Probably the most important celebration of the year is just around the corner – the Christmas Party at Work. This is the moment when all hierarchical levels fall, disagreements no longer play a role, and even departments unknown to each other celebrate together. Your company should impress: For once, all employees are gathered in one room in a good mood – and you don’t want it to end in boredom with a poorly planned party program, do you? Good thing you have this article to fall back on.
We present you the Top 20 program ideas for your perfect Christmas party. No matter what group of individuals you’re supposed to entertain, with these programs your success is guaranteed. But that’s not all. We also reveal our program checklist to help you plan the Christmas party of your dreams in a stress-free & structured way. Whether you want to go classic or try something unusual for this year’s Christmas party, our list of Christmas party ideas has something for everyone.
20 Holiday Work Party Ideas
Tastes are different, that’s why you’ll find a colorful mix of crazy, traditional and extraordinary activities in our list of the top 20 Christmas party ideas. The Christmas party should be a highlight for your team. Therefore, you should make sure to create a program in which all employees can enjoy themselves. Let’s go!
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1. All-time Classic: Visiting the Christmas market
It’s impossible to not lose a group of colleagues to the nearest mulled wine stand during the Christmas season — so why not integrate it into the program? Of course, it’s all too boring to just meet at a random stand for a drink. Much better: Pick a Christmas market further away from your office and organize a scavenger hunt from the office to there!
It’s best to give each small team a slightly different plan for orientation, to make the race to the target even more exciting. During the walk, a lot of team spirit is built up right away.
2. Indoor snowball fight:
The romantic image of the snowball fight in the white winter wonderland can unfortunately be experienced less and less often due to global warming. Should you let that stop you? Not at all! Try an indoor snowball fight. Here’s how it works.
Create an area for an indoor snowball fight with soft, plush snowballs. Guests can enjoy a fun and safe snowball fight without real snow. Set up a barrier or markers to delineate the area for the snowball fight. Use soft snowballs or throw pillows so no one gets hurt. Divide guests into teams and have them have a fun snowball fight. You can also introduce different game modes, such as a capture the flag scenario or a scoring system based on accuracy of hits. Make sure there is enough space and furniture that can’t be damaged. An indoor snowball fight adds fun and exercise to the Christmas party and lets guests rediscover their inner child.
3. Do something for your community!
There are many ways to do something good with your company. Especially around Christmas time, there are a lot of great offers to help out in soup kitchens, children’s homes and old people’s homes. Trite or not — doing good feels good! Maybe you’ve thought about a social team event? At teamazing, a social team event turns into a huge experience where the focus is not only on the good deed, but also on the fun and the challenge. Here are a few more ideas to get you started:
Christmas packages for children
Do you remember how magical the Christmas season was as a child? Unfortunately, not everyone shares these positive memories. Especially for children in poorer circumstances, the Christmas season is often difficult. As a team, put together Christmas packages for children to do good. Fortunately, there are now already countless associations to which you & your team can turn.
Social Team Events
The best gift you can give at Christmas is time together. A gift that especially single seniors, people with disabilities or homeless people often cannot get from their loved ones. Many associations have made it their mission to give these people a nice Christmas season, who would be happy to receive some help from your team.
But you can also do something good on your own. At Christmastime, for example, many retirement homes are happy to have visitors who talk to the residents, snack on cookies, and sing Christmas carols. Our Team Challenge is also open to everyone. Your employees can challenge each other in “Mixed Teams” at exciting tasks with a group of socially disadvantaged people.
Donation vouchers
It doesn’t always take a grand gesture to do something positive at Christmastime. Instead of the usual dull Christmas gifts, thanking employees with donation vouchers is also cool — for example, at Impactory employees can then decide for themselves which social project employees would like to support with their voucher.
4. Sweater Fashion Show: May the ugliest win
Norwegian patterns, bright colors and a whole lot of glitter: this sight is probably familiar to anyone who has ever hung around in the knitwear department during the Christmas season. Christmas sweaters may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but they can really set the mood at the Christmas party. Encourage guests to wear their strangest and most creative, ugly Christmas sweaters. It’s not even necessary to buy new ones if you want to save yourself the Christmas rush in the city: everyone is sure to find one or two long-forgotten gifts from grandma in their closet that are just made for this challenge.
Organize a fashion show to display the fancy designs. You can set up a catwalk or a stage where the participants can present their sweaters one after the other. To lighten the mood, we recommend hiring a presenter making humorous comments about the sweaters. Or even better: give this role to someone from your team.
