Holiday spirit week ideas for work stick best when the fun has a purpose. Save the Children proved that with a sweater. On Dec. 14, 2012, the charity held its first Christmas Jumper Day in the United Kingdom. The idea was simple. People wore a festive sweater to school or work and donated £2. According to Save the Children, the day had raised over £27 million by its 10th year.
The sweaters were silly, but the cause was real. That mix is what kept people coming back each December. At The Leaders Institute, we see the same thing at our holiday events. Teams laugh harder and work together better when the week ends with a gift for someone in need. That is why our holiday spirit week ideas for work all point toward a day of giving.
In this post, we share a five-day spirit week built around a giving goal. You will see the charity activities our teams run in December, including a real holiday build in Calgary. We also walk you through a four-week plan for running the week at your office.
Holiday Spirit Week Ideas for Work That Build Toward a Goal
Most spirit weeks are a string of fun days with no finish line. Our holiday spirit week ideas for work give every day a job instead. Each theme earns points or donations toward a charity build on the final day.
Here is a five-day lineup we recommend to clients.
Monday – Sweater for a Cause. Employees who want to join wear a holiday sweater and drop a few dollars in a jar. Then post a goal thermometer in the break room. Everyone can watch the total climb all week.
Tuesday – Team Trivia Lunch. Mixed teams then compete in holiday trivia over lunch. The winning team earns bonus points toward choosing Friday’s charity.
Wednesday – Thank-You Card Day. Set out blank cards and markers. Employees write notes to coworkers, and also to first responders or residents of a local senior center.
Thursday – Toy Shop Drop. Next, teams bring new toys, books, or winter gear for the charity. Because each department competes for the biggest pile, Thursday often brings in the most donations.
Friday – Build Day. The week ends with a hands-on charity team-building activity. The money and points from earlier days decide which team gets first pick of materials.
This setup keeps the week from feeling like a string of random parties. Every day points to Friday. As a result, people who skip dress-up days still have a reason to join in.
Keep the scoring simple, too. Give one point for each person who takes part in a daily theme, and post the totals by department. If two teams tie, the team with more thank-you cards wins. That small rule rewards kindness, not just spending.
Christmas Spirit Days That Give Back
Friday lands best when teams build something real. Here are the Christmas spirit days our clients book most often in December. Each one fits into a half day, so it can close out the week without wrecking anyone’s schedule.
Build-A-Bike. We created this charity team-building activity in 2005. Groups win puzzles and games to collect bike parts, and then they assemble bikes for local kids. At the end, the children arrive and ride away on them. For many teams, that moment is the highlight of the year.
Rescue Bear. Teams build and dress teddy bears for first responders. Police officers, firefighters, and paramedics then carry the bears to comfort children in a crisis. Since it needs only tables and chairs, it fits almost any office.
Ace Race. This high-energy race ends with a donation of food for families in need. It works well for large groups that want a competition.
aMAZEing Builders. Teams pack care packages for soldiers serving overseas. It is a good fit for companies with veterans on staff. In addition, employees can tuck the thank-you cards from Wednesday into each package.
Smaller teams have options, too. A group of 10 can build a few bikes or a dozen bears in about two hours. Larger groups, however, can split into stations and rotate. Because we bring every supply, your planner only needs to book the room and invite the charity. That makes a build one of the easiest holiday spirit week ideas for work to pull off in a busy month.
You can learn more about each one on our charity team-building page.
A Holiday Build in Calgary
One of our favorite holiday builds came from Norwex. As part of a tour of six charity bike builds, 75 Norwex leaders gathered at the Fairmont Palliser in Calgary, Alberta. They kicked off a three-day leadership meeting on a Sunday morning by building 10 bikes for The Magic of Christmas. The program helps over 400 families every year.
The tour also tested the group’s flexibility. In Toronto, a snowstorm pushed the build up a night early. Even so, the bilingual group built 12 bikes for the Starlight Children’s Foundation of Canada. Across the whole tour, Norwex leaders built and donated 80 new bikes in the United States and Canada.
Your spirit week can end the same way. You don’t need a hotel ballroom. Instead, a conference room, a few tables, and a local charity are enough. Friday can then become the best day of the year.
The Norwex builds also show how flexible a giving day can be. Calgary used the build to open a meeting, while Dallas used it to close the tour. Likewise, your team can start or finish its holiday spirit week with a build. Starting strong sets the tone for the week. Finishing strong gives everyone a goal to work toward. Either way, the gift keeps giving well into the new year.
How to Run a Holiday Spirit Week at Work
A holiday spirit week at work runs smoothly when leaders plan and join in. Four weeks gives you time to book a charity partner and build excitement. It also gives employees time to dig out a sweater and plan their donations. Good holiday spirit week ideas for work also need a clear owner. Name one coordinator to answer questions and keep the schedule moving.
First, keep every activity voluntary. The Society for Human Resource Management stresses that holiday events should be truly optional. No one should feel pressure to give money or wear a costume. Next, ask managers to take part early. When the boss wears the sweater on Monday, everyone else relaxes.
Also plan for remote employees. Mail them a small kit, and let them join trivia and card writing by video. They can also donate online toward the team goal. If your company has several offices, let each location run its own build on the same Friday. Then compare totals on a video call.
Here is the four-week plan we give our clients.
- Four weeks out. Choose your dates, set a giving goal, and choose a local charity.
- Three weeks out. Book your charity build and announce the five themes.
- Two weeks out. Set up the donation jar, goal thermometer, and online giving link.
- One week out. Mail remote kits and assign trivia teams.
- Spirit week. Update the thermometer each afternoon and celebrate each milestone.
- The week after. Share photos of the build and thank everyone who gave.
Finally, tell the story afterward. A short email with photos of kids on new bikes does more for morale than any prize. For more party ideas, see our list of work Christmas party games.
Plan a Holiday Spirit Week With Purpose
The best holiday spirit week ideas for work give people a reason to show up every day. Sweaters, trivia, and toy drives are fun on their own. However, they mean more when the week ends with a real gift for a family in need.
Start by setting a giving goal and choosing a local charity. Then pick five daily themes that build toward Friday. Make each activity optional, and plan for remote workers from the start.
Next, ask leaders to set the example. When managers wear the sweater, join the trivia team, and tighten bolts on Friday, employees follow. Also keep the budget focused on the gift, not on decorations. A simple goal thermometer does more than a room full of tinsel. These holiday spirit week ideas for work cost little, yet they leave a lasting mark on your team and your community.
Book your charity build at least three weeks ahead, because December dates fill quickly. After the week ends, share photos and thank the people who made it happen. Want help with Friday? The Leaders Institute can run a charity team-building event at your office or meeting venue.
You can do the same!
