5 fun ideas for celebrating a virtual Halloween

Halloween—a spooky day filled with excitement, treats, and fun—is just around the corner, and there’s no better opportunity to get creative with employee engagement. This year has been taxing for everyone, and your employees might enjoy the chance to take a break and have fun with their coworkers. Collaborating with their coworkers in a casual, friendly environment can reduce the feeling of isolation and help your employees build better workplace relationships. With so many people working remotely, it’s a good idea to organize the usual Halloween celebrations virtually this year to include everyone. Here are some simple ways to celebrate Halloween virtually with your employees:

• Run a virtual costume contest

What is Halloween without a costume contest? Make the announcement for the contest well in advance so that any employees who wish to join have enough time to prepare their costumes. You can also prepare spooky e-invites to create a feeling of excitement and enthusiasm among your employees. Be sure to state the guidelines for the costumes clearly to keep the event fun for everyone. You can create different judging categories like the funniest, spookiest, and most original costume. Decide on the prizes for the contest, too. On the day of Halloween, organize a virtual party during lunch or dinner to judge your employees’ Halloween costumes. Encourage your employees to add simple spooky decorations to their workspace to double the fun.

• Conduct Halloween games and activities

The virtual Halloween party can be combined with spooky games and activities to give the day extra Halloween spirit. Include your employees’ families to make the party more engaging and interesting. Pumpkin carving, home decorating, murder mystery games, ghost stories, and spooky cooking contests are just some of the games and activities that can be hosted virtually for your employees. If you have many employees, divide them into different teams and assign a DRI to each team. Organizing these fun events allows your employees to unwind, relax, and enjoy this holiday more despite the turbulent times.

• Send Halloween gifts to your employees

No festive season is complete without sharing gifts. This could be a show of thanks to your employees for their hard work, and there are several Halloween-themed gifts to choose from. It doesn’t have to be anything big. Choose something that gets them into the Halloween spirit, like spooky candles or cards. You can also send treats that will help your employees to celebrate Halloween virtually. Be careful not to spoil the surprise. If you’re unable to mail the gifts to your employees, consider vouchers, gift cards, coupons, and other e-gifting options.

• Host a scary movie party

This is a really good option if you want your employees to take some time off work to relax and have fun. Also, organizing a virtual movie night is incredibly simple. Let your employees know about this early enough to help them plan other work tasks accordingly. There are many options for scary movies on movie streaming platforms. Select some scary movies and run a quick poll among your employees to choose the most popular option.

• Organize a Halloween play

Organizing a virtual spooky drama or play can be really refreshing for your employees. You can either outsource drama artists or involve employees who are interested in theatre and Halloween. Pick a Halloween theme that is interesting and engaging. The theme can be spooky, funny, mysterious, or dramatic. However, it’s better to stay away from religious and political topics. Keep the script short and sweet so that your employees are not bored. Include dialogues that don’t affect others’ sentiments and beliefs. You can livestream the play or even film it and send it virtually to your teams.

Working remotely has blurred the lines between professional and personal responsibilities for many, and it’s important to remember how to instill more fun and excitement at work regardless of where your employees are located. Halloween is the perfect opportunity to help them bond with their teams and relax. We hope these activities gave you some ideas about how to celebrate Halloween at your organization this year! And an early Happy Halloween from all of us at Zoho People!

Also read:6 virtual team-building activities for your remote team