17 Virtual Holiday Party Ideas for Work

Well, a happy ho-ho-holidays to you! Welcome to our list of holiday team building activities, where you'll find the best ideas for your remote teams' holiday parties. From a virtual holiday happy hour to holiday-themed games—we have it all. ☃️

The winter holidays are the perfect excuse to come together, have tons of fun, and reflect on the past year with your co-workers. To throw the best holiday party for your virtual team, keep reading!

Does your team love some friendly competition? Check out these virtual holiday games for festive bonding!

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Plan a virtual holiday event with these festive ideas:

1. Holiday happy hours 🍸

A happy hour is a surefire way to raise holiday spirits and foster team building. 😉 These little gatherings are a loose, informal way for your teammates to sip and mingle. To really bring on the holiday cheer, make a list of themed cocktails for the occasion.

If you’re looking for extra structure and interaction, consider enlisting the help of a professional mixologist. Or, better yet, have your team learn the tastiest holiday drink recipes from a professional mixologist. 🍾

Not only will it add an extra level of engagement to your virtual holiday party, but you’ll also gift your team with the best drink recipes for winters to come!

How to get started 👉Mix your office holiday party up with our Winter Mixology Class!

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‍2. Make a holiday playlist 🎵

Music is a great way to set the mood for any holiday celebration, and creating a collaborative holiday playlist allows your team to get involved and share their favorite festive tunes! 🎶

Invite team members to add their go-to holiday songs—whether it's classic carols, jazzy winter favorites, or modern holiday pop hits. You can use a platform like Spotify or YouTube to easily curate the playlist. Once it's created, you’ll have a festive soundtrack that reflects the diverse tastes and traditions of your team.

Not only can you play the playlist during your virtual holiday party to keep spirits high, but it’s also a great way to enjoy the holiday vibe throughout Q4. Encourage your team to listen to the playlist while they work, boosting energy and spreading some holiday cheer in the lead-up to the big celebrations!

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3. Play holiday movie trivia 🎥

If your team loves holiday movies, then Holiday Seen It? is the perfect event for you!

In this engaging trivia game, participants will compete in teams across five rounds of questions featuring all-time holiday movie favorites. Whether it’s guessing the movie, identifying actors, or recalling iconic characters, this game is packed with fun categories like:

Name That Movie: Can you recognize the film from a single still or quote?
Who's That Actor?: Test your team’s knowledge of famous faces in holiday classics.
Remember That Character?: Recall the details of beloved holiday movie characters and plot twists.

How to get started 👉 Find out who will be the reigning holiday movie champions at Holiday Seen It?

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4. Do some holiday baking 🍪

Treat your team to the gift of the smell of freshly baked goodies wafting through their homes. Whisk up some team bonding with a virtual holiday baking class hosted by an experienced baker!

Choose from family recipes for scrumptious chocolate chip cookies, rocky road fudge squares, or mouthwatering Oreo stuffed cookies. Your team will learn the basics of being an expert home baker, whip up delightful treats to share with their friends and family and create delicious memories with the whole office.

How to get started 👉 This holiday season, roll up your sleeves, mix in some laughter, and bake your way to unforgettable new memories. Treat your virtual holiday party guests to a Holiday Baking Class!

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5. Have a digital background contest 🖼️

Encourage your team to get creative by designing or finding the best holiday-themed virtual background for your holiday party.

Whether it’s a cozy cabin, a snowy wonderland, or a wacky holiday scene, this free activity is a great icebreaker. You could even turn your team building activities into a holiday costume party by encouraging everyone to dress up to match their background. Sprinkle on a little creative competition by having everyone vote on the most creative background for a fun prize! 🏆

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6. Make handmade cards 💌

‘Tis the season of spreading love and cheer - and what better way than a little holiday card crafting as part of your office party ideas?

Get the group together for a creative, hands-on day of diy holiday card crafting. Plus, arts and crafts are a great way to relax and unwind during the Q4 holiday rush! 🎨 Your team will bond as they talk through their holiday plans and get ahead on gifting.

This event helps your team decompress right before the holidays! And maybe they’ll use their new crafting skills to write you a thank you card. 😉

How to get started 👉 Decorate a gorgeous card in our Holiday Hand Lettering experience!

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7. Play trivia with a Drag Queen 🧠

Sashay into the holiday season with an unforgettable round of Holiday Drag Queen Trivia at your office party!

Your team can serve looks and knowledge as they dive into categories like “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (Winter Break Edition),” “Happy Holigays,” and “Snow Much Fun.” This game of trivia will leave your team gagging in delight.

Put on your best glitter and get ready to slay the trivia stage with your colleagues. You’ll even enjoy a dazzling performance from your drag queen host!

