10 Virtual Theme Day Ideas for a More Relaxed & Productive Workplace

Remote workers often have a hard time connecting with their remote colleagues. After all, you can’t just wander past someone’s desk for a quick catchup when that person’s desk is on the other side of the country! 

One way to combat this disconnect is to introduce theme day ideas for work, which create an opportunity for virtual staff to get to know one another on a deeper level. These theme days are the key to more productive business cooperation.

Here, we’ve rounded up 10 funny theme day ideas to inspire your own virtual office gathering. These range from quirky dress codes to entertaining games, all aiming to engage employees and jumpstart their interpersonal relationships.

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What Is a Theme Day at Work?

A theme day at work is a designated day when employees come together to focus on a particular topic, idea, or activity. The theme can vary widely depending on the employee’s interests and company goals. Theme days can serve various purposes, such as team building, professional development, employee engagement, and promoting company culture.

Themed day ideas for work can range from DIY crafting to fitness classes. Anything that stimulates employees and supplies a topic for conversation can form the basis of a successful theme day.

10 Virtual Theme Day Ideas for Remote Teams

1. Brain Teasers Day

Brain teasers are one of the simplest theme day ideas to get your work going. These can include all kinds of games and activities, from emoji quizzes to cryptic rebuses.

A good way to start is with an office favorite, the icebreaker, word association, and Two Truths and a Lie. \Hooray Teams offers a 60-minute virtual icebreaker session that includes 4 to 5 rounds of games to help your staff relax and get them in the mood for more group fun. The session can be customized to suit your team for no additional cost.

You can then follow this up with a trivia contest to test the pop culture, TV, or cultural knowledge of your employees. True brainiacs will enjoy a Jeopardy-style quiz with their very own Alex Trebek. 

2. DIY Craft Day

Build up your virtual office community with a DIY craft day that introduces staff to new hobbies. Ironically, there’s nothing like mastering the Japanese art of origami to take your mind off paperwork! 

Hooray Teams offers several crafts for unique theme day ideas for work. One option is to assemble your very own terrarium. Guided by a plant expert, your remote employees will learn how to harmoniously arrange succulent plants, rocks, sand, and soil into a thriving miniature world. Alternatively, sign everyone up for a painting a tote bag class, so that your team has a piece of art they can carry with them wherever they go. 

Interactive workshops are a great way to encourage camaraderie while simultaneously promoting creativity.

3. Tasting Workshops Day

As one of the most palatable theme day ideas for work, a tasting workshop is an opportunity to treat your staff to some delectable food and drink while speaking freely with their  virtual coworkers.

One of the most popular options from Hooray Teams is the Chocolate tasting class. Led by a professional chocolatier, participants will be taught how to detect common chocolate notes, as well as learn the basics of the chocolate-making process. If your team is looking for a happy hour social, they also offer a Bourbon tasting class, while non-drinkers can enjoy an educational tasting of Coffee beans.

All of Hooray Teams’ tasting workshops include an expert host and a kit with all the essentials that are delivered straight to each participant’s door for added convenience.

4. Color Clash Day

Throw Anna Wintour’s fashion rules out the window with a color clash day. This is a chance for your team to don their most outrageously loud outfits for a virtual catwalk Encourage everyone to be as over-the-top and bold as possible. The goal is to get people to open up to one another in a silly, harmless way. 

Ask each participant to explain a little bit about where each piece of clothing came from to incorporate a more personal, conversational element to the event. A color clash day is easy to organize and execute for an amusing dress up themed day. Every team member can take part without needing to purchase or create a costume.

5. Famous Character Day

Give employees a chance to show their individual flair at a virtual famous character day. The idea is for each team member to pick a person from the movies, TV, or literature to dress up as for the day. The beauty of this theme is it’s broad enough to accommodate all kinds of tastes and interests. You can get to know your colleagues well just from the character they picked..

Additionally, dressing up brings a more relaxedvibe to the event. The unusual apparel marksa clear division between a normal workday and a theme day. This helps to create a more laid-back setting that’s beneficial for encouraging connections between staff.

6. Evergreen Board Games Day

Go the traditional route with your theme days for work and break out the board games. Not only are they highly amusing, but they can also be useful for building communication skills. Codenames, for example, is a game that involves one person (the spymaster) giving strategic clues to their team to try and get them to guess specific words. 

