25 christmas party games for work: small teams, large groups and remote colleagues

The office Christmas party is approaching.

Someone has volunteered to organise it. Someone else has suggested a quiz. And there's a growing suspicion that the entire event will somehow end up involving awkward icebreakers and compulsory dancing.

But it doesn't have to.

The best workplace Christmas games are easy to understand, enjoyable to play and flexible enough to suit different personalities.

You don't need an enormous budget, an elaborate venue or a professional entertainer to bring colleagues together.

A few well-chosen activities can transform an ordinary end-of-year gathering into something people genuinely enjoy.

Whether you're organising a Christmas party for six colleagues, sixty employees or a team spread across several locations, this guide includes 25 games with practical instructions, suggested timings, equipment lists and adaptations.

And if you'd prefer something ready to use, WorkplaceHero offers a free Christmas Social Pack, featuring festive quiz questions, illustrated Christmas film clues, team answer sheets and mingle bingo.

Explore the free Christmas Social Pack

---

How to choose the right christmas party games

Before picking your games, consider the people taking part.

A lively, competitive activity might work brilliantly for one team, while another would prefer something creative or relaxed.

Think about your team size

Small groups can enjoy games that involve everyone directly.

Larger teams may benefit from smaller groups, simultaneous activities or structured rounds.

Consider your available space

A meeting room, café, office floor or hired venue will each suit different activities.

Avoid games that require running, obstruct walkways or interfere with essential equipment.

Keep the rules simple

People shouldn't need a ten-minute explanation before they can start having fun.

Allow different ways to participate

Some colleagues enjoy performing in front of others.

Others would rather contribute by solving puzzles, keeping score or helping their team.

Both are valuable.

Don't make everything competitive

Include a mixture of collaborative, creative and light-hearted games.

Make participation optional

Not everyone celebrates Christmas or enjoys workplace parties.

Give people genuine choices without making them feel excluded.

Christmas party games at a glance

Timings and group sizes are suggested starting points. Adapt them to your team, venue and accessibility needs.

---

1. Christmas team quiz

Best for: Small teams, large offices and hybrid groups
Time: 30–45 minutes
Equipment: Questions, answer sheets, pens and optional screen
Cost: Free

A Christmas quiz is one of the easiest activities to organise because it can work for almost any group size.

How to play

1. Divide colleagues into teams of three to five.
2. Prepare three or four rounds of festive questions.
3. Read out each question and allow time for discussion.
4. Collect or mark answers after each round.
5. Announce the winning team.

Include a mixture of Christmas films, music, general knowledge and traditions.

Make it better: Add a picture round or a few questions about your organisation's achievements during the year.

WorkplaceHero shortcut: Our free Christmas Social Pack includes 26 questions, illustrated film clues and team answer sheets.

Download the free Christmas Social Pack

2. Festive mingle bingo

Best for: Teams with colleagues who don't regularly work together
Time: 10–20 minutes
Equipment: Bingo cards and pens
Cost: Free

This is a brilliant icebreaker because it encourages conversation without requiring anyone to perform in front of the group.

How to play

1. Give each participant a bingo card.
2. Each square contains a prompt.
3. Participants find colleagues who match the prompts.
4. They write the relevant person's name in the square.
5. The first person to complete an agreed pattern wins.

Example prompts include:

• Has baked something this month.
• Enjoys winter walks.
• Can recommend a festive recipe.
• Has travelled somewhere snowy.
• Prefers hot chocolate to coffee.
• Enjoys a good Christmas film.
• Has a favourite winter tradition.
• Can name three Christmas songs.

Make it better: Include prompts that aren't exclusively Christmas-related so colleagues with different traditions can participate comfortably.

Our Christmas Social Pack includes two ready-made festive mingle bingo cards.

3. Christmas charades

Best for: Small and medium-sized teams
Time: 15–25 minutes
Equipment: Prepared prompts and a timer
Cost: Free

A workplace classic.

How to play

1. Divide participants into teams.
2. One volunteer chooses a festive prompt.
3. They act it out without speaking.
4. Their team guesses the answer.
5. Award one point for each correct guess.

