Must-Try Party Games for Your Virtual Holiday Work Party
Believe it or not, another holiday party at work is already approaching! But with internet video-conferencing on the rise, your team may be switching from an in-person party to a virtual gathering. Even with this change, there’s still plenty of opportunities to share some laughs and create wonderful memories during your company’s virtual celebration!
6 Best Virtual Office Holiday Party Ideas
No matter if your company is spread across multiple cities, states, or even countries, hosting a virtual holiday party is a wonderful way for co-workers to connect, mingle, and share some holiday cheer when they can’t be together in-person. But hosting a virtual holiday party can be a bit awkward. To help break the ice, here are a few of the best virtual office holiday party ideas to help everyone feel merry and bright!
1. Costume Contest
This year, it might feel a little trickier to get in the holiday spirit if your team is remote. While offices can jazz things up with trees, and lights, and even fake snow, working remotely may not have that same effect. That’s why when it comes to your list of virtual holiday party ideas, you shouldn’t hesitate to add a costume contest into the mix!
Everyone at the party can dress up in their own festive gear, and prizes can be awarded in a handful of categories. Honor your team’s creativity with prizes for things like, Best Antler Arrangement or Most Surprising Use of Glitter. Encourage participants to think outside the box and express their seasonal spirit in a unique way.
2. Holiday Trivia
Playing holiday trivia is another great virtual team holiday party idea, as it’s a fun way to test everyone’s knowledge and is sure to bring about a few laughs in the process. To incorporate trivia into your virtual office party, prepare questions in advance using categories like movies, songs, foods, or traditions, all with a holiday twist. For example:
Question: Who played George Bailey in the classic film, It’s a Wonderful Life?
Answer: Jimmy Stewart.
Feel free to search online for additional ideas and insights, or think up a few unique questions of your own. Trivia is not only a chance to encourage teamwork and collaboration, but it’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser at your upcoming event!
3. Virtual Secret Santa
No holiday party would be complete without a game of Secret Santa! Gift exchanges truly capture the fun of sharing the holiday season with your co-workers, and this year should be no exception, even if it’s celebrated online rather than in the office.
To host a virtual Secret Santa, choose names using a gift exchange generator (like DrawNames or Giftser), and have everyone provide a list of five ‘wish list’ items for their Santa to consider. Gifts should be mailed to their designated recipient, but should not be opened until everyone is together at the party — and don’t forget to try and guess who each gift is from!
It’s worth noting that Secret Santa is typically an optional activity since participants usually purchase gifts out of pocket. If it’s possible for your company to provide a small stipend, that may encourage more involvement. Otherwise, try and keep gifts around $20 plus shipping.
4. Holiday Bingo
Bingo is one of the best virtual holiday party games because it offers a taste of nostalgia in a familiar format (and it’s easy to learn on the off chance it’s unfamiliar). A quick Google search will offer dozens of free holiday Bingo designs, or you can opt to create your own custom board with inside jokes or references that are relevant to your team.
Be sure to send the digital template to everyone so they can save the image ahead of the party. And if you’re up for it, encourage a little healthy competition by awarding prizes to the winner of each round. Even a five dollar gift card feels nice to receive, and it offers a bit of light-hearted bragging rights among co-workers.
5. Holiday Pictionary
Pictionary is an awesome, high-energy group game that translates really well to a virtual environment. And a great way to play Pictionary at the holidays is by challenging your team to draw scenes from different festive flicks! For example, someone could sketch Kevin McAllister in front of the mirror in Home Alone, or illustrate Buddy’s massive winter wonderland display in Elf.
Each person will need to bring a blank piece of paper or poster board with them to the party. Divide the group into two teams, and remind everyone they can only guess the answer when it’s their team’s turn. Allow the artist to choose their favorite holiday movie, or send a message with a title if they feel stuck. The artist will then draw the selected movie, while their fellow team members try and guess the film. The winning team earns a small prize and makes Santa proud!
6. Name That Tune
Name That Tune is a game where participants race to identify a specific song melody, and it’s truly one of our favorite virtual team holiday party ideas. Ask your team to either hum the holiday tune or mute their microphone and sing the song out loud. The other players will need to listen closely or practice lip-reading to identify the correct carol.
Song suggestions with a festive touch might include “All I Want For Christmas Is You” or the ever-popular instrumental “Carol Of The Bells.” And if you want to make things a little more difficult, you can always throw in a few curveballs, like “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” to see who’s the real musical connoisseur of the group.
Celebrate the Holidays with A Virtual Painting Party
Hopefully, this list of holiday party ideas will help you feel more confident with just how easily you can adapt your annual celebration into a virtual gathering. And if you’re interested in elevating your office party further, why not host a virtual painting event for your whole team?
Painting with a Twist will ship everyone the supplies they need, and we’ll even guide your team through the entire painting process right from the comfort of their home! Your only job is to keep the games going strong and enjoy some virtual holiday fun!
