The end of the year is a great time for remote teams to come together and celebrate their successes. Reason why I’ve gathered the best end of year activities for remote teams of all sizes.
It’s also a good opportunity for management and HR to show appreciation for employees.
So, how can remote teams stay connected, have fun, and enjoy their end-of-year holiday?
Here are end of year activities for that.
- Sending Physical Gifts
- Hosting a virtual magic show
- Organize a yearly retreat
- Play trivia games online with your remote team
- Organize a virtual award
- Watch a movie together online
- Host a virtual karaoke session
- Organize a virtual workshop for the team
- Take a virtual tour of city or landmark
- A virtual wellness session for employees
Let’s expand on what each activity entails and how to make it work for your team.
1. Send physical gifts to your remote team
Shipping physical gifts to your remote team helps them feel a sense of belongingness. It also serves as a great gesture to show that you care about your employees.
2. Host a virtual magic show session
This may sound like a strange concept, but it is actually quite popular. It’s also one of the best end of year activities for remote teams you can organize.
This is simple: you invite a magician to take your team through a series of tricks. This could span from the secret to nailing magic tricks to mastering a specific skill.
The virtual magic show can be a fun and interactive way to engage your remote workforce. They will learn about the science of magic, how it is done, and even get hands-on experience with some basic tricks.
3. Organize an end-of-year retreat
Some remote teams do it twice or thrice a year, but not everyone can afford a thrice-a-year retreat.
Consider including a yearly retreat as one of your most prioritized end-of-year activities for remote teams.
There are many places to explore. These include, but not limited to Guanacaste, Costa Rica, Chiang Mai, Thailand, or Medellin in Colombia. A retreat of such kind gives everyone the opportunity to connect and move away from their work-from-home desks.
4. Play online trivia games together
When people work remotely, it can be difficult for them to find ways to interact with each other.
Playing trivia is a great virtual activity for remote teams to get together and have some fun.
You just need to find an online trivia site and pick a topic your team is interested in. I would recommend using Bar None Games, as it has proven to be one of the best and most effective team building platforms out there with lots of games and activities. You can also use this game as a training exercise for new employees or as an ice breaker during orientation week.
5. Organize a virtual award session
A virtual award session on Zoom or through your favorite video conferencing tool is a fun way to connect with your remote team and give them recognition for their hard work.
Here’s how to go about it:
- Invite all team members to the session
- Set up a Zoom meeting
- Give out awards to employees that deserve them
- Write a speech or script for the presenter
- Record the session with video and audio
6. Watch a movie together online (virtual movie hours)
What better way to end the year than with a movie? This is one of the best end of year activities for remote teams to build cohesion.
With virtual movie hours of this kind, It is important to choose movies that everyone will enjoy.
If you don’t know what movies your team likes, you can do some research on popular movies in different genres. You can also conduct a survey and allow your team members to vote for their favorite movies.
To watch a movie with your remote team, it’s great to use an online streaming service like Netflix or Hulu. This will ensure that everyone gets the same experience and can participate in the conversation.
7. Host a karaoke session
Bring your team together over Zoom to compete for the best singer position. This is an opportunity to listen to your remote employees sing their hearts out to their favorite songs.
Karaoke is a great way to get to know your remote team on a more personal level. It’s an interactive activity that will help you and your team bond while having fun.
8. Feature employees in your blogs or social media (employee spotlight)
There are many ways to recognize and celebrate your employees. One of the most effective is to feature them in blog posts or social media channels.
Recognizing and celebrating their work through social media is a great way to show them that you care. It also has the added benefit of increasing employee engagement and morale.
9. Organize a virtual workshop for the team
A virtual workshop is a great way to bring your remote team together. It is a way to share knowledge, encourage collaboration, and foster creativity.
There are many ways to organize a virtual workshop. You can use video conferencing software like Zoom or Google Hangouts.
10. Take a virtual tour of a city or landmark
Invite your team to use Google Street View or Google Earth to tour a foreign city or institution (then you can do the presentation on Zoom). It’s important to get a professional tour guide to lead the team virtually on this type of activity.
To choose the locations, you can conduct a survey, or you can allow a teammate to take you on a tour of their city or community.
Make the journey even more interesting by making a plan, noting the locations, and researching interesting tidbits about the area.
11. A wellness session for employees
One of the most effective end of year activities for remote teams is to make an effort to improve your their well-being. This doesn’t just build their confidence and work-life balance but also prepares them for the work ahead next year.
The remote employee wellness session comprises of a number of health and wellness-related exercises. An icebreaker is frequently used to break the ice before a guide shares their thoughts on the subject and provides some exercises.
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