Suggested prompts:

• Decorating a Christmas tree.
• Wrapping an awkwardly shaped present.
• Building a snowman.
• Pulling a Christmas cracker.
• Carrying too many shopping bags.
• Untangling Christmas lights.
• Trying to assemble a toy without instructions.

Make it better: Allow people to choose whether they want to act, guess or keep score.

4. Christmas pictionary

Best for: Creative teams and mixed groups
Time: 15–25 minutes
Equipment: Paper or whiteboard and pens
Cost: Free

Pictionary works particularly well when colleagues have different levels of festive knowledge.

How to play

1. Prepare Christmas-themed words or phrases.
2. Divide participants into teams.
3. One player draws the chosen prompt.
4. Their team tries to guess it.
5. Award points for correct answers.

Possible prompts include:

• Snow globe.
• Christmas pudding.
• Reindeer.
• Gingerbread house.
• Christmas stocking.
• Sleigh.
• Mistletoe.
• Snowman.

Make it better: Introduce a rule that drawings cannot contain letters or numbers.

For remote teams, use a shared digital whiteboard.

5. The festive emoji challenge

Best for: Office teams, remote employees and large groups
Time: 10–15 minutes
Equipment: Emoji clues displayed on screen or paper
Cost: Free

Can your colleagues identify Christmas films and traditions using only emojis?

How to play

1. Prepare ten emoji combinations.
2. Display each clue.
3. Teams write down their answers.
4. Reveal the answers after the final clue.

Examples:

🏠 👦 🪤 — Home Alone

🚂 ❄️ 🔔 — The Polar Express

🟢 🎄 🎁 — The Grinch

🧝 🎅 🍝 — Elf

Make it better: Give teams an opportunity to create their own clues for other teams.

6. Guess the christmas film

Best for: Almost any team size
Time: 10–20 minutes
Equipment: Picture clues or written descriptions
Cost: Free

This is an ideal activity for colleagues who love Christmas films.

How to play

1. Prepare clues representing different Christmas films.
2. Show each clue to the teams.
3. Ask participants to identify the film.
4. Award one point per correct answer.

You could use:

• Illustrated objects.
• Short plot descriptions.
• Character clues.
• Film release years.
• Famous settings.

Avoid using copyrighted film stills or audio unless you have appropriate permission.

Make it better: Mix obvious clues with more challenging ones.

The WorkplaceHero Christmas Social Pack includes an illustrated film round.

7. Christmas word scramble

Best for: Small teams and large groups
Time: 10–15 minutes
Equipment: Printed or digital word lists
Cost: Free

A simple game that works well as a quick icebreaker.

How to play

1. Prepare a list of scrambled festive words.
2. Give teams the same list.
3. Set a reasonable time limit.
4. Award one point for each correct answer.

Example:

Make it better: Include a bonus phrase for teams that finish early.

8. Christmas would you rather?

Best for: Informal team gatherings
Time: 10–20 minutes
Equipment: Prepared questions
Cost: Free

This game works particularly well when you want something conversational rather than competitive.

How to play

1. Read out a festive would-you-rather question.
2. Ask participants to choose an option.
3. Invite volunteers to explain their choice.
4. Move on to the next question.

Try these:

• Would you rather have Christmas dinner for breakfast or breakfast for Christmas dinner?
• Would you rather decorate 100 trees or wrap 100 presents?
• Would you rather spend December somewhere snowy or somewhere sunny?
• Would you rather have unlimited mince pies or unlimited hot chocolate?
• Would you rather be responsible for Christmas music or Christmas decorations?

Make it better: Use anonymous polls so everyone can participate without speaking publicly.

9. Festive scavenger hunt

Best for: Office-based teams
Time: 15–25 minutes
Equipment: A list of objects or clues
Cost: Free

A scavenger hunt adds movement and problem-solving to your Christmas celebration.

How to play

1. Divide participants into small teams.
2. Give each team a list of objects or clues.
3. Ask teams to locate the items within an agreed area.
4. Award points for correctly identified objects.
5. The team with the most points wins.

Possible items include:

• Something red.
• Something reusable.
• Something shaped like a star.
• Something made from paper.
• Something associated with winter.
• Something that makes a sound.
• Something beginning with the letter S.

Make it better: Allow teams to photograph or identify items rather than physically collecting them.

