Fresh Employee Appreciation Day Event Ideas & Activities for 2025
published
January 2, 2025
Accelerating technology and a new focus on work-life balance has drastically altered the workplace and how people perceive career and work. For employers in just about every industry, retaining leaders, managers and workers has become an ongoing challenge. That makes celebrations such as National Employee Appreciation Day, which falls on March 7, 2025, even more important.
We have compiled some great Employee Appreciation Day ideas to help you take full advantage of this nationally-recognized event. It’s the perfect opportunity to take a break from the stressful daily activities in your workplaces, nurture professional relationships, and show appreciation to your most valuable asset–your people.
Businesses and companies throughout the country take this day, and in some cases, the entire week or month, to thank employees for all that they contribute to the organization's success. It’s human nature to desire to be appreciated. Organizations that can outwardly celebrate with a host of Employee Appreciation Day 2025 ideas–and continue the celebration in some small way throughout the year–will help foster a more positive workplace culture that will attract and retain the best and the brightest employees.
To help you plan this day, week, or month, Crestline has compiled some creative ideas for Employee Appreciation Day activities, events, decorations, and gifts. Don’t forget to include your hybrid and remote employees in the celebration. Begin hyping the fun early so they can plan to join you in person or on a scheduled celebratory video conference!
Pick an Employee Appreciation Day Theme
Every big event needs a special theme to bring the activities, events, and festivities together. Solicit Employee Appreciation Day 2025 theme ideas from employees and managers to select one that will resonate with your team.
Some ideas may include:
- Superheroes
- An out-of-this-world space theme
- Rock star recognition
- An academy-award-type of theme
Do you see the pattern? Pick a theme that elevates your employees to new levels to show them how important they truly are. This is a great way to pass along an underlying message of appreciation and truly valuing their contributions.
Engage with Fun Games & Activities
Give everyone a break from their typical daily work routine with planned games, tournaments, or other events scheduled throughout the day or periodically over a longer period of time. Spending a day carnival-style is one approach for the March 7th celebration.
Or, if you choose to extend the festivities over the course of a week or throughout the month, plan a few games or activities during lunch break or late in the afternoon.
Here are some fresh Employee Appreciation Day activities:
Selfie Stations
Select some common areas near break or lunchrooms, around elevators, or anywhere you have extra space to create themed selfie stations with fun photo backdrops. Crestline offers a host of items to help you create fun, affordable selfie stations. Consider our 7 1/2' x 7 1/2' Pop Up Wall Kit. It will promote your event in every selfie with a wrinkle-resistant polyester material placed in a straight-wall aluminum framing system.
Check out our other Employee Appreciation Day event ideas for photo backdrops:
Games and Activities
If you’re looking for some fun things to do for Employee Appreciation Day, here is a list of games and activities to consider. If your business or company has outdoor campus space, be sure to take advantage of it on warm spring days. If not, some of these games can be played indoors in a cafeteria, lobby area, break room, or even a hallway.
- Giant Tumble Tower Game
- Regulation Size Cornhole Set
- Giant Dominoes Game Set
- Giant Checkers Game Set
- Scavenger Hunt
- Company or Employee Trivia Challenge
- Bingo
- Massage Station or Chair
- Meditation Workshop
- Company lunch: One-on-one or in a group
- Feature employees in social media posts or on the company website
- Free snacks and beverages
- Team outings to sporting and cultural events
- Spa days
If you’re spreading your employee appreciation event over a week or a month, consider setting up an ongoing game tournament with teams and brackets where winners can progress to a championship game. Be sure to post the progress in the lobby or some other well-seen area to keep the spirit going.
You can also set aside a day to extend your celebration to the community by volunteering some time to give back together.
If you’re doing all your Employee Appreciation Day activities on one day, consider incentivizing participation by awarding an entry ticket to a final raffle drawing for each activity or a chance to spin a prize wheel. Use cool giveaways such as the following:
Be sure you encourage your executive team to participate in the Employee Appreciation Day festivities by running or refereeing games, shaking hands, awarding prizes, and just being available to have fun and celebrate with your entire staff. Their presence will solidify the importance of taking time out of the workday to celebrate the team.
Decorate
Remind your staff of employee appreciation activities by putting decorations up throughout your buildings and offices, around break rooms and elevators, and even in the executive suite. Set the stage with fun balloons, tablecloths, and banners, especially in the locations where you plan to host games, activities, photo ops, and food.