At the end, award prizes for the “ugliest” sweaters in different categories such as “most creative,” “most colorful,” or “craziest” should be given out. This creates a fun and interactive activity where guests can enjoy themselves and show off their unique sweaters.
6. Creative Christmas Market
Your colleagues probably have hidden talents and hobbies that are just waiting to be unleashed. The creative Christmas market is the perfect opportunity to do just that.
Set up a Christmas market with various booths where employees can offer handmade products or services. This encourages creativity and exchange among colleagues. Ask employees ahead of time to submit ideas for their booth and offer products or services that they can make or offer themselves. These can be handmade Christmas decorations, home-baked goods, artwork, jewelry or other handmade products. Set up booths in the venue and give employees the opportunity to showcase their products and share with each other. This creates a lively and interactive atmosphere where employees can showcase their talents and creativity.
7. Show your talent at the Christmas Karaoke (sing or present)
Nothing brings people closer together than sharing embarrassing experiences. So how about a round of karaoke? Just rent a karaoke bar or bring the Playstation into the office. Then everyone warbles together for an evening singing Christmas songs — and since everyone knows them by heart anyway, you create a fun evening with little effort that is guaranteed to be remembered. Infused with a little mulled wine, you’ll get even the biggest Christmas Grinch to sing along loudly.
For all those who do not like to sing, but prefer to present, we have the perfect alternative: PowerPoint-Karaoke! The rules are simple: In pairs, you present a PowerPoint presentation that you have never seen before. First you draw lots and then present. Each new slide becomes a challenge. Spontaneity and flexibility are required. The content is not important – the main thing is that everyone learns something new… or at least has fun at the Christmas party!
8. DIY Christmas cocktails
21+ Christmas
idea: When all else fails, a glass or two of alcohol can usually change the mood for the better. Especially if you mix special Christmas cocktails.
Set up a festive cocktail bar where guests can mix their own Christmas-themed drinks. Provide a selection of spirits, mixed drinks and garnishes, as well as recipe cards for inspiration. Customize the bar with Christmas decorations, such as red and green accents or twinkling lights. Offer a selection of spirits such as vodka, rum, liqueurs and sparkling wine, as well as a variety of mixed drinks, such as fruit juices and lemonades. Provide garnishes such as cinnamon sticks, mint leaves, lemon or orange slices. You can also prepare some signature cocktails with Christmas flavors like cinnamon, cloves or gingerbread.
Offer instructions or recipe cards so that guests can mix their own creations. But don’t be afraid to freestyle: as we all know, that’s where the best creations come from. A DIY Christmas cocktail bar gives guests the opportunity to discover and enjoy their own festive drinks.
9. Dance!
Singing is not your thing? No problem: Dancing is also great! A good mood, one or two glasses of champagne & a great playlist are usually enough. Dancing doesn’t make your heart swell for nothing, but at the same time you have to venture out of your comfort zone for a change.
Team Music Clip in Action:
10. Baking
Cookies belong to Christmas like pasta belongs to Italy. Doesn’t the smell of freshly bakedcookies somehow count among our fondest childhood memories? Then start a company-owned Christmas bakery! Let employees rummage with both hands in the dough, let off steam with sprinkles and with sugar icing. The action becomes even more exciting, when everyone puts on his most childish Christmas sweaters and the one or other “Last Christmas” is warbled in the choir. Oh holy night!
11. Christmas movie marathon
Yes, we have of course also thought of the introverted employees. If karaoke, dancing, and fashion shows ring alarm bells for your colleagues, here’s our absolute insider tip: Christmas movies.
Create a cozy corner with comfortable seating and a selection of classic and modern Christmas movies. Let your guests vote in advance on which movies they would like to see at the party. Create a list of Christmas movies that are appropriate for different age groups and cover a wide range of genres. Provide enough snacks and drinks to complete the movie experience. You can also take a break to discuss the movies or share anecdotes about Christmas movie traditions. A Christmas movie marathon creates a relaxed atmosphere and gives your colleagues a chance to get into the festive spirit together. It’s also ideal if you want to get away from the hectic Christmas rush.
12. Visit the mountains
In our opinion, you have to visit a hut at least once every winter. After all, there’s nothing cozier than enjoying the wintry landscape in front of the fireplace when temperatures drop. The coziness also serves a purpose: During a mountain party, stiffnesses are easily dropped and one meets its colleagues much more easily as friends. A completely special form of Team building, so to speak. A cheese fondue and fun team building games make the gathering even more enjoyable — and the effects will certainly linger for a long time!
