Keep your office party running smoothly with planned activities.
Office holiday parties are often at the wrong end of a joke, but there are many ways for employees to let loose without crossing the line. Planning the party in the daytime and serving non-alcoholic beverages will deter inappropriate behavior. Adhere to a strict schedule of team-building activities to allow equal participation and enjoyment of the Christmas party. Does this Spark an idea?
Deck the Halls
Separate employees into groups of four and assign them each a different common office item, such as a bookcase, wastebasket or small plant. Supply the groups with equal amounts of office petty cash setting an equal and strict limit for the competition. Give the groups time to choose a particular holiday theme for their area, such as "Frosty the Snowman Trash" or "Gingerbread File Cabinet Takeover," and allow them at least a week to purchase decorating supplies. At the Christmas party, host a timed contest to see which group creates the best holiday office decoration. The game also provides an opportunity for people who celebrate other holidays to incorporate meaningful decorations that reflect their beliefs.
Elves
Issue elf hats to all employees at the beginning of the office party. You may substitute elf hats with Santa hats. From the moment the employee receives his hat, he may not remove it from his head. As the party continues, people will forget and remove the hat for various reasons. The winner is the last employee who has a hat on his head. Present the winner with an inexpensive prize.
The Night Before Christmas
You can put a fun holiday spin on white elephant (silly gag gifts) games during your Christmas party. Tell everyone to bring a wrapped white elephant gift to the office the day of your Christmas party. Specify an inexpensive budget so everyone can participate. With all employees sitting in a circle, select one person -- usually the boss -- to read aloud Clement C. Moore's classic poem "Twas the Night Before Christmas." Each time the reader says "the," employees must pass to the right. When the poem is over, go around the room and have each employee unwrap the gift on their lap. Once all gag gifts are revealed, allow the first person to unwrap his gift to swap gifts with another employee, who in turn can swap her gift. This creates a chain of swaps until everyone has had the opportunity to exchange gifts. You will be surprised how excited coworkers can be when swapping for canned cheese or an outdated fireman-themed calendar.
Christmas Quiz
Christmas quizes excite a healthy spirit of competition.
At least two weeks before the office Christmas party, select one person to create and emcee a holiday quiz for the office. The quizmaster controls the event, but make sure her quiz includes trivia that will be familiar to a broad audience. Sections about Christmas movies, Christmas carols and Christmas recipes are safe choices. At the holiday party, divide employees into groups of three or four people, and have them name their group. The group that answers the most questions correctly will be the reigning quiz champions until the following year.
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