As the holiday season approaches, now’s the time to start generating staff Christmas party ideas.
While perhaps stressful and time-consuming to organize, staff Christmas parties do matter. Celebrating the festive season together at work can help tighten community bonds among your team and increase overall workplace satisfaction.
As a full-service catering company, we here at Marbled LA know just how stressful planning a company Christmas party can be. That’s why we put together this helpful list of 17 of the best festive staff Christmas party ideas to show your staff what they mean to you!
Skim through and choose the option that’s best for you and your team. Then, once your party is scheduled, it’s time to arrange for professional holiday catering.
But don’t worry. We’ve got you!
#1: Company Christmas Party Catering
As you pull everything together to make your office Christmas party sparkle, the last thing you want to worry about is planning the party menu and chasing down little details like whether you’ve bought enough napkins or remembered to order the ice.
Nothing could be more easy and convenient than simply arranging for professional catering from a reputable, professional catering service like Marbled LA, who specializes in this kind of thing.
Marbled LA can handle any order—large of small—while providing affordable, high-quality service. We can even create personalized Holiday menu options to match the theme of your staff Christmas party!
When it comes to holiday parties, we like to take care of the food and drink-related details so that you don’t have to.
Check out our holiday catering menu for more ideas, and if you live in or around LA, Marbled has you covered. Contact us today to request a quote for your next event.
#2: Christmas Costume Contest
Who doesn’t love a good Christmas costume contest?
Encouraging employees to dress up in their favorite Christmas-themed outfits for the staff Christmas party is a fun and playful way to get everyone into the holiday spirit—not to mention express their own creativity and individuality.
Consider prizes for first, second, or third place participants.
Prizes could include:
- Gift cards
- Movie tickets
- Extra vacation days
- Holiday-themed goodie bags
- First place in line at the buffet table
#3: Secret Santa Gift Exchange
A Secret Santa gift exchange captures the spirit of the season through the giving of gifts.
About a week before the staff Christmas party, have everyone in the office draw a name from a hat for a secret gift exchange. As the word secret implies, everyone then chooses thoughtful and personalized Christmas gifts for one another. (Generally, there’s also a price cap included so that no one feels pressure to go over the top with their choice.)
As you can imagine, half the fun is in trying to decide what to get for the person without letting on who you’re buying a gift for!
Then, at the Christmas party, everyone exchanges gifts and enjoys seeing what everyone picked out for everyone else. Fun and laughter ensue!
#4: Christmas Movie Marathon
On one of the last days before the holiday break, set your lounge area or common space with a selection of classic Christmas films playing on a loop. You can create a schedule or allow colleagues to choose.
- A Christmas Carol
- It’s a Wonderful Life
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas
- Miracle on 34th Street
- Home Alone
Employees can cycle in and out as their schedules allow, relaxing and enjoying the Christmas spirit—and goodies from the catered buffet table—as their schedules allow. This can be used as a stand-alone holiday celebration or in tandem with a catered office holiday party.
#5: Christmas Classic Karaoke
To maximize holiday cheer at your staff Christmas party, just add singing!
A karaoke session in which employees can sing their favorite holiday song could be a fun and engaging activity to liven up the atmosphere.
A little friendly company holiday party competition with prizes for the best performances can up the ante while simultaneously boosting morale.
#6: Christmas Tree Decorating Contest
Depending on your available space–and budget!—either set up one Christmas tree marked into separate quadrants or several Christmas trees, each of which is designated to different individuals or teams/departments.
By a designated time, each team will have decorated their tree (or tree space) with their own theme, competing to outdo one another.
This office Christmas party idea is a win-win. It’s a team-building exercise that results in festive decorations for your corporate holiday party.
#7: Christmas Craft Workshop
A popular choice for staff Christmas parties, a Christmas craft workshop simply requires providing materials and guidance for making ornaments, wreaths, or other holiday crafts.
Whether you organize it yourself or hire and bring in a professional to lead, a Christmas craft workshop can prove a unique and memorable addition to your staff Christmas party while also providing a tangible object employees can take home to enjoy.
#8: Christmas Photo Booth
Nothing says staff Christmas party quite like a themed photo booth.
Setting up a Christmas-themed photo booth in the office, complete with props and backdrops, may require some advanced planning, but it’s worth it.
The fun and memorable Christmas photos taken during the office Christmas party will create memories that will last for years to come.