13. Create a winter wonderland
You don’t do things by halves at parties? Then this tip is for you: transform the venue into a fairy tale winter wonderland with snow effects, twinkling lights and ice figures. Decorate the room with shimmering snowflakes, artificial snow and frosty details.
Set up a corner with cozy blankets and pillows to give guests a cozy retreat. You can also set up a photo area where guests can take fun keepsake photos with wintry props like snowmen and reindeer. Create a magical atmosphere with festive music and, if you want to go all out, maybe even a snow machine to create a real winter wonderland.
14. Secret Santa XXL
When was the last time you did Secret Santa? It’s a lot of fun for young and old. Even after the umpteenth annual repetition, it is still as exciting as when you were a child. Want to step up this year? Try Next Level Secret Santa. Here’s how it works: At the end of November, you receive the person you must find gifts for. Then, every week of Advent, you have to give your Secret Santa a secret gift — maybe there is always a fresh coffee at their desk in the morning, maybe they find secret letters with compliments or their car window is freshly cleaned when they finish work. The important thing is that EVERYONE has to participate, and NOBODY is allowed to give themselves away. This creates an exciting atmosphere that lasts throughout December. The generous gift giver can finally reveal themselves on the last day of work or at the Christmas party.
15. Festive Scavenger Hunt
Scavenger hunt are always fun, that’s actually a rule of thumb. So why make an exception at Christmas? Organize a Christmas scavenger hunt with clues and riddles hidden around the venue. Tie in Christmas items or facts to make it more entertaining. Create a list of clues and riddles in advance to lead guests on an exciting search through the venue. Hide the clues in different places, such as under the Christmas tree, behind a painting, or in an office. Participants* must solve the clues and go from station to station to ultimately reach the destination.
To encourage a competitive spirit, it’s worth setting a time limit and dividing guests into teams. Believe me, your colleague’s ambition will be clearly noticeable! Don’t forget to award prizes at the end for the fastest team or the team with the most solved puzzles. A festive scavenger hunt brings excitement and teamwork to the Christmas party.
16. christmas party ideas for remote teams: virtual christmas party
The last few years have taught us how important social interactions are. Especially at Christmas time, people want to get together. But that works just as well across the entire globe virtually. Celebrate with your international colleagues and have an unforgettable time with our unique programs and solutions.
Because one thing is clear: Just because you’re sitting at home in front of your laptop doesn’t mean you’ll escape the festive fun of our virtual Christmas party. Exciting mini-games, tricky puzzles and lots of laughs are waiting for you!
17. Ornament exchange
What would Christmas be without shiny Christmas baubles? Ask each guest to bring a unique and special Christmas bauble. Set up a creative Ornament Exchange where guests can swap their baubles and share the stories behind them.
For example, use a numbered selection box or some sort of lottery system so that each guest can select a different bauble. As guests share ornaments, they can talk about the meaning or memories associated with the orbs they brought. This encourages story sharing and creates a more personal atmosphere. The big plus: your tree won’t look so empty anymore, either!
18. Christmas photo box
Photo boxes are easy, customizable and often capture the funniest moments – Even at your Christmas party. Create a festive photo box with props like Santa hats, reindeer antlers and Christmas backgrounds.
Top-Tip:
Offer instant prints or a digital sharing option so guests can capture & quickly share their memories.
Set up an area with good lighting and a suitable backdrop that captures the Christmas spirit. Place a selection of props, such as signs with fun Christmas quotes or accessories like scarves and gifts, that guests can use to take fun and creative photos. Set up a camera or tablet with an easy-to-use photo booth app to take photos. You can also provide a printer that prints the photos right on the spot so guests can take their pictures home as keepsakes. A Christmas photo booth keeps things fun and gets guests to show their fun side.
19. Casino Night
Turn the venue into a casino and offer your employees the opportunity to play various casino games such as blackjack, poker or roulette. You can also use “company money” to give out prizes or recognition. Set up gaming tables, hire professional croupiers, or ask experienced employees to run the games. Provide participants with game instructions and beginner’s guides to ensure that everyone enjoys playing.
You can also combine the whole thing with a photo box, where guests can have their picture taken with casino accessories such as playing cards and tokens. A casino night brings excitement and entertainment to the Christmas party and offers employees the opportunity to try their luck.
