Office Christmas Party Games

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1 Dec, 2024

Christmas calls for fun, light-hearted, and engaging party games to bring some holiday cheer to your office party. Whether you’re looking to encourage team bonding or simply want everyone to let their hair down, here are updated ideas to ensure your celebration is a hit:

1. Christmas Trivia with a Twist

Test your team’s knowledge with a trivia game featuring holiday-themed questions, including quirky facts about Australian Christmas traditions or highlights from the workplace’s past year. Add a competitive edge by playing in teams and offering small prizes for the winners.

2. Christmas T-Shirt or Outfit Contest

Forget ugly sweaters! In true Aussie summer style, encourage attendees to sport their best Christmas t-shirts or themed outfits. Turn it into a runway show and let the crowd vote for categories like “Most Creative” or “Best Group Ensemble.”

3. Reindeer Games Relay

Organise teams for a series of fun and festive challenges, such as wrapping a gift blindfolded, balancing an ornament on a spoon, or stacking Christmas cups into a pyramid. Keep the atmosphere lively with holiday music in the background.

5. Cookie or Gingerbread Decoration Contest

Set up a decorating station with cookies or mini gingerbread houses, icing, and toppings. Participants can unleash their creativity, and the best design wins a prize. It’s a sweet way to get into the holiday spirit!

6. Christmas Karaoke Challenge

Get everyone’s vocal cords warmed up for a karaoke battle featuring holiday classics. Include Aussie Christmas songs for a local twist and let colleagues vote for the most entertaining performances.

7. Holiday Bingo

Create bingo cards with Christmas-themed icons, workplace milestones, or fun facts about colleagues. This low-pressure game can run throughout the event, with participants marking off items as they spot them.

8. Festive Photo Booth

Set up a summer-inspired photo booth with Christmas-themed props like Santa hats, tinsel, reindeer antlers, and beach-themed accessories. Encourage teams to take goofy group shots to commemorate the day.

9. Office Awards Ceremony

Add a light-hearted touch with an awards segment recognising fun categories like “Best Desk Decorator” or “Most Likely to Eat All the Pavlova.” Ensure the awards are inclusive and good-natured.

10. Christmas Movie Charades

Split into teams and act out scenes from popular holiday movies. Add a uniquely Australian twist by including scenes from summer-themed films.

11. Pass the Parcel with a Twist

Wrap a small gift with multiple layers of wrapping paper. Between each layer, include a fun challenge or question. Participants pass the parcel around a circle while music plays, unwrapping a layer when the music stops.

12. Two Truths and a Lie: Christmas Edition

Ask participants to share two truths and one lie about their Christmas experiences or traditions. The group guesses which statement is the lie. It’s a great icebreaker!

13. Pin the Nose on Rudolph

A festive twist on the classic “Pin the Tail on the Donkey.” Blindfolded participants attempt to pin a red nose on a poster of Rudolph. Provide small prizes for the closest attempts.

14. 12 days of Christmas

Break your staff up into 12 teams and allocate each team one of the verses of the 12 days of Christmas. Their goal is to sing only their verse, accompanied by appropriate actions, as the song progresses.

15. Carol Charades

Break your staff into two teams. Have a representative from each team draw a Christmas Carol title from a hat held by the judge. The representative then has to act out the title so the rest of the team can guess. The moment they think they have guessed the title, they have to sing one chorus of the song at the top of their lungs. When the judge agrees they have the correct title, the representative draws another carol title and acts it out. Generally three carol titles done as charades works well for a party.

Tips for a Safe and Inclusive Celebration

While it’s all about fun, remember to:

  • Provide non-alcoholic beverage options and ensure responsible service of alcohol.
  • Choose games that cater to diverse abilities and preferences.
  • Set clear expectations about appropriate behaviour during the event.

 

The manager’s Christmas party speech is also a time to speak from the heart about the manager’s pride in their team, their thanks and gratitude for all the help of the staff during the year and to highlight some good things and lessons from the year.

Christmas is a time to deeply acknowledge and not damn with faint praise. The greatest gift you can give your team is the gift of focus, attention, understanding that they are truly valued and permission for some fun. Of course, the odd great Christmas bonus doesn’t go astray either!

With these ideas, your office Christmas party is sure to be memorable and filled with laughter, teamwork, and holiday cheer. Cheers to a festive Aussie summer!

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Ingrid Moyle: Lead Author, Australian Employee Manual

HR Author and Lecturer with over 25 years' experience in human resources and workplace relations in Australia. Lead Author of Instant HR Policies & Procedures, NDIS Direct Employment HR Manual, and Employee Performance Reviews: Tips, Templates and Tactics.

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