Bonus Tip: Don’t forget to match your decorations to your theme. Doing so is a great visual reminder of your ongoing appreciation of your team.
Great Eats
Employees love to have tasty food throughout the day, so be sure to include meals, snacks, and treats as part of your Employee Appreciation Day activities.
In most parts of the country, March 7th can be chilly, so start the morning with breakfast and comforting drinks like coffee, hot cocoa, or warm apple cider. Even a small treat like specialty donuts can afford an opportunity to say thank you with a fun play on words like, “We DO-NUT know what we’d do without you!”
For those employees who prefer to graze throughout the day, be sure to offer popular snacks like fresh popcorn, gourmet cookies, or other unique choices. Consider a themed snack cart that can make its rounds throughout the office during the day. Don’t forget to incorporate fun messaging on popcorn bags like “Just POPPIN’ by to say you’re appreciated!”
If you’re extending your Employee Appreciation Day activities throughout the week or month, schedule some local, popular food trucks to be on-site during the lunch hour for a special meal. You can also designate decorated picnic or celebration areas where staff can share the meal with coworkers – and maybe participate in the activity of the day during lunch time.
Here are some other great Employee Appreciation Day ideas for small treats you can leave in break rooms, pass out throughout the day, or give out at staff meetings:
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Employee Appreciation Gifts
Who doesn’t love a thoughtful gift? Crestline offers a host of affordable, practical, and appreciated items that you can leave on your employees’ desks or workstations to show your appreciation. You can also mail these gifts to hybrid or remote workers to extend the celebration to the outmost virtual walls of your organization.
Here are some top gift ideas to celebrate Employee Appreciation Day:
Not finding a match yet? Get inspired with even more top picks for Employee Appreciation Day Gifts.
Final Employee Appreciation Day Message
After wrapping up your Employee Appreciation Day activities, whether they last a day, week, or the entire month of March, have your owner, CEO, or department manager send out a final appreciation email with a heartfelt message. This is the perfect time to include a link to photos from the celebration to help remind employees of the fun activities, gifts, and events during that time.
Be sure to plan ahead for this year’s Employee Appreciation Day by:
- Selecting a fun theme
- Purchasing affordable decorations
- Buying food and tableware
- Planning games and activities
- Investing in corporate gifts for your most valuable resource – your people.
Not only will these Employee Appreciation Day ideas be memorable and enjoyable, but they can help bring your entire team together for a productive year ahead.
Employee Appreciation Day FAQ
To help you get ready for this year’s Employee Appreciation Day, here are some frequently asked questions and answers. Having these at your fingertips, along with a host of Employee Appreciation Day ideas, can make planning much easier and more efficient.
National Employee Appreciation Day is on March 7, 2025.
In this day and age of emails, chats, and texts, a handwritten note can go a long way in personalizing communications and appreciation. Jot a genuine thank you message in a company card and include a small gift. Or, just leave a post-it note with a brief expression of appreciation on your employees’ desks this week.
A company called Workman Publishing created National Employee Appreciation Day. Part of the Hachette Book Group, Workman Publishing produces award-winning cookbooks, parenting/pregnancy guides, and books on gardening, country living, and humor. It also publishes children’s books, gift books, fiction, and a bestselling calendar line.
Crestline offers a wide assortment of gifts that are appreciated by employees around the world. As an owner, manager, or supervisor, you know your employees best. Select gifts that your team members will particularly enjoy. Here are some great Employee Appreciation Day ideas for gifts:
- Apparel
Depending on your geographic location and budget, you may want to give away:
- Jackets
- Sweatshirts
- T-shirts
- Socks
- Other apparel imprinted with your company logo or team slogan.
Clothing gifts can be one of many perfect Employee Appreciation Day ideas.
- Drinkware
If you work with coffee lovers, consider our assortment of mugs. Outdoor enthusiasts will appreciate water bottles and other fun drinkware, personalized with your brand.
Consider showing your appreciation with the following customizable drinkware and accessories:
- 12 oz. Slim Camping Mug & Hot Chocolate Mug Stuffer
- 40 oz. Intrepid Stainless Steel Tumbler
- Koozie® Full Color Can Cooler
- 22 oz Juna Copper Insulated Bottle
- Bags
No one can have too many bags, totes, or backpacks. They are some of the most useful swag available, perfect for sustainable grocery shopping, hauling children’s belongings around town, or collecting information, brochures, and other swag at a trade show. Select a creative design and giveaway that matches your budget and corporate culture.
