4 Unique Corporate Holiday Party Ideas that are actually Fun!

Planning an office holiday party that’s also fun to attend can be a tough ordeal. Most employees wouldn’t voluntarily want to spend the most wonderful times of a year at the office. But if you can incorporate fun-to-do activities, you can jump that hurdle easily. 

By doing so, you’ll also create opportunities to bring workgroups together–whether on-site or virtually. Teams that laugh and have fun build stronger bonds that also help them work together more smoothly.

So, ready for some out-of-the-party-box corporate Christmas party ideas? 

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1. Low-budget office party ideas

One main reason why some office parties suck is because of choice of venue! If you’re planning one and are strapped for cash, there are two routes you can take. We’ll discuss both:

i. Inexpensive venues

Rent an Airbnb 

Get that homey feel without the price tag with this option. Additionally, your attendees will appreciate not being stuck in the office and having a new place to enjoy. 

That said, if you choose corporate christmas party ideas like this one, be prepared to spend on things, like:

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• Decorations
• Setup
• Catering
• Serving
• Cleaning fees 

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We’d also recommend a snacky menu people can enjoy without having to sit down–your airbnb might not come with a large space for that!

On-site office party

Most venues won’t match the two main pros of having an onsite party:

• Cost effectiveness
• Convenience

So, we totally understand why you’d want to do the same. But being stuck in the office can be a downer to some. 

Cheer up the partygoers by taking these easy measures:

• Start before the workday ends
• Move the party to the foyer, cafeteria, lounge, or conference room
• Set the occasion apart with delectables and gameables

ii. Cheap Activities

Make the party fun with games and other activities–and we have two great ideas below: 

Thanksgiving potluck

Looking for pocket-friendly holiday party activities for work? Do this:

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• Plan a lunchtime potluck
• Recommend these easy potluck recipes
• Arrange for an anonymous taste-testing 
• Award prizes–massage certificates/gift cards
• Give the employees the rest of the day off

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Movie day

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So, you don’t want to spend a ton of money but still want employees to have holiday fun. Totally doable! You could:

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• Go out for a matinee movie–look for group prices by calling ahead
• Stay in the office and have a company movie day

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Arrange for a little lunch afterwards to help the team get into the holiday spirit.

P.S. A fun corporate christmas party entertainment idea would be to pick a holiday-themed flick!

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2. Virtual company holiday party ideas

Companies with completely or partially remote teams shouldn’t have to miss out on the holiday fun! In fact, the physical distance makes it even more important that they spend time together in other ways. 

So, use these ideas to pull off successful and engaging virtual parties:

i. Finish the Christmas carol 

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There are many great virtual Christmas party ideas, but this one’s our favorite:

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• Divide the team into two equal halves–minus one member
• That individual will be the host
• The host will start and stop the songs
• Once the song stops, the teams must finish the lyrics
• Highest number of finishes wins!

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Make your own playlist or try this one.

ii. Netflix party

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If a team can’t go to a party, they can have the party come to them with this great idea!

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• Send out movie night boxes to team members
• Have them download the Teleparty extension (it’s free!)
• Set the date and pick a flick
• Use the chat window during the movie
• Virtually meet to discuss  

3. Unique corporate holiday party ideas

Admit it, we’ve delivered some really awesome tips so far. Well, these next recommendations will knock it out of the park!

i. Host a superhero & wine tasting party

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Who says costumes are just for Halloween? With this virtual tour, companies can ensure it’s Halloween all year round! Make it a part of work holiday party activities successfully by:

• Having teams dress up for a costume contest 
• Following live-streaming guides to movie locations
• Creating their own superheroes
• Having an animator draw those designs live
• Sipping superhero-themed wine

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ii. Virtual karaoke

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Another fun idea is to have an online karaoke contest. You’ll need:

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• A host to moderate
• A selection of songs–use the playlist mentioned above
• Chrome’s Karaoke Online extension to display the lyrics
• Awards for best team/solo singers

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4. Holiday team building activities

The suggestions below will challenge team members to work collaboratively and win. Result? Cohesive groups that use their individual strengths and support each other! All that and they get to have some holiday-themed fun. 

i. Holiday hijinks

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Have teams try and outpace each other as they play a holiday game, such as:  

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• Elf It! – Create unique gifts using only the items in the office/house
• Junk Jingle – Compose 5-second-long beats to holiday songs, using only the objects around them   

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Keep score so the team with the highest points can win the Holiday Hijinks Champs!

Best part? It’s one of the corporate Christmas party ideas that works for on-site & virtual parties!

ii. Holiday trivia game 

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Another one of our fun corporate Christmas party ideas that can also be adapted for other holiday traditions. 

Divide employees into teams and have them answer Christmas-themed questions like: 

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• Which department store created Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer? 
• Which U.S. city is behind the creation of eggnog?  

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Use this list to find more fun questions. 

iii. DropEvent-sponsored snapshot challenge

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You already know how important corporate photos can be for collaborating teams. But did you know you can also use them to play a fun game?

Another one of our unique corporate christmas party ideas, where employees must match company photos to company events!

You’ll need a collection of company photos from past events, parties, team-building activities, and memorable moments. You can even ask the players to send in some photographs via QR code. Setup a slideshow using the images. Then divide employees into teams for these games:

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• Memory Round

– Turn off the slideshow

– Have participants guess the order of the pictures shown

• Matching Round

– Display one photo

– Have participants write down details about it, like the event, date, etc.

• Bonus Round

– Display a photo of a team member/group

– Have participants try to identify everybody in it

The team with the highest score wins.

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Conclusion

Workplace celebrations are critical for the health and wellbeing of well-adjusted teams. We hope you liked our list of corporate Christmas party ideas. They let team members connect on a personal level, increase team chemistry, and ensure the good times keep rolling! 

P.S. don’t forget to use DE to capture those memorable moments. 

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FAQs

1. How can I make my office party interesting?

Corporate Christmas party ideas that allow attendees to interact and engage with each other can make such gatherings memorable. So, make things more fun and encourage team collaboration with elements like:

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• Themes
• Dress codes
• Games
• Karaoke
• Office awards 

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2. How do you plan a good work party?

For unforgettable parties, you’d need to:

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• Start planning early
• Choose an accessible location
• Incorporate interesting activities
• Gamilfy said activities and reward the winners
• Serve easy-to-serve-and-eat snackish finger food
• Have a good playlist
• Take pictures to display/post on social media later

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3. What are the benefits of corporate photos?

There are many benefits of corporate photo-taking. Some of them are:

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• Promoting your brand
• Displaying professionalism
• Engaging your customers/clients
• Increasing trust in your brand
• Improving team collaboration

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