Avoid running, inaccessible areas and activities that disrupt colleagues who are still working.

10. Christmas cracker Joke-Off

Best for: Almost any team size
Time: 10–15 minutes
Equipment: Prepared jokes or voluntary submissions
Cost: Free

Sometimes the worst joke wins.

How to play

1. Invite participants to submit a workplace-appropriate Christmas joke.
2. Read the jokes aloud anonymously.
3. Ask everyone to vote for their favourite.
4. Award a small prize for the best terrible joke.

Example:

Why did the Christmas tree go to the barber?

Because it needed a trim.

Make it better: Have a few backup jokes ready in case submissions are limited.

Keep humour friendly and avoid jokes about colleagues' personal characteristics.

---

11. Paper christmas tree challenge

Best for: Small groups and team-building sessions
Time: 15–20 minutes
Equipment: Paper, tape and scissors where appropriate
Cost: Low

This activity combines creativity, planning and teamwork.

How to play

1. Divide participants into teams of three to five.
2. Give each team the same amount of paper and tape.
3. Challenge them to build the tallest freestanding Christmas tree.
4. Set a ten-minute construction period.
5. Measure the finished trees.

The tree must stand without being held.

Make it better: Add awards for most creative design or best use of materials.

Provide suitable alternatives for participants who may find fine-motor tasks difficult.

12. The gift wrapping challenge

Best for: Small and medium-sized teams
Time: 15–20 minutes
Equipment: Reusable boxes, wrapping paper and tape
Cost: Low

Wrapping presents sounds easy.

Until you're given a very awkward shape and a countdown timer.

How to play

1. Give each team an identical object or box.
2. Provide equal amounts of wrapping materials.
3. Allow a fixed amount of time.
4. Judge the results using agreed criteria.

Possible categories:

• Neatest wrapping.
• Most creative design.
• Best use of materials.
• Most sustainable approach.

Make it better: Use reusable fabric wrapping or recycled paper.

Avoid blindfolded or restricted-movement versions that could create unnecessary accessibility or safety issues.

13. Festive drawing relay

Best for: Teams of six or more
Time: 15–20 minutes
Equipment: Paper and pens
Cost: Free

A drawing relay is a collaborative game where a picture changes as it passes between people.

How to play

1. Divide participants into teams.
2. Give the first person a festive phrase.
3. They draw it without using words.
4. The next person writes what they think the picture represents.
5. The following person draws that description.
6. Continue alternating between writing and drawing.
7. Reveal the final result alongside the original phrase.

The results can be gloriously inaccurate.

Make it better: Use short, light-hearted prompts such as "Santa stuck in a chimney" or "A reindeer ordering coffee".

14. Christmas alphabet race

Best for: Small teams and larger groups
Time: 10–15 minutes
Equipment: Paper and pens
Cost: Free

A fast-paced word challenge.

How to play

1. Give teams a sheet containing letters of the alphabet.
2. Ask them to write a festive word beginning with each letter.
3. Set a time limit.
4. Award points for valid answers.

Examples:

• A — Advent.
• B — Bauble.
• C — Carol.
• D — Decoration.
• E — Elf.
• F — Festive.

Some letters will be more difficult than others.

Make it better: Allow winter-themed words as well as Christmas-specific answers.

15. Guess the festive object

Best for: Small groups
Time: 10–15 minutes
Equipment: Safe objects and opaque bags or boxes
Cost: Low

A simple guessing game.

How to play

1. Place safe festive objects inside separate opaque bags.
2. Invite participants to identify the objects using appropriate clues.
3. Award points for correct answers.

Possible objects include:

• A bauble.
• A ribbon.
• A small bell.
• A pine cone.
• A cookie cutter.
• A fabric stocking.

Make it better: Offer verbal descriptions or visual clues so participants can choose how to take part.

Avoid sharp, fragile or potentially allergenic objects.

16. Christmas trivia tournament

Best for: Large offices and departmental celebrations
Time: 30–45 minutes
Equipment: Quiz questions, answer sheets and scoring system
Cost: Free

Turn a traditional quiz into a tournament.

How to play

1. Divide participants into teams.
2. Run several short rounds.
3. Award points for correct answers.
4. Keep a visible scoreboard.
5. Finish with a final round.

