5 holiday party ideas for work that aren’t cringe (and employees actually like)

First of all, if you’re a manager or team lead looking for genuinely good ideas for a holiday party at work, kudos to you. Clearly, you care about your team and want the best for them by creating an engaging and fun event everyone can get excited about.

Finding the perfect way to celebrate can be a challenge, as you probably want an event that screams “appreciation” and not “mandatory fun”. We’re here to help you ditch the awkward, forced events and move toward genuinely fun, memorable holiday celebration ideas for work.

The hard truth (and the simple secret)

Unfortunately, there’s one harsh truth we need to get out of the way immediately: it’s impossible to please everyone. Even your best ideas will fall on some deaf ears, and there can be endless reasons why.

For many, the holidays are a difficult time, and a work event might be just another stressor. Others might frown at work social events in general. Others yet might simply not like your idea—and that’s okay.

You can still create a special holiday experience for your team.

The secret? Make it optional. A truly appreciated event is one where attendance is a bonus, not a requirement. It instantly lowers the pressure and turns the celebration into a genuine offering of gratitude. Plus, the crowd that does show up—you know they really want to be there! 

Your idea = probably better than any of ours

Before we get into our list of proven holiday party ideas for the office and remote teams, I’d like to invite you to try to come up with something yourself. Nobody knows your team better than you.

• Perhaps there are some shared hobbies (board games, movies, knitting, etc.)?
• Specific preferences (craft beer, coffee, fine dining)?
• Or maybe you have a running inside joke that can be played with?

The best events aren’t necessarily the most grandiose, well-planned, or best-funded, but those that speak to your team directly and serve as a genuine appreciation of the work they’re doing and the people they are. For example, a small in-office beer tasting event might be better received than a lavish dinner. But maybe not—you know best.

Heads up: Do keep a finger on the pulse of the general atmosphere and vibes. Hosting a lavish event or splurging on holiday party ideas for work after a recent round of redundancies might send the wrong message. 

That said, don’t worry if you’re still drawing a blank—we got you. We’ve compiled 5 awesome holiday party ideas for the workplace that employees actually like. They’re of varying budgets and intensity, plus you can easily make them your own by adding your personal flair.

5 holiday party ideas for work

1. The classic team lunch or dinner 

A classic team dinner (or a generous lunch) is a simple, efficient, and thoroughly enjoyable choice. It’s a timeless way to show gratitude, providing a relaxed, low-pressure environment where your team can connect over good food without the pressure of having to do anything besides socialize. This is one of the easiest holiday party ideas for work to execute, but its success relies entirely on quality. 

An additional benefit for a team lunch is that it can be hosted without imposing on employee after-hour responsibilities. 

The key to making this shine is keeping the focus on appreciation and not forced programming. Keep any formal “program” short—a brief, heartfelt speech thanking the team and highlighting a few key wins from the year is perfectly sufficient. 

2. The group outing

Sometimes, the best way to bond is to get everyone out of the four walls and get the blood pumping. This type of event works for any fun holidays to celebrate at work because it focuses on shared activity and the novelty of a new experience. Moving around and focusing on a collaborative task like an escape room or a hike naturally creates conversation points and memories outside of work tasks.

Consider activities that cater to a wide range of physical abilities and interests, making sure the focus is on fun interaction rather than intense competition:

• Low-impact: A museum visit followed by cocktails, or a cooking class.
• Medium-impact: Ice skating, a city walking tour, or a group volunteering effort at a local charity.
• High-impact: A team-based challenge at an escape room or a guided hike.

3. The traditional Secret Santa

While simple, a well-executed Secret Santa is a universally loved tradition, especially great for small, tight-knit teams. It’s one of the easiest fun Christmas party themes for work to manage, as it delegates the excitement and preparation to the team members themselves. The crucial steps here are setting clear rules and creating a fun reveal environment.

To make this a truly appreciated celebration, use an online tool to manage sign-ups, generate names, and allow people to list interests—this avoids awkward, thoughtless gifts. Crucially, set a strict, affordable cash limit (e.g., $30) and make the gift exchange happen during a celebratory gathering. Host an in-office opening party with nice champagne, sparkling cider, and gourmet snacks during the last hour of a workday to create a festive atmosphere for the big reveal.

Got a remote team? You can play postman for a week and organize the deliveries—have everyone send in the gifts and forward them to the respective recipients. This can be extra fun for international teams, where employees can share part of their culture with a colleague, though this does require timely planning. 

4. Get creative—remotely

For remote or hybrid teams, services that deliver personalized kits for a shared creative activity are a massive hit. This makes for highly engaging holiday party theme ideas for work without needing a central office, as the entire experience is shared virtually. The act of creating something with your hands while chatting with colleagues offers a genuine sense of connection that simple video calls often lack.

And the laughs as people show the endless ways they messed up—priceless. 

Here’s how it works: the company sends a uniform package of ingredients or supplies directly to everyone’s home. Then, a host (either internal or a hired professional) leads the group via video call.

Popular kit ideas include virtual mixology class (for cocktails or mocktails), at-home gingerbread house decorating contest, candle-making or terrarium-building kits. 

You can add extra flair by turning it into a friendly competition with a small gift card prize for the best creation, boosting the fun and excitement of the communal effort.

5. The virtual game night: Remote trivia party

A virtual trivia night is a low-stress, high-engagement holiday party idea for work. It requires everyone to participate without the burden of having to carry a conversation, making it excellent for large teams or colleagues who may be more introverted. The shared goal of winning and the fast-paced nature of the game naturally build team cohesion and excitement.

Preparation is critical to the success of this event. Have a polished slide deck and use online tools to make scoring easy and engaging. Ensure the rounds are diverse to keep everyone interested. Include rounds like Music, General Knowledge, Pop Culture, and, yes, a few fun (but not difficult) questions about the company or the year’s events.

Bonus idea: To take the excitement over the top, consider reaching out to one of the artists on services like Cameo to record a special holiday message—or perhaps even join your team call for a minute to read out the scores!

Happy holidays!

Remember that the best way to make your work holiday event truly special is to tailor the celebration to your team’s preferences and availability. Don’t be afraid to send a quick, anonymous poll asking for preferences between the holiday party ideas for work you’ve shortlisted. 

Looking for more ideas? Check out our 51 timeless team building activity article, or the 20 ideas we came up with for remote teams specifically. 

Best of luck with creating a memorable event—we’re sure the team will appreciate your effort and genuine desire to make the holidays special!

Article written by

Viesturs Abelis

A fan of crunching complex topics into digestible bites, Viesturs helps tech companies – and startups in particular – convey their unique stories to broader audiences. In addition to his work on DeskTime’s blog, you’ll come across his writing in Tech.eu, The Next Web, Crunchbase, and more.