- Food
Everyone appreciates snacks, sweets, and creative drink gifts at the office. Crestline offers a myriad of fun, tasty, and unique swag that tempts the taste buds and keeps spirits high during Employee Appreciation Day activities.
Consider gifting these delicious treats to your employees:
- Gourmet Cookies
- InstaCake Appreciation Cake in a Card
- Chocolate Slider Box
- You're Appreciated Sustainable Snack Pack
- 16 oz. Speckled Camping Mug – Cocoa & S’More’s Gift Set
- 20 oz. Straight Tumbler w/Plastic Liner - Hershey's® Everyday Mix Mug Stuffer
- 4 oz Chocolate Dipped Salted Caramels
- Recreation
Encourage your employees to get some rest and relaxation on their days off. Give popular vacation gifts like blankets, coolers, and travel sets during your celebration.
- Power Banks
A power bank is a portable charger for phones, tablets, and other mobile devices. It’s one of those things people always need but seldom buy for themselves.
- Relaxation
To promote relaxation, help make employees as comfortable as possible on and off the clock. Let’s just say that when an employee snuggles up in a blanket for a long winter’s nap, they’ll remember how warmly you said thank you.
You can’t go wrong with one of these relaxation gifts to show your appreciation:
- A Journal
- Gravity Neck & Shoulder Relaxer
- Self Care Relaxation Gift Set
- Embrace Heated Eye Mask
- Tranquil Zzz Noise Machine
Can’t decide which items are right for your employees? Give them a variety of everything! Our custom kits & bundles are becoming more popular all the time because they make it easy to wow recipients with an array of personalized gift items.
Just pick out your favorite kit. We’ll add your logo to each piece, handle all the assembly, and even drop ship to individual addresses! Speaking of mailing, if your staff is working from home, consider gifts that are useful and easy to ship. For ideas, check out The Best Promotional Gifts for Direct Mail.
More and more people are working from home either full-time or part-time. That can make creating Employee Appreciation Day activities a bit more challenging. If you have hybrid employees who come in just a few days each week, be sure to plan festivities on the days when they will be in the office. Or you can make a special request for all hybrid employees to participate on the chosen day.
For virtual teams that are spread around the country (or even around the world), send out pre-celebratory packages complete with drinks, snacks, and other gifts. Also, consider scheduling a virtual celebration with fun games, activities, or videos, and plan for everyone to share drinks, food, and gifts together online.
When it comes to appreciation, the more personal and heartfelt the message, the more your employee will value it. If you own or lead a smaller organization and know all your employees fairly well, take the time to think over the last year and point out specific things that you noticed and appreciated. If you’re managing a larger organization, plan ahead to request that department heads or team leads make the effort to say ‘thank you’ to those they work with regularly.
For example, if a team member went above and beyond to meet a tight deadline, secure new business, or resolve a customer complaint, that’s worth recognizing. If no significant project stands out, acknowledge a positive trait such as a cheerful attitude or being a team player or hard worker. Writing a simple note is one of the top Employee Appreciation Day 2025 ideas.
Expressing gratitude, no matter how you do it, is a good thing to do in and of itself – but recognition also helps you in practical ways. Studies indicate 69% of employees would work harder if they were better appreciated. The same dynamic, no doubt, holds true for teachers, nurses, retail personnel, and home services providers.
In addition to improving performance, appreciation letters, gifts, and activities can boost engagement. This can, in turn, reduce turnover, errors, injuries, and other bad things that happen when employees feel undervalued.
Workman Publishing started National Employee Appreciation Day in 1995 to remind managers and supervisors that strong employer-employee ties are critical to successful business. Since then, many ideas for Employee Appreciation Day have been created to help companies celebrate in their own special ways.
Yes, businesses around the world celebrate Employee Appreciation Day during the first week of March, and do so with a host of Employee Appreciation Day activities.
It’s important to celebrate with Employee Appreciation Day ideas because everyone deserves to be appreciated for a job well done and the contribution made throughout the year.
All companies and organizations depend on the talents, work ethic, and attitudes of their employees to achieve their mission. When management takes the time and sets aside resources to celebrate this day of recognition, they show that they recognize the role employees play in their business’s success. That, in turn, leads to work satisfaction, engagement, productivity, and higher retention.