Codenames is one of several excellent options that are completely free to play online. There are also Monopoly alternatives like Richup, list-making competition Scattergories, and the politically incorrect Bad Cards, which is a no-cost version of Cards Against Humanity. The number of players each game can accommodate varies, so you may need to split your team into smaller groups.

Ask staff for recommendations about what games they like to play. This way, you can get everyone engaged and discover new pursuits you never knew existed. 

7. Fun Adventure Day

Who says adventures are only for the real world? Virtual escape rooms and murder mysteries are some of the more thrillingtheme day ideas for work, plunging employees into an imaginary world full of challenges and riddles. Not only are these online escapades good for team bonding, but they help stimulate problem-solving skills and foster group cooperation.

Hooray Teams has several entertaining themes to challenge your teams. In terms of escape rooms, you can seal staff inside a (virtual) Dungeon, Psychiatric Hospital, alchemical library, or mafia hideout. The only way out? Solve a series of intricate puzzles.

Alternatively, give your team a mystery worthy of Sherlock Holmes. Through interviewing a series of suspects played by professional actors, participants must get to the bottom of such mysteries as who stole Buster Chaplin’s last movie, why someone was murdered in a Prohibition-era speakeasy, and the culprit behind the death of Lord Aubrey Falconer.

8. Retro Day

Another idea for theme dress-up days for work, retro day is a chance for staff to relive the glory days of past iconic fashions. Journey back to a rad era when neon leg warmers and shoulder pads were all the rage. Or go even further into the past to the flower power of the ‘60s or the flapper style of the ‘20s.

Set a period for everyone, or let each individual choose their favorite decade. You can dive deeper into the theme by creating cocktails that represent the era. For the ‘20s, try to teach everyone the Charleston dance, while for the ‘80s you could send out the recipe for a tequila sunrise cocktail.

9. Get Fit Day

Use your theme day ideas for work to focus on wellness with a series of fitness activities. Remote workers don’t have to leave their homes as often, so it’s important to remind everyone about the benefits of exercise.

It’s possible to find YouTube videos that provide instruction for numerous disciplines, including Pilates, aerobics, and Zumba. If you want a more interactive experience, Hooray Teams offers a Chair yoga class led by a professional teacher that covers 10-15 different poses over an hour.

Getting fit doesn’t have to relate purely to the physical. Mental wellbeing is just as important. Hooray Teams also offers meditation lessons and a mental health workshop that teaches tools for coping with common struggles. The skills staff learn during the day can provide them with an outlet for their stress long after the class has finished.

10. Favorite Sports Day

The last of our theme day ideas for work is to arrange a favorite sports day. This is an opportunity for employees to show their love for their favorite sports by dressing up in traditional gear. That could mean golf shirts, football jerseys, or a full baseball uniform.

Aside from the fun of the costumes, the idea is for everybody to learn more about their colleague’s favorite sports. You may be surprised how easily this topic can form the foundation of office friendships. Participants can be as general or as specific as they like. For example, if somebody is a Manchester United supporter and has a T-shirt  they want to wear, why not? 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How can you plan theme days for work?

Begin by brainstorming theme day ideas for work. Once you’ve decided on a topic, you can plan suitable activities, such as a costume contest, craft classes, or competitive games. Choose a video conferencing platform that matches your requirements, then send out invites to all staff. Make sure you do this well in advance to guarantee maximum participation.

How often should we hold theme days at work?

Fun-themed days for work can be weekly, monthly, or less frequent depending on the complexity of the event. For example, Friday dress-up themes for work could be an engaging monthly initiative, whereas a tasting workshop that entails higher levels of planning and expenses might take place seasonally or annually.

What are some low-cost ways to decorate or dress up for theme days?

Dress-up theme days for work don’t have to involve a lot of money. Encourage staff to think creatively and upcycle old clothing. Color clash is an ideal concept for this and everyone can mix and match pieces from their closet. Remember that online only the top half of the body is usually seen, so focus on the face and upper torso. 

Is Spirit Week different from themed days?

Spirit Week usually lasts from Monday to Friday, with each day featuring a different schedule of activities to boost morale and reduce stress. Workplace theme days for have a similar goal but are limited to one weekday, making them easier to organize and execute.