35 Christmas office party games

The office Christmas party is the perfect opportunity to unwind, celebrate the year's achievements, and build camaraderie among colleagues. Here's a list of 35 Christmas-themed office party games to make your festive gathering even more memorable.

These games are designed to be fun, engaging, and suitable for a workplace environment, ensuring everyone has a jolly good time!

1. Festive trivia

Test your team's knowledge with a holiday-themed trivia game. From Christmas movies to winter facts, it's a great way to start the party with some friendly competition.

How to play:

Prepare a list of Christmas-related questions and divide into teams for a spirited trivia contest.

2. Secret Santa gift exchange

A classic office favorite, Secret Santa adds mystery and excitement to gift-giving. It's a fun way to exchange presents and guess who your Secret Santa might be.

How to play:

Participants draw names to secretly buy gifts for each other, revealing the giver during the party.

3. Christmas cookie decorating contest

Unleash creativity with a cookie decorating contest. It's not just about the taste – it's the style that counts!

How to play:

Provide plain cookies and decorating supplies, and let the most artistic cookie win.

4. Ugly sweater fashion show

Turn those infamous ugly Christmas sweaters into a hilarious fashion show. It's a wonderful way to add laughter and see everyone's festive fashion sense.

How to play:

Host a runway show of ugly sweaters, and let the office vote for the most outrageous outfit.

5. Holiday charades

Act out popular Christmas movies, songs, and traditions in this classic game of charades. It's a fantastic icebreaker and always leads to lots of laughs.

How to play:

Use Christmas-themed prompts for a game of charades, with players acting out without speaking.

6. Snowball toss

Create a winter wonderland with an indoor snowball toss. It's a playful way to bring the snow inside, minus the cold!

How to play:

Set up buckets at various distances, and toss white fluffy ‘snowballs’ into them for points.

7. Christmas carol karaoke

Belt out your favorite Christmas carols in a festive karaoke session. It's a great way to spread cheer and maybe discover hidden talents!

How to play:

Set up a karaoke machine with a selection of Christmas songs and let the singing battles begin.

8. Holiday scavenger hunt

Organize a Christmas-themed scavenger hunt around the office. It's an exciting way to explore the workplace and get everyone moving.

How to play:

Create a list of holiday items to find around the office, with the first team to find everything winning a prize.

9. Gingerbread house building contest

Channel your inner architect with a gingerbread house building contest. It's a sweet challenge that's as much fun to build as it is to eat.

How to play:

Provide gingerbread house kits and let teams compete to construct the most impressive edible structure.

10. Festive photo booth

Set up a festive photo booth with props and backdrops. It's a great way to capture the holiday spirit and create lasting memories.

How to play:

Take turns snapping fun, themed photos in the booth. Don’t forget the goofy props!

11. Pin the nose on Rudolph

A Christmas twist on a classic game. It's a fun, lighthearted activity that's sure to bring out everyone's competitive side.

How to play:

Blindfold players and have them attempt to pin a red nose on a Rudolph poster.

12. Christmas movie bingo

Watch a Christmas movie with bingo cards featuring common holiday film tropes. It's a cozy way to relax and add an interactive element to movie watching.

How to play:

Distribute bingo cards with movie clichés, and mark them off as they appear on screen.

13. White elephant gift exchange

A white elephant gift exchange is full of surprises and laughter. It's an entertaining way to swap gifts and see what quirky items show up.

How to play:

Each person brings a wrapped, humorous or unusual gift. Players take turns choosing or stealing gifts.

14. Wreath making workshop

Get crafty with a DIY wreath making session. It’s a festive and creative activity that lets everyone show off their artistic side.

How to play:

Provide materials for wreath making and let everyone create their unique holiday wreath.

15. Holiday hat mix-up

Add a twist to the party by swapping festive hats. It's a simple yet amusing way to mix things up and get everyone interacting.

How to play:

Everyone brings a festive hat, places it in a pile, and then randomly picks a new one to wear.

16. Christmas card craft corner

Set up a station for crafting personalized Christmas cards. It's a thoughtful and relaxing way to express holiday wishes to colleagues.

How to play:

Provide card-making supplies and let everyone get creative in designing their holiday cards.

17. Candy cane relay

Engage in a candy cane relay for a mix of speed and strategy. It's a sweetly competitive game that's sure to get hearts racing.

How to play:

Teams race to transport candy canes using only another candy cane held in their mouths.

18. Holiday memory game

Test your memory with a Christmas-themed matching game. It's a delightful challenge that's perfect for winding down and enjoying some quiet competition.

How to play:

Flip over cards to find matching pairs of Christmas images.

19. Elf on the Shelf hide and seek

Bring the magic of Elf on the Shelf to the office with a hide and seek game. It's a playful way to keep everyone on their toes.

How to play:

Hide an Elf on the Shelf each day and have colleagues search for it, with a prize for the finder.

20. Christmas balloon pop

Pop balloons to find hidden challenges or prizes. It's a loud and exciting game that adds an element of surprise to the party.

