Using Christmas Party Games to Improve Engagement at Office Parties
Guide
If you’re looking for tips on selecting office Christmas party games, we’ve got you covered. With 35+ years of experience planning amazing holiday parties, we’ve got a full repertoire of game ideas. In this article, we’ll explore our top games as well as some tips on boosting engagement at your next Christmas party.
Office Christmas parties are always rewarding. Spreading the spirit of the season with appreciation for a job well done and looking forward to the next year is important for your team as well as yourself. When planning your office party, you want your guests to be fully engaged throughout. Office party Christmas games, we find, are the perfect way to keep engagement high and ensure your office party is a resounding success.
Boosting Engagement Through Games
Keeping your attendees engaged is a vital aspect of any event, be it at an office Christmas party or any other work event. Games are superior at keeping engagement high at any party or event. According to helpguide.org, engaging in play has countless benefits for improving relationships, keeping people focused, and even improving brain function!
Games bring people together, across departments, at office parties. Whether it’s sparking conversation through icebreaker games or fostering connections through collaborative games, games help keep the party going in every way.
Before the Party
Spend some time getting to know your audience. Whether it’s questionnaires in your registration or taking votes for activities before the party, it’s wise to know what your team wants and needs. Plan activities according to their interests and needs as well as what you’re hoping to foster (a sense of appreciation or recognition, teamwork and collaboration, etc.).
If your group is large, you may need to plan specific office Christmas party games for large groups. If your team loves friendly competition, consider challenging games and activities. When planning Christmas office party games to play, take into account your teams’ needs and desires. We find that holiday games personalized to individuals are all the more engaging.
Knowing your theme is also a factor in your games. Bazic utilized their Parisian theme in their Christmas party games for work (read about their Midnight in Paris holiday party here), which engaged guests in the theme of the party as well as the event as a whole.
Regardless of the specific games you choose, ensure everyone has a chance to participate. The more guests are included in games, the higher engagement will be!
Pre-Party Engagement Ideas
- Exciting Event Flyers
- Party Registration
- Unique, Informative, Engaging Invites (Print or Digital)
- Digital Email Games (Hosting a what would you look like as a snowman avatar creator or creating a snowball fight or snow plow cursor game in your email)
- Send Print-Outs for Employees to Color as Party Decorations (include awards for creativity!)
- Exciting Event Flyers
- Voting for Award Categories (such as “Best Department to Work In”)
- Snowflake Design Using Pieces of Paper Like Cardstock (or printer paper)
During the Party
- Provide clear instructions: Make sure everyone understands the rules of each game before they start playing. Consider having volunteers or signage to offer guidance.
- Encourage team spirit: Organize games that require collaboration and communication to foster teamwork and build connections between colleagues.
- Consider offering small prizes: To incentivize engagement and add a little extra excitement, consider providing small prizes for winners or participants.
- Be mindful of time: Schedule enough time for each game but also be flexible to adjust based on the flow of the party. Don’t let games monopolize the entire evening.
- Most importantly, have fun! Your enthusiasm and positive attitude will go a long way in creating a memorable and enjoyable experience for everyone.
Engaging Activities for Christmas Parties
- Karaoke with Christmas Carols & Christmas Songs
- Action Stations (chocolate fountain, ice cream station, flambe, or another dessert action station)
- Magicians
- Wine Glass Engraving Station
- Ice Sluice Drinking Station
- Make Your Own (perfume, bath bombs, etc)
- Live Band or String Quartet
After the Party
After the Christmas party, we recommend gathering feedback from your team to improve your ROI for the next year and analyze the engagement rates for the party overall. See more on that in our article about maximizing event ROI.
- Consider Creating Frames for Teams, Linkedin, and Other Platforms Where Employees Can Proudly Display their Awards.
- Provide Banners for Your Team’s Email Signatures of their Digital Awards
- Frame a Group Photo Taken At the Event and Display it in Your Workplace
You can also secure an event budget manager to help you find ways to optimize and prioritize your budget.
Top Engagement-Boosting Christmas Party Games
Whether it’s gamifiying team building or simply relaxing and enjoying a round of fun office party games, the following activities are sure to keep your guests engaged and excited. When it comes to entertainment for corporate events, especially Christmas parties, we have plenty of ideas! Start off your Christmas party with light icebreaker games and move your way into collaborative games to foster connections among coworkers. Remember, the holidays are all about bringing people together. Choose games for your office Christmas party that reflect that while harkening back to your company’s goals.
Ice Breakers
- Holiday Guessing Game: Place festive, Christmas-themed objects like jingle bells, candy canes, or ornaments in opaque bags and have employees guess what’s inside without peeking. Award a small prize for the most correct guesses. This is a fun, low-key way to encourage mingling and laughter.
- Holiday Photo Scavenger Hunt: Create a list of holiday-themed photo prompts like “someone wearing the most sparkly outfit” or “recreating a classic Christmas movie scene.” Divide attendees into teams and have them race around the party snapping photos. This gets people moving and working together.
- “Most Likely To…” Awards: Create lighthearted awards like “Most Likely to Bust a Move on the Dance Floor” or “Best Holiday Outfit.” Have colleagues vote anonymously (or digitally) and have a fun ceremony to present the awards. This adds a playful element and breaks the ice. (See more of our favorite award categories ideas for employees!)
