41 Holiday Work Party Ideas for 2025 That Don’t Feel Like Work

Planning a holiday work party can feel like tiptoeing through tinsel. You want to celebrate your team, but not with another stale gathering that people feel obligated to attend. And these days, they might just skip it altogether. A recent survey by CFO.com found that 64% of employees now skip after‑hours office gatherings, including holiday parties. Instead, many would prefer a bonus or extra day off.

So what actually makes people want to show up? It’s not about big budgets or perfect themes. It’s about planning something that feels real — something fun, relaxing and maybe even a little bit thoughtful. That’s where this list comes in. From laid-back gatherings to out-of-the-box group activities, these holiday work party ideas are designed to make your team feel appreciated without making it feel like… well, work.

Jump to Section 

• Unique Holiday Work Party Ideas
• Virtual Holiday Work Party Ideas
• Holiday Work Party Games
• Holiday Work Party Food Ideas
• Holiday Work Party Themes
• Work Christmas Party Activities for Adults

Unique Holiday Work Party Ideas

1. Host a Paint and Sip

Paint and sip classes make excellent holiday work party ideas because they get everyone relaxed, creative and just a little bit silly. It’s a refreshing break from anything that feels like forced office fun. Pour a glass of wine, pick a festive subject (snowy landscape, awkward reindeer, anything goes), and let your coworkers surprise each other with their artistic flair. You can book a paint and sip in Los Angeles, Indianapolis or San Diego, or even take things virtual with an online painting class.

2. Try Pottery Classes

A pottery class is the perfect way to turn your holiday work party into something unexpected. It gets people talking, collaborating and working with their hands — no awkward icebreakers needed. Everyone can relax, chat and create something tangible to take home. You can book pottery classes in Boston, San Diego, San Francisco, in a city near you or bring in a local instructor and turn your conference room into a pop-up studio.

3. Get the Team Moving With Dance Classes

A dance class instantly changes the vibe — less meeting, more moving. It’s playful without being cheesy and works for any group that’s willing to laugh at themselves. You could go all in on a holiday-themed routine or just try something upbeat to help people loosen up. Either way, it makes for a great team building activity that will get everyone involved. If your team’s traveling for the season, or even if they’re not, you’ll find great options for dance classes in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Orlando or a city near you.

4. Office Decorating Party

Office decorating doesn’t have to be an afterthought. Turn it into the holiday work party itself. Split the team into departments or pods and give everyone the same stash of supplies. From tinsel-wrapped monitors to paper snowflake garlands, let them go all in. Add categories like “most over-the-top,” “best holiday pun,” or “most likely to annoy the building manager.” For extra inspiration, borrow a few ideas from these Christmas activities that work just as well in a break room as they do at home.

5. Party Bus Pub Crawl

If you want a more loose and casual version of a holiday work party, consider renting a party bus or van for the day. Hit up some of the local watering holes to keep the spirits lively. It’s a great opportunity to get to know other staff members outside of the office in a social setting. You can also include games, snacks or beverages on the bus, as well as other stops of interest, such as shops or eateries, along the way.

Virtual Holiday Work Party Ideas

6. Host a Virtual Beverage Tasting

If your team’s remote, a tasting session is a great way to shake up the usual video call. Wine, beer, cocktails — whatever the drink, it gives everyone something to talk about and enjoy together. You can book virtual wine tastings or online mixology classes to keep things festive without needing to be in the same room.

7. Run Holiday-themed Virtual Games

If your team’s been glued to screens all year, flip the script with a virtual game night that brings out everyone’s competitive side. Think online trivia games with ridiculous prizes, virtual scavenger hunts that have coworkers dashing for tinsel or virtual escape rooms with festive themes that make for great virtual party games for Christmas. Choose games that fit your crew’s energy and suddenly, your holiday work party is the one people actually RSVP to.

8. Send out Party Packages for a Shared Virtual Event

Send out festive packages ahead of your virtual holiday work party with snacks, drinks and decorations so the virtual party feels more like a shared event. Everyone will have the same snacks to nibble, decorations to hang and maybe even a goofy accessory to wear. It’s a simple way to bring the team together and show that remote doesn’t have to mean impersonal.