20. Tobogganing together
First of all, tobogganing is great fun! I mean, who doesn’t fondly remember their childhood sliding down the hills and experiencing the feeling of freedom and adventure? Tobogganing brings you all back to that playful mood where you can just enjoy yourself. And what better way to leave the stress of work behind you and enjoy Christmas?
In sledding, you’ll have to work together to get the most out of your ride. You can help each other negotiate the steepest hills, take turns, and arrive safely at the bottom. This will strengthen your cooperation and build trust with each other. You’ll be a team that supports each other and has fun together.
5 easy steps to plan your Christmas party at work
So, there should be no lack of inspiration for your upcoming Christmas party. The actual implementation is a completely different issue. Planning a corporate event can be very challenging anyway, but the Christmas party is probably associated with the most expectations. Especially if the previous year’s Christmas party was boring, and nothing exciting is on the agenda for the new year either. Yet this is precisely the best opportunity to celebrate the successes of the past fiscal year and motivate the workforce for the coming one. Christmas parties should be fun and offer a welcome change from the daily work routine.
So, how do you make your Christmas party really unforgettable? We are happy to help you and have put together some tips and tricks to make the organization of this event easier for you. So you forget certainly nothing and make your celebration a complete success.
1. Costs: what is your budget?
When setting the budget for your Christmas party, you should consider various factors such as the number of guests expected, the venue, catering, entertainment and any additional activities. Set a realistic budget that matches your company’s financial capabilities and keep it in mind throughout the planning process to make sure you stay within the limits.
Example: For the Christmas dinner, let’s say a 3-course menu, you should calculate about 70 dollars per person. If your total budget is already used up, you don’t need to worry about expensive locations, exciting entertainment programs or even overnight accommodations.
The biggest cost drivers are:
In the same step, of course, for your budget planning, you need to know who will be invited to the Christmas party. Otherwise, you’ll be just as smart as when you started.
At this point, it should be clarified whether partners and families of employees are also invited to the Christmas party. You only need to keep an eye on the per capita budget in order to be able to take advantage of tax benefits for experience-oriented events, for example. If the budget is not blown, there is nothing to be said against an invitation. Participation strengthens staff cohesion and loyalty to the company.
2. Date
Nothing is more frustrating than organizing a location or a supporting program for five possible dates. So before you proceed with the next steps, at least one main and one alternate date should be set. Then block these dates in your calenders, and let all employees know as early as possible that this is when the company Christmas party is planned. The earlier the date is set, and the invitations go out, the greater the chance that as many people as possible will attend the Christmas party. You’ll also have an easier time finding a location and program, since the best providers are booked up early.
Tip: For smaller numbers of participants, it is advisable to include all employees in the scheduling process – for example, with a Doodle scheduling or a short conversation at the coffee table. In general, Christmas parties are better attended during the week. In some companies, the evening before the Christmas vacations has proven to be a good date. The Christmas party then becomes a beautiful end of year celebration. However, many companies also celebrate in November to get away from the stressful Christmas season.
3. Location
Once the general conditions with budget and date have been clarified, it’s finally down to the nitty-gritty. Where and how should the party be held? Which style to choose? Mediterranean, industrial, modern-classic or completely different. Find your style and choose the location that fits it. We recommend visiting your favourites to get a personal impression of the place.
When choosing a venue, consider the number of guests expected, the location, parking availability and infrastructure. Make appointments to see the venue in person and make sure it meets your requirements. Also check if the venue offers catering services or if you need to hire a separate caterer.
Tip: Create a checklist with factors that are important to you. Evaluate each factor with points – then you get an objective overview and will not be wowed by grand spaces. You can also use our checklist. Here is a small excerpt:
a) Are there enough parking spaces available?
Nothing is worse than walking 15 minutes from the parking lot to the location, or back again. Of course, it would be ideal if most people could also get there by public transport.
b) Does the food work?
At this point, there is nothing to be said against a test meal. If you bring enough guests, this is usually free of charge. Pay attention to vegetarians and vegans in the evaluation. Alternatively, you can always cook yourself. In most cases, this is not only cheaper, but also creates a family atmosphere.
c) Are parties possible?
Please make sure to ask how long you are allowed to party: Extreme night owls often cause additional costs for the location. If a party room is available, you can usually party until 24:00 without any problems.
d) How flexible is your contact person?
