While the winter months can be beautiful and signify the wrap up of another year, they’re also often filled with exhaustion and stress. Many people celebrate holidays with family and friends, taking extended amounts of time off work to do so. Some organizations shut down, while others operate on adjusted schedules. There are often many events, parties, and other activities that take place. All of these things contribute to feelings of exhaustion once the holiday season passes and the new year begins.
And this often results in employees returning to work in the new year feeling fatigued and disengaged.
What can your organization do to combat these feelings? Team building activities are one great solution. They help re-engage your team, boost morale, and start the new year off on the right foot.
Below are our 10 favorite winter and holiday-themed team building activities:
Gingerbread House decorating - Teams can gather in person for this fun activity, or participate remotely from their locations. Depending on your team dynamic, you could add a competition, with the winning individual or team receiving a prize.
Cookie Decorating - Similar to the gingerbread house activity, this is something teams can do in person or remotely. For remote teams, cookie decorating kits can be sent out beforehand and individuals can gather via video conferencing software to decorate together. This is also another opportunity to add in some friendly competition and award the winning individual or team with a prize.
Volunteering - The holidays are about giving, and one of the best ways for your team to bond is through the act of giving. Arrange for your team to volunteer together at a local charity, adopt a family (or two!) to sponsor for the holidays, serve a meal together at a local shelter…the possibilities for giving back are endless.
Virtual Game Night - Gather your team via video conferencing and play team building games. Trivia is a great option, with winter- or holiday-themed questions. Prizes can be awarded to the winning individual or team, or you can just play for fun without keeping score.
Ugly Holiday Sweater Contest - Choose a day and have employees come to work in ugly holiday sweaters, or have remote teams wear their ugly sweaters to an all hands meeting. Team members can vote for their favorites and winning individuals or teams can receive a prize.
Cooking or Baking Class - In person or virtual, engage your team in a cooking class featuring seasonal ingredients or cozy winter comfort foods like soups or stews. Not a fan of savory meals? Try a baking class instead, with team members making some delicious holiday desserts.
Winter Arts + Crafts - If your team is virtual, send each person a complete craft kit and make the crafts together via video conferencing. For in person teams, have the team get together and complete an art project— a winter painting, candle making, or wreath making are some great project options!
Ice Skating or Sledding - Have team members leave the office for the afternoon and get outside to enjoy the winter weather. Teams in snowy climates can go sledding or ice skating outdoors. Teams in warmer climates can participate too– just find an indoor arena and take the team ice skating!
Snowman Building Contest - If you're in a climate with a snowy winter season, employees can engage in a snowman building competition. Virtual organizations can do this too by having employees build snowmen and submit photos for voting. Not in a cold climate? Get creative and build snowmen with craft supplies, marshmallows, or any other creative materials.
Gift Exchange - Have team members get to know each other at a mix and mingle, then using what they've learned about their coworkers, have them randomly select names for a coworker to purchase a gift for. This is a great way to mix teams and allow employees to get to know coworkers they may not work as closely with.
Whatever activities you choose, remember that people want to feel appreciated around the holidays. Putting time and effort into planning fun team building activities shows your employees that you care about more than just the work they produce; you care about their engagement and happiness at a time of year when things can feel stressful and overwhelming.
If your organization needs some assistance in putting team building activities together for your organization, we’re happy to help! Reach out today to learn more about how Cause Capacity can help your organization plan and implement great winter team building activities!
Bình luận