How to play:

Fill balloons with challenges or prize slips, and let players pop them to reveal what’s inside.

21. Frosty's snowball fight

Organize a harmless 'snowball' fight with soft, white paper or fabric balls. It’s a great way to blow off steam in a fun and safe way.

How to play:

Divide into teams and have a mock snowball fight using soft, non-destructive ‘snowballs.’

22. Holiday Pictionary

Draw and guess Christmas-themed prompts in a game of holiday Pictionary. It’s a fantastic way to test your drawing skills and holiday knowledge.

How to play:

Use Christmas-themed prompts for a game of Pictionary, with players drawing and others guessing.

23. Santa's sack race

Bring some outdoor fun inside with a Santa sack race. It's a hearty laugh and a good dose of physical fun.

How to play:

Jump in large sacks, racing to the finish line. First one across wins bragging rights.

24. Holiday haiku challenge

Craft Christmas-themed haikus for a moment of poetic fun. It’s a serene way to engage with the holiday spirit creatively.

How to play:

Create a 5-7-5 syllable Christmas haiku and share with colleagues for a bit of literary entertainment.

25. Mistletoe mystery

A game of intrigue and surprise, where getting caught under the mistletoe has a new twist. It’s a fun way to get everyone mingling.

How to play:

Hang mistletoe in unexpected places. When colleagues find themselves underneath, they draw a task or question to complete or answer.

26. Reindeer ring toss

Get in the festive spirit with a reindeer ring toss. It’s a charming game that tests your aim and brings out everyone's competitive side.

How to play:

Toss rings onto antler-shaped targets, with points for each successful toss.

27. Jingle bell jam

Turn up the holiday tunes for a spontaneous dance-off. It’s a great way to shake off the holiday stress and boogie to some classic Christmas hits.

How to play:

When the music plays, everyone dances. When it stops, freeze in your funniest pose!

28. North Pole navigation

A team-building game where groups navigate through a ‘North Pole’ obstacle course. It's a test of teamwork set in a winter wonderland.

How to play:

Teams work together to complete a series of holiday-themed obstacles, like crawling through ‘snow tunnels’ or ‘ice floe’ hopping.

29. Christmas Bingo

Play Bingo with a holiday spin, using Christmas symbols and phrases. It’s a relaxed game perfect for mingling and enjoying seasonal snacks.

How to play:

Use Christmas-themed bingo cards, marking off items as they’re called out.

Top tip: Why not try one of our pre-made Christmas themed bingo templates to get you started?

30. Guess the gift

Wrap up mystery gifts and have colleagues guess what’s inside. It’s a curious mix of guessing game and gift exchange.

How to play:

Feel and shake wrapped mystery gifts, then guess their contents. Correct guesses win the gift!

31. Tinsel limbo

How low can you go under a tinsel-covered limbo stick? It’s a festive twist on a classic party game, perfect for livening up the evening.

How to play:

Bend and twist to pass under a tinsel-laden limbo stick. The lowest limbo-er wins.

32. Santa says

A holiday version of ‘Simon Says’ with a Santa twist. It’s a playful way to engage everyone in some light-hearted commands.

How to play:

One person is ‘Santa’ and gives commands starting with "Santa says." If the command starts with "Santa says," players must follow it. If it doesn't, players should stay still. It's a jolly good test of attention and reaction, perfect for some festive laughs.

32. Candy cane hook

Players use a candy cane in their mouth to hook and collect as many other candy canes as possible from a table. It’s a game that’s sure to draw laughter and a bit of friendly competition.

How to play:

Using a candy cane held in their mouth, players try to hook and collect as many other candy canes as possible within a set time limit.

33. Christmas word search challenge

Get those brains working with a Christmas word search. It's a quiet yet competitive activity that can be a great calming game after more active ones.

How to play:

Distribute Christmas-themed word search sheets. The first person to complete their word search wins a small prize.

34. Holiday lights twister

Add a festive twist to the classic game of Twister, using colored Christmas lights instead of the traditional colored dots. It's a bright and fun way to get everyone laughing and moving.

How to play:

Play Twister as usual, but with a Christmas light mat. Right hand red? That's now right hand on red light!

35. New Year’s resolution guessing game

Start looking forward to the New Year with a guessing game. It's a thoughtful way to learn more about your colleagues and their goals for the upcoming year.

How to play:

Everyone writes down a resolution. Guess who wrote each one for a fun and insightful activity.

Summary

These 35 Christmas office party games offer a perfect blend of fun, creativity, and team-building, ensuring your holiday celebration is both memorable and merry. Whether it's through a friendly competition in a trivia game, the shared laughs in an ugly sweater fashion show, or the collaborative spirit of a gingerbread house-building contest, these activities are designed to bring joy and foster a sense of community among colleagues.

So, as you plan your office holiday festivities, consider incorporating these games to add an extra sprinkle of Christmas cheer.

Happy holidays and let the games begin!