26 Best Virtual Team Celebration Ideas for Work

You found our list of fun virtual team celebration ideas.

Virtual celebration ideas are ways to recognize achievements and observe special occasions online. Online parties and digital shout-outs are fun ways to relax together and acknowledge achievements. These events are also called “online celebrations” and “remote celebrations.”

These events are an online version of team celebrations and may be part of a virtual team retreat, virtual team bonding activity or other virtual team event. These activities are one of the best ways to say thank you virtually, and are similar to Zoom party ideas and virtual event planning tips.

This list includes:

• free virtual celebration ideas
• virtual office celebration ideas
• ways to celebrate employees remotely
• online celebration ideas

So, here is the list!

List of virtual team celebration ideas

From care packages to social media shout-outs to team rituals, here is a list of online celebration ideas sure to foster connection and positive feelings.

1.  Virtual Retirement Party

Virtual retirement parties are one of the most beloved online team celebrations. During these gatherings, remote coworkers come together to bid adieu to a colleague who is leaving the workforce, or at least leaving the company. You can plan your own party, or you can book a fully hosted event. In teambuilding.com’s facilitated Virtual Retirement Party, teammates gather for 90-minutes to play themed games and toast their teammate goodbye.

Learn more about Virtual Retirement Party.

2. tiny campfire ? (Includes S’mores)

tiny campfire is a fully hosted virtual team building activity. Before the event, we send s’mores kits to your participants. Then, on the day of the event, everyone signs on to Zoom for camp games, ghost stories and s’more making. Virtual campfires are a great way to bring people together remotely because they spark feelings of nostalgia.

tiny campfire is a 90 minute event, led by an entertaining and experienced host. The event is fun on a secure video conferencing line that we provide.

Lean more about tiny campfire.

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3. Margarita Making Class

Momentous occasions call for champagne. Folks traditionally cheer wins with a drink. You and your team can celebrate together by learning how to mix up fancy drinks during Margarita Making Class.

Each team member will receive a premium cocktail kit containing the ingredients to make two servings of one signature drink. Celebrants will rendezvous on a video call where a guide will lead the group through a tasty drink tutorial and tasteful work-friendly drinking games. This virtual event is appropriate for all kinds of occasions, from birthdays, to promotions, to project completions, to your plain-old standard Thursday night.

Learn more about Margarita Making Class.

4. Make a team timeline

Virtual parties last a couple of hours, but team records last much longer. You can memorialize your coworker’s achievements by creating a team timeline. Whenever you add or view a new entry on the timeline, you will notice past accomplishments, too. This activity is a great way to enforce the idea of team success and commemorate your group’s long term achievements. Timelines are one of the more unique and meaningful ways to celebrate milestones remotely.

To make a team timeline, use a program like Adobe Spark to record and share your history.

You can add work specific feats like starting with the company, scoring a major client, securing a promotion, or gaining a certification, as well as personal accomplishments like buying a house, adopting a pet, or traveling to a dream destination. You can even add silly wins like brewing the perfect cup of coffee or finally beating the high score in Candy Crush.

5. Send a care package

Unexpected presents are the best. Everyone enjoys receiving gifts in the mail, and remote employees are no exception. You can send care packages to your virtual teammates to boost morale and recognize special events.

Virtual care package ideas for employees:

• Craft kits
• Crossword puzzles and adult coloring books
• Snack subscription boxes
• Fun stationary and office supplies
• House plants
• Holiday decorations and treats
• Mugs with tea, cocoa, or coffee
• Baking or meal kits
• Device chargers, extension cords, and other tech accessories
• Electronic cleaning supplies
• Candles and scented oils
• Blankets or snuggies
• 3-D pop up cards or musical cards

You could also tailor your care packages to match your employee’s interests. For more online care package inspiration, you can check Pinterest for other ideas.

When virtual team celebration ideas include tangible elements such as care packages, your remote teammates will feel a personal touch that otherwise lacks in virtual offices.

Here are lists of employee gifts and care packages for more inspiration.

6. Create a celebration fund

Successful teams rack up accomplishments quickly. Chances are, you and your team will find many opportunities to celebrate. Because postage adds up and cake is better fresh, you may want to consider starting a celebration fund to cover the costs of your festivities. In lieu of shipping goodies to your crew, you can reimburse employees for little luxuries. Simply designate a certain amount, say $10 a month, as a celebration budget. Then, allow employees to expense a special treat of choice.

