and togetherness.

2. Put Together A Hot Chocolate Bar

Remember how we said everyone likes to enjoy hot cocoa during the festive season? Well, who says you can only have it at home and not at the office, too? Break out the marshmallows, candy canes, and whipped cream, and assemble your own hot chocolate bar. If your staff is working remotely, you can ship out custom packages to them and share a hot cuppa during Zoom meetings. This is also a great opportunity to gift your employees personalized mugs.

3. Organize A Secret Santa Game

There is nothing more festive than a traditional game of Secret Santa. This long-standing tradition brings employees together and ensures everyone gets a piece of festive memorabilia. Secret Santa is very easy to organize, as all your employees have to do is pull out name cards, decide on a budget, and set a day to exchange gifts. If your company is larger or more dispersed, you can take a look at online tools or apps that take care of all the work for you.

4. Send Out Self-Care Packages

Showing your employees how much you value their hard work is essential for them to remain engaged and fulfilled. Therefore, your Christmas bucket list can’t be complete without a token of appreciation. This could include many things, but we propose a carefully curated self-care package that will make the holidays more joyful for your staff. The package can include tea sachets, a bottle of wine, specialty coffee, chocolates, Christmas socks, or a festively scented candle.

5. Wear Ugly Christmas Sweaters

This tradition has become somewhat of a favorite in recent years, mostly for all the laughs that it brings. Encourage your employees to come into the office (or the Zoom meeting) wearing their favorite ugly Christmas sweater and watch the mood instantly change for the better. You can even make a contest out of it and award the most creative or funny one. Don’t forget to snap a team picture of everyone in their “stylish” festive attire!

6. Make Your Own Festive Photo Booth

This Christmas bucket list activity is bound to create some precious and long-lasting memories for your employees. Gather some festive props, such as reindeer antlers and Santa hats, pick a decorated spot in the office, and invite everyone to take fun pictures using their smartphones. Don’t forget to share these cheerful snaps on your company’s intranet. You can also put up a board and hang pictures every year so that you can create a festive collage of happy moments with your co-workers.

7. Decorate Desserts

Welcome some playfulness at the office with a dessert decorating contest. All you need is plain cookies or donuts, frosting, food coloring, and plenty of imagination. What’s great about this activity is that it works just as well on-site or remotely. Remote employees can participate by sharing pictures of their creations in the company group chat. If you’re feeling especially generous this year, you can award the employee with the best creation with a course on the basics of pastry decorating.

8. Throw A Virtual Office Party

If your office is remote, it might be more challenging to bring festive cheer to your employees’ daily routines. For this reason, we suggest devoting a specific day to a virtual office party that can kick-start the festive season or your company break. Many of the activities we shared in this article can be modified to entertain your employees during that special occasion. One more idea for that day is hosting an awards ceremony where you reward something unique about each employee. For example, reward people for being “the most helpful” or “the most positive.”

9. Give Back

Decorating, buying presents, and having funny contests are lovely ways to celebrate the holidays. However, it’s important to keep in mind those who are less fortunate than us. Express your generosity towards them by selecting a charity that you want to donate to, gathering clothes or toys for those in need, or volunteering at a food bank. There are many ways to give back to the community, and in doing so, you’re helping your employees focus on the things that are truly important.

Conclusion

Even if the end of the year is an especially busy time for your organization, taking the time to bring some Christmas cheer to your employees is an absolute necessity. Festive activities that involve the whole team can boost employee morale, enhance teamwork and unity, increase productivity, and motivate employees to get through challenging days. Add the ideas we shared in this article to your Christmas bucket list, and watch as monotony and gloominess are instantly replaced by joy and laughter.

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