It truly is the time of the year to start planning the corporate holiday party games. We have compiled a list of our favorites. Happy corporate holiday party games planning!

Gag Gifts
It is sometimes much easier to incorporate funny gifts than traditional presents when you are working with a wide range of personalities. Some popular ideas for gag gifting include finding the worst gift under $5, or having a mystery draw of wrapped gifts where only a few items are actually worth keeping.

Christmas Carol Charades. Get dramatic! You can’t beat this crowd pleaser, as it is sure to bring the laughs.

Secret Santa: If you’re looking for Christmas corporate holiday party games, this is a classic. Draw names a week or two before your party and set a schedule for Secret Santa. For example, on Monday each person can give a Christmas card to their recipient. The next day, have coworkers bring in an edible treat, and on Wednesday have them drop a clue about their identity. Thursday can be a useful object for their desk and Friday can be the final gift. Set a limit on spending if you wish.

Trivia: Test your knowledge about your coworkers’ unique habits, interests, and quirks. You can break into teams for a trivia competition or use one of the following versions of these holiday games for the office. Set up a scavenger hunt where each person has a checklist of different traits (such as “more than 3 siblings” or “born in another country”) that they must find another coworker to fulfill. Another option is to simply share as a group “two truths and a lie” and have others guess which items are true and which is false. You may be surprised by what you find out!

Funny Employee Awards: Recognize your coworkers for their achievements this year—sincere or silly! Was there one person who always made the coffee in the morning or who used up all the printer paper every time? Create certificates to present during a mini ceremony and present each person with a funny gag gift to commemorate the award. You can also ask other coworkers for nominations or suggestions if you’re having trouble coming up with ideas for each person.

Name that Holiday Song: This corporate holiday party game is as simple as it sounds, and you can make up whatever rules you like. Research old and lesser known holiday songs on-line (Amazon.com is a great place to find some). Download a few “stand-by’s” as well. By taking the time to organize the music first, it will actually save time at the party, as there is no rummaging through a pile of music to find songs to play. Do try to choose a few songs that have music only (no vocals), making it harder for people to guess, or to be used as a tie-breaker. Play a clip of each song and have people guess the song and artist. You can play a song and let the entire group chime in, or, with a bit more planning, put people into two teams, have two bells ready, and set up the game “Family Feud” style. Idea for the prize? A box-set of holiday music is perfect for this game!

Employee Holiday Trivia: Ask via email or in person for employees to send you 2 holiday trivia facts about themselves that others might not know (remind them not to tell others what they are sending to you!).  Ask that the trivia be related to the season. An example of a response might be, “I always have all of my holiday shopping done by October 1st”. Create a form with each employee’s name listed down the left and one chosen piece of trivia from each employee on the right, but not in the correct order, labeled with a corresponding letter. At the party, hand out the trivia forms and ask each employee to put their own name at the top, then guess “Who’s Who” on the game form. The person with the most answers correct, wins a prize. If your group is really large, this can be a fun game to get people more excited about the party. Simply hand out the contest form the day before or the day of the party, and request submissions be handed in prior. Then, AT the party, go over each question and announce the winner, offering them a prize.

The Santa Hat Game/Rudolph Antlers Game: This corporate holiday party game requires enlisting the help of a good-spirited senior member in the group, even a CEO. Have a personalized Santa hat or Rudolph antlers for every member to wear during the party. The chosen “leader” can, at any time during the party, take off the headpiece. Make sure there is a spotter who can “spot” the first person to remove their hat or antler. Keep it all silent and eventually, there will be laughs and nudges and snickers as people realize it’s time to take off the headpiece. There will inevitably be one person left with their hat on who never realized the game was going on, and will there will be much laughter. It’s fun to have the laugh, then surprise them with a small trinket of appreciation for being the last!

Pass the Present: Have a prize well-wrapped for this game, as it will be handled often. In “Pass the Present”, everyone gathers around, and the gift is handed out randomly to one person. They hold onto it and will be the first contestant. The announcer will ask a question about the holiday or the company. A correct answer and they continue to hold onto the present. At the first wrong answer, the gift must be given to another. This corporate holiday party game ends when all questions have been answered within a time frame and the last person holding the gift wins it.

Find a Reindeer: This company holiday party game works well for a large group. Visit the dollar store and purchase several small stuffed holiday animals. Wrap a gift card around each one’s neck. Let party-goers know that it’s “finders keepers” – whomever finds the prize, keeps the prize. Make sure the prizes are hidden WELL…consider taping one up under one of the buffet tables, for example. You can use any item…if your party has many ornaments in the decorating, use one style and randomly place those around.

The best ideas for corporate holiday party games are the ones that make people laugh and smile. Remember, you don’t need an endless budget to plan a successful holiday party. Get creative and don’t be afraid to ask your co-workers to participate. You might be surprised at what you can do with a little creativity! Also check out a few fun corporate holiday party themes for even more creative party tips.

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Sources: Source 1, Source 2