Christmas is the second most popular holiday in the United States, only surpassed by Thanksgiving (Statista).
The countdown to Christmas begins: check out these Christmas spirit week ideas for workplace to get into the festive vibes and enhance team spirit.
Countdown to Christmas in the Workplace
We all love the holiday magic, and blending holiday spirit week ideas with team building activities brings positive vibes into the workplace. The following statistics show us the anticipation that all team members have the days before Christmas day:
- 9 in 10 workers in the United States of America celebrate Christmas (Pew Research) - the holiday cheer is everywhere, whether we talk about an in-office or remote setting.
- 29% of organizations don’t offer rewards and recognition to employees during the Christmas season (Perkbox). Moreover, 60% of employers don’t ask team members how they would like to celebrate the holiday season, which creates the need to always get your team involved before planning team building activities for Christmas;
- Classic Christmas parties are the most standard Christmas week ideas for work - around 70% of employees expect the company to pay for a holiday party during the Christmas season. Additionally, 42% of workers say Christmas parties help them socialize with coworkers. Only 5% of Relationships Australia Christmas survey respondents believe Christmas-related activities in the workplace are inappropriate.
17 Christmas Spirit Week Ideas for the Workplace
There usually are from 18 to 20 working days before Christmas day in December, which is enough time to integrate the following fun ideas to celebrate Christmas spirit week in the workplace - let’s check them out.
1. Build an Office Christmas Tree
Late November and early December is the perfect time to start celebrating the holiday season with a Christmas tree.
Christmas trees are an icon of the holiday season, symbolizing the Christmas spirit and the union of people.
Gather the materials you need to assemble a Christmas tree, and have the team collaborate together toward a common goal.
Once the tree is ready, we can officially say that the office has entered into the Christmas Spirit Week mood - it’s time to celebrate!
- Activity Duration: From 1 to 2 hours.
- Group Type: All in-office group sizes.
2. Christmas Office Decorations
In order to dive deep into the magic of Christmas Spirit weeks, all corners of the office space should scream “Christmas!”
Gather the team together, put on some Christmas lights, play Christmas carols, and get the team excited for the upcoming season.
Remote teams can personalize remote working platforms with some Christmas spirit week ideas as well.
For example, Slack has Christmas-themed Emojis, games that encourage team bonding (such as Donut), and Zoom backgrounds can be modified to match the chosen theme.
You can go one step further by asking each remote team member to change their profile pictures to pictures where they use Santa Hats or reindeer antlers.
Decorating both in-office and remote work settings before Christmas spirit week will boost morale and spark joy among all team members.
- Activity Duration: From 1 to 2 hours.
- Group Type: All hybrid team sizes.
3. Christmas Movie Night
One of the best ways to spread holiday cheer among team members is by watching Christmas-themed movies together.
Teamland’s Movie Night is an activity that helps remote workers, and in-office team members watch movies together.
The activity can be modified to watch classic Christmas movies in the office, such as “A Christmas Carol,” “The Polar Express,” and, more recently, “Frozen.”
This is a great activity to do right before Christmas week. To take things one step beyond, make sure to organize a quick questionnaire about the main message of the movie you just watched.
This way, it’s possible to enhance team communication and raise awareness about the true meaning of the Christmas season.
- Activity Duration: From 2 to 3 hours.
- Group Type: Small and medium-sized hybrid teams.
4. mYOUsical Christmas Version
mYOUsical by Teamland is a Broadway musical experience about you and your company, but with a Christmas twist!
Get into the festive mood by having a whole musical section hosted by professionals in the music industry.
This musical activity works to boost team morale and create unforgettable memories in the minds of your coworkers. Your office’s unique Christmas-themed Broadway show will be remembered for several Christmases to come.
- Activity Duration: 1 hour.
- Group Type: Medium and big-sized hybrid teams.
5. Christmas Outfit Competition
Christmas spirit week is also about outfits that celebrate the occasion. Organize a quick contest where all participants will wear outfits related to Christmas, such as hats, sweaters, and t-shirts.
You can host an ugly sweater contest where the ugliest sweater wins - this is a classic Christmas game that works as a fun idea to encourage team bonding.
Furthermore, it’s possible to add a more creative twist to this activity by asking team members to bring DIY sweaters and show off their uniqueness.
The whole office, including remote workers, can participate in this event via video calls - there are no limits to ugly sweaters during Christmas spirit week.
- Activity Duration: From 1 to 2 hours.
- Group Type: Small and medium-sized hybrid teams.
6. Christmas Around the World Cooking
Around the World Cooking is a Teamland activity that celebrates the flavors and aromas of international cuisine.
Nowadays, most teams in different industries are composed of individuals from different cultures and ethnicities.
This leads to a massive variety of traditional Christmas dishes from all over the world, and thanks to Teamland, your team is ready to try them out.
Expert chefs will teach all participants how to prepare traditional Christmas dishes from various cultures, fostering diversity and making all team members feel at home during Christmas spirit weeks.
- Activity Duration: From 30 minutes to 1.5 hours.
- Group Type: Small and medium-sized hybrid teams.
7. Artistic Spirit of Christmas
We all have an artist deep inside us, and the days before Christmas are the perfect time of the year to unleash it.
Make all team members enjoy the holiday colors by participating in fun activities that promote art, such as Edible Paint Night with a Christmas twist.
Create works of art to receive the Christmas Spirit in our hearts, and then eat them - try delicious chocolate flavors while bonding with your coworkers and boosting the team spirit right before Christmas starts.
- Activity Duration: 1 hour.
- Group Type: All hybrid team sizes.
