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.

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.

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!