# Games and programme for a company Christmas party: what works

Ideas for a company Christmas party in Prague: six games and activities that work, what to skip, a running order for the evening and an invitation text to copy.

By Vlad, Event planner & co-founder, Amber Events. Published 14 October 2026.

A good Christmas party programme is not a list of games. It is the rhythm of the evening: a moment to arrive, a moment when everyone does something together, a moment to eat and talk, and a moment to leave on a high. Games and activities are what you use to build the middle part.

## Start with the people in the room

Before you pick anything, ask three questions.

- **How well do people know each other?** Thirty colleagues who work together every day need something different from 150 people from six departments who rarely meet.
- **Who hates being on show?** Plan for them first. A game that works for the shy colleague works for everyone.
- **How much of the evening should be organised?** A useful rule is to plan about a third of it and leave the rest for conversation.

## Six things that work

**A team quiz.** Mixed tables, a host, five or six short rounds. Everyone can take part without performing, and the competition gets people from different departments talking. Our own version is [Barfight](/scenarios/barfight/).

**A gift swap with a rule.** Secret Santa with a price limit agreed in advance, or a swap where people may steal each other's gifts. Announce the limit in the invitation.

**Awards voted by the team.** Funny categories instead of serious ones, for example "best excuse for a late meeting". Collect the votes by email a week before, so the evening only has the reveal.

**A workshop.** Something people make or taste: cocktails, cooking, perfume, ceramics. For the Czech IT team of a large company we ran an event at a private villa with beer yoga, a Rube Goldberg machine, a perfume workshop and a cocktail masterclass. [Read about it](/work/czech-it-office/).

**A photo hunt.** Teams get a list of photos to take around the venue: a team in matching colours, the best toast, something red. It needs only phones and a few minutes of explanation.

**Live music or a DJ.** Not a game, but it decides whether the second half of the evening happens on the dance floor or at the coat rack. December dates go first, so book early.

## What to leave out

Anything that puts one person on the spot in front of the whole company: forced karaoke, "tell us something about yourself", dance contests only the confident enter. Also long speeches. If leadership wants to say a few words, do it in the first half hour and keep it under five minutes.

## A running order for the evening

For an evening of about five hours:

- **18:00** Arrival, welcome drink, music in the background.
- **18:45** A short welcome from leadership, then dinner or buffet.
- **19:45** The main activity, 30 to 45 minutes: the quiz, the awards or the workshop.
- **20:45** Dessert, the music gets louder, free time.
- **22:30** Last round of drinks, taxis or transfers for those who need them.

One activity block is enough. Two short blocks with food between them also work. Three is too many.

## An invitation you can copy

> **Subject:** Save the date: Christmas party on [date]
>
> Hi all, our Christmas party is on [date] at [venue], from [time]. We will have dinner, a few games in mixed teams and music. Please tell us by [date] if you are coming, and about any dietary needs: [link]. If you cannot make it, write to [name]. See you there!

Page: https://amberevents.cz/journal/company-christmas-party-games-programme/