Fun Christmas Games and Contests for Employees at the Holiday Party
Explore our pick of 23 tasteful and diverse games and contests for small and large groups of coworkers.
Frequent users of the MySanta app include office workers and those working remotely. Each year, they not only share cool gift ideas in their wishlists and surveys but also discuss office traditions and unique ways to celebrate the holiday season.
We carefully gather all these ideas and share them with you, so you can easily prepare for the holiday and delight your employees and colleagues. In this article, you'll find several themed sections with different games and contests.
Gift Exchange Games
Secret Santa
This game begins weeks before everyone gathers at the office holiday party. Two to three weeks before the event, participants draw names anonymously. Each person becomes a Secret Santa for another player and prepares a surprise. This way, everyone receives a gift and shares the holiday magic.
You can quickly set up the game through the MySanta app. The results of the draw are sent to all players by email, so each Secret Santa knows who they are gifting to. The game organizer can also set exclusions if some colleagues have tense relationships. You can track who is gifting whom, remind forgetful Santas of their duties, and communicate with gift recipients through the platform.
If all your work chats are in apps like Slack or Teams, you can invite players to Secret Santa there. Within a few clicks, you invite colleagues to join, fill out profiles and wishlists, and after the draw, receive the name of your gift recipient.
Warm-up Contests
Holiday-Themed 'Would You Rather?'
Ask fun and silly questions starting with "Would you rather...?" Examples: "Would you rather receive socks or a fruitcake?" or "Would you rather spend Christmas on a beach or in a snowy cabin?". This sparks conversation and reveals people's preferences.
Find the Santa
This contest can follow the previous one. First, pairs face each other. Then, everyone is blindfolded, and the host swaps players in one row. The first player has to find the other, i.e. Santa. The host gives them a pair of warm mittens. They must identify by touch whether the person is their Santa by only touching the head and face of the person standing opposite. The mitten touch is ticklish and results in involuntary laughter, bringing people closer.
Truth and Lies
Each player tells three short stories about themselves: two true and one made up. The others must guess which is the truth and which is a lie. This game helps newcomers integrate into the team.
Table Games
Wishes for Your Neighbor
Offer congratulations to the person sitting to your right (or left). The wishes should start with the first letter of the neighbor's full name. For a man named William: “Wishing you wonderful success in everything you do,” and for a woman named Nancy: “Never stop smiling and always find joy.” Continue this cycle until everyone has had their turn.
Unwrap the Gift
An item, like an orange (or carrot, can of preserves, bag of candies, etc.), is wrapped in several layers of foil. It's handed to a guest sitting closest to the host. Before unwrapping a layer, participants must solve a riddle or complete a host-given task to earn the right to remove a layer. Each layer is accompanied by a riddle or task. If they can't solve it, the turn passes to the next neighbor. The one who removes the final layer receives the prize.
Alphabetical Toasts
The host prompts the group to say holiday toasts, but in alphabetical order. The first participant creates a toast starting with A, the second with B, and so on. For example:
— All the best to you this Christmas!
— Be filled with love, joy, and laughter in the coming year!
— Cheers to your health!
Letters Q, X, Z, etc., should not be skipped; creativity is encouraged. The most creative toast is declared the winner.
Post-Meal Games
Pass the Gift
A large candy or fruit is placed on a teaspoon. The spoon is passed around in a circle, and players try not to drop the candy or fruit. Anyone who drops the item must complete a task assigned by the host.
Intuition
Each player wears a headband with a picture or portrait of a famous person. Players must guess what or who is on their card by asking clarifying yes or no questions.
Don't Repeat Yourself
The rule is simple—don’t repeat what others have said before you. Players sit around a table or circle, and the host offers a category like fruits, cars, or notable political figures. If players choose "Games," they might list tag, hopscotch, cards, etc. The first unable to name something new must complete a task assigned by the host.
