The holiday season is a great time to add a bit of festive spirit to the workplace. Bringing holiday cheer into the office will help to help boost team member morale and create a sense of community among your employees. Whether through food and decoration or fun activities, there are many ways to make the workplace merry and bright. Here are eight creative ideas to bring holiday cheer to the workplace.

1. Desk Decorating Contest

Several holidays occur during the holiday season. Encourage employees to decorate their desks, cubicles, or workspaces to represent how they celebrate or enjoy the holiday season. Ensure everyone feels included even if they do not celebrate a religious holiday. Give a gift card or an incentive to whomever has the best decorations.

2. Movie Marathon

Transform a corner into a warm and cozy viewing area. Add comfortable seating, throw pillows, and blankets to create an area where employees can take a break and relax. Choose several movie classics or take a vote and let the employees decide what movies to watch. Make sure there is plenty of popcorn and movie snacks.

3. Ugly Sweater Day

Pick one Friday during the holiday season and declare it ugly sweater day. Encourage everyone to wear their favorite sweater, regardless of how tacky or creative. Create fun categories such as the best homemade sweater or the sweater with the most lights. Hand out fun prizes to the winners.

4. A Sweet Swap

Everyone has favorite cookies and treats they enjoy during this time of year. Encourage employees to bring in their favorite sweets to share. Ask them to bring copies of the recipes to share with their coworkers. Coworkers will have fun sampling everyone’s cookies and candies while listening to each other’s stories regarding their favorite treats. Provide festive boxes or containers for everyone to take leftover treats home to enjoy.

5. Winter Wonderland Scavenger Hunt

A scavenger hunt is a way to get people away from their desks for a few minutes. Write clues on snowflakes and hide them around the office. The clues can be about anything you want as they lead to the next clue and, ultimately, the prize. For example, One clue could be where Tom likes to sit. Under Tom’s chair would be the next clue. The treasure at the end could be a bowl filled with holiday treats, cupcakes, or anything else you think of.

6. Caroling or Karaoke

If you are in an office building with other companies, gather everyone and go caroling throughout the building. If that is not possible, then gather everyone for karaoke. Whether it is festive holiday tunes or the latest pop songs, encourage people to sing and have fun.

7. The Office Elf

The Elf on the Shelf is not just for kids. After everyone goes home for the day, the office Elf gets busy moving furniture or rearranging supplies. However, he is not all bad. He enjoys leaving sweet notes or treats for everyone to discover in the morning.

8. Photo Booth

Create a festive photo booth. Do not forget to include a variety of props. Encourage teams to take photos together for a fun, festive photo. Make sure to hang the pictures around the office for everyone to enjoy.

Published by: Nelly Chavez