20 Office Christmas Party Ideas Everyone Will Enjoy (2026)
The best office Christmas parties aren't necessarily the most expensive. They are the ones where everyone feels included, there's something to do besides standing around, and nobody has to give up their evening unless they want to. Here are 20 ideas that work for in-person, hybrid and fully remote teams, followed by a simple planning checklist.
In the office
1. A team Christmas quiz
The classic. Split into mixed teams, put our Christmas Office Quiz on the big screen and keep score on paper. Use "No timer" mode so teams can confer. Prefer pen and paper? Print our 60 Christmas quiz questions and answers.
2. Secret Santa unwrapping
Draw names a few weeks before with our Secret Santa generator, then unwrap gifts together at the party and guess who the giver was.
3. Christmas jumper day
Free, easy and a great conversation starter. Add a vote for the best jumper.
4. Desk decorating contest
Give teams a week and a small budget to decorate their area, then judge on the party day.
5. Festive bake-off
Volunteers bring homemade treats, and everyone else judges (and eats).
6. Christmas lunch together
A long lunch during working hours is often more popular than an evening event, especially for people with caring responsibilities or long commutes.
7. Charity collection or volunteering
Combine the celebration with a food bank collection, a toy drive or a team volunteering morning.
Hybrid and remote teams
8. Virtual quiz with breakout rooms
The host shares the Christmas quiz; teams confer in breakout rooms and come back for the answers.
9. Festive Draw & Guess
Share Draw & Guess and swap the random word for Christmas films and objects.
10. Christmas Two Truths and a Lie
Run Two Truths and a Lie where every statement must be about Christmas, such as memorable gifts or unusual traditions.
11. Snack box delivery
Post everyone the same small box of treats to open together on the call.
12. Festive background competition
Everyone dresses up their real or virtual background; the team votes for a winner.
13. Show and tell: decorations edition
Each person shows their oldest or strangest decoration and tells its story in 30 seconds.
Low-budget ideas
14. Potluck lunch
Everyone brings one dish. Ask people to label ingredients so colleagues with allergies or dietary requirements can join in safely.
15. Christmas film afternoon
Book a meeting room, bring snacks and vote on the film in advance.
16. Team awards
Light-hearted awards such as "Best Mute Button Moment" or "Coffee Champion". Keep them kind and make sure nobody is the butt of a joke.
17. Gratitude wall
A board (or a shared online board) where people leave thank-you notes for colleagues. It costs nothing and people genuinely treasure it.
Games to fill the gaps
18. Emoji Christmas films
Post films as emojis and let people race to guess. Warm up with Emoji Guess.
19. Christmas word scramble
Unscramble festive words against the clock, or use Word Scramble on a shared screen.
20. Pick the next game with a wheel
Put the activities on our name picker wheel and let fate decide what's next. Teams can pick names with our team name generator.
Office Christmas party planning checklist
- Six to eight weeks before: agree the budget and date; book any venue or food.
- Four weeks before: send the invitation with date, time, place (or video link) and whether partners are invited.
- Three weeks before: draw Secret Santa names if you're doing one.
- Two weeks before: collect dietary requirements and access needs.
- One week before: plan the running order, test the quiz and screen sharing, and prepare prizes.
- On the day: keep it relaxed, keep activities short and thank everyone for coming.
Making the party inclusive
- Make it optional and hold at least part of it during working hours.
- Offer good non-alcoholic drinks so nobody feels left out.
- Check the venue is accessible and the food covers common dietary needs.
- Consider calling it an end-of-year party if your team celebrates different festivals.
- Include remote colleagues with a video link or a parallel online activity.
For a ready-made programme of online activities, see our guide to 15 virtual Christmas party games for work.