9. Stream a Movie Together

Plan a cozy holiday movie night with your remote team. Choose a classic, share a watch link and encourage everyone to show up in pajamas with hot chocolate. It’s simple, but it creates a warm, shared experience even from different homes. You can even make this idea family-friendly by choosing a children’s holiday movie. Musical film? Turn it into a sing-along.

10. PowerPoint Party

Forget budget recaps and Q4 goals, this PowerPoint night is all about absurd creativity. Ask your team to present on ridiculous topics like “Top 5 Reindeer That Would Absolutely Unionize” or “Holiday Songs That Need to Be Retired Forever.” It’s low-stakes and guaranteed to get everyone laughing, even the quiet ones. Sip on holiday cocktails while applauding your colleagues’ hilarious Christmas party entertainment ideas.

Holiday Work Party Games

11. Gingerbread House Contest

Turn gingerbread decorating into a full-on competition by hosting a gingerbread house showdown at your holiday work party. Teams or individuals can build and decorate, with categories like “Most Creative” or “Most Structurally Unsound.” It’s fun, a little nostalgic and it doubles as dessert.

12. White Elephant Gift Exchange

You don’t need a big budget to make gift-giving fun. A white elephant exchange keeps things lighthearted. Everyone brings a wrapped, inexpensive gift to toss into the mix. The surprise is half the fun, and the swapping rules add just the right amount of chaos. Go for quirky, useful or totally random gifts to get everyone laughing and guessing what’s next.

13. Host a Holiday-themed Pictionary Contest

Bring out everyone’s inner artist with a round of holiday Pictionary. All you need is a shared screen and a drawing tool. Or even a whiteboard and some markers will do, if you’re in person. Think candy canes, Santa stuck in a chimney or snowmen doing yoga. The worse the drawing, the better the laughs. 

Holiday Work Party Food Ideas

14. Book a Group Cooking Class

If you frequently overhear conversations in the office about restaurant suggestions or recipe tips, that might be your sign to plan a cooking class holiday work party. It’s a natural way to bring food-loving teams together in a setting that feels more like fun than work. Choose a holiday roast, festive cocktails or a seasonal dessert — whatever fits the group. You’ll find plenty of options, from cooking classes in New Orleans, Chicago, Portland or a city near you. Remote teams can join online cooking classes instead.

15. Themed Work Party Dinner

Food-obsessed colleagues will love a themed food night. Think Italian Christmas, a Hanukkah spread or winter favorites from Scandinavia. Themed dinners add personality to your holiday work party and encourage everyone to try something new. If you want to make your holiday work party extra special, you can encourage your colleagues to dress according to the theme and end the night with a costume contest.

16. Food Truck Party

Skip the stuffy sit-down dinner and invite food trucks to turn your office lot into a pop-up feast. It’s an idea that works for offices in warmer climates, or anyone willing to brave the cold for a good taco. It’s also a great way to support local restaurants and give your team more choice than the standard buffet.

17. Throw a Potluck Dinner

Not every office has an infinite party budget, and that's where Christmas potluck ideas come in. Let your team bring their favorite dishes and turn lunch into a shared experience. It saves money, invites everyone to participate without needing a formal plan or budget. As far as low-budget office party ideas go, this one is the easiest.

18. Holiday Escape Room

Escape rooms offer a lively and energetic opportunity to work both with and against your coworkers in a non-work setting. Local escape rooms may offer festive and holiday-themed events, or you can create one from scratch, specific to your workplace. Great themes include the “Meeting That Never Ends” to extricate you and your team from, or holiday-themed projects like launching Santa’s sleigh or fighting off zombie elves.  

19. Murder Mystery

Murder mysteries can be an excellent activity for your holiday party, creating socialization opportunities, building critical thinking skills, and offering a setting with drinks and hors d'oeuvres. At the same time, you make the rounds investigating and interrogating your fellow party-goers. Many companies sell pre-designed kits or guidance, including Masters of Mystery and Playing with Murder. 

20. Pet Pageant

The holidays are the ideal time to show off your furred friends. Take photos or videos of your pet in their holiday finest and create listings on why they should win in various categories, like “Most Stylish,” “Most Photogenic” and “Most Talented.” Have people at the party vote via paper or electronic ballot. 

