Celebrating the holidays this year will look a little different for most companies. Perhaps you can afford glass-enclosed rooms for each of your employees so that they have their own space with barriers, intercoms, and different ventilation while being served food by a robot. It could make for a really fun way to play charades, but it’s also unrealistic. It’s a nice idea, but for the rest of us without Elon Musk’s pandemic holiday party budget, here are a few safer options that could still let you have some fun.

 

Whodunit?

If possible, send everyone their part of a murder mystery game in advance. On the night of the party, everyone can open and participate in an epic “whodunit” game that can take place on your usual meeting conference platform.

 

Mixologists

Send everyone a mixology kit! Pay a bartender to teach everyone in Google Meeting how to create their perfect holiday cocktail. Have each employee pick their drink in advance so they can have the option of spirit and a non-alcoholic choice if they’d prefer. Not only will everyone enjoy their drink but you’ll also be providing a job for someone in your community. Not into beverages? Consider a cooking class instead!

 

Hangout Online

Get on a slack call and just talk. Visit with each other and have fun. Conduct a round-robin of everyone’s favorite slack call memory for the year, or what each person enjoys the most about their job. Talk about what you look forward to when COVID settles down and your goals. 

 

Outside At Your Own Risk

If you happen to have an opportunity to be socially distant outdoors with masks and face shields, it might be really nice to get together. As it is wintertime in the United States, this may not be ideal depending on where you live. If any employees are not comfortable with this scenario, you may find the party to be small, which isn’t a bad thing but also something to consider.

 

Pandemic parties aren’t going to be parties of the century. While people want to have fun and loosen up, this year really isn’t going to be the year to do it. If you can do something for your employees to see each other, get creative. Have a meeting and discuss what might be fun! Even if you are taking some time to socialize one evening, you’re still finding a way to connect through all of this turmoil. No matter what you choose to do, have a fun and safe holiday season.

Photo by Volodymyr Hryshchenko on Unsplash