Are you searching for creative ideas for Christmas rewards and employee engagement to boost corporate spirit this season? Whether you’re planning hybrid get-togethers or virtual holiday activities for remote workers, the holidays offer the perfect opportunity to show appreciation and strengthen team bonds.
The hybrid way of working has completely changed how teams interact, making creative ideas for virtual holiday employee engagement, holiday contests, and virtual wellness activities essential for modern companies. These imaginative and heartfelt methods to reward your employees during the holiday season are intended to ensure that employees feel appreciated and involved, regardless of whether your team is totally remote or hybrid.
The holiday season is a special time to celebrate and show appreciation for your team. It’s also a chance to reflect on everything you’ve accomplished together and make everyone feel like they’re part of something meaningful. But with so many of us now working remotely, the usual office parties and in-person traditions might not be possible. That’s why it’s more important than ever to find new ways to bring everyone together—even from afar.
In a recent FlexJobs survey, the vast majority of respondents (65%) expressed a desire to continue working remotely full-time after the pandemic. This shift has completely changed how we connect as teams, making innovative, digital-first employee engagement strategies a must. Finding ways to engage employees across different locations takes creativity and thoughtfulness, but the payoff—happier teams, stronger connections, and a boost in morale—makes it so worthwhile.
Whether your team is hybrid or fully remote, these creative and meaningful ways to celebrate your employees during the holiday season are designed to make everyone feel appreciated and included.
Ideas to Celebrate Your Employees
1. Digital Gift Cards
When it comes to honoring employees during the holidays, digital gift cards are an easy yet effective way to say “Thank you!” In fact, according to a Blackhawk Network study, 83% of employees prefer gift cards to other types of rewards. Gift Cards are more than simply a gift; they’re a versatile gesture of appreciation that employees may use as they see fit, whether for internet shopping, dining out, or self-care. That’s a huge plus for both sides!
Want to make it even easier? Platforms like Advantage Rewards Platform let you customize and streamline gifting. The wide range of alternatives ensures that your employees feel recognized and cherished in a way that is particularly meaningful to them.
2. Digital Secret Santa
What’s the holiday season without a little mystery and fun? Virtual Secret Santa is a playful way to keep the gift-giving tradition alive in a digital world. To take part, employees can draw names online, share meaningful gifts, and playfully guess and discover who their secret Santa is. These activities encourage togetherness and bring a festive atmosphere to your workforce.
Internet tools can help you organize a seamless and inclusive Secret Santa. Advantage Marketplace is a great way to get handpicked presents and give your employees more gift options.
3. Holiday E-Cards
Sometimes, the simplest words are the most meaningful ones. Holiday E-Cards provide a personalized and genuine method to express gratitude. Whether it’s a colorful design or a simple “Thank you for all you do,” these statements help employees feel valued.
These E-cards serve as a nice reminder of your gratitude while also bringing a festive touch to the season. E-cards are customizable and quick to send, allowing your staff to convey gratitude and genuine holiday wishes at the opportune time. AI engagement platform AdvantageClub.ai lets employees send greetings on time and effortlessly.
Holiday Contest Ideas to Boost Employee Engagement
4. Holiday-Themed Challenges
Holiday-themed contests are among the most effective holiday employee engagement ideas, giving teams fun ways to connect while encouraging creativity, friendly rivalry, and festive spirit. These contests are easy to host, either in-person, hybrid, or as virtual holiday activities for remote employees, and they generate high participation because they’re fun, visual, and shareable.
Advantage Communities make organizing and managing contests seamless. Employees can upload entries, vote, celebrate winners, and share reactions all in one place, increasing participation and visibility.
Here are Holiday Contest Ideas for Employees you can include this year:
- Ugly Sweater Contest: A classic that never fails! Employees show off their quirkiest holiday sweaters, either on camera or through uploaded photos. Add awards like “Funniest,” “Most Creative,” or “Most Over-the-Top.”
- Desk or Workspace Decoration Contest: Invite employees to decorate their workspace, office or home, and submit photos. This is especially energizing for hybrid and remote teams, as it gives colleagues a peek into each other’s festive setups.