8. Christmas Trivia Time
The Christmas season is the perfect time of the year to play some Trivia. Christmas spirit week presents itself as a great opportunity to educate all team members about the importance of this season with Teamland’s Trivia Time.
This virtual-first game integrates Christmas-themed questions, such as reciting the lyrics of “Jingle Bells” correctly or “In which country did the tradition of Christmas trees originate?”
The best part is that in-office workers can join from a conference room, making it a great game to learn more about the season before December 25 arrives.
- Activity Duration: From 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Group Type: Small and medium-sized hybrid teams.
9. Winter Chalet
It’s time to relax during the winter season with candy canes, hot chocolate, and cozy vibes.
Teamland’s Winter Chalet is a virtual and hybrid experience that celebrates the relaxation of the Christmas season.
The year is coming to an end, and with it, it’s time to reflect on the achievements and failures of the company, which can be pretty stressful to most team members.
Forget about problems for a while, tell some cool winter stories together, enjoy Christmas spirit week, and then go home to spend Christmas Day with your loved ones - work-related matters can wait until January.
- Activity Duration: From 1 to 1.5 hours.
- Group Type: Small and medium-sized hybrid teams.
10. Gingerbread House Building Contest
It’s time to add some competitive spark into the office during Christmas spirit week - let’s start a gingerbread decorating competition.
Teamland’s Gingerbread of Greatness will make at least two teams inside the office compete against each other for Gingerbread House supremacy.
This highly energetic activity promotes teamwork and makes everyone have a great time.
Running a remote team? Worry not - Teamland’s Virtual Gingerbread Builder is here to your rescue.
Remote workers will learn how to bake gingerbread cookies and decorate them with the help of an expert - even with long distances, there's no excuse to miss out on the magic of Christmas spirit week.
- Activity Duration: From 1 to 2 hours.
- Group Type: Small and medium-sized hybrid teams.
11. Gratitude Day
Holiday celebrations are also for being grateful - learning how to appreciate what we have makes us better people and improves the morale of teams.
Dedicate one day during Christmas spirit week so all workers can feel grateful for life. Write a to-do list of things they would like to do, and set them as goals for the upcoming year.
- Activity Duration: From 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Group Type: All group types and sizes.
12. Christmas Holiday Spirit Workshops
Learning a new skill is always fun, regardless of the time of the year we are in. Teamland’s workshops can also include a Christmas twist, and there’s no better timing to participate in them than Christmas spirit week.
Teams can learn how to fabricate Christmas-themed candles in the Candle Making Workshop, or have a wellness day together by integrating Teamland’s Wellness Programs.
Participating in workshops will improve the company’s values and help team members embrace the charm of the festive spirit.
- Activity Duration: From 1 to 5 hours.
- Group Type: All hybrid team sizes.
13. Pet or Family Show & Tell
One of the things we love the most about Christmas time is spending time with our loved ones, which includes our families and pets.
Organize a Show/Bring Your Pet Day, and allow all team members to bring their furry friends dressed up in Christmas clothes.
If they don’t have pets, they can bring their kids or loved ones - this is a fun way to get to know team members’ personal lives outside the office.
- Activity Duration: From 1 to 1:30 hours.
- Group Type: Small and medium-sized hybrid teams.
14. Virtual Christmas Party
Integrating the festive cheer into the office during Christmas spirit week is easier with Teamland’s Virtual Holiday Party.
Enjoy a remote evening with your multicultural team while you play games and have a relaxing time together.
Let Teamland take care of the planning process and prepare for the upcoming holidays!
- Activity Duration: From 1 to 2 hours.
- Group Type: All remote team sizes.
15. Remote Christmas-themed Games
Having a creative break with the virtual team is one of the best ways to embrace the magic of Christmas spirit week.
Engage your remote team in fun games, such as Spy Master and Virtual Game Show.
These games help foster problem-solving skills while creating uniting and strengthening bonds among team members.
- Activity Duration: From 1 to 2 hours.
- Group Type: All remote team sizes.
16. Help a Local Charity
Spreading joy in the community helps everyone feel more committed to fostering a positive and interconnected environment.
Gather your in-office team and go help those in need during the festive season. If you are struggling to find a local cause to support, Teamland’s Help Bus can help you out.
- Activity Duration: From 1 to 3 hours.
- Group Type: All in-office team sizes.
17. It’s (Almost) Christmas Day
Christmas day is around the corner - Christmas spirit week is already coming to an end, and your team members just want to go home and open Christmas gifts with their family members.
Right before Christmas day, organize in-office photo booths, prepare some desserts, have a fun holiday karaoke session, and participate in other creative challenges.
If you are struggling to set up a photo booth for office photos, or if you can’t find something original to do at the end of Christmas spirit week, let Teamland create a custom team event for you and your team.
- Activity Duration: From 1 to 2 hours, depending on the activity chosen.
- Group Type: All group types (varies depending on the activity).
Summary: 17 Ideas to Celebrate Christmas Spirit Week
Christmas spirit week represents the countdown to Christmas day, and thanks to these 17 ideas, your team will be ready to appreciate, value, and enjoy this joyful season as soon as it arrives:
- Build an Office Christmas Tree
- Christmas Office Decorations
- Christmas Movie Night
- mYOUsical Christmas Version
- Christmas Outfit Competition
- Christmas Around the World Cooking
- Artistic Spirit of Christmas
- Christmas Trivia Time
- Winter Chalet
- Gingerbread House Building Contest
- Gratitude Day
- Christmas Holiday Spirit Workshops
- Pet or Family Show & Tell
- Virtual Christmas Party
- Remote Christmas-themed Games
- Help a Local Charity
- It’s (Almost) Christmas Day
