Thanksgiving team building activities are an excellent way to bring the spirit of gratitude into your office this year.
At TeamBonding, we call it Teamsgiving because it’s such a great chance to show thanks to our hard-working team members and create meaningful connections beyond the typical work environment.
Scheduling some Thanksgiving activities for the office adds a fun element to this often stressful time of year, making work more fun and boosting morale so you can end the year on a high note.
Why Should You Celebrate Teamsgiving?
The holiday season is hectic for many companies, but it’s important to take a step back and appreciate the time and dedication your employees put into their work. And Teamsgiving offers benefits that extend far beyond traditional holiday parties:
- Encourage sharing: Thanksgiving activities let your team and leaders step away from the chaos so they can get to know each other.
- Strengthen bonds: These celebrations create opportunities for authentic conversations and relationship building that don’t often happen during regular work hours.
- Virtual connection: Teamsgiving is especially important for remote employees, who don’t get the same experience as those who work in the office. Virtual and hybrid events bridge the gap, fostering inclusion and connection.
- Employee well-being: Taking time for Thanksgiving work activities demonstrates that your company values work-life balance and employee well-being. It can even help prevent burnout.
- Improve retention: These activities ensure your team members feel appreciated and connected, which can improve productivity and company culture, thus boosting employee retention.
On top of these benefits, there’s just something so lovely about getting to go to work during the holiday season and enjoying yourself instead of just trying to get through the daily slog.
6 Thanksgiving Team Building Activities That Actually Work
TeamBonding is here to make sure your Teamsgiving isn’t dry or forgettable. There are countless ways you can put together meaningful Thanksgiving team building activities that your team will genuinely enjoy.
There’s no need to order 10 turkeys and make 10 pounds of stuffing (unless you want to, of course).
Your celebration doesn’t even need to be traditional Friendsgiving or Thanksgiving style. It can be as simple as a mid-day activity to give people a break, or something fun after work that everyone can look forward to.
Here are 6 proven Thanksgiving activities for adults at work to send positive Teamsgiving wishes to your employees:
1. Host a Thanksgiving Potluck
Some of the best Thanksgiving ideas for workplace fun are centered around delicious food, and an office potluck makes it easy to organize! It creates an inclusive atmosphere where everyone can contribute and share their favorite dishes or family traditions.
Here’s how to organize your potluck:
- Create a shared document where employees can sign up to bring specific dishes
- Include dietary restrictions and preferences to ensure everyone can participate
- Provide serving utensils, plates, and napkins for easy cleanup
- Consider themes like “family recipes” or “comfort foods from around the world”
Alternatively, you can make it easy and order something in from a local restaurant that offers Thanksgiving-style meals. By the end, you’ll be as stuffed as the turkey and enjoying meaningful conversation with your colleagues!
2. Take a Thanksgiving Mixology Class
Raise a glass to unity and bonding with your team, and create lasting memories together. Our Team Mixology class is the perfect opportunity to do just that while learning new skills in a relaxed environment.
The best part? This is one of our flexible Thanksgiving team building ideas that’s available in-person, virtually, or in a hybrid format, so everyone can participate from anywhere in the world.
Get ready to shake things up as we guide you through the art of crafting two exquisite autumnal cocktails: The Perfect Pear, a tantalizing spiced vodka sour that captures the essence of the season, and Autumn Leaves, a twist on the modern classic Paper Plane.
Whether you’re a mixology novice or a seasoned pro, this class is fun and easy to follow, so everyone can participate and savor the flavors of Fall together.
You’ll raise your glasses, toast to the spirit of gratitude, and mix up some unforgettable moments this Thanksgiving!
3. Enjoy an Ice Sculpting Class
Our Ice Sculpting class is one of our most beloved events, and it never fails to impress. It’s such a fun and engaging way to celebrate the essence of teamwork and camaraderie during the holiday season.
Sure, a few of our staff wondered if we’d finally lost it when this event was introduced, but the positive feedback for this one is always off the charts.
