5 free ways to celebrate Christmas

Christmas. T’is the season to be jolly. But it’s expensive enough as it is, right? Well, you’ll be pleased to hear we’re not about to add another bill to your bank balance. Instead, we’re here to share some completely free ideas to help you sprinkle some festive fun around your business.

1. Christmas-themed bake-off

What’s not to love about bake-offs? The Mary Berry’s of your business can show off their baking skills, and the rest can eat the results. Just make sure you caveat that the baked goods need to be Christmas-themed in keeping with the season!

If you wanted to kill two birds with one stone and do your good deed for the day, you could ask employees to donate a few pennies to charity for each cookie, cake or sweet treat they take.

2. Raffle

This is another that could be done in aid of charity too. To keep the cost at zero, rally around local businesses and see if there’s anything – big or small – they’re willing to donate.

If you’re worried that people won’t part with their products or services out of the good of their own heart, you could try and incentivise them by offering to promote their business – on your website or social channels, for example.

Then all that’s left for you to do is get selling tickets!

3. Sports day with a spin

Never done a Christmas-themed sports day? Us neither! But it’s easily done and, if normal sports days are anything to go by, will be a right laugh!

A few small adaptations to traditional games is all you need, for example:

• Three-legged races with tinsel
• Bauble and spoon race
• Relays with a Toblerone instead of a baton
• Man vs food challenge – with mince pies!

There are no limits when it comes to creativity, so put your thinking cap on and don’t be afraid to look a little silly! Just make sure you risk assess any out-there activities…

4. Christmas jumper day

If you’ve got quite a strict, smart dress code policy, for one day and one day only, lax your stance and let employees rock up to work fashioning a Christmas jumper. The official day for it this year is Friday 14th December, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t deviate from that date.

To take it a step further and have a bit more fun with it, why not dish out some awards on the day, too? Here are a few ideas if you need a bit of inspiration:

• The worst Christmas jumper award
• The funniest Christmas jumper award
• The best 3D Christmas jumper award
• The Christmas jumper that belongs in the bin award.

5. Secret Santa

Okay, so this one might cost employees a pound or two, but it’s still completely free for you to organise and it comes with double the benefits; it spreads the festive cheer, and it’s a nice way to encourage a bit of team bonding.

Christmas will already be costing your employees an arm and a leg, so the last thing you want to do is pile another expense onto their already extensive list. To keep costs down, set a cap on how much everyone can spend – literally £2-3 will do. Remember, the gifts don’t have to be grand, it’s just about having a bit of fun.

Want some more Christmas content?

Christmas is the season of cheer, but as a business owner, we know all too well that it can come with its challenges too. To help ensure you have a hassle-free festive period, here are a few other useful bits we’ve put together:

• Christmas parties: setting your stance in advance
• How to handle a Christmas party bust-up
• Can you dismiss someone for their behaviour at a Christmas party?