25 Holiday Party Ideas for Work Your Team Will Actually Show Up For

Every December, someone in HR gets the same question: what are we doing for the party? The best holiday party ideas for work are the ones people want to attend, not the ones they attend out of duty.

This list of office holiday party ideas has 25 options. Seventeen are free or cheap and need no outside host, so these holiday party ideas for work fit most budgets. Eight are bookable with outside hosts. Almost all work without alcohol, and none assumes everyone celebrates Christmas. Pick one, or mix two.

Free and low-cost holiday party ideas for work

1. A long team lunch on a workday

Skip the evening. A long lunch in working hours means nobody needs a babysitter, a late train or an excuse. Order in from a local caterer, or book a restaurant room. It’s one of the easiest holiday party ideas for work, and it suits any size and budget.

2. A potluck of family traditions

Ask everyone to bring a dish from their own holidays, and a note saying why it matters. You get Hanukkah latkes next to tamales and a Diwali sweet. Label allergens clearly. It suits teams of 10 to 60.

3. Cookie decorating (a classic holiday party idea for work)

Buy plain cookies, icing and sprinkles. Set up one table per team. Offer snowflakes, stars and plain shapes so nobody feels left out. It costs little and works in a break room.

4. A mocktail bar

Put out sparkling water, juices, herbs and fruit, and let people mix their own. Add one recipe card per drink. Non-drinkers get a real option, and drinkers often switch. A coworker can play bartender.

5. A gift swap with a $15 cap

Run a white elephant or a secret Santa. A firm cap stops awkward comparisons between big and small gifts. Offer a charity donation as an opt-out for anyone who’d rather not swap.

6. A silly awards ceremony

Hand out joke awards, such as “Most Likely to Reply All”. Keep them kind and let people nominate. Our funny employee awards list has plenty of starting points.

7. A winter trivia contest

Write 20 questions on winter, food, movies and your own company history. Mix teams across departments. Ask the quiet people to be scorekeepers. It runs well in 45 minutes, in person or on a video call.

8. A gratitude wall

Put up a big sheet of paper and some sticky notes. Everyone writes thanks to a coworker. By the party’s end the wall is full. Our guide to gratitude wall ideas shows how to set one up.

9. A homemade photo booth

Hang a plain backdrop, add props and let people snap each other. Share the photos in a team folder afterward. Remote staff can join with their own props on camera.

10. A cozy day

Invite people to wear their favorite sweater, slippers or pajamas. Add hot chocolate and soft music. It’s a low-cost holiday party idea for work where nobody has to dress up or spend money.

11. Conference room karaoke

Cast a lyrics video onto the big screen. Start with a group song so shy singers can hide in the crowd. Make singing optional, and let the audience vote for the best costume instead.

12. A board game afternoon

Bring in a few games for 2 to 6 players, from card games to cooperative puzzles. Pick games with short rules. It suits teams who like low-key fun more than loud parties.

13. A desk decorating contest

Give each team a small budget and a theme, such as “winter lights” or “favorite traditions”. Judges pick categories, so every team wins something. It runs for days, which helps staff on different shifts.

14. A winter walk with cocoa

Take a 30-minute walk around the block or a nearby park, then return to warm drinks. It suits groups of any size. Offer a seated route, and keep the pace slow.

15. A volunteer morning

Pack meals at a food bank, wrap gifts for a local charity or write cards for seniors. Check with the charity about group sizes. Giving back feels good for people of every faith and none.

16. A family open house

Invite partners and children for an hour in the office. Show them around, serve snacks and run a simple craft table. Some staff love this. Make it optional so others can keep work and home apart.

17. The gift of time

Close the office two hours early on the last day before the break. It costs nothing in cash, and many coworkers will remember it longer than any dinner. Check your PTO and coverage rules first.

Bookable office holiday party ideas

These bookable holiday party ideas for work come from suppliers listed in our Something Different directory. Each listing says where they work. Ask each one about your date, budget and any dietary or accessibility needs.

18. A team scavenger hunt or mystery game

Best Corporate Events, LLC (US, plus virtual) runs in-person games at your workplace. Options include the Crack the Case!® detective mystery (up to 2 hours) and City SmartHunt®, a half-day iPad scavenger hunt. They work with groups from 20 to 6,000+, so large companies can run one event for everyone.

19. A paint-and-sip night, minus the sip

ArtWorx Events (New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, plus virtual) sends an instructor to lead your team in painting. The listing says no art experience is needed, and everyone keeps their piece. It suits groups of 13 to 60, and a virtual version is available for remote staff.

20. A craft party for a small team

The Crafty Kit (New Jersey, US) offers resin art, framed pressed flowers and mosaic kits for groups of up to 12. The listing names holiday parties as one use. It suits small teams who want a quiet, hands-on hour.

21. A team theme song

Create Your Team Theme Song (US, plus virtual) pairs your team with an award-winning songwriter. You write lyrics together and leave with a recording. It suits groups of 13 to 30, needs no musical experience and lasts up to 2 hours.

22. A virtual cocktail or wine night

couch + cork (virtual, works anywhere) hosts a live wine tasting or mixology class, and the listing says it covers Christmas and celebrations. Wine is shipped to guests for the tasting. Ask them about alcohol-free options for non-drinkers.

23. A virtual escape game

Escape From The Meeting (virtual, works anywhere) is a 60-minute game. Coworkers solve clues over chat to find five excuses to leave a bad meeting. The listing promises no cameras and no forced introductions. It suits shy teams.

24. A live virtual city tour

Discover Live (virtual, works anywhere) streams a live tour led by a local guide, with a choice of 200+ destinations. The listing says tours work with closed captioning. It’s a good fit if your team celebrates a mix of holidays.

25. A drumming finale

Doug Manuel (From Me To We) (UK and US, at your workplace) runs a keynote where every participant plays a djembe. The listing says no musical experience is needed. It suits 13 to 150 people and runs up to 2 hours.

How to pick from these holiday party ideas for work

Start with who’s coming to your holiday party. A team of eight needs a different plan from a company of 300. Then check the budget, the timing and the mix of offices.

For hybrid teams, choose one event everyone can join, or run the same activity in each place. SHRM says this about remote staff. “They shouldn’t feel isolated or alone during what is touted as the happiest time of the year.”

Read the full SHRM article on including remote workers.

Run it in work hours if you can. Keep alcohol optional. Call it a holiday party, not a Christmas party, and ask staff what they’d like. A two-question poll takes five minutes.

Based in a big city? Our guides to team activities in New York, Chicago and Boston list venues and hosts. For more games and puzzles, browse the games and challenges directory.

Holiday party FAQ

When should we plan holiday party ideas for work?

Book hosted events as soon as you can, because hosts fill up between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. Free ideas need only a few weeks. Send the date early, so people can plan around PTO and travel.

How do we make a work holiday party inclusive?

Use the words “holiday party”. Offer food for different diets, alcohol-free drinks and a quiet corner. Make every activity optional. Ask staff to share the celebrations they’d like to see.

What are good office holiday party ideas on a small budget?

A potluck, a trivia contest, a gift swap with a $15 cap and a gratitude wall cost very little. A long lunch in work hours is also cheap and well liked. Free ideas often beat paid ones.

How long should a work holiday party last?

Most of these holiday party ideas for work fit into one to two hours. Short events let everyone stay without a late night. Add a clear end time to the invitation.

Pick one and book it this week

The best holiday party ideas for work are simple, optional and kind to everyone. Choose one of these holiday party ideas for work from the free list and one bookable event if your budget allows. Send the invite today.

Photos supplied by ArtWorx Events (top), Best Corporate Events and The Crafty Kit.