If, for example, you want to decorate or make alterations yourself, the location must allow it. Ask a few test questions: You will quickly notice whether your counterpart is willing to fulfill your wishes.
e) Transportation
If your Christmas party is held at a different location and some employees have a longer journey, you should consider transportation options. For example, offer a shuttle service or organize carpools to make it easier for employees to get there. If the party will be held out of the office or city and overnight accommodations are required, reserve hotel rooms for employees well in advance to ensure that everyone is properly accommodated.
Since almost all companies celebrate in December, popular dates (Wednesday to Friday) are booked out very quickly. Therefore, be quick and pre-book your favorites – most restaurants give you a reservation period of one week – enough time to make a decision.
If you want something a little more unusual, you can also celebrate in an exclusive location or in an atmospheric seminar hotel near you. Another advantage of seminar hotels is the possibility of overnight accommodation, which is also often used spontaneously.
Tip:
If you are looking for a cheap solution, you can also celebrate in the office. If it is well planned out, nothing speaks against it.
4. Invitations and employee gifts
It is said that Christmas parties have already taken place without employees even knowing about it. This cannot happen to you if you communicate the date as early as possible.
Send invitations to employees well in advance to inform them about the Christmas party. Include all relevant details such as date, time, venue and dress code. Make sure you give clear instructions on how to RSVP, so you can better plan for attendance.
Consider giving gifts to employees or awards for special achievements during the past year. If you want to give awards, such as “Employee of the Year,” plan part of the event program to present the awards and honor the winner. The best employee gifts are the personal ones. An Amazon gift card won’t be remembered for long. To make a gift feel personal, a handwritten card that includes a trait that you especially appreciate about that employee is enough.
Gift Tip: An engraved drinking glass with a personal motivational quote – all it takes is one positive sentence for each employee (for example: The first positive quality that comes to mind when you think of this colleague). Your employees will not only love this gift, but also feel appreciated.
5. Target & program
Think about the goal you want to achieve with the Christmas party. For example, do you want to strengthen team spirit, reward employees, or simply provide an opportunity for socializing? Based on your goals, the type of event can vary. For example, a formal gala requires an elegant setting and evening attire, while a casual employee party may have a more informal atmosphere. How about something a little different? After all, you don’t want to offer your colleagues the same program every year, and of course you hope that the party will remain the highlight until next year.
A well-rounded event includes a welcome, a speech and – ideally – an interactive program. The sequence is up to you, but the celebration should probably start with the welcome speech. By the way, the speech does not necessarily have to be held by the executives. A talented “newcomer” can be the moderator for the night and entertain the guests with its personal anecdotes. If the managing director concludes the speech with a heartfelt thank you for attending and for the past year, that is also perfectly fine.
With the program, you should make sure that everyone can participate (e.g: physical condition) and that you have an alternative in case of bad weather. In addition, the interests of all employees should be served, and it is clear that collaborative activities make more sense than individual activities or entertainment programs. The most important thing, however, is to make the program fun, emotionally engaging and unusual. Check out the first part of this article for unusual program ideas.
Excerpts from the past Christmas party of teamazing
Tip:
With several program stations, you ensure diversity in the program so that there is something for all employees. This way, every employee has their own highlight that they will remember fondly.
6. Follow-up & feedback
After the Christmas party, it is important to coll. Solicit feedback from employees to learn what they liked and where there could be possible improvements. This can help you better customize future events. Also send thank-you messages to participants to express your appreciation for their participation and support.
With our 20 creative ideas & valuable planning tips, there are plenty of ways to make your holiday party a success. From themed events to interactive activities to personalized gifts, the decision is yours to choose what’s best for your company. Use our suggestions as inspiration to create a memorable Christmas party that builds team spirit and increases the festive spirit for everyone involved. This way, you’ll give your team the opportunity to relax, have fun and look forward to the year ahead. Happy Christmas and a wonderful celebration!
FAQs Christmas party at Work
Does the Christmas Party count as work time?
That is up to each company to decide. In most cases, however, the Christmas party takes place as an informal gathering with a relaxed atmosphere. In this way, employees can deepen their relationships and enjoy the end of the year together. Your colleagues don’t feel obligated to do anything and will thank you with a good mood.
How much sould you spend on a Christmas Party?
There are hardly any upper limits. Remember, however, that the Christmas party is only tax deductible up to a certain amount per head. The conditions in Germany are:
- All employees must be invited
- The Christmas party may be no more than the second company party of the year
- The price per head must not exceed 110 €
