20 Christmas Office Party Ideas For The Ultimate Festive Celebration
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- Updated: 13th October 2023
You've spent nearly a year hard at work, and you're looking forward to enjoying a restful Christmas away from the office. The snow is falling, the fire is burning, and the only thing standing between you and your mince pies is your work party. Alas, you'd rather hide behind the Christmas tree than endure another year of barely festive "mandatory fun."
If you're dreading your work celebration, it might be time to spice things up and leave the stale communal Christmas pudding in the past. When was the last time you conducted a thorough audit of your office's holiday traditions? You might be due for some new Christmas party ideas.
It doesn't take much to reinvigorate a tired year-end party. Live music, new gifting traditions, or a simple location change can help you revive the holiday spirit. We've gathered 20 office Christmas party ideas to breathe new life into your annual celebration.
Live Music Ideas to Get Your Christmas Party Swinging
We’ve got sacks full of Christmas Bands and festive acts to choose from!
1. Christmas Casino
Everyone loves a Casino Night party. Luckily, they aren't difficult to plan for an office of any size.
Allow your high rollers to gamble all night without spending their hard-earned money. You can hire roulette and blackjack tables and even bring in professional dealers. Set up spaces for card games like Texas Hold Em or War.
Adding some holiday flair is easily done by incorporating Christmas props and decor, from metallic tinsel to red and green dramatic uplighting. You can also set a dress code, encouraging tacky Christmas ties and gaudy gowns. Don't forget to include some festive finger foods that your coworkers can easily carry from table to table as they play the night away.
2. Christmas Quiz Night
The Christmas holiday is all about coming together, but that doesn't mean you can't spice things up with some healthy competition! Host a Christmas-themed Quiz and see what the crew knows about Christmas films, carols, and traditions. Sprinkle in a few questions about the office, and you'll keep everyone engaged, excited, and laughing like Father Christmas himself.
If Christmas questions feel a bit over the top, combine a more traditional Quiz with another idea on the list, such as an ugly Christmas jumper dress code or live musical performance. You'll keep things festive without going overboard on excessive Christmas cheer.
3. Secret Santa Swap
It wouldn't be a holiday party without gifts, and a secret Santa swap is the perfect way to encourage goodwill and empathy among office mates. In this exchange, each participant pulls a coworker's name out of a hat and buys that person a gift without revealing who they are.
There are a few variations on this fun gifting tradition. In some offices, Secret Santas begin leaving small treats for their giftees in the weeks leading up to the party. In larger workplaces, each participant gains access to a brief survey listing everyone's preferences (including details like clothing sizes and allergies.)
To make things even easier, consider using an online Secret Santa app to coordinate the matches.
4. Christmas Song Bandeoke
Once your coworkers have a few drinks in them, expect the off-key Christmas carolling to begin. Rather than merely enduring the tipsy performances, make them a feature. Bandeoke, or live band karaoke, allows you to bring in a band to accompany those drunken holiday hits, making every accountant, HR professional, or administrative assistant feel like a genuine rockstar.
Your live band will consist of professional musicians who can improvise and follow any performer's lead. They'll even come in fancy dress to add extra holiday ambience to your affair. Guests can choose from Christmas standards or a range of hit songs, with real-time, on-screen lyrics available.
5. Live Jazz Performer
When you think of Christmas, your mind fills with the holiday standards that underscored your childhood. Embrace the nostalgia by bringing in a live jazz band to add a vintage sound and old-world ambience to your event.
A jazz crooner is a perfect addition to a smaller office Christmas party. Your performer work with you to develop a set list of jazz standards and Christmas carols to create your ideal festive atmosphere.
Consider including a Christmas band at a larger event. Not only will they be able to perform the holiday standards, but they can kick things up a notch and get all your curmudgeonly coworkers on the dance floor. They'll dress to match your party's theme, whether that means playing the night away in formal attire or taking a solo in a Santa suit.
6. White Elephant Swap
While a Secret Santa swap is a great way to encourage empathy, a tight-knit office can take a little tough love. During a White Elephant gift exchange, each participant arrives with an enticing wrapped gift.
To begin, participants draw numbers. The person who draws number one gets to choose any wrapped gift and open it in front of everybody. The gift might be something fabulous, or it could be a ridiculous gag gift that nobody would ever choose for themselves.
The fun begins when participant number two chooses and unwraps their gift. They have the option to hold on to their gift or swap with number one.
The game continues, but the higher your number, the more gifts you can "steal." No gift is safe until everyone has gone.
In some versions of the game, the player who chose number one gets to make the final swap. However you play, you're in for a lot of laughs!
7. Ugly Christmas Jumper Party
There's no better way to build anticipation for a party than by encouraging fancy dress. When you turn ordinary office parties into Ugly Jumper parties, your attendees will spend weeks concocting the most hideous holiday attire possible. Raise the stakes by offering prizes and watch your office mates go toe-to-toe under the mistletoe.
