18 work Christmas party ideas and team-building activities

The Christmas corporate party is the biggest company event of the year, so you need to get a head start on planning. To save you time (and nerves), we prepared work Christmas party ideas for different teams.

In the article, you’ll find the following work Christmas party ideas:

• Office Christmas corporate party ideas for large teams
• Office Christmas party ideas for small teams
• Remote Christmas team-building activities

So, grab a cup of coffee or drink of your choice and let’s go!

Christmas corporate party ideas for large teams

1. Themed party

People spend so much time in the same work environment. A themed corporate party is a great opportunity to change the scenery, add some excitement, and create lasting memories. Just add a dress code and a vibrant atmosphere, and it’ll be a party everyone remembers for a long time.

Here are themed Christmas party ideas for work:

• Roaring twenties. A glamorous, Great Gatsby-inspired event.
• Christmas in Vegas. Casino games, bright lights, and fabulous prizes.
• Vintage Christmas. Nostalgic setting, vinyl records, and Frank Sinatra’s Let It Snow.
• ‘70s, ‘80s, or ‘90s disco. A throwback dance party with retro music and style.
• Winter wonderland. A classic, elegant evening with snowflakes, ice sculptures, and a frosty color palette.
• Ugly sweater party. A lighthearted, fun event where the “worst” Christmas sweater wins.

These gifts will support the party’s theme while making a lasting impression on your employees.

2. Gala dinner 

Host a black-tie gala dinner for a truly special and sophisticated vibe. Guests can showcase their best evening wear and enjoy fine dining, dancing, and a touch of luxury.

Swag42 Gala dinner

To make the gala even more memorable, add a few extra touches, such as an elegant photo booth, live entertainment (e.g., a jazz band), or an employee award ceremony to recognize key achievements.

For an employee award ceremony, we have a lot of sophisticated gifts in our catalog, including:

• Boss wallets
• Stanley cups
• Lenco record players

3. Masquerade ball

Host a masquerade ball to add a touch of mystery to your corporate Christmas party. Encourage your employees to wear their masks or provide custom ones for a memorable experience.

To boost participation, prepare special prizes for categories like “best costume”, “most creative”, or “the funniest one”.

4. Live performance

Set the mood for your party with a live band, carol singers, or a DJ playing classic Christmas tunes and party hits.

For a touch of magic, consider inviting magicians or illusionists to perform. They will keep your guests engaged and entertained all night long.

5. Karaoke night

Turn your employees into rockstars with a festive karaoke night. Create a holiday playlist that mixes classic Christmas carols and popular party hits to get everyone singing along.

Split employees into teams with themed names like “The Grinches” or “The Elfs” and make them compete in fun, karaoke-themed contests. Here are some examples for your inspiration:

• Name that tune. Play a short clip of a famous Christmas song and ask guests to name the title.
• Karaoke roulette. A contestant or a team is assigned a random song they should perform on the spot. The unpredictability makes it hilarious and fun.
• Karaoke pictionary. While one team member sings, the rest must draw what they think the song is about. 
• Singing backwards. Challenge contestants to sing a well-known song by reversing the lyrics.

To encourage participation, give out special Christmas-themed prizes. They can range from minor complements like Christmas chocolates or Santa mugs to more unique gifts like a cozy wool scarf or custom-branded teddy mittens.

Christmas party ideas for small teams

Here are fun Christmas work party ideas for small teams:

6. Christmas baking

Host a Christmas-inspired cooking class to bake a delicious pie or gingerbread. Add festive music and a holiday quiz to make the event more lively.And don’t forget the cooking-themed gifts. The Swag42 winter holiday catalog has plenty of customizable items to make your baking party memorable.

7. Who killed Santa? Murder mystery party

Host a Who Killed Santa?: a murder mystery night to engage everyone. Hand out roles to each team member and read through a script.

Your employees will embrace their inner Sherlock, hunting for clues to solve the festive crime.

8. Santa’s workshop

Working together on a fun activity helps boost team connection. Organize a Christmas-inspired workshop where employees can express their creativity and make something themselves.