21. Trivia Tournament

Test the knowledge of your fellow party-goers with some trivia questions that can win them prizes. You can theme it around the workplace and the people who work there, or choose a more specific theme for questions, like Christmas movie trivia favorites or world holiday traditions if you have an international team.   

Holiday Work Party Themes

22. Ugly Sweater Party

Some trends stick around for a reason. An ugly sweater party lets people show up looking ridiculous on purpose, which takes the pressure off and brings the fun. You can make it a contest, add music and snacks, or just let the outfits do the work.

23. Family Fun Day

Turn your holiday work party into a family-friendly celebration by inviting partners and kids along for the fun. A casual “holiday family fun day” is easier on the budget and shows your team you value their lives outside the office. Add a few themed crafts, snacks or games or transform your space into Santa’s workshop for something extra festive.

24. Soup Kitchen Trip

Trade the party hats for hairnets and plan a volunteer day at a local soup kitchen, food bank or community center. It’s a meaningful way to spend time as a team and focus on something beyond the office. Plus, research from UC Berkeley shows that people who volunteer regularly experience measurable boosts in mental well-being, so you’re doing good for others and yourselves.

25. Cookie Party

Challenge participants to wow their co-workers with their favorite Christmas cookie ideas, Valentine's Day cookies or Thanksgiving cookies. Everyone brings one variety of cookies and takes home a sampling of everyone else’s offerings. The exchange can be combined with other games and activities, as well as entertainment, gift exchanges, Secret Santa gifts, Christmas cocktails and other festive food and drinks. 

26. Toy Costume Party

While most people consider Halloween the only dress-up holiday, Christmas brings a fun opportunity to turn up as your favorite childhood toy like the Elf on the Shelf. Combine a costume event with other types of holiday activities and refreshments. Offer prizes based on the best costume, the funniest outfit or the most unrecognizable uniform.

27. Wellness Day

Combat the hectic holiday season with a little relaxation and pampering by offering fun treats like massages, manicures, pedicures, yoga sessions and meditation opportunities during the party. You can even combine these with a healthy brunch or snacks to partake from while waiting for your next activity. 

Work Christmas Party Activities for Adults

28. Flower Arranging Class

Skip the gift swap and bring in a flower arranging instructor. Holiday-themed virtual flower arranging classes bring elegance and color to your work party. Everyone leaves with a custom bouquet or centerpiece, and it’s a nice contrast to typical winter activities. You can even tie it into employee appreciation gifts by including keepsake holiday vases.

29. Glass Blowing Classes

If you want your holiday work party to feel like more than a checkbox, book a glass blowing class. You’ll watch a live demo, learn the basics and try your hand at making something seasonal like an ornament or paperweight. After the class, take your coworkers out for some festive cocktails and share funny tales of your glass-blowing attempts.

30. Woodworking Classes

Swap the usual party playlist for the hum of tools and the smell of fresh-cut wood. A woodworking class adds some grit to your holiday work party. Your team can build something seasonal like ornaments, coasters or candleholders, and walk away with something they can use to decorate their tree. 

31. Holiday Arts and Crafts

Set up a space with supplies for employees to make ornaments, cards or holiday décor. It’s a great holiday work party idea for daytime events, especially when paired with music and treats. 

32. Giving Tree

Partner with a local school, community center, the best charities to donate to or a church to bring gifts to kids. Create ornaments for each colleague and allow participants to choose an ornament and buy the gift. Have everyone bring their gift in for a wrapping party with treats and refreshments or make a group trip to deliver the gifts.

33. Snow Globes Workshop

This fun activity is suitable for all ages, but is really great for parents so that they can take something home for their kids. All you need are some glass jars, distilled water, and glycerin, which will help keep your glitter more aloft in the water. Fill the jar with small ornaments, such as deer figurines and bottlebrush trees, for Christmas. You can even laminate images, photographs and backgrounds to make them watertight inside the jar. 

