A Christmas party at work is a wonderful way to show you appreciate your employees/coworkers. Even though you are at work you can still have a festive celebration with these Christmas office party ideas and suggestions for activities!
Start your party off on the right foot by sending a fun invitation. You can always send group email, but it will build anticipation in the office if you do something fun.
If you are going to have a theme or activity at the party, let your guests know on the invite so that they can be prepared. Here are a few fun suggestions:
- Gift exchange (white elephant or secret Santa)
- Ugly Sweater Contest
- Cookie exchange
- Potluck/recipe exchange
- Scavenger hunt
- Ornament exchange
Everyone will be excited for this Christmas party!
Easy and FUN is the way to go for decorations for the office. Here are the Christmas office party ideas we recommend:
Wrapping paper – buy some inexpensive wrapping paper and bows. You can wrap the artwork on the wall to look like presents, or wrap empty boxes and use them around the room as decorations.
Lights – What would Christmas be without lights? Hang a few strings around the party room and watch everyone’s faces “light up”.
Custom Christmas Banner – Personalized with your own wording! Hang one on the wall above the buffet or over the entrance welcoming everyone. This is a great decoration you can use year after year!
Ceiling Decorations – I think these are fantastic. They can really liven up any boring space.
Balloons – The best bang for your buck. Make bouquets with an odd number of balloons (it looks better) and use groups of candy canes as balloon weights!
Employee Stockings – Buy an inexpensive felt stocking for each of the employees and write their names on them with puffy paint and hang the stockings on the wall. You could even slip a small treat in there (something light) like a gift card for a cup of coffee.
Confetti – Sprinkle confetti on the tops of the tables to bring a bit of sparkle to the party. You can even add a little to the invitations.
Christmas Photo Op – Set up an area where everyone can take a fun holiday photo! You can use a backdrop give everyone Christmas props to wear in the pictures.
Paper chain garland or streamers – Simple but effective. I love the red and green links of a Christmas paper chain, but if making one will take up too much of your time red and green crepe paper is almost as good!
Spray snow – if your party room or break room has any glass surfaces decorate them with a can of spray snow. It will make everyone feel festive, and you can write out a holiday greeting or even make a snowman!
A few fun activities will make the party a blast for everyone. Here are some great Christmas office party ideas, easy games and fun activities:
A White Elephant gift exchange is where everyone brings something tacky from their attics or basements. This exchange is played in many ways, one is while the gifts are still wrapped, have your guests pick a present. Once everyone has one gift, have everyone open their presents. After this, grab a pair of dice and have your guests roll them. Anyone who gets doubles gets to keep their gift or swap a gift with whoever they choose. You can choose to go around the circle one, twice or three times; or only allow two swaps before that person is out of the game and you continue until everyone is finished.
Write questions related to Christmas on little green Christmas tree cutouts, number them, and tape them to the walls around the party room. Provide your guests with pencil and paper, and have them write down their answer to the numbered questions throughout the party. At the end of the party, read off the answer and see which guest got the most points for a prize!
Sample Questions:
- What are the names of Santa’s eight reindeer? A): Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen
- What is a buche de Noel? A): An edible yule log
- What do bad little boys get for Christmas? A): Switches and lumps of coal
- Finish the song line: “All I want for Christmas is…” A): my two front teeth
- Who was caught kissing Santa Claus? A): Mommy
- How do you say Merry Christmas in Spanish? Bonus: In French? A): Feliz Navidad ; Joyeux Noel
- What did Frosty the Snowman have for a nose? A): A button
- Who wrote “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas”? A): Clement Clarke Moore
- What is the last line in Moore’s poem? A): “Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night.”
- What is a tannebaum? A): Christmas tree in German
- What did the Three Wise Men bring? A): Gold, frankincense, and myrrh
- On the twelfth day of Christmas, what did “my true love give to me”? A): 12 fiddlers fiddling, 11 lords a-leaping, 10 ladies dancing, 9 pipers piping, 8 maids a-milking, 7 swans a-swimming, 6 geese a-laying, 5 golden rings, 4 calling birds, 3 French hens, 2 turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree.
Make up pieces of paper with Holiday characters written on them (Rudolph, Santa, Mrs. Claus, an Elf, etc) As guests arrive, pin or tape the piece of paper to each of their backs, without letting them see what’s written on it. The rules are that they can only ask and answer yes or no questions, to find out who they are.
It’s always nice to end the party with a fun favor. Try a few of these winter themed ideas:
- Winter Theme Candy Bar – Set one at every place setting, or have them by the door for guests to grab on the way out. Additionally, set out single serving sized bottles of milk or bottled water to go with the chocolate.
- Chapstick – the cure for those chapped winter lips
- Car Ice Scraper – Add a tag that reads “It was so ICE of you to party with us!”
- A single serving pack of gourmet hot coco
- Personalized Mint Tins with a Winter Wonderland design
- Sugar cookies in the shape of snowmen or snowflakes
- Popcorn balls
Tie a tag on the favor that says “Thanks for coming to frolic and play in this Winter Wonderland!”