The ice sculptures your team will create are not only visually striking but also a testament to their ingenuity and collaboration. Teams can work together to create:
- Ambitious recreations of your company logo or other branding elements
- Thanksgiving-themed sculptures, like a turkey or a cornucopia
- Creative interpretations of gratitude or thankfulness
- Abstract representations of company values
The creative possibilities are bound only by your team’s imagination—the sky’s the limit! So, set aside some time to create enduring memories with your colleagues, and witness your team’s spirits thaw and unite in a way that’s as charming as it is unexpected.
4. Cook a Thanksgiving Feast
Work Thanksgiving ideas involving food are always a hit. After all, everyone loves enjoying a delicious meal! And our culinary team building events are hotter than a freshly baked pumpkin pie this time of year.
Gathering together to cook provides the perfect setting for relaxation and fun, all while deepening connections between colleagues.
Here are a few of our most popular culinary Thanksgiving team building activities:
- Just Desserts: This is a great Thanksgiving idea for staff members with a sweet tooth. They’ll work together to create mouth-watering delicacies, showcase them on a Grand Buffet, sample each creation, and compete for the judges’ approval!
- Ultimate Pizza Challenge: If you haven’t joined the Thanksgiving pizza craze, now’s the time. We’ll customize our pizza challenge to use Thanksgiving-themed ingredients or go classic Italian, whatever sounds best to your team.
- Progressive Dinner: This is a new take on a classic, and it makes a great Thanksgiving game for work! Guests change dining companions after each course while playing our favorite get-to-know-you tabletop games.
Cooking and dining together naturally break down barriers, creating shared experiences that strengthen workplace relationships. Plus, everyone gets to enjoy the delicious results of their teamwork!
5. Give Back to Your Community
As we look back at this past year, it’s important to think about what you are grateful for and remember that there’s a lot to be thankful for. Giving back to those in need allows your team to feel good about themselves while helping others.
Thanksgiving isn’t about the food coma (even though it happens), it’s about being thankful for everyone around you. Plus, corporate social responsibility (CSR) offers a ton of proven benefits for your company.
So, if you want to give back alongside your team, here are some of our favorite charitable Thanksgiving team building activities:
- Play It Forward
- The Donation Station
- Little Team Library
- The Big Give
- Operation Cancer Care
- Paws for a Cause
- Bike Build
- Sketch it Forward
6. Catapult Pumpkins Together
Yep, you heard that right! With Catapult to Success, your team can take the festive route and catapult pumpkins instead of regular balls or water balloons.
This one’s always a hit because it inspires teams to work together toward a common goal while they’re having fun.
Imagine getting your group together to design and build actual working catapults, then turning the whole thing into a hilarious, competitive Thanksgiving team building activity.
Here’s how the pumpkin-flinging competition works:
- Distance Round: Teams compete to see whose catapult can launch pumpkins the farthest
- Accuracy Challenge: A combination distance and accuracy segment where teams aim for specific targets
Winning requires a mix of inter-team negotiation, brainstorming, prototyping, testing, and fine-tuning. This challenge combines mental agility with collaboration, hands-on construction, and friendly competition that perfectly captures the Thanksgiving spirit.
If your team wants to get active outside, this is the Thanksgiving team building activity for you.
Ready To Plan Your Thanksgiving Team Building Activity?
Teamsgiving isn’t just a chance to indulge in delicious food and fun activities; it’s a moment to express gratitude and strengthen the bonds that make your team a family.
The connections formed during these special celebrations often translate into improved communication, collaboration, and morale throughout the rest of the year.
As we approach this holiday season, remember that the spirit of Thanksgiving extends beyond the dining table. It’s about appreciating the hard work and dedication of your colleagues, whether they work beside you in the office or from afar.
So, as you plan your Thanksgiving team building activities, embrace the opportunity to connect, create memories, and show thanks. The investment in your team’s bonds and morale will pay dividends long after the last piece of pumpkin pie has been eaten.
Happy Teamsgiving and Thanksgiving from your friends at TeamBonding!
Learn more about our holiday program offerings for this upcoming busy season, and let’s make this Teamsgiving one to remember.