This approach grants teammates autonomy. Lucinda may splurge on a fancy nail polish while Edyta adopts a baby spider plant. Barack may pick out a salted caramel cupcake, while Maximus gorges on kool-aid flavored pickles. You can encourage employees to share chosen presents on a video call or in an online photo album to encourage more team bonding.

7. Shout out achievements on social media

You probably already acknowledge friend and family achievements on social media. With your teammates’ blessing, you can celebrate your virtual crew’s accomplishments the same way. By creating a social media group, campaign, or account dedicated to your team’s wins, you can recognize remote team accomplishments on an organizational or global level.

Example posts:

• Congrats to Joyce on her pet adoption! We are happy to welcome Mr. Peanut Butter to the TeamBuilding family!
• Not to brag, but our sales team just hit their monthly quota TWO WEEKS early! Double or nothing?
• We have a latte talented staff, but Rakesh was just named World Barista Champion!
• Check out this glowing review from a satisfied customer: “Warren went above and beyond to walk me through the software installation process. He was so patient and kind, even when my computer kept freezing!” You rock, Warren!

Social media shout-outs are one of the easiest free virtual celebration ideas. Your staff’s good deeds will receive much-deserved recognition and attention. These posts can garner good will with employees, clients, and brand fans alike. Plus, these shoutouts are excellent for virtual employee engagement.

8. Start a team ritual

Shared experiences form the basis of team bonding. One of the easiest ways to cement a group identity is to start a ritual. You and your team can establish a standard celebration to enjoy every time a teammate crushes a goal or reaches a work milestone.

A few ideas:

• New member video call Bohemian Rhapsody serenades
• Baby shower team baby picture swaps
• Online retirement party roasts
• Post-vacation digital slideshows
• April Fools Day online prank war
• Birthday photoshop challenges
• Wine and cheese Wednesday

Your ritual might even include a team chant.

The actual activity is not as important as the repetition. Joining a group tradition helps coworkers feel included in the team.

Here are more ideas for virtual team challenges.

9. Track birthdays and other milestones

Gone are the days of struggling to keep track of your remote teammate’s special events. Without break room banter or the promise of office cake, birthdays and work anniversaries can easily slip under the radar. Luckily, online tools can organize important dates.

Employees can send teammates event invites for milestones like birthdays and workiversaries to mark the dates on all cloud-based calendars. You could also use Slack apps to automatically send birthday reminders to the team. Then, you can plan a virtual birthday party.

One of the most essential virtual office celebration ideas is to identify special events worth celebrating. Remembering and observing your colleagues’ special days is a simple but powerful way to build rapport and promote inclusivity among remote teams.

10. Throw an online holiday party

Your distributed teammates likely live in different states, countries, or continents. Chances are, you cannot gather for a rocking in-person party without racking up major airfare expenses. However, you can throw a virtual Christmas party online via Zoom to celebrate together in style. To throw an online holiday party, send your attendees invitations to a web meeting and entertain your guests with fun virtual party activities. While online office parties may lack in face to face interactions, it is easy to make up for that in comfort, convenience, and internet entertainment factor.

11. Celebrate unfamiliar holidays

Since moving your celebration online already breaks office party tradition, you might as well shake up the system even further by observing less-celebrated holidays.

This approach is a great way to highlight and honor the diverse backgrounds of your teammates. For instance, Arjun might teach teammates how to make Gulab Jaman sweets for Diwali, or Sophia may demonstrate proper egg cracking (Tsougrisma) technique for Greek Easter. Celebrating these holidays leads to a deeper understanding of colleagues and an appreciation for the cultural significance of the events.

You can also celebrate quirky pop culture holidays virtually with your team.

A few suggestions:

• National Clean Your Desk Day (January 13)
• National Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day (January 27)
• National Paranormal Day (May 3)
• World Animal Day (October 4)
• Do a Grouch A Favor Day (February 16)
• Be Kind to Humankind Week (Last week of August)
• Fight Procrastination Day (September 6)
• National Puppy Day (March 23)
• Scavenger Hunt Day (May 24)
• Donut Day (June 2)
• Relaxation Day (August 27)
• Talk Like a Pirate Day (September 19)
• Boss’s Day

These offbeat virtual team celebration ideas are a great excuse to gather virtually and have fun during stretches when there are no “official” office holidays to observe.

