Introduction
This is the season to be jolly and the office Christmas party is the perfect way to get into the festive spirit. Whether you’re looking for a fun and relaxed gathering or a more formal event, there are plenty of ideas to make the most of the season. From classic games to festive decorations, here are 15 office Christmas party ideas to make the most of the festive season and get everyone in the holiday spirit!
With the right combination of activities and treats, your colleagues will be talking about the party for weeks to come.
15 Office Christmas party ideas
Let’s be honest! There is no one activity that every team member would enjoy. But, it does not mean that you cannot have an office Christmas party.
That said, given below are some really cool 15 office Christmas party ideas for 2024 you can count on.
1. Set a theme
Nothing says “Merry Christmas” like decorating the entire office to invite the Christmas spirit. Let teams set the holiday vibes by setting aside a day right after Thanksgiving, and adore the office with festive decorations.
Allow your employees to deck the walls, and desks with stockings, snowflakes, and string lights. Set aside a little extra time for everyone to decorate the Christmas tree with their names on it.
2. Have a Secret Santa
This activity requires you to pick a random co-worker’s name to become his/her Secret Santa. Then, you are provided with a list of gift ideas to choose from to give to their chosen giftee. The giftee has to guess which member of the group was their Secret Santa.
Secret Santa is a classic among Christmas party ideas for work, bringing a festive spirit to the office. However, trying to guess what gift to buy can be a bit of a challenge, especially when you are not sure of what the other person likes. Luckily, some gift ideas can fit into your budget. These can be a wireless adapter and charger, a Woodwick candle, Succulents, a novelty mug, or assorted holiday chocolates.
3. Make it a Potluck
It’s the Holiday season! Who doesn’t love eating mouth-watering holiday treats to feel warm and fuzzy? Potlucks are amongst the most pocket-friendly in-office Christmas party ideas as the employees contribute by making the best holiday treats.
You can create a sign-up sheet with the names of all the participants who plan to bring something. To make it easier, you can ask some team members to bring appetizers, ask some to bring the main dish, and some for dessert. To ensure the venue remains clean, order disposable cups, plates, and napkins.
4. Give back with a charity event
Why not use this Christmas to give back to the community? You can set up a Christmas charity event for your team. There are many charities employees can work with or contribute towards. Help your employees plan a food drive or join a charity run marathon.
5. Have a holiday movie marathon
Holiday and Christmas movies have a genre of their own. The movie screening is also another fantastic idea for employees to socialize, especially if they are introverts. You can use the conference room or hire a projector and large screen for this. Give employees a list of holiday movies to choose from.
Some of the best Christmas movies are A Christmas Story, Klaus, It’s a Wonderful Life, Home Alone, and The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. Add in some popcorn with red and green sprinkles to complete the Christmas vibes. Now, if there is a movie-lover crowd in the workplace, you can also plan one movie for every week of December.
6. Host a gingerbread house decorating contest
Organizing a Gingerbread house decoration contest brings back nostalgia to the office Christmas party. It is also a unique office Christmas party idea to try. Break down employees into different teams. Let each team design the best and most colorful Gingerbread house with all the decorations.
You can offer kits or offer fresh Gingerbread so that everyone has an equal chance to compete. Before giving out awards, set up categories like the most innovative decoration, the funniest, and the most stylish.
7. Play some games
Organizing games will surely make this office Christmas party memorable and fun for everyone. You can organize a casino night where employees can dress up as characters from a Christmas movie and play casino games. Now, whether it is real money put on the line or not; the main idea is for everyone to have a fun time.
One of the most famous work Christmas party games and activities is Murder Mysteries. Come up with the perfect Christmas night murder plot and let the employees take up different characters – from the one who committed the crime, the witness, to the detective who cracks the case. Give them clues to uncover the truth behind the crime.
8. Put together a scavenger hunt
Nothing says “fun and adventure” more than a Scavenger Hunt, making it a fantastic addition to your Christmas office party ideas. You can organize an office Scavenger hunt for coworkers by dividing them into groups of small teams. Give each group a list of items and tasks to complete.
Give them a list of items, words, or things to find. You can also ask a team member to act something out. To ensure there is no cheating, ask the participants to take pictures of the completed tasks. The first group to complete all the tasks wins.
9. Organize a photo booth
Photo Booths are one of the most creative ways to have unforgettable memories with your colleagues this Christmas. So, why not avail the opportunity? For this, you can set up a photo booth with a winter-themed background and ask everyone to be their goofy self.
You can also stock the area with Christmas-themed pros to elevate the photos. No one can beat the fun factor that comes with standing with your office friends and having silly photos clicked.
10. Make some delicious treats
Making delicious treats is one of the best office Christmas party ideas that can improve workplace bonding amongst different teams. For this, you can hire a chef for a day to help employees take their culinary skills to the next level.
Choose a menu that works for everyone, and share the same with the competing teams. After hours of work in the kitchen, teams can sit together in the cafeteria, enjoy tasty meals, and have a good bonding experience.
11. Give out some awesome prizes
Office Christmas party is the best time for you to say Thanks to all the teams that have added value to help the organization grow. Why not use it to reward those whose hard work helped the business achieve success?
Use this occasion to give your employees a special gift. It can be cash prizes, tickets to a game or movie, a free Christmas dinner voucher, digital photo frames, a fully paid vacation, or an infusion water bottle. Let this celebration be not only about games, food, and fun; but also about how important they are to the organization.
Also read: 15 Best Office Christmas Gifts For Employees & Coworkers
12. Deck the halls
This one is a cross between office Christmas decorations and Secret Santa. Make a team with only 2 employees in it. But, instead of gifts; participants decorate work desks for the assigned colleagues.
You can create a time schedule where the assigned employee (whose desk is being decorated) has to be away from their workspace. Make other coworkers keep the name of the decorator a secret. Once decorations are done, the person has to guess who did the work.
13. Get everyone excited
Why not try the most interactive office Christmas party ideas? Aka, a Christmas carnival. It becomes even more fun with kids in attendance. You can organize Christmas-themed games like throwing darts at balloons, and ring toss.
Give out rewards like giant candy canes, Santa, and reindeer toys to get everyone excited about winning. Have team members build a North-Pole-styled funhouse or a Christmas-themed village out of cardboard.
14. Indoor snowball fight
Snowball fights are amongst the best holiday season activities. But, what if we said that you could organize an indoor snowball fight event? Sounds impossible? Here’s how you can make it happen.
Purchase indoor snowball fight kits consisting of soft cloth balls. Split the employees into different teams. Now, give each player a set number of snowballs, blow the whistle, and watch your employee’s competitive side come out. Those who get hit are out. Call timeout when everyone is out of snowballs and reset.
15. Tree decoration competition
Tree decoration competition is amongst the most popular office Christmas party ideas in 2024 that encourages your team to unleash their inner productivity and team-building skills.
For this, you would need:
- Some mini Christmas trees
- Split employees into different teams
- Give every team 20 to 30 minutes to trim the tree
- Have every team explain their chosen design
- Choose a winner
Let the teams bring ornaments with them to decorate the design. The whole point is to capture the attention of the judges and coworkers.
Conclusion
Your company employees have been part of dozens of office Christmas celebrations in the past. These office Christmas party ideas will make yours fun, memorable, and above all unforgettable for everyone. You might have to go a few miles extra for planning the event, but this will make the employees feel more valued and appreciated.