- Holiday Baking or Cooking Competition: Employees share photos or short videos of their holiday treats. You can introduce subcategories like “Most Beautiful,” “Most Creative,” or “Best Family Recipe.”
- Holiday Trivia Showdown: Host a trivia contest covering holiday traditions, movies, global celebrations, and even company history. Trivia works exceptionally well in virtual settings and boosts participation.
- Holiday Photo Contest: Encourage employees to share themed photos, family traditions, pets in costumes, festive snapshots, or winter landscapes. This builds warmth and personal connection.
- Best Holiday Zoom Background Contest: Perfect for remote teams! Employees set custom backgrounds, funny, scenic, elegant, or themed. You can allow real or virtual setups.
- Festive DIY Ornament Contest: Employees craft holiday ornaments and vote on categories such as “Most Unique” or “Most Sustainable.”
Here are Holiday Contest Ideas for Employees you can include this year:
- Set Clear Rules and Deadlines: Make sure everyone knows exactly how to participate, what to submit, how entries will be judged, and when everything is due. Clarity upfront helps people feel confident and excited to join in.
- Offer Meaningful Prizes: Choose prizes people actually care about, like gift cards, extra PTO, a donation to a charity they love, or spotlighting their work. Pick rewards that feel genuine and fit your team’s culture.
- Make Participation Easy: Use simple tools, like Fun Zone at Advantage Communities, so people can submit entries, vote, and see updates all in one place. The easier it is, the more people will jump in.
- Celebrate All Participants: Even if not everyone wins, make sure every entry gets a moment of recognition. A short “highlights reel” or a shared gallery of submissions can make everyone feel appreciated.
- Combine Individual and Team Categories: Offer both solo and group options so people can participate in the way that suits them best. It encourages collaboration while still giving individuals a chance to shine.
- Best Holiday Zoom Background Contest: Perfect for remote teams! Employees set custom backgrounds, funny, scenic, elegant, or themed. You can allow real or virtual setups.
- Festive DIY Ornament Contest: Employees craft holiday ornaments and vote on categories such as “Most Unique” or “Most Sustainable.”
Holiday contest ideas for employees create shared experiences and strengthen team culture, whether your workforce is in-office or distributed across locations.
5. Digital Photo Booth
Capture the holiday magic with a digital photo booth! Whether it’s snapping goofy selfies or showing off festive outfits, employees can share their holiday-themed photos and spread joy across the team. It is a fun and creative way to promote self-expression and connection.
You can make this vision a reality for remote teams using systems like Advantage Communities. A virtual photo booth allows everyone, regardless of the location, to participate, resulting in an inclusive celebration that is both personal and engaging for all involved.
6. Holiday Recipe Exchange Contest
Nothing pulls people together like food, and a holiday recipe exchange takes that relationship to the next level. Employees can share their favorite holiday meals, swap cooking ideas, and celebrate a variety of customs, encouraging a welcoming and inclusive environment.
Initiatives such as Hobby Clubs at Advantage Communities can make these exchanges much easier to organize. It’s a simple way to bring some Christmas cheer to your office celebrations, publish recipes, or host virtual cooking sessions all on one platform.
Virtual Holiday Wellness Activities for Employee Health
7. Holiday-Themed Wellness Sessions
The holiday season brings joy, but also stress, tight deadlines, and busy schedules. That’s why virtual holiday wellness activities are an essential addition to your employee holiday engagement plan. These activities help employees slow down, recharge, and feel supported during an otherwise hectic time.
Advantage Wellness offers seamless ways to host interactive, inclusive sessions accessible to employees everywhere.
Here are specific virtual wellness activities you can incorporate:
- Virtual Yoga & Stretch Sessions: Gentle holiday-themed yoga or stretching classes help employees relax and maintain physical wellness. Offer morning energizers or lunchtime reset sessions.
- Meditation & Mindfulness Challenges: Daily guided meditations, breathing exercises, or a “12 Days of Mindfulness” challenge can help employees stay grounded and emotionally balanced.