An Honest Answer
Prepare cards with questions and answers. One guest draws a question card, and the person addressed draws an answer card. The game is played in a circle. There should be at least as many questions and answers as players, ideally double or triple.
| Possible Questions | Possible Answers |
|---|---|
| 1. Do you often walk around your apartment in a funny costume? 2. Do you envy wealthy people? 3. Do you have colorful dreams? 4. Do you sing in the shower? 5. Do you often lose your temper? 6. Have you ever confessed love to a statue? 7. Do you feel you have a great mission in life? 8. Do you enjoy peeking? 9. Do you read other's letters often? |
1. No, only after a drink. 2. Only in rare cases. 3. Oh yes, that sounds like me. 4. Is that considered a crime? 5. Only on holidays. 6. No, that's too silly for me. 7. Such thoughts cross my mind often. 8. It gives meaning to my life. 9. Only when no one is looking. |
Find the Common Link
Players are divided into teams. The host shows three pictures that share something in common, and the players must guess what it is.
For instance, one picture shows a hot tub, another the Eiffel Tower, and the third the Periodic Table. The common link is that all are named after their creators.
Silent Movie
Prepare humorous film scenes in advance. Guests watch the screen and listen to the start of the phrase while the rest goes silent. They must recall the original continuation. Whoever correctly quotes the remaining segment earns a point. It is important to choose scenes from popular films. The player with the most points wins. Those who cannot continue receive penalty cards.
Where Am I
On slips of paper, write down names of organizations and public places (e.g., subway, park, or spa center). Players with a piece of paper on their backs sit facing away from the audience. The audience takes turns asking specific questions like: “Why do you go there?” or “Why did you come wearing a hat?” Players, unaware of the subject, respond. Prizes are given to the most witty responses.
Creative Contests
Hollywood
Select a favorite film, mute the sound, and assign roles. Let your imagination run wild: you mimic Angelina Jolie, while your friend becomes Brad Pitt—let the fun begin! Angelina is upset because Brad is always at the pub and never at home! Improvisation draws you in with each phrase from your partner.
The Perfect Pair
Each player picks a piece of paper with a role they must play. Roles come in pairs: the goal is to quickly find your partner. When prompted, everyone reads their role aloud while observing others to quickly identify their match. For Romeo and Juliet, Juliet might say, “I stand on the balcony waiting for my love,” and so on.
Musical Contests
Musical Charades
A participant draws a card with the first line of a song written on it. The task is to convey the song to others without using any words from it.
Recall a Song
Before starting, participants create a bank, contributing a certain amount. The host names a word, and players recall songs that include it. If someone performs a song excerpt with that word, they get the small money prize. The one with the last correct entry wins the bank.
Reverse Songs
Download a special app that plays songs in reverse for this game. Guests can compete in teams or individually. The winner is the one who guesses the most songs.
More Contests
Wish for Yourself
Guests need sticky notes and pens. Each person writes a heartfelt New Year’s wish and signs it. Once completed, notes go into a vase. A team member picks each wish and offers it to guests. Recipients read the wish aloud and thank the sender.
Top Secret
The host gives each player a piece of paper to write something they've never shared before. Try recalling a funny story previously too embarrassing to tell, like "As a kid, I stole donuts." Write in any script to remain anonymous. All secrets are placed into a hat, and the host reads them out loud. After each secret is read, guests say, "It could happen to anyone!" This game suits a close-knit group who can comfortably share their secrets, even anonymously.
Pilots and Sailors
Each player receives a piece of paper and can choose which team to join: pilots or sailors. At a signal, participants create a paper airplane or boat. Count the total origami, and the winning team is declared based on the numbers.
Contests Using Participants' Items
Charades
Participants' items are put in a large box or bag. The host pulls out one blindly behind the participant’s back and asks, "What should this item do?" The player then comes up with funny tasks for the item’s owner to perform. If someone refuses, they face a pre-agreed penalty. If the host's task is truly impossible, they get penalized, and the player becomes a host.
Starting the Year Debt-Free
The introduction goes like this: "We all know the custom that to live debt-free in the coming year, you must settle old debts before the new year. For those who haven’t yet managed this, let’s hold a ritual. Here is my magical box (showing a piggy bank or small chest). Anyone wishing to eliminate debts forever can toss any amount into it, profoundly wishing themselves wealth and prosperity. Remember, the more generous you are in settling debts, the kinder the new year will be to you!"
The box is passed around to any song about money. Once everyone settles their debts and the bank returns to the host, they suggest guessing the amount. The player who guessed most accurately, wins the bank.