Your team may enjoy a virtual New Years party or virtual Halloween party too.

12. Choose a team victory anthem

You and your dispersed teams can celebrate wins together by choosing and playing a victory song every time a group member triumphs. Whenever you learn of a win, drop a link to your chosen anthem into the group chat or hop on a video call and grab your trusty hairbrush microphone.

A few recommendations:

• We Are the Champions by Queen
• Eye of the Tiger by Survivor
• Run the World by Beyoncé
• All I Do is Win by DJ Khaled
• Celebration by Kool and the Gang
• Hall of Fame by The Script
• I’m Still Standing by Elton John

Dancing to 80’s power ballads may seem cheesy, but celebrating with a victory song will energize the team. Your victory anthem can also be a powerful motivator to spur virtual teammates towards success.

13. Toast teammates online

People often commemorate achievements with toasts. Just because you and your team cannot clink glasses in person, does not mean you cannot praise your teammates’ accomplishments with this virtual team celebration.

Virtual toasts allow you and your teammates to praise each other online.

Here’s how to prepare an online toast:

1. First, pick a subject. You can focus on a serious achievement such as a project completion or a distinguished colleague, or you can adopt a sillier tone.
2. Instruct everyone participating to write a separate short speech or collaborate on one presentation.
3. Share the toasts during a web call, or each group member could upload a short video clip using a program like Loom.

This activity can help your team sharpen public speaking skills that may get rusty in remote offices. To perfect your presentation skills, join a Toastmasters club and learn communication tips.

Pro tip: Send your teammates mini bottles of champagne or sparkling cider and disposable flutes to strike an authentic toasting atmosphere.

You can incorporate online drinking games too.

14. Compile a highlight reel

Every December, media outlets release top ten lists and other collections of the past year’s highlights. You can spotlight your team’s exploits by compiling your own collection.

To complete the activity, you must first gather information from your team. You can use a program like Google Forms to easily collect your remote teammates’ answers.

• Potential prompts:
• Funniest moment
• Proudest moment
• Greatest win
• Best lesson learned
• Team bonding stories
• Favorite activity or event
• Predictions & hopes

Once you gather the responses, sort and rank the replies. Reveal the answers in a slideshow, video, or list which you will reveal via email or video call. Your teammates can submit photos and video clips to liven up the presentation, and you can even transform the exercise into a virtual awards show if you prefer.

Most people compile highlights at the end of the year, but you can perform the activity regularly, perhaps even quarterly or monthly.

15. Let the honoree pick the prize

Instead of deciding how to celebrate your coworker, allow the special guest the honor of choosing the entertainment. Present your honoree with a list of virtual team building ideas and virtual hangout ideas and let the celebrant set the agenda. Consider allowing the honoree to choose a gift for the team by offering a few options like candy, company swag, virtual gift cards, charity donations, or device accessories.

Getting to pick out the present or activity is an inexpensive but fun perk for high performing employees.

16. Virtual escape rooms

If you are looking to celebrate with games and competitions then virtual escape rooms may be a good option for your team. There are a wide variety of online escape rooms around, with both paid and free options. The paid options tend to be run by company and take place over Zoom, Google Maps or custom software. The free options are often based on Google Forms and spreadsheets.

Check out our list of the best virtual escape rooms to find one that fits your interests.

17. Virtual team outing

Sometimes the best way to a celebrate with a virtual team is to get away from the remote office. So, you can ditch Slack and Zoom for the day, and take your team on a virtual outing instead. You could go on an online zoo hour, see a magician, and otherwise get out of your usual space.

Here is a list of virtual team outing ideas to start with.

18. Virtual team dinner

A great way to bring your remote team together to celebrate is hosting a virtual team dinner. You can do a DIY version where everyone prepares their own meal, or provide budget for food delivery. Some teams even do Dinner-Roulette where participants choose a dinner option for each other.

Learn more about virtual team dinners.

19. Throw a Virtual Baby Shower

Virtual baby showers offer a wonderful opportunity to connect and socialize with colleagues who are physically distant, providing a chance to spend quality time with the expectant parent before they embark on maternity or paternity leave. Consider incorporating various engaging activities to enhance the celebration.