- Healthy Holiday Cooking Classes: Host a live or recorded cooking class where a chef demonstrates healthy festive recipes. Employees can cook along from home, an excellent way to blend wellness and holiday fun.
- Holiday Wellness Bingo: Create a bingo card filled with self-care activities like “Take a 10-minute walk,” “Drink 8 glasses of water,” or “Try a new healthy recipe.” Small prizes boost engagement.
- Virtual Step or Movement Challenges: Encourage employees to track their daily steps or activity levels with a holiday-themed leaderboard. Remote employees especially love this energizing group challenge.
- Stress-Relief Workshops: Bring in wellness experts to offer sessions on stress management, work–life balance, and maintaining healthy habits during the holiday season.
- Digital Journaling or Gratitude Sessions: Employees can participate in guided reflection activities to reduce stress and cultivate positivity.
Implementing Wellness Activities Successfully
- Make Participation Easy and Flexible: Give people options that fit their real lives. Record sessions so those who can’t join live don’t miss out, and offer multiple time slots for different schedules and time zones.
- Incentivize Without Pressure: A small reward can be a fun nudge, but keep the tone light. Wellness should feel supportive, not like another task on someone’s to-do list.
- Use Technology Effectively: Advantage Wellness can make everything smoother by sending reminders, tracking participation, and offering engaging, personalized programs.
- Gather Feedback: Ask employees what’s working and what’s not. A quick survey can reveal which activities people genuinely enjoy and what they’d like more of.
- Lead by Example: When leaders take part in wellness activities, it sends a clear message that well-being is a priority, not just a talking point.
These virtual holiday wellness activities show employees that your organization cares about their overall well-being, not just productivity, making them feel supported, valued, and connected.
8. Digital Holiday Decorations
Holiday-themed decorations transform digital workstations into a festive wonderland that infuses holiday enthusiasm among employees working remotely. Allow employees to personalize their accounts with seasonal banners, bright icons, or themed artwork to lend a festive feel to the virtual environment.
Employees can easily tailor their accounts using platforms such as AdvantageClub.ai. This small yet significant activity has the potential to improve engagement, promote joy, and generate a sense of shared celebration across the team, even if everyone is working from different locations around the world.
Virtual Holiday Engagement Ideas for Remote Teams
9. On-Screen Holiday Party
Bring holiday cheer to everyone’s screens with an Online Holiday Party! A well-planned virtual party will brighten the season. Plan quiz games, virtual gift exchanges, and even a fun team talent show. The fun activities let the employees unwind and interact with each other despite being separated by miles.
Creativity is essential for making these celebrations special. Virtual parties capture the same celebratory spirit as in-person events while ensuring inclusivity for all team members, no matter where they are.
10. Virtual Team-Building Activities
Why not mix fun with collaboration this holiday season? Virtual Team-Building Activities like online escape rooms, trivia challenges, or cooking classes can bring your team together uniquely and engagingly.
- Online Escape Rooms: Teams work together to solve clues and “escape” within a time limit. Providers offer holiday-themed scenarios that blend excitement with teamwork.
- Virtual Murder Mystery Party: Employees become characters in a holiday-themed storyline and work together to solve a fictional case. A facilitator guides the experience for maximum engagement.
- Virtual Scavenger Hunt: Participants race to find holiday-related items around their homes, like something red, something cozy, or a favorite holiday treat.
- Holiday-Themed Pictionary: Use online whiteboards for sketch-and-guess games. Categories can include holiday movies, festive characters, or seasonal objects.
- Virtual Cooking or Baking Together: Send employees a recipe ahead of time and cook together on Zoom. Add a showcase segment where everyone reveals their dish.
- Holiday Playlist Collaboration: Create a shared playlist where employees add favorite holiday songs. Play it before meetings or during virtual gatherings.
- Virtual Ornament or Craft Workshop: Mail simple kits to employees or host a DIY craft session using common household materials.