At the party, be sure to include a fashion show where each participant can strut their stuff. If you hire a band, they can accompany the models as they strike a pose under the fairy lights.
8. Sweet Swap
Ask anyone you meet and they'll likely tell you about their family's favourite Christmas sweet recipe. Instead of hearing about them, why not taste them?
Encourage everyone to bring in a large batch of cookies, puddings, homemade candies, and other delicious treats. Allow your coworkers to browse the options and make up a plate to bring home and enjoy with their families.
9. Pass the Parcel
Pass the Parcel is another way to approach gifting games at a Christmas party. In this game, the host should wrap up one enticing gift in layers and layers of paper. Players sit in a circle and pass the parcel around as music plays. When the music stops, the person holding the gift can remove one layer of wrapping. Continue playing until the final player reveals the gift—they get to keep it!
This is a fun party game to play with a live band, as they can keep the tunes fresh, and even respond to the growing tension as the parcel becomes smaller and smaller.
10. Festive Holiday Cocktails
If you want your office to get excited about the Christmas party, all you need to do is mention that there will be drinks. Plan a menu of exciting Christmas cocktails to keep things merry and bright. Mixed drinks lend themselves nicely to seasonal flavours such as cinnamon and spice, cranberry, and orange.
11. Acts of Service
Christmas is about more than boozing, puddings, and carols. Nothing is warmer than finding a way to give back as a community. Donating your time can be a fun bonding experience that beats any raucous celebration and leaves everyone feeling accomplished.
For example, host a tie-knot blanket-making event. Provide the materials and allow your coworkers to create simple, festive blankets to donate to a local children's home, hospital, or charity.
12. Host a Holiday Murder Mystery
Even the most well-meaning people have occasionally dreamed about murdering their coworkers. When you host a murder mystery Christmas party, you can do so without long-term consequences! Hire a troupe of actors to facilitate the shenanigans, or order a kit and plan the festivities yourself.
There are plenty of Christmas-themed storylines to spice up your ordinary office dinner party.
13. Gingerbread House Competition
The gingerbread house is a classic symbol of Christmas decadence. Get your coworkers in the spirit by hosting a gingerbread house decorating competition at the office.
You can provide teams with kits or offer graham crackers, frosting, and milk cartons. Make sure to provide plenty of candy and decorations, but expect a lot of them to disappear into mouths during the event. Put on some swinging holiday music and let the participants go to town.
Award prizes for the best and worst houses. Participants can either take theirs home or dig right in!
14. Cozy Christmas Movie Marathon
When in doubt, look to the Christmas classics. Either rent out a local cinema or hook up a projector and turn the office into a Christmas campsite. Encourage everyone to come in pyjamas, and offer plenty of snacks—the fun and good cheer will take care of itself.
15. DIY Hot Chocolate Bar
Nothing is cosier than a cup of hot chocolate... except, perhaps, a cup of fancy hot chocolate that you've customized yourself. Fill your cocoa bar with tantalizing toppings and mix-ins, from fluffy marshmallows to sweet peppermint sticks.
16. Festive Photo Booth
Are you looking for a way to capture memories of those ugly Christmas jumpers forever? Set up a festive photobooth, including silly holiday props like Santa hats, oversized candy canes, reindeer antlers, or fairy light necklaces. Don't forget to set up a custom party hashtag so everyone can share their best selfies.
17. Christmas Bingo
Bingo is one of the simplest games to organize. It's also the most entertaining game to play, and the most electrifying game to win. Add holiday cheer by providing wrapped peppermints or gumdrops as bingo markers and offering wrapped gifts as prizes.
18. Christmas Dance Party
Sometimes the best way to host a party that people want to attend is to keep things simple. Hire a great, upbeat band or professional DJ, set up a dance floor, and let the celebration take care of itself. When the music is swelling, it's impossible to stay off the dance floor, ensuring everyone will have a great time!
19. Potluck Feast
Why pay for catering when you can put your team to work? Put out a sign-up sheet a few weeks in advance and allow your coworkers to choose the dishes they want to make. On the day of the party, set up a big buffet table and let everyone help themselves to a homemade Christmas dinner with all the trimmings.
20. Playful Panto Party
When in doubt, embrace nostalgia. Why not pick up some tickets and treat everyone to a ridiculous night of revelry by attending a panto performance? Enjoy a Christmas feast at a local restaurant before the show, then head out to the pub afterwards for a rollicking good time.
Magical Office Christmas Party Ideas
The holiday season is all about tradition, but that doesn't mean you need to recycle the same tired Christmas party ideas year after year. Your office holiday celebration shouldn't feel like another tedious day of work. When you take a risk and try something different, you'll bring new life to your Christmas work party.
Even so, the Christmas standards have earned their place in the holiday canon for a reason. Bands For Hire can help match you with a swinging holiday band or performer to make your event festive, vital, and fun. Christmastime is a busy season, so get in touch out and book your holiday entertainment today.