For instance:

• Collect team baby photos beforehand and play “Who’s Da Baby” by matching the kiddie pics to the correct coworkers
• Involve team members in suggesting baby names and predicting the parent-to-be’s preferred choice.
• Display personalized virtual backgrounds to convey congratulatory messages. To add a creative touch, have party guests use a digital whiteboard to draw their predictions of what the baby might look like.

Offering stipends for snacks is a thoughtful gesture, ensuring everyone can enjoy a treat during the virtual gathering.
Do not forget to extend an invitation to the other parent to join the call, creating a more inclusive and memorable experience for all involved.

20. Start an Interactive Virtual Plant Nursery

You can foster a sense of growth and collaboration with an interactive virtual plant nursery. Team members receive seed kits to grow plants. Each week, participants share photos in a Slack thread or email showing the plant’s growth and swapping gardening tips. This activity can be a metaphor for growth and progress and help remote team members feel a sense of achievement. Unlike many of the other ideas on this list, this exercise is a gradual and ongoing celebration.

21. Paint a Virtual Team Muralscape

You can collaborate on a digital mural where each team member contributes a section, reflecting their personality or aspirations. Using digital art tools, the team collectively builds a vibrant and visually striking mural. The celebration involves unveiling the completed artwork, symbolizing unity through diverse expressions.

22. Acknowledge Virtual Work Anniversaries

It is important to celebrate employee milestones, especially in online offices where time can blur and employees can feel unseen. Celebrating remote work anniversaries is one of the best online employee recognition and virtual team celebration ideas. The celebration can be as simple as posting an announcement in Slack, or sending a team Kudoboard. Or, you can throw a virtual party or send a gift to the celebrant. You can even throw special online experiences for long-time employees. For example, employees celebrating ten years with the companies might enjoy a virtual lunch with the CEO.

Read about more virtual work anniversary ideas.

23. Interactive Team Poetry Slam

You can cultivate creativity and expression with a virtual poetry slam. Team members write and perform their original poems, exploring various themes. If celebrating a specific occasion, then participants can write poems based around this topic. The celebration involves appreciating the diverse poetic expressions within the team, fostering a sense of shared creativity and self-expression.

24. Throw an Online Pizza Party

Pizza parties are great ways to celebrate special occasions. For an online pizza party, provide each participant with a $25-35 stipend to order pizza. Then, gather together to enjoy slices together onscreen. To make the event more fun, you can award prizes for categories like “most adventurous topping,” or “best cheese pull.”

Here is how to throw an online pizza party.

25. Send a Kudoboard

Kudoboards are the online equivalent of an office card. Teammates can contribute messages, pictures, and GIFS to make a congratulatory digital bulletin board to send to a celebrant. This concept is one of the easiest remote team celebration ideas. Many work from home and hybrid teams use Kudoboard and love it. You can send a single board for a small fee, or get a recurring plan so that you can send the boards for various occasions.

Learn more about Kudobard.

26. Host an Anytime Virtual Gift Exchange

Gifts make celebrations feel extra special. The holidays are not the only time you can do a gift exchange with your team. You can host this activity anytime your team has a monumental win.

Here are the steps:

1. Have participants sign up on a platform like Giftster or Elfster, or if you want to DIY then use a spreadsheet.
2. Match pairs.
3. Give participants a deadline and budget for presents.
4. Hold a meeting or start a Slack thread to show off the presents.

We recommend keeping the exchange optional so that employees do not feel pressured to spend money on coworkers. Or, you can provide a stipend of $10 – 25 per employee so that teammates can purchase goodies for each other.

Conclusion

Hosting a virtual team celebration is a great way to boost remote team morale and foster a culture of recognition within your virtual office. Online parties offer ways for remote employees to relax and casually interact, providing a re-energizing break from the standard work from home routine. These activities are major motivators and morale boosters. Remote celebrations promote a sense of togetherness from a distance.

For more work from home party suggestions, check out list of Zoom party games, and tips for a virtual costume party or virtual farewell party. Plus, here are some ways to celebrate Virtual Valentine’s Day with a remote team.

We also have a guide to choosing team names at work, a list of the best free virtual team building activities, a list of birthday party ideas for the office, and you can learn more about virtual teams. Plus, these virtual corporate event ideas for work.

Plus, a list of job promotion celebration ideas for work.