Creative Christmas Games For Remote Meetings And Celebrations
As we all rush to complete our to-do lists and tie up loose ends before the new year arrives, planning a corporate Christmas gathering may seem like a waste of time. In reality, though, it’s a much-needed boost to finish the business year on a high note, especially if you and your team are working remotely. We’re not saying to put your workload at the bottom of your priorities. There’s a way to celebrate with your team without sacrificing precious working hours, knee-deep in elaborate planning. So, why don’t you organize a last-minute remote Christmas party with some funny games? The great thing is that they require considerably less planning and resources than in-person affairs.
To get your creativity flowing, we have compiled 6 of our favorite remote Christmas games that are ideal for your next team meeting. Give them a try and see how morale rises before your holiday break.
Remote Game Gains
Christmas party games can serve as a great revitalizer of employee morale, boosting re-engagement efforts in remote work settings. So, if stress is high and motivation is a bit low, why not try to decompress and enjoy some holiday-themed team bonding? Here’s what you’ll gain if you opt for a remote Christmas game this year:
Friendly competition, teamwork, and interacting in a casual manner allow team members to bond and build rapport, enhancing internal and cross-departmental communication and collaboration.
Employee morale is a cornerstone of organizational health, not just a metric. When morale is high, especially in remote work environments, so are productivity, engagement, and loyalty.
Remote games can greatly improve creative problem-solving abilities by inspiring innovative ideas and out-of-the-box thinking. This is especially true because they require preparation different from that of in-person festivities.
- Encouraging participation
Christmas party games provide the opportunity for everyone to participate individually and as a part of a team, within a casual context, at the level in which they feel most comfortable.
This season is the perfect time to learn more about various festive holidays other than Christmas, creating avenues to celebrate and spotlight diversity in your organization and beyond.
6 Christmas Party Games That Are Perfect For Your Remote Team Meetings
1. Christmas Trivia
Which is the most recorded Christmas song of all time? Who created Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer? Imagine how many interesting holiday-themed facts you can find and use to rouse curiosity, entertain, spark discourse, and bring out your team’s competitive spirit. Trivia games are versatile and easily adaptable, encouraging knowledge-sharing and catering to employee groups of any size. They can also be tailored to focus on specific themes. For example, if your people are cinephiles, you can do a trivia game about Christmas movies. You have plenty of options, but letting your creativity run free is a prerequisite.
2. Two Truths And A Lie
This popular icebreaker and party game is perfect for your next remote Christmas gathering. Participants provide three facts about themselves, including a false but believable one. This game is a surefire way to bring on laughter, especially if the rest of the team struggles to find the false statement. It is also the perfect opportunity to help your coworkers get to know each other on a more personal level. Not to mention that some of these facts will reveal some very interesting and/or absurd stories and anecdotes, ensuring both entertainment and team bonding.
3. Ugly Christmas Sweater Contest
Who has the ugliest sweater imaginable in their possession? This fun contest encourages your team to actively participate by picking out and sporting a very eccentric but festive attire. If you want to have a live contest, invite everyone to wear their ugly sweater during your online gathering and start voting in a poll or in the comments section of your virtual meeting room. Alternatively, if you wish to invest some extra effort, request everyone to put on their sweaters a few days prior and submit a picture. Compile them in a presentation and watch the laughter ensue at witnessing all your serious coworkers in their snazzy apparel.
4. Kitschy Holiday Ornaments Contest
We love some good old-fashioned Christmas kitsch. If the ugly Christmas sweater contest requires too much effort from your remote employees, this Christmas game is the next best thing. Even if you think that your taste in Christmas decorations is immaculate, think again. Every household has at least one really tacky ornament that they display every year. Time to make a contest out of them! Ask your team to either send pictures of their garish decor pieces (from multiple angles, of course) or present them during the gathering (origin stories included). The winner’s prize can be anything, really, if not just a virtual badge for “Best Taste in Decor.”
5. Virtual Escape Rooms
Who doesn’t enjoy a good escape room? A favorite among team-building activities, escape rooms are the perfect game for your next remote Christmas meeting. Combining team building, problem solving, challenge, and a lot of festive fun, virtual escape rooms are a must for teams that want something extra special for their online celebrations. Several platforms provide holiday-themed virtual escape rooms, so you will have plenty of options that suit your group size, budget, and preferences. We’re certain that your team will love every minute of this unique and memorable experience—even if they just want to see who is the fastest puzzle-solver.
6. Holiday Charades
Playing this classic game guarantees plenty of fun, even remotely. It’s probably an even greater challenge in this context since the players can only use their hands and facial expressions to enact the prompts, giving this remote Christmas game an extra kick. To play charades, split your team into groups or let your players participate in pairs. Then, choose your holiday-themed prompts, using inspiration from Christmas traditions, holiday memes, or festive films, and select a team or individual to act out the prompt without speaking. After everybody has taken a turn, add some zest by voting for—and re-enacting—your favorite impressions. It’s a great way to ensure team-wide participation and an even better way to initiate inside jokes that commemorate this fun virtual event.
Tips For A Successful Virtual Gathering
We wouldn’t leave you without sharing a few tips to make your holiday gathering a success. Here’s what to consider before your remote Christmas game celebrations:
Decide on the tools and platforms you’ll need beforehand, based on your budget, team size, and chosen Christmas game. A few minutes of research will go a long way toward ensuring a successful virtual gathering.
Send your invitations as early as possible. Even if you decide on having a last-minute meeting, offer enough notice so that your people can organize their workload accordingly.
- Bring on the festive spirit
Ambiance is essential, even while videoconferencing. Select a Christmas playlist, choose a fun background, and don your Christmas hat or sweater to create a casual and festive atmosphere.
You don’t have to go over budget to offer a nice reward to the winners of your Christmas game. Choose something small but memorable, or even an extra day off. Prizes add an extra incentive for participation, infusing an element of healthy competition among team members.
Conclusion
What are you waiting for? Make this holiday season special for your remote teams with some fun Christmas games! It doesn’t have to take much effort or a sizeable budget—you only need some creativity, a virtual meeting room, and a dash of holiday cheer. It’s a great opportunity to enrich your employees’ experience and bring some genuinely needed motivation before your Christmas break, even during an impromptu team meeting.