You could organise teams by department or mix colleagues from different areas.

Make it better: Use a range of subjects so the tournament doesn't favour one particular group.

17. Festive team name challenge

Best for: Large groups and quiz events
Time: 5–10 minutes
Equipment: None
Cost: Free

This is a quick activity that can work as an introduction to a larger event.

How to play

1. Divide participants into teams.
2. Give everyone three minutes to invent a festive team name.
3. Invite each team to share its name.
4. Award a small bonus prize for the most creative entry.

Examples:

• Sleigh What?
• The Quizmas Crackers.
• The Snow-It-Alls.
• The Tinsel Thinkers.
• The Silent Knights.
• The Bauble Brains.

Make it better: Ask teams to invent a one-sentence explanation for their name.

18. The christmas story challenge

Best for: Creative teams
Time: 15–20 minutes
Equipment: Paper or digital document
Cost: Free

A collaborative storytelling activity.

How to play

1. Divide participants into small groups.
2. Give every team the same opening sentence.
3. Ask them to write a short festive story.
4. Set a word limit of 100–150 words.
5. Invite volunteers to share their stories.

Suggested opening:

"It was the last working day before Christmas when something very unexpected arrived at reception..."

Make it better: Give each team three random words they must include.

19. The workplace Year-in-Review quiz

Best for: Teams that have worked together throughout the year
Time: 15–25 minutes
Equipment: Questions based on organisational achievements
Cost: Free

This combines festive fun with recognising the team's achievements.

How to play

1. Identify appropriate milestones from the year.
2. Turn them into quiz questions.
3. Divide colleagues into teams.
4. Ask questions about shared projects, achievements and events.
5. Reveal the answers with a short explanation.

Example questions:

• How many new colleagues joined this year?
• Which project launched in March?
• How many customer enquiries did the team resolve?
• Which month did we introduce our new system?

Make it better: Include a short appreciation message recognising the people behind the achievements.

Avoid private employee information or questions that single out colleagues negatively.

20. The festive photo challenge

Best for: Office, remote and hybrid teams
Time: Flexible
Equipment: Camera or phone
Cost: Free

A photo challenge can run throughout December rather than taking place during a single event.

How to play

1. Choose a festive or winter theme.
2. Invite colleagues to submit an original photograph.
3. Display the submissions with permission.
4. Let colleagues vote for their favourites.

Possible themes:

• Winter from my window.
• My favourite seasonal drink.
• A festive desk.
• Something red.
• A cosy winter moment.
• The best homemade decoration.

Make it better: Offer categories for creativity, humour and composition.

Ensure employees aren't pressured to share photographs of their homes, families or personal lives.

---

21. Virtual christmas bingo

Best for: Remote and hybrid teams
Time: 15–25 minutes
Equipment: Digital bingo cards and video conferencing
Cost: Free

Bingo is easy to adapt for remote teams.

How to play

1. Share bingo cards before the event.
2. Explain how participants can mark their cards.
3. Read out clues or invite colleagues to find matching prompts.
4. Continue until someone completes the agreed pattern.

You could use Christmas trivia answers, winter-themed words or conversational prompts.

Make it better: Use accessible digital cards and provide a printable alternative.

22. Online festive escape challenge

Best for: Small remote teams
Time: 20–40 minutes
Equipment: Digital puzzles and shared documents
Cost: Free–low

A virtual escape challenge encourages teams to solve problems together.

How to play

1. Prepare four or five short puzzles.
2. Give teams an opening scenario.
3. Each correct answer reveals the next clue.
4. Teams work together to solve the final challenge.

Example scenario:

"The office Christmas party invitations have disappeared. Your team must solve five clues to recover them before the celebration begins."

Puzzle types might include:

• Anagrams.
• Number sequences.
• Logic questions.
• Picture clues.
• Simple codes.

Make it better: Allow teams to request hints so nobody becomes stuck for too long.

23. Remote christmas trivia

Best for: Distributed teams
Time: 20–40 minutes
Equipment: Video meeting and quiz questions
Cost: Free–low

A virtual Christmas quiz works well when colleagues are spread across different locations.

