This post is all about office Valentine’s Day ideas.
Does anyone remember creating their own Valentine’s Day cards and boxes for school? I do!
I was so excited to exchange cards with my classmates and enjoy heart shaped candies and treats for several days afterward.
It’s nice to recapture some of that magic every year by showing friends, loved ones, and co-workers just how much we love and appreciate them.
I’ve been blessed to have worked with some wonderful and amazing people, and I can honestly say that I know what it’s like to have a little family in the workplace. Caring about and supporting each other is truly something to celebrate.
It doesn’t matter if you’re the CEO of a major company, or you own a small business, or you’re an employee who wants to show some appreciation for those around them. Valentine’s Day is an excellent opportunity to do so, and it’s a chance to make those around you smile.
They might even forget about what a pain these past few years have been! For just a few minutes, anyway.
I also believe that people cherish meaningful gestures, no matter how small, which is why many of these 14 heartwarming Valentine’s Day Ideas for the workplace are also budget-friendly. I’m so excited to dive in!
Why Celebrate Valentine’s Day in the Workplace?
Whether or not you think that celebrating holidays at the office is corny, it’s important to remind yourself that you’re not doing it for yourself. Instead, you’re doing it to express gratitude for the efforts of those around you.
To Show Your Appreciation
“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” ~ William Arthur Ward
I really like that quote, and I think it sums up why everyone should be making more of an effort to show appreciation for those around them.
Now, more than ever, employees need to know that their efforts have not gone unnoticed. When they’re engaged and they feel like the work they’re doing is meaningful and valued, they’re more likely to remain where they are.
To Lighten Up the Mood
ALL of us need some recovery time from the hard things in life.
Celebrating Valentine’s Day in the workplace is an opportunity for everyone to gather together, laugh, and enjoy some genuine human connection. Even if your job is virtual, there are still ways to spice up office Zoom calls and get in on the fun.
To Create a Caring Environment
Most importantly, these Valentine’s Day Ideas for the workplace help create a sense of community which so many people are lacking in their lives right now.
Is taking time out of the workday to play Valentine’s Day Mad Libs with your cubicle mates the most productive use of everyone’s time? That’s a “No.”
Will it pay dividends in terms of employees building positive and supportive relationships with each other (and the boss)? Absolutely.
Fun Valentine’s Day Ideas for the Office
1) Play Valentine’s Day Trivia
Valentine’s Day Trivia is a low-prep, high-engagement activity that employees can play either in person or virtually. If you need ideas, I think these movie trivia questions from Bustle are both interesting and work-appropriate.
Here are a few ideas for how you can organize Valentine’s Day Trivia at the office:
- For the week of Valentine’s Day, post a question every day. Each person to get the question correctly gets a small “goody bag.”
- Divide employees into several small groups and have a competition. The winning team gets a prize.
- Use a free quiz website like Quizizz or Kahoot for everyone to participate virtually or in person.
2) Play an Office-Wide Candy Guessing Game
Everyone loves a good candy guessing game.
Fill up a large clear jar with conversation hearts, chocolate kisses, or any other Valentine’s Day-themed candy. Put it on a table with a few pens and slips of scrap paper.
Each employee gets to guess how many pieces of candy are in the jar, and the winner receives a gift certificate, company swag, etc.
Just don’t forget to count the candy first!
3) Set Up a Valentine’s Day Selfie Station
A selfie station is a lighthearted and inexpensive way for your co-workers to show off their best side.
You can create a cute DIY photo backdrop like this one from C’mon, Get Crafty or take the path of least resistance and just purchase a ready-made selfie frame.
Either way, people are sure to have a blast.
4) Give DIY Appreciation Gifts
If you’re searching for Valentine’s Day gift ideas, there are hundreds of DIY projects that would make any co-worker’s day. I love repurposing items that I’d otherwise throw away, like used candle jars. You can make them into so many useful things, like journal jars, vases, and more. And the best part is, you don’t have to be super crafty to do it.
5) Have a Valentine’s Day White Elephant Exchange
Even the most serious co-worker can’t resist a lighthearted Valentine’s Day White Elephant gift exchange. After all, someone at your workplace just needs a rubber chicken in their life. I can just feel it 😉
For those who wish to participate, set a dollar limit (for example, “no more than $10”) and give people plenty of advance notice so that they can order something if they wish to.
This activity pairs well with a catered Valentine’s Day brunch on the house.
6) Host a Red, White, and Pink Office Potluck
This is another budget-friendly Valentine’s Day workplace idea, and everyone gets to contribute, so all of the pressure doesn’t fall on one or two people.
Ask everyone to bring one food item to the potluck, but the food must be red, white, or pink. Not only does it give your co-workers a chance to get creative, but the end result will be so pretty!
7) Bring in a Karaoke Machine for Love Song Karaoke
If you can swing this staff appreciation activity, I think it will quickly elevate you to Office Manager or Boss of the Year. I really like this idea because you get to see a side of your coworkers that you’ve probably never seen before plus, it gives the employees some much-needed fun and silliness.
8) Decorate the Office
While there is such a thing as too much pink, tastefully decorating the office or workplace is a simple way to liven up the surroundings and get people excited about Valentine’s Day. If you can get a group of people together to give the office a makeover, take them out for drinks or dinner afterward to show your appreciation.
9) Give Heartfelt Tokens of Appreciation
What most people want more than anything is to feel appreciated, like what they’re doing matters to someone. Whether you’re making Valentine’s Day mason jars for each co-worker or writing them a card expressing your gratitude, it’s the thought behind the act that counts. Valentine’s Day is all about spreading the (non-romantic) love to those around you.
10) Allow Employees to Come in Late/Leave Early
What better way to take care of your staff this Valentine’s Day than to let your employees get an extra hour of sleep? Or leave early to go out to dinner with their loved ones?