34. Karaoke Party

Karaoke is a fun way to get to know your co-workers and their tastes through their favorite tunes. You can book a professional host during the party or rent a machine from a party store and do your own emceeing. While people may be shy at first, adding a few of the best cocktails to the mix can always help loosen those vocal cords. You can even theme the party around holiday songs or Christmas carols.

35. Make Handmade Soaps

Melt and pour soapmaking can be easier than you think. All you need is some base, a double broiler and a mix of scented oil and other soap additives. People will love making soaps to both use themselves and give as gifts. Learn how to make soap with our guide.

Large Group Christmas Party Ideas

36. Hot Cocoa Bar

For a large workplace, gathering everyone in one space at the same time can be a challenge. Instead of a party at a specific time and place, why not set up a cocoa bar in the office where people can stop by and congregate while making their own concoctions? You just need hot water, cocoa mix and fun additions like wafer cookies, sprinkles, marshmallows and whipped cream. 

37. Photo Booth

For another great idea for a larger office, set up a fun background and allow workers to take their own photos, both individually and in groups. You can include fun holiday costume elements and props like Santa hats and reindeer antlers. Or create fun Christmas scene cutouts for sticking your face through, inspired by holiday films like “Elf” and “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” 

38. Scavenger Hunt

Holiday-themed scavenger hunts, like Christmas scavenger hunts, can scale as large or as small as you desire. They can also take place in a physical office or electronically. Most start with a list of holiday-related objects participants must find or collect and some scavenger hunt clues. They can also be combined with other activities or gatherings. Do a more targeted hunt over a few hours with a photo scavenger hunt, or make it a week or month-long exercise that ends with the holiday break. 

39. Casino Night

Combine the holiday spirit with some games and a charitable goal. Raise money by setting up fun games like blackjack, craps and roulette and having people play to raise money and/or win prizes. Make it a casual work event or rent a swanky venue to create a high-end event. 

40. Cultural Attraction Partnership

For larger groups and budgets, consider partnering with a local community attraction like museums, theaters or sports arenas to bring everyone together under one roof, along with families and friends. Offer free or reduced admission as well as other perks like merch, food, and drinks during the event. 

41. Winter Carnival

Take the party outside for a winter carnival if you live in a snowy landscape. Great outdoor activities include sledding, skating and building snow castles or ice sculptures. Keep folks toasty with a bonfire to roast marshmallows or a hot beverage station.

Holiday Work Party FAQs

What Is a Work Holiday Party?

A work holiday party is a social event organized by a company or organization to celebrate a holiday. It's commonly during the end-of-year holiday season, like Christmas, Hanukkah or New Year's. Work holiday parties are typically a more relaxed and festive occasion where employees can socialize outside of their usual work environment.

How Can I Make My Work Holiday Party More Fun?

The best work parties have the ideal mix of food, fun activities and holiday festiveness. Set the mood not only with decorations, but also create a more relaxed environment with lighting and music that encourages people to linger and gather. You can also include more solitary activities, such as cookie decorating or a scavenger hunt, alongside more raucous group activities. 

How To Handle a Work Holiday Party?

A well-planned work party can go off much more smoothly than one hastily or sloppily put together. If it's a small workplace, choose a time and day when most people can attend. For larger and more far-flung workplaces, consider a virtual celebration or an open-house style activity that people can stop by when they have time during the day. 

Should I Attend My Work Holiday Party?

Holiday parties can be a great way to connect with your co-workers outside your usual roles and environment. They can also be a chance to showcase your baking skills, trivia knowledge, or your expert singing voice. Charitable holiday endeavors, such as soup kitchens, toy drives, and giving trees, also help give back to your community.

A great holiday work party doesn’t need to follow a script. The most memorable ones reflect your team — what they enjoy, what feels meaningful and what actually helps them unwind. You might keep it casual with a potluck, go bold with a glass blowing class or keep things remote with a virtual trivia night. The right setup can turn a holiday work party into something that feeds your work culture instead of just checking a box.

These ideas aren’t about perfection. They’re about connection, appreciation and just enough seasonal fun to end the year on a high note. And they’re not limited to December global holidays; you can use them any time your team needs a reason to celebrate.

For even more fun gift ideas, check out other experiences happening on Classpop!