- Seasonal Team Trivia or Jeopardy: A fun and energizing competition that sparks laughter, shared learning, and friendly rivalry.
Implementing Wellness Activities Successfully
- Schedule Strategically: Skip the hectic, last-minute rush. Early to mid-December, or even late November, gives people space to enjoy the experience without feeling overwhelmed.
- Keep It Inclusive: People observe different holidays, and your activities should reflect that diversity. Using terms like holiday, seasonal, or year-end keeps things welcoming for everyone. Plan activities that don’t rely on specific traditions.
- Limit Duration: Virtual fatigue is real. Aim for 60–90 minutes so the event feels energizing, not draining. Ending on time shows you respect people’s schedules.
- Make Participation Optional: Encourage people to join, but never require it. Some may have personal or cultural reasons for opting out. Giving them the choice keeps the environment comfortable and respectful.
- Follow Up with Connection: Keep the good vibes going after the event. Create a channel or thread where people can continue chatting, share photos, swap inside jokes, or relive the funny moments together.
- Measure Impact: Check in with employees afterward to see how they felt, what they enjoyed, whether the activity helped them feel more connected, and what they'd love to do next time. Their feedback makes every future event even better.
These activities create shared experiences that strengthen team bonds and encourage communication. Advantage Communities, with its hobby club, Funzone, and Group greeting features, unite like-minded coworkers who share the same interests, play fun games together and send meaningful greetings. The activities are not just about holiday fun, they’re about building a connected and cohesive team, even when everyone is working remotely.
11. Digital Advent Calendar
Bring a little daily magic to the holiday season with a Digital Advent Calendar! Each day reveals something special, like a motivational quote, fun challenge, exclusive discount, or a small reward like an e-gift card. This daily dose of excitement keeps everyone engaged and looking forward to what’s next.
Beyond just fun, it creates collective team experiences, bringing people together in a festive and positive way. AdvantageClub.ai makes it easy to set up an advent calendar that spreads joy and adds a spark to the workday.
12. Virtual Fireside Chat
Set a beautiful, heartwarming evening with a Virtual Fireside Chat. When all employees, along with company leaders, gather to share holiday stories, reflect on the year’s wins, and talk about exciting plans for the future, it will be a time to remember for a long time. It’s a wonderful opportunity to be together and connect on a deeper level in a relaxed and friendly way.
Video conferencing tools can make this happen and also make these chats interactive, creating a sense of belonging and transparency.
13. Virtual Holiday Concert
A Virtual Holiday Concert would be a great way to celebrate the holiday season with all your employees, including remote and hybrid ones. Whether you invite local musicians or showcase the hidden talents within your team, music has a way of spreading joy like nothing else.
Employees can join in as performers or sit back and enjoy being part of the audience. Either way, this event is a wonderful way to celebrate creativity, build connections, and fill the workplace with festive cheer.
14. Live Holiday Movie Night
End the day on a festive note with a Virtual Holiday Movie Night! Pick a beloved holiday classic, or let the team vote on a favorite film. Stream it online so that everyone can watch it together, regardless of where they are.
To make it extra special, distribute digital tickets for movie snacks or urge staff to bring their yummy goodies. This quiet and enjoyable pastime provides the ideal opportunity to bond over shared customs and build nice holiday memories.
Hybrid Celebration Enhancements
15. Virtual Recognition Wall
Consider a digital space where employees can be recognized regularly and by one and all for their accomplishments; that’s the Virtual Recognition Wall for you. It’s not just a simple digital board; it’s the digital wall of fame that showcases your team’s hard work and dedication. Publicly honoring individual contributions boosts morale and encourages an appreciation culture that makes employees feel appreciated and pleased.
Creating a recognition wall is easy with today’s digital tools. It provides a venue for peers and leaders to give one other well-deserved recognition, resulting in better professional connections. The applause not only spreads holiday cheer but also encourages year-round achievement.
16. Virtual Volunteering
Show the true spirit of the season by organizing Virtual Volunteering opportunities. Whether it’s mentoring students, hosting online fundraisers, or supporting nonprofits, employees can make a difference from anywhere.