How to play

1. Schedule a video meeting.
2. Share questions on screen.
3. Allow teams to discuss answers through an agreed method.
4. Collect responses digitally.
5. Announce the results.

Make it better: Display questions in writing as well as reading them aloud.

If you're looking for an interactive alternative, explore WorkplaceHero's live quizzes.

24. The festive appreciation challenge

Best for: Any team size
Time: 10–20 minutes
Equipment: Cards or digital messages
Cost: Free

Not every Christmas activity needs a winner.

This game focuses on recognising colleagues' contributions.

How to play

1. Invite participants to write a short appreciation message.
2. Ask them to recognise something specific a colleague has done.
3. Collect the messages.
4. Share them privately or publicly, according to participants' preferences.

Example:

"Thank you for helping me understand the new reporting process. Your patience made a real difference."

Make it better: Provide prompts such as:

• Someone who helped me learn something.
• Someone who supported the team.
• Someone who made a difficult day easier.
• Someone whose contribution deserves recognition.

Keep participation optional and avoid making colleagues compete for praise.

25. Christmas party Mini-Olympics

Best for: Larger workplace celebrations
Time: 30–60 minutes
Equipment: Materials for several simple games
Cost: Free–low

If you want a full programme of activities, combine several short games into a festive tournament.

How to play

1. Divide participants into teams.
2. Set up four or five activity stations.
3. Give each team a fixed amount of time at each station.
4. Award points using a simple scoring system.
5. Announce the overall results.

Suggested stations:

Station 1: Christmas word scramble

Solve ten festive anagrams.

Station 2: Paper Christmas tree

Build the tallest freestanding tree.

Station 3: Christmas trivia

Answer ten quick-fire questions.

Station 4: Festive Pictionary

Guess five drawings.

Station 5: Emoji challenge

Identify five Christmas films.

Sample scoring

For the paper tree, agree the scoring criteria in advance.

Make it better: Allow participants to choose which activities they take part in and provide accessible alternatives.

---

Best christmas party games for small teams

If you have fewer than ten people, avoid games that require large groups or complicated scoring.

Our favourites are:

1. Christmas charades.
2. Festive Pictionary.
3. Christmas would you rather.
4. Christmas word scramble.
5. The Christmas story challenge.

These activities encourage conversation and can be organised with minimal equipment.

For a small group, two or three games are usually enough.

Best christmas party games for large groups

For 30 or more participants, choose activities that are easy to explain and scale.

Good options include:

1. Christmas team quiz.
2. Festive mingle bingo.
3. Christmas trivia tournament.
4. Workplace year-in-review quiz.
5. Christmas party mini-Olympics.

Use small teams so everyone has an opportunity to contribute.

For very large events, consider a digital quiz platform to simplify answer collection and scoring.

Best christmas party games for remote teams

Remote activities should be easy to access and shouldn't depend on everyone having identical equipment at home.

Good choices include:

1. Virtual Christmas bingo.
2. Remote Christmas trivia.
3. Festive emoji challenge.
4. Online escape challenge.
5. Festive photo challenge.

Allow colleagues to participate without turning on their cameras where possible.

For international teams, consider time zones and different cultural traditions.

How to organise a christmas party games afternoon

If you're planning a full team celebration, don't try to squeeze in all 25 games.

Choose three to five activities that complement one another.

Example: 60-minute christmas party

Example: 90-minute christmas party

These schedules are illustrative.

Allow extra time if you're using the full WorkplaceHero Christmas Social Pack, which is designed for approximately 40 minutes.

How much should workplace christmas games cost?

You can organise an enjoyable event without spending much money.

Free activities

Quizzes, charades, word games, emoji challenges and appreciation exercises can all be organised using existing workplace resources.

Low-cost activities

Paper construction challenges, gift wrapping games and creative activities may require inexpensive materials.

Paid activities

Some organisations prefer professionally hosted events, digital quiz platforms or organised workshops.

The right choice depends on your budget, team size and preferences.

An expensive activity isn't automatically a better team-building experience.

How to make christmas party games inclusive

Workplace celebrations should be enjoyable without creating pressure or discomfort.

Make participation voluntary

Employees may have personal, cultural, religious or accessibility-related reasons for not taking part.

