Office Cheer: Festive Fun & Games for Christmas Joy

The joyous Christmas season is quickly approaching, and while it is typically a time to spend with family and friends, some individuals may find themselves having to work during this festive time. Nowadays, it is not uncommon for businesses to require specific or all employees to work during Christmas due to the high demand. Despite this reality, many people still try their best to make the most of the holiday season and find ways to celebrate with their loved ones.

The holiday season is a great time for employees to come together and work on fun activities like decorating, planning events, and doing charitable work. This helps build teamwork and collaboration among colleagues. If you're a manager or boss, here are some activities and games you can conduct to make the holiday season at work more enjoyable and memorable for everyone.

Digital Advent Calendar
Themed Secret Santa
Holiday Movie Marathon
Competitive Decorating
Gingerbread House
Game night
Ornament Making
Karaoke Night
Cake Decorating
White Elephant Exchange
Sports Day

Digital Advent Calendar

Making a digital advent calendar for the office is a fun and interesting way to promote teamwork during the holidays. Create a variety of games, quiz questions, and tiny sweets for every day before Christmas. Make sure that everyone can easily access the calendar. Ensure that every employee receives the email series if one is being used. If a shared platform is being used, clearly indicate how you will use it.  

Themed Secret Santa

Instead of the traditional Secret Santa, themed exchanges can add an extra layer of fun and creativity to the gift-giving experience. Themes could center around shared favorite movies, exclusively handmade gifts, or color-coded presents. Adding a twist can make the festivities more personal. It challenges people over how well they know their fellow participants.

Holiday Movie Marathon

Devoting a day to hosting a Holiday Movie Marathon at the office presents a delightful opportunity to nurture team bonding and infuse the workplace with a truly festive feeling. Transform a designated space into a cozy haven with blankets, pillows, and festive decorations. Ensure that there are plenty of holiday-themed goodies like candy cane, cookies, cakes, marshmallows, hot chocolate, and, of course, the classic popcorn. Curate a diverse list of holiday movies that cater to the various preferences of employees, blending classics with modern favorites.

Competitive Decorating

A fun Christmas activity can be to have a decorating contest where teams or individuals compete to adorn their workspaces or a communal area. It is a fantastic way to encourage creativity, boost team morale, and bring a festive atmosphere to the workplace. Set budget guidelines to ensure fairness in the competition. You can reward the winning teams or individuals with prizes like gift cards, holiday-themed items, or even a legacy trophy to proudly display in their decorated area.

Gingerbread House

Hosting a gingerbread house decorating competition stands as a delightful and festive activity capable of infusing the workplace with enthusiasm. Equip the employees with all necessary materials and allow them to showcase their creativity. Arrange tables with decorating supplies in a designated area, giving participants space to work comfortably. This competition not only allows for the expression of individual creativity but also fosters connectivity and synergy among team members.

Game Night

Plan a board game night to foster togetherness among all of the employees. Make a comprehensive list of games with a holiday theme that players of all capabilities and tastes can play. Select the games that promote collaboration and friendly competition. Hosting an enjoyable evening with exciting events can serve as a much-needed break for the hardworking staff members.

Ornament Making

Engaging in an ornament-making activity with peers provides a fantastic and artistic festive experience. This hands-on activity relieves stress while creating one-of-a-kind Christmas decorations. Provide employees with all the supplies they need to make their holiday ornaments and allow these creations to be shown off in the office before being taken home. This practice not only encourages creativity but also adds to the celebratory atmosphere at work.

Karaoke Night

Host a Christmas karaoke night to let employees showcase their vocal talents by singing their favorite holiday tunes. Ensure a seamless experience by testing the karaoke system in advance, guaranteeing that the music and vocals are audible to all. Keep a list of holiday-themed songs for participants to choose from ready. Mix solo and group performances to cater to different preferences and encourage diverse collaborative performances.

Cake Decorating

Gather ready-made cakes from your nearest grocery store or supermarket and get all the supplies you need to decorate them. Whipped cream, icing, sprinkles, chocolates, and any more treats you can get your hands on. You can give it a fun theme and make it a competition to create that friendly competition spirit. Extend this activity to cupcakes, brownies, and sundaes to give employees a variety to choose from.

White Elephant Exchange

In this comical take on the classic Secret Santa tradition, coworkers exchange ridiculous or humorous gifts with one another. These gifts are solely meant to make friends laugh and create a joyful Christmas environment. Players choose and unwrap gifts from a common pool, adding a dimension of suspense and thrill. This game encourages players to come up with gifts that are both humorous and functional.

Sports Day

Make use of your outdoor office area to plan a winter sports day. Organize activities like archery, sleigh rides, snowman-building, and snowball fights. Additionally, you can create a little carnival with classic games like apple bopping, darts, and ring toss. By diversifying the activities, you can build a sports day that caters to a variety of interests, ensuring that all participants have a memorable and delightful time.

Conclusion

There is no reason why you should forego some holiday enjoyment because you are at work. Making Christmas memorable in the workplace doesn't have to be difficult. By embracing these unique customs, coworkers can relax, let their creativity run wild, and create long-lasting relationships. In the end, it's the small gestures that make the holiday season at work genuinely meaningful.

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StartupTalkyMuskaan Kapoor