Here are some Santa’s workshop examples:

• A festive wreath
• Holiday candles
• Gingerbread house decoration
• Bauble-making

9. Christmas board games

Organize a board game night with a festive theme. Here are some ideas:

• Monopoly. Christmas edition. Play the classic real estate game with a festive twist, buying properties like Christmas markets.
• Christmas articulate. Fill the popular word-guessing game with cards that feature Christmas-related words, carols, and holiday traditions.
• Scrabble. Add words and challenges related to Christmas and New Year, forcing players to get creative with their holiday vocabulary.
• Guess who? Christmas edition. Players use yes-or-no questions to find out which Christmas character their opponent has picked (e.g., a snowman, Santa’s reindeer, an elf).

10. Guess the gift

Try playing Guess the Gift with your team. In this game, the host holds a wrapped present while everyone else tries to guess what’s inside. The guessers can feel the shape and listen for any sounds the package makes. If players are struggling, the host can offer a few verbal clues.

The person who guesses the gift receives it. Possible gifts to wrap:

• Coffee blend
• Christmas candy cane or gingerbread
• Aroma candle
• A thermo mug
• A hot chocolate bomb
• Chocolates
• Tea blend

11. Festive food from around the world evening

There are two options to host this event.

Prepare a buffet of Christmas dishes from various countries and cultures in advance and ask guests to guess the country after trying the dish. You can include Italian panettone, German stollen, or a classic English trifle. You can add small cards next to each dish with a fun fact.

For a more interactive experience, split your employees into teams. Assign each team a different country and a festive traditional dish to cook together. Give prizes for the best-tasting dishes or the most effective presentations.

Christmas team-building activities for remote teams

Even though it seems harder to connect with a team in different locations, there are plenty of great Christmas work party ideas for remote teams:

12. Festive trivia quiz

Prepare a festive quiz with different categories to suit everyone, for example, Christmas food, traditions, and movies. To add more fun, include interactive activities, such as “Name that tune” competition or Christmas charades.

13. Mulled wine making session

Bring your team together for a virtual mulled wine-making session. Send all the necessary ingredients (spices, citrus, and wine) in advance. Then, organize a Zoom video call and make the drink together.

To make the experience sweeter, add small gifts to the package. Our catalog, for example, has festive chocolate advent boxes and branded chocolate sets that instantly set a cheerful holiday mood.

14. Christmas sweater contest

Organize an Ugly Christmas Sweater contest to create a festive spirit with minimal effort. Ask your employees to send a photo of themselves in their ugly Christmas sweaters to a group chat. Then, let everyone vote for their favorite and send branded gifts to the winners.

15. Secret Santa

Hold a virtual Secret Santa gift exchange. To ensure everyone receives a gift they like, ask your team to prepare a wishlist or write down their hobbies and interests beforehand. You can easily organize the entire exchange using online tools like MyWishlist or Elfster.

As an alternative way to surprise your employees, we recommend creating a personalized Christmas merch shop using our Swag42 platform. There, you can choose Christmas-themed merch from our catalog and add it to the shop. Assign points to each item and allow your employees to redeem the gifts they want most. We’ll make sure all deliveries get to them just in time for the holidays.

16. Christmas movie watching

Host a cozy Christmas movie night for your team. Use a streaming service that allows for interactive group watching in real time. You can also organize a short quiz after the movie. Ask questions about the movie’s details and send gifts to the most attentive ones.

17. Online holiday bingo

Create bingo cards with squares containing things that might happen or be seen during a video call. When players see or hear one of the items on their card, they check the box. The first to get five squares in a row wins.

Here are some ideas for your bingo square:

• Someone is drinking hot chocolate
• Someone’s pet appears on screen
• A person says “happy holidays”
• The host tells a joke
• A festive ornament is visible in someone’s background

Swag42 offline bingo

18. Advent calendar

If you want to create a festive atmosphere for your teammates, send a beautiful holiday box filled with branded company gifts. Every little gift adds a sense of surprise while serving as a warm touch from your brand.Our catalog offers several beautiful Advent calendars with different vibes.