Avoid alcohol-centred activities

Games shouldn't depend on drinking alcohol or encourage excessive consumption.

Consider accessibility

Provide alternatives for activities involving physical movement, visual clues, hearing, writing or fine-motor skills.

Avoid embarrassing colleagues

Don't use games that involve humiliating forfeits, unwanted personal disclosures or jokes targeting individuals.

Consider different working patterns

Remote, part-time and shift-based colleagues should have reasonable opportunities to participate.

Keep spending optional

Don't require employees to buy costumes, gifts or materials.

Offer non-Christmas alternatives

Winter-themed and end-of-year activities can help make the celebration more welcoming.

The aim isn't to remove Christmas from Christmas activities.

It's to make sure colleagues feel respected and comfortable.

Free christmas party games you can download

If you want to save preparation time, WorkplaceHero has created a free printable Christmas Social Pack.

It includes:

• 26 Christmas quiz questions across three rounds.
• Illustrated Christmas film clues for a picture round.
• Host answers to simplify scoring.
• Team answer sheets ready to print.
• Two festive mingle bingo cards to encourage conversation.
• Host instructions to help you run the event.

The pack is designed for approximately 40 minutes of entertainment and can be adapted to different workplace settings.

Your workplace christmas social, sorted

Whether you're organising a quick office gathering, a department celebration or a larger team event, our free resources give you a practical starting point.

Download the free WorkplaceHero Christmas Social Pack

Or explore WorkplaceHero's live quizzes for an interactive alternative.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best christmas party games for work?

Popular options include Christmas quizzes, festive bingo, charades, Pictionary, emoji challenges, scavenger hunts and creative team activities.

What are some free christmas games for the office?

Free options include trivia quizzes, word scrambles, festive charades, Christmas alphabet challenges, drawing relays and appreciation activities.

What christmas party games work for small groups?

Small teams can enjoy Pictionary, charades, would-you-rather questions, storytelling games and Christmas word puzzles.

What christmas games work for large groups?

Team quizzes, bingo, trivia tournaments and mini-Olympics can work well for larger workplace celebrations.

How many games should you organise for a christmas party?

For a one-hour event, two to four activities are often enough. Choose games that fit the available time and allow for conversation and breaks.

How do you make office christmas games fun?

Keep instructions simple, include different types of activities and avoid overly competitive or embarrassing challenges.

Can remote employees join christmas party games?

Yes. Online quizzes, digital bingo, emoji challenges and virtual escape games can all be adapted for remote participation.

What christmas games are suitable for adults?

Quizzes, creative challenges, team puzzles, storytelling activities and light-hearted competitions can work well for adults in professional settings.

How do you make christmas party games inclusive?

Make participation optional, provide accessible alternatives, consider cultural differences and avoid activities that create financial or social pressure.

Do workplace christmas games need prizes?

No. Prizes can add excitement, but they're optional. Recognition, certificates and friendly competition may be enough.

Where can i find a free workplace christmas quiz?

WorkplaceHero offers a free Christmas Social Pack with 26 quiz questions, illustrated film clues, answer sheets and bingo cards.

Can WorkplaceHero help with live christmas quizzes?

Yes. WorkplaceHero offers live quiz rooms for interactive team entertainment.

Explore WorkplaceHero quizzes

Final thoughts: keep christmas games simple, fun and inclusive

A great workplace Christmas party doesn't need an enormous budget or a complicated schedule.

A few well-chosen activities can help colleagues relax, connect and celebrate the end of the year.

The most successful games are usually those that are easy to understand, encourage participation and allow people to enjoy themselves without feeling uncomfortable.

Whether you're organising a quick Christmas quiz, a creative team challenge or a full afternoon of festive activities, the aim is the same:

Bring people together, create a few good memories and finish the year on a positive note.

And if you want to save time preparing, WorkplaceHero has already created a ready-to-use Christmas Social Pack.

Get your free Christmas Social Pack

Related reading

• 50 Christmas Team Building Activities for Work
• 75 Secret Santa Gift Ideas for Work Under £5, £10 and £20
• How to Organise the Ultimate Workplace Christmas Quiz
• How to Organise an Inclusive Office Christmas Party
• 30 Christmas Activities for Remote and Hybrid Teams