Birthdays are a time to celebrate the people we care about, including our teammates. Showing our teammates that we care about them can boost morale and team spirit. Here are some tips on how to throw a memorable birthday party for your teammate:
Start by planning ahead.
- Set a budget. It will help you narrow your options and ensure you do not overspend.
- Use Microsoft Teams’ AnnounceBot to help you plan ahead. AnnounceBot’s early reminder feature allows you to set up notifications for upcoming birthdays, so you can start planning early.
- Choose a date and time that works for most of the team. Be sure to check with your team’s schedules and avoid scheduling the party on a day when they have other important commitments.
- Consider the type of party you want to throw. If your teammate is a big fan of a particular activity, you could plan a party around that. For instance, if they like to bake, you could throw a cake adorning a birthday celebration.
Decorate the workspace.
- Choose balloons, streamers, and other decorations that match the teammate’s personality or interests. For example, if your teammate loves sports, you could decorate with team colours and logos.
- Put up a birthday banner or sign. It is a simple manner to allow a teammate to recognize getting celebrated.
- Add some personal touches to the decorations. You could include photos of the teammate, their favourite quotes, or even a homemade card.
- Remember the cake! A decorated cake is the perfect centrepiece for any birthday party.
Suggested article: Celebrating Special Occasions at Work: 7 Trends You Need to know – Birthdays, work anniversaries, weddings, and more
Order food and drinks.
- Ask the teammate about their dietary restrictions. If they have any allergies or sensitivities, you will need to make sure the food you order is safe for them to eat.
- Consider the teammate’s preferences. Do they have any favourite foods or drinks? If so, try to incorporate them into the party menu.
- Make sure there is enough food for everyone. You do not want anyone to go hungry!
- Choose drinks that are appropriate for the occasion. If the party is in the evening, you may want to serve alcohol. If it is during the day, you will want to stick to non-alcoholic beverages.
Plan some activities.
Planning some activities for a birthday party is a great way to keep everyone entertained and engaged. Here are a few ideas:
- Games: There are many different games that you can play at a birthday party, such as charades, Pictionary, or bingo.
- Crafts: If your teammate is creative, plan a craft activity. It could be anything from making paper snowflakes to painting pottery.
- Trivia: If the teammate is a trivia buff, you could plan a trivia game. It could be a simple quiz or a more elaborate game with prizes.
- Music: If the teammate loves music, you could plan a karaoke or a dance party.
- Outdoor activities: If the party is outdoors, you could plan some outdoor activities, such as a potluck picnic or a hike.
Collect birthday wishes.
Collecting birthday wishes from team members is a great way to show a teammate how much you appreciate them. One easy way is to use AnnounceBot, your Microsoft Teams app that allows team members to sign a birthday card collectively.
Here is how the bot works:
- Collecting birthday wishes: AnnounceBot sends a birthday reminder to all team members in advance, asking them to send in their birthday wishes. Team members can send in their wishes with a click of a button.
- Sending the birthday card: On the teammate’s birthday, AnnounceBot sends a birthday card to the teammate with team members’ birthday messages.
Give a gift.
If you’re feeling generous, you can give your teammate a gift. It could be anything from a small token of appreciation to a more thoughtful gift.
- Consider the teammate’s interests. What do they like to do for fun? What are their hobbies? Find a gift that relates to their interests.
- Think about the teammate’s personality. Are they shy or outgoing? Do they prefer practical gifts or more sentimental gifts? Choosing a gift that matches the teammate’s personality will make it even more special.
- Make the gift personal. Add a personal touch to the gift with something as simple as a handwritten card or as elaborate as a custom-made gift.
- Don’t break the bank. A thoughtful gift doesn’t have to be expensive. The most important thing is that the gift comes from the heart.
Here are some additional tips for throwing a memorable birthday party for your teammate:
- Consider the teammate’s interests and hobbies when planning the party. What do they like to do for fun? What are their favourite foods?
- If the teammate is shy or introverted, you may want to keep the party small and intimate. Otherwise, you could plan a larger party with more activities.
- Ensure to keep backup activities if the weather doesn’t cooperate or some activities don’t go as planned.
Check out our AnnounceBot in Microsoft Teams for onboarding employees and staying connected with your team, whether working in an office or remotely!
Free for up to 20 users and offers a 30-day trial of the premium version with unlimited users, unlimited wishes, birthday reminders, adding your personalized greeting cards, and much more! No credit card is required.