Thanksgiving is a national holiday dedicated to giving thanks for the good things in your life. If you feel like bursting with gratitude this year, chances are you are employed at a positive work environment. This is because job satisfaction is often a key indicator of overall well-being. Therefore, don’t forget to show your appreciation to your coworkers and employees as you think about your turkey dinner. Here are some fun thanksgiving activities to do at work to convey gratitude:
Food is often a central component of Thanksgiving, so each person most likely has different edible traditions, unique to their loved ones. Have each employee bring the recipe for their favorite Thanksgiving dish and put all of the recipes in a hat. Then, have each employee draw a recipe at random. This way, everyone can experience one aspect of another person’s Thanksgiving rituals.
What better way to show gratitude for one another than to do something good for the community. Host a food drive within your company where everyone supplies canned goods to be donated to local people in need. You can even up the stakes by making it a competition with prizes for the people who contribute the most food items! Hopefully, working towards a common goal will further connect employees and get people in the giving mentality.
Once again, food can be used as a bonding experience around the holidays. Have each employee bring in a picture of one of their Thanksgiving dishes (it can be a gorgeous display or a Thanksgiving mishap) and have all of the employees determine which plate belongs to whom. Depending on the culinary abilities of your employees, this can be a mouthwatering activity or a hilarious guessing game.
Designating one wall as the “Thankfulness Wall” is a great way to give coworkers the opportunity to tell each other how much they appreciate one another. Simply pick a wall and encourage employees to write anonymous messages on sticky notes detailing an office member’s positive qualities. Then, people can post the sticky notes onto the wall for other employees to view at their leisure.
Everyone likes to be recognized for their achievements. Pick which achievements or attributes are valuable to your company, and award the employees that best embody them. Here are some examples of meaningful employee awards:
Not only does this activity recognize the hard work of employees, it gives all other employees something to strive towards next year.
Surely, there are miscellaneous pumpkins left over from the holiday season. Why not put them to good use with a makeshift game of office bowling? All you need are some water bottles that can be knocked down by small-sized pumpkins. This allows employees to let off some post-Thanksgiving Day stress while laughing with coworkers.
While Thanksgiving is now a revered American holiday, it has a deeply problematic history. Acknowledging Thanksgiving’s historical roots and recognizing November as Native American Heritage Month can help your employees feel seen and heard. Plus, participating in educational activities related to Native American culture can be an enlightening and bonding experience for employees.
No matter what your office does, remember that everyone likes to feel appreciated so don’t be afraid to express your gratitude! Whether it's to your cubicle buddy or someone who works on the floor below you, a simple thank you can go a long way.
Also read: Exercises for Fostering Innovation in the Workplace