- Random Holiday Carol Karaoke: Divide participants into small groups and assign each group a random holiday carol. Give them a few minutes to rehearse and then have them perform for the whole party. This encourages teamwork and can be surprisingly hilarious.
- Holiday Bingo: Create bingo cards with squares featuring festive words or images like “reindeer,” “ugly sweater,” “Christmas tree”, or “mistletoe.” As the night progresses, call out the words and let people mark their squares. The first person to get a bingo wins a small prize. This is a simple and inclusive icebreaker for larger groups.
- Build a Gingerbread Town: Set up a gingerbread decorating station with pre-made houses and frosting. Encourage teams to compete or collaborate to build the most creative and delicious town. This sparks creativity and teamwork.
- Holiday Movie Trivia: Test everyone’s holiday movie knowledge with a trivia quiz covering classics and new releases. Offer small prizes for the top scorers and use the questions to spark conversations about favorite holiday films.
- “Secret Santa” Gift Exchange: Organize a voluntary Secret Santa AKA white elephant gift exchange, with a set budget and theme like “funny office supplies” or “homemade treats.” Your team will love having a chance to play Santa Claus for each other. This fosters a sense of generosity and creates excitement throughout the party.
Collaborative Games
- Minute to Win It Holiday Challenge: Prepare mini-games with festive twists – wrapping a snowman in toilet paper, decorating a cookie blindfolded, building a tower of ornaments. Teams rotate through these challenges, earning points for speed and accuracy.
- Holiday Pictionary Relay Race: Divide into teams and split holiday phrases or movie titles. One person from each team starts drawing, with their teammates guessing the phrase before sending the next person off. This combines creativity, communication, and quick thinking.
- Gift Wrapping Frenzy: Teams compete to wrap a “mystery present” (random object) in the most creative and secure way using only provided materials like newspaper, string, and tape. Time them for extra pressure and award prizes for the most artistic and secure wrapping.
- Human Candy Cane Forest: Blindfold team members and stand them in a circle, making them hold onto each other’s shoulders to form a “candy cane.” The goal is to untangle themselves without anyone letting go or peeking. This requires trust, communication, and problem-solving.
- “Build a Reindeer” Scavenger Hunt and Construction: Give teams a list of objects (antlers, red ribbon, bells) they need to find around the party space. Once collected, they must race to assemble the most creative and festive “reindeer” using these items.
- Ugly Sweater Design Competition: Provide plain sweaters and craft materials. Teams have a set time to design and decorate the most outrageously festive and funny sweaters. Vote for the best design or have judges pick winners in different categories.
- Holiday Carol Mashup Challenge: Divide teams and assign them two different classic holiday carols. They have to create a new song by combining elements of both, including lyrics and melody. Perform the mashups for everyone to enjoy and vote for the funniest or most creative one.
- “Santa’s Workshop”: Collaborative Storytelling: Start a story about Santa’s workshop gone wrong (elves accidentally shrinking decorations, reindeer on strike). Each team takes turns adding a sentence or two to continue the story, making it progressively crazier and funnier.
- Holiday Food Art Competition: Teams get a platter of holiday snacks like cookies, pretzels, and candy canes. They have to work together to create an edible festive scene or artwork using these ingredients. Award prizes for creativity, presentation, and taste.
- Wish Tree Decoration: Set up a tree and provide ornaments for people to write their holiday wishes on. Teams then work together to decorate the tree in a cohesive and aesthetically pleasing way. This fosters community spirit and creativity.
- Charity Games: The holiday season is the perfect time to give back to your community. Consider including charity events for team building to spread the holiday spirit.
Planning the Best Christmas Party: Games and All
The best Christmas games for an office party are customized for you and your team as well as your company’s culture. Individualized approaches are sure to boost engagement. Let our game technicians work directly with an experienced event planner to craft the best holiday party you’ve ever had. We specialize in all types, from office party Christmas games for large groups to Christmas team building activities.
If you’re looking for a one-stop shop covering all of your office Christmas party needs, our event management agency is it. From mouthwatering holiday catering to the perfect holiday corporate gift ideas to top-rated entertainment, we have everything you need, all in one place. We guarantee high engagement and plenty of fun for all.
See our past events for an idea of what we can do for you. Our event managers are ready to partner with you to create your personalized Christmas party, games, and all. Fill out the form below to get started. Happy holidays!
Contact Our Holiday Event Planners
Read More:
Latest Projects
2024 Event SolutionsVideo Game Product Launch PartyOctober 22, 2024 - 2:57 pm- San Bernardino County Employees’ 2024 Summer PicnicJuly 11, 2024 - 2:55 pm
- 2024 Event SolutionsBobrick’s Rio de Janeiro Company PicnicJune 18, 2024 - 1:58 pm
2024 Event Solutions
2024 Event SolutionsBest of the Best
- NBA 2K Launch PartyNovember 2, 2022 - 6:57 pm
- NEOM Gala & ConferenceSeptember 29, 2022 - 7:02 pm
- Premium Energy Drink Company Gets Employees Hyped UpJuly 25, 2022 - 8:49 pm
Resources
Multigenerational Meetings for HRMarch 4, 2025 - 7:54 am
Best Holiday Party Venues in the Bay AreaOctober 23, 2024 - 12:00 pm
2024 Event SolutionsCreative Design Process for EventsSeptember 4, 2024 - 4:47 pm
