Virtual Christmas Party Ideas - Care/Of
12 Virtual Christmas Party Ideas
Don’t let remote work stop you from having a joyous end-of-year gathering with your employees. Thankfully, there’s no need to hole up indoors until spring comes again, because there are plenty of ways to have your work Christmas party in a virtual setting. Whether you’re based in different cities or different time zones, there’s an innovative way for everyone to connect and celebrate together. With that in mind, here are some tips on how to throw the best virtual work Christmas party. This will ensure that you and your team have a great time, while also saving money and stress in the process.
Virtual Corporate Festivities
Even though your holiday function is taking part over Zoom or another video communications platform, you still want to make it feel like a Christmas party. So, get out the oh-so-familiar decorations and sing-along songs and bring the holiday spirit to the corporation. Here are some light-hearted ways to put everyone is a Christmassy mood.
1. Create virtual Christmas cards
Sure sending employees a plain email outlining the holiday event could give them everything they need to know about it, but where’s the excitement in that? Putting in some time to design a Christmas card that provides all of the virtual party details is a great way to make the occasion feel special and worthwhile. Though, you might not be the one designing it yourself, using free templates with graphic design tools such as Canva, you can efficiently and effectively
2. Holiday Playlist
Music is an essential part of the holiday’s ambience. Creating a shared playlist with all of your employees on Spotify or Apple Music allows them to add their favourite songs to the mix. Don’t limit them to just yuletide carols, rather, encourage them to share what plays throughout their house during holiday time with family and friends.
3. Ugly sweater contest
This one comes as no surprise. A Christmas party isn’t complete if someone isn’t wrapped head-to-toe in tinsel and sparkly ornaments. Who doesn’t like seeing their boss dressed like a candy cane? Tacky Christmas sweaters are a staple holiday tradition that always bring a smile to people’s faces. It shows a humorous side to the team and makes for a great photo op for next year’s Christmas card!
4. Dress your pet
It’s always exciting seeing someone’s dog run into their home office during a meeting and takeover the webcam. This time, they won’t be a distraction, instead, they’ll be the stars of the show. Get creative, make them a suit out of wrapping paper- turn them into a star that belongs on the top of a tree. But beware, they might outshine you in your ugly Christmas sweater.
5. Virtual photo booth
If you’re feeling creative, you could set up a virtual photo booth and get people to pose for pictures. You could use any number of apps that let you add filters and graphics to photos, as well as apps that let you add silly sound effects to photos. You can also host a virtual GIF party and invite people to create and share GIFs. If you really want to go all out, you can even create a virtual Christmas tree, or a Christmas-themed message board. You can use a Christmas-themed hashtag for the event, and people can post photos and GIFs related to the event and Christmas.
Zoom office party game ideas
Now that you know how to bring a Christmas mood to the party, it’s time to pull out some virtual games and get the party started. Spice things up by giving out prizes to the winners. A gift basket filled with holiday treats and goodies is surely going to bring a competitive side out of your employees. This is also a great way to get people to interact with each other and participate in the party.
6. Virtual trivia via zoom
Put your employees' knowledge to the test with virtual trivia games. You can find pre-made questions or put together a set of questions relevant to your company or industry. Ask questions about common interests your employees share. Bring in a mix of topics such as music, sports, cinema, etc.
7. Virtual Charades
Charades is always a game that gets the crowd laughing. There are various websites that generate words to act out. In teams, take turns putting on your best mime impersonations. It’s okay to look a fool, that’s how you make sure your team wins!
8. Name that Tune
For this game, divide your party into small teams where they will attempt to name a song based on a short snippet. Each team will get a turn to name the tune, and if they fail to guess correctly, the next team will have the opportunity to steal the point.
Remotely Sharing the Holidays with Large Groups
The holiday seasons are all about spreading love to one another.
9. Secret Santa
Secret Santa is a common workplace tradition, but it can still happen even if the Christmas party is virtual. Using a tool such as Secret Santa Generator, will randomly assign employees one of their co-workers to shop for. You can include suggestions and things you would like to receive. Have employees ship their presents to their recipients and wait until the party to open it.
10. Snack and drink exchange
Similar to secret Santa, each employee will be given a colleague’s name. They will send them their favourite holiday treat or drink. Holiday baked goods are essential to any Christmas celebration. Put together a jar containing the ingredients to your favourite Christmas cookie along with the recipe. This way, you can share a holiday tradition with your work family.
11. Christmas movie viewing
No holiday season is complete without a Christmas movie marathon. Pick a holiday classic or a hidden gem to watch with your team- ask the office for suggestions as well. Encourage everyone to connect their computers to their TVs for a full cinematic experience. Get the whole family involved, snuggle up with the whole family on the couch and enjoy the festive flick.
12. Sending employees gift boxes
Show your appreciation for all of the hard work and deception your employees put in throughout the year by sending them a curated package of delicious treats. It is time consuming trying to coordinate and put together dozens of gift boxes by yourself. Luckily, there are services that specialize in providing quality treats and goodies to your team or clients. Care/Of is a specialized provider of gift boxes that gives people a taste and feel for local brands and artists. Take the stress off your hands and feel confident that you’re giving your employees a unique present that’s sure to make a positive impact.
No matter how you choose to have your year-end celebration, it’s nice to put together something special to remind your employees of their worth to the company. While virtual parties create new obstacles for interaction, they also offer new forms of engagement and activities. There are lots of ways to have a fun and festive virtual Christmas party. With these tips, you can make your virtual Christmas party as jolly as any in-person party.