Not only does this activity boost corporate social responsibility, but it also gives employees a sense of purpose and pride. AdvantageClub.ai makes organizing virtual volunteering initiatives simple and effective.
17. Global Holiday Traditions Showcase
A Global Holiday Traditions Showcase is a warm way to highlight the different cultures across your team. Employees can share how they celebrate the season, favorite foods, music, decorations, or family rituals. It’s a simple activity that helps people feel recognized while giving coworkers a chance to learn about traditions they may have never seen before.
You can run it as a live virtual session, a collection of short video clips, or a photo-and-story gallery. Advantage Communities makes it easy to gather and feature these submissions. It’s a relaxed, meaningful way to spark conversation and remind everyone how much your workplace benefits from its mix of backgrounds and experiences.
18. Festive Virtual Coffee Roulette
Festive Virtual Coffee Roulette is an easy way to bring back the informal chats people often miss in remote work. Employees are randomly paired for brief video catch-ups over coffee, tea, or any favorite holiday drink. It’s relaxed, friendly, and gives people a chance to connect with someone they may not usually talk to.
You can add a seasonal twist with light prompts such as “Show a holiday treat you love,” “Share a winter memory,” or “Show something festive on your desk.” Automated pairing tools keep the process simple. These short conversations help build genuine connections and add a little warmth to the busy holiday season.
Celebrating December Birthdays During the Holiday Season
December birthdays often get overshadowed by holiday events, so add a dedicated celebration moment. Consider digital birthday cards, spotlight shout-outs in team meetings, or combined birthday-holiday virtual parties to make employees feel valued.
The holiday season is a special time to let your employees know just how much they’re valued. As HR professionals and employee engagement leaders, you have this unique opportunity to create a festive atmosphere that brings your dispersed team together, even in today’s fast-changing work environments. By implementing these 18 unique ideas, you can use the holidays to strengthen ties, lift moods, and make your employees feel sincerely valued.
FAQs
1. What are the best employee holiday rewards?
Gift cards are a top pick because they’re flexible and personal. Digital gift cards, extra time off, experience-based gifts, charitable donations, and small personalized items all work well. The best rewards pair practical value with genuine appreciation.
2. How do you engage remote employees during the holidays?
Create simple, inclusive ways to connect online. Virtual parties, themed contests, digital advent calendars, online team-building games, wellness sessions, and mailed care packages all keep remote employees involved and appreciated.
3. What are some virtual holiday wellness activities?
Popular options include virtual yoga or meditation, healthy-habit challenges, cooking classes, mental health check-ins, step challenges, ergonomics sessions, and sleep or nutrition workshops. These help employees manage stress and stay balanced during a busy season.
4. What holiday contests can we organize for employees?
Ugly sweater contests, desk or screen decoration challenges, holiday trivia, gingerbread house competitions, recipe contests, photo challenges, meme contests, and talent shows are all great choices. Keep the rules simple and offer fun prizes to boost participation.
5. How do you celebrate employees during Christmas without excluding others?
Use inclusive language, highlight multiple seasonal traditions, and offer secular activities anyone can enjoy. Invite employees to share their own customs, keep participation optional, and focus on celebrations that bring everyone together.
6. What are good holiday ideas for employees working remotely?
Try digital gift cards, virtual Secret Santa, online holiday parties, virtual photo booths, recognition walls, remote-friendly wellness sessions, recipe exchanges, digital advent calendars, and virtual volunteering. These help remote employees feel connected and included.
7. How can HR measure the success of holiday engagement activities?
Look at participation rates, post-event survey scores, employee sentiment, internal platform engagement, retention patterns, and absenteeism. Collect quick feedback on what worked and what didn’t. Strong engagement shows up in both numbers and everyday team interactions.
8. What budget should companies allocate for holiday employee engagement?
Most companies spend $50–$200 per employee. That typically covers gifts, activities, wellness programs, and recognition. The goal isn’t the size of the budget, it’s using it thoughtfully to create meaningful, well-executed experiences.