I know that this option probably isn’t realistic for every business out there, especially with the shortages that some are experiencing right now. However, sometimes that makes such a gesture all the more necessary (and appreciated)!
11) Organize a Valentine’s Day Happy Hour
Choose an evening the week of Valentine’s Day and take your co-workers out for a much-deserved happy hour celebration. Or, if crowds are a concern, just have it at the office. Fruity red and pink drinks like sangria and pink lemonade are a must, and you can even add in a little love song karaoke.
12) Sponsor a Group Fundraising Event
Valentine’s Day is all about spreading the love, so why not come together with your co-workers and raise money for a good cause? There are so many deserving organizations out there, and you can even add a creative twist to it.
Cut out pink, red, and white hearts out of construction paper and write a dollar amount on each of them. Arrange them into a heart on the office bulletin board so that people can take one or two down to pledge their donation amount.
13) Complete an Office-Wide Fitness Challenge
Valentine’s Day isn’t just about fancy dinners and boxes of chocolate (although those things are nice too).
You can also organize a fitness challenge for employees to complete together, like a company-wide 5K or even a certain number of laps around the building to promote heart health.
Another idea is to have each person use a step counting app to see who logs the most activity and then give out prizes.
14) Have a Dress-in-Red Party Office Day
Organizing an all-red dress up day at the office can be so much fun, and it’s always neat to see how different people work the color red into their outfits. Hand out prizes for Most Unique, Best Shade of Red, and Best Overall Ensemble.
This kind of Valentine’s Day office idea is great because if you regularly interact with customers, they’ll enjoy seeing all of the different outfits as well.
Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to show your co-workers how much you care about their hard work and dedication.
I hope thata these Valentine’s Day Ideas for the Office have given you some inspiration on how to make this holiday a success in the workplace.
Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts
As an expert in workplace celebrations and fostering a positive work environment, I can confidently say that celebrating Valentine's Day in the office is a wonderful way to show appreciation and create a sense of community among colleagues. It's important to remind ourselves that celebrating holidays at work is not about personal preferences, but rather about expressing gratitude for the efforts of those around us.
One of the main reasons to celebrate Valentine's Day in the workplace is to show appreciation. It's essential to let employees know that their hard work and dedication have not gone unnoticed. When employees feel valued and engaged, they are more likely to remain committed to their work. A meaningful gesture of appreciation can go a long way in boosting morale and fostering a positive work environment.
Another benefit of celebrating Valentine's Day in the office is to lighten up the mood. We all need some recovery time from the challenges and stress of work and life. Valentine's Day provides an opportunity for everyone to gather together, have a good laugh, and enjoy genuine human connection. Even in virtual work settings, there are ways to spice up office Zoom calls and engage in fun activities.
Creating a caring environment is another crucial aspect of celebrating Valentine's Day in the workplace. Many people are currently lacking a sense of community in their lives, and taking time out of the workday to engage in activities like playing Valentine's Day Trivia or participating in a White Elephant gift exchange can help build positive and supportive relationships among colleagues. While these activities may not be the most productive in terms of work output, they pay dividends in terms of fostering a sense of camaraderie among employees.
Now that we understand the importance of celebrating Valentine's Day in the workplace, let's explore some heartwarming ideas that are also budget-friendly:
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Play Valentine's Day Trivia: Organize a trivia game with interesting and work-appropriate questions, either in person or virtually. You can award small "goody bags" to those who answer correctly or have a competition with a prize for the winning team.
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Play an Office-Wide Candy Guessing Game: Fill a jar with Valentine's Day-themed candy and let employees guess the number of pieces. The winner can receive a gift certificate or company swag.
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Set Up a Valentine's Day Selfie Station: Create a DIY photo backdrop or purchase a ready-made selfie frame for co-workers to take fun pictures.
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Give DIY Appreciation Gifts: Engage in DIY projects to create personalized gifts for co-workers, such as repurposing used candle jars into useful items like vases or journal jars.
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Have a Valentine's Day White Elephant Exchange: Organize a lighthearted gift exchange with a dollar limit and encourage participation. It pairs well with a catered Valentine's Day brunch.
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Host a Red, White, and Pink Office Potluck: Ask employees to contribute red, white, or pink food items to create a colorful and creative potluck.
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Bring in a Karaoke Machine for Love Song Karaoke: Organize a karaoke session to bring out the fun and silly side of your co-workers.
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Decorate the Office: Tastefully decorate the office or workplace with Valentine's Day-themed decorations to liven up the surroundings.
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Give Heartfelt Tokens of Appreciation: Show your gratitude by making personalized Valentine's Day mason jars or writing cards expressing appreciation for each co-worker.
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Allow Employees to Come in Late/Leave Early: Consider giving your employees the gift of extra sleep or the opportunity to spend time with loved ones by allowing them to come in late or leave early.
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Organize a Valentine's Day Happy Hour: Take your co-workers out for a happy hour celebration or have it at the office with fruity red and pink drinks and optional love song karaoke.
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Sponsor a Group Fundraising Event: Come together with your co-workers to raise money for a good cause, adding a creative twist by using construction paper hearts with pledge amounts.
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Complete an Office-Wide Fitness Challenge: Promote heart health by organizing a company-wide fitness challenge, such as a 5K or step counting competition.
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Have a Dress-in-Red Party Office Day: Encourage employees to dress in red and have fun with a themed dress-up day, awarding prizes for the most unique, best shade of red, and best overall ensemble.
These Valentine's Day ideas for the office will help create a positive and appreciative atmosphere, making this holiday a success in the workplace. By showing your co-workers how much you care about their hard work and dedication, you contribute to a thriving work environment.