#9: Ugly Sweater Contest
An ugly sweater contest never misses.
For this event, employees wear their most outrageous Christmas sweaters and Santa hats, competing to outdo each other with their over-the-top selections.
Give prizes for
- Most creative sweater
- Most memorable sweater
- Worst color combinations
- Ugliest sweater
#10: Christmas-Themed Escape Room
If you live in a larger metropolitan area like LA, you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding a Christmas-themed escape room to visit. (If not, there are now services offering virtual escape room experiences that you could participate in right from the comfort of your own office.)
Working together to collect clues and solve puzzles can build team spirit and promote collaboration and problem-solving while also giving the staff a break from the everyday!
Add a post-party with some catered food and drink, and you have yourself an engaging Christmas party!
#11: Outdoor Ice Skating
Enjoy the winter season with this classic Christmas activity! A staff field trip to an outdoor ice skating rink is a great way to create lasting memories.
To top it all off, having professional caterers taking care of the food and drink after the event means no one has to leave the rink early to head back to the office to set up.
Everyone can enjoy the day—and then return to the office for a Christmas dinner spread.
#12: Christmas Charity Drive
An all-staff Christmas charity drive during the holiday season promotes a spirit of giving within the office and reminds everyone what the season is all about. Working together toward a common goal can also be an incredibly bonding experience for everyone involved.
Whether you sponsor a toy drive or partner with a local charity, this could be a meaningful way for your staff to usher in the season.
#13: Christmas Trivia Quiz
One great staff Christmas party idea is to host a holiday-themed trivia quiz, with prizes going to the most knowledgeable teams or individual participants. Set up a catered buffet spread so people can pick throughout the night.
Questions could be related to
- Holiday traditions around the world
- Christmas movies, music, and pop culture
- Holiday history
#14: Reindeer Games Tournament
An idea taken from that one line in “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” about how Santa’s other reindeer never let Rudolph join in any “reindeer games,” the Reindeer Games Tournament is a lively, tournament-style competition including lighthearted, Christmas-themed games.
- Santa Sack Races
- Pin the Nose on the Rudolph
- Blindfolded Gift Wrapping
- Oven Mitt Gift Unwrapping Challenge
- Candy Canes (variation on “Spoons”)
Be sure to include prizes for the winners to take this one over the top!
#15: Winter Wonderland Office Transformation
On the day of your staff Christmas party, make transforming the office into a winter wonderland part of the event itself.
As the staff works together to set up the tree, hang twinkle lights, layer fake snow along the window ledges, and hang up whatever other holiday decorations they choose, they will feel their holiday spirits rising.
The entire winter wonderland transformation can culminate in a shared, fully catered meal—either breakfast, lunch, or an after-hours buffet dinner.
#16: Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony
If space allows, consider incorporating a Christmas-tree lighting ceremony in your staff Christmas party, whether it takes place in the office itself or in your open, outdoor area.
Employees can participate fully in the tree lighting event by helping to decorate the tree leading up to the lighting, inviting their friends, family, or even (if applicable) clients to attend, and joining in the countdown leading up to the magical moment itself.
Then, of course, everyone enjoys food and drink together amid the glow of the twinkle lights!
#17: Christmas Pajama Party
Those who worked from home during the pandemic already know the delights of spending the work day in their coziest fuzzy pajamas. Now that many of us are fully back in the office, why not celebrate the season by giving employees the best of both worlds?
At a staff Christmas pajama party, employees come to the office in their most festive pajamas. Whether that means a Grinch onesie, a red-and-green flannel set, or simply some comfy sweats, co-workers get to work in their favorite holiday PJ’s right up until the staff Christmas party.
This can create a relaxing and joyful atmosphere perfect for celebrating the holiday season.
Celebrate the Season in Style
In the workplace, the holiday season provides unique opportunities for celebration and bonding.
As you narrow down ideas for your staff Christmas party, be sure to choose the options that will best fit your current company culture and team preferences. While young, high-energy teams might prefer the Reindeer Games, teams with a more chill vibe might appreciate a combined Christmas Pajama Party and Holiday Movie Marathon option.
Whatever you decide, remember that the heart of every party is good food and drink. As such, it should take priority in your planning.
Before the rush of the holiday season truly descends, get ahead of the mad scramble by hiring Marbled LA to cater your corporate holiday event.
To hear more about how we can help you plan your menu and take your staff Christmas party to the next level, contact us to hear more and to request a quote today!