How to get started 👉 Book your Holiday Drag Queen Trivia in just a few clicks! 🤓

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8. Throw a festive photo challenge 📸

A festive photo challenge is a great way to encourage employees to get into the holiday spirit. Here’s how to host a successful festive photo challenge:

Create a theme: Choose a theme for the photo challenge, such as “ugly sweaters” or “holiday decorations.” This gives everyone a fun focus for their photos.
Encourage participation: Encourage employees to participate by offering prizes or recognition for the best photos. A little friendly competition can go a long way!
Share photos: Share photos on social media or in a company newsletter to create a sense of community and camaraderie. It’s a great way to showcase everyone’s creativity.
Vote on favorites: If you’re sharing photos in your team chat channel, encourage everyone to emoji react to vote on their favorites. Award prizes to those who have the top responses for an extra layer of excitement to the activity.

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9. Make ugly sweaters 🧵

You can never go wrong with an ugly sweater party. As part of your Christmas party activities, participants wear purposefully hideous holiday sweaters and can even compete in sweater contests. The funniest part is that the uglier the sweater, the more likely that team member will be named ‘best dressed’! 😂

Design your ugly sweaters together if you’re looking for a more interactive way to celebrate! Chat, create, get into the holiday spirit, and then strut your abominable (snowman, that is) creation for the entire holiday season.

On top of all the good times, your team will have a holiday memory they can wear for years to come!

How to get started 👉 Book an Ugly Sweater Making Party with Confetti and we'll send everyone their materials! 🧶

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10. Taste chocolate 🍫

It's no secret: the holidays are choc full of sweets!

Give your team a tasty surprise with a guided craft chocolate tasting, featuring special holiday flavors, like peppermint, gingerbread, and orange cranberry. And if you're feeling extra sweet, add on a delicious bottle of wine!

A festive chocolate tasting (especially when led by a chocolate sommelier) will give your team a newfound appreciation of this classic candy and each other.

How to get started 👉 Book a delicious Holiday Chocolate Tasting today! 😋

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11. Decorate cookies 🧑‍🍳

Holiday cookie decorating is a great team building activity for your office.

It's a fun way to celebrate the holiday season with your coworkers, but it also makes for a great bonding experience. You'll be able to spend time with your coworkers in a less formal setting and get to know them better. You can even make it into a competition by having everyone show off their confectionary creations!

And, at the end of the day, you'll have some delicious snacks! No better holiday gift than that.

If the winter holidays had an official pastime, decorating would be it. This classic event is sure to have everyone deliciously in the holiday mood!

How to get started 👉 Taste the holiday spirit with some Holiday Cookie Decorating!

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12. Make an ornament 🪵

When you're with your coworkers, you want to celebrate the holiday season in a fun, lighthearted way filled with joy.

That's why we think ornament-making is the perfect activity for your next team building event! It's a great bonding activity: everyone can work together on one project, but each person will have their own unique piece of art at the end of the night that’ll help them remember it forever.

Plus, it's just plain fun!

This class gives your team something that lasts long after the holidays end. They'll always be able to look back at their ornament and remember the wonderful time they had together.

How to get started 👉 Skip the virtual Secret Santa and make ornaments together in our Wood Burning Class! 🎄

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‍13. Have some hot cocoa ☕

When the holidays roll around, you want to feel cozy and warm. And what better way to do that than with a hot cup of cocoa? It's a classic way to get into the holiday spirit.

Just sipping on hot cocoa together isn't exactly enough to call it a team building activity, though. Instead, add a little holiday twist and make hot chocolate together! In our Hot Chocolate Bomb Making Class, you'll learn how to make a delicious hot cocoa bomb from a chocolate professional.

Plus, the hot chocolate kit is shipped straight to your team's doorstep. How's that for a delicious holiday gift?

Sipping on hot chocolate will melt away the winter frost and gives your team time to relax, chat, and share their favorite winter memories together!

How to get started 👉 Choose between regular cocoa or pumpkin spice in our Hot Chocolate Bomb Making Class! 🍫

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‍14. Learn about winter holidays around the world 🌍

Instead of calling it an office Christmas party, plan a festive celebration that also sheds light on culture and diversity.

Add a Winter Holidays Around the World class to the calendar. A live instructor will take your team on a whirlwind tour of global winter holiday traditions, from festivals to delicious holiday foods, folklore, and more.

This class is more than just a lesson; it's a chance for the team to share their own favorite winter traditions and learn from each other, all while celebrating the rich diversity of our world's celebrations.

How to get started 👉 Make it more than just a company Christmas party. Learn about all of the end-of-year celebrations in Winter Holidays Around the World! 🌎

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15. Host a Holiday Pub Party 🍻

'Tis the season to kick your virtual holiday party up a notch, and our Virtual Holiday Pub Party is just the way to do it!

The Holiday Pub is packed with awesome activities to make sure your remote celebration is a blast. A lively bartender will set the mood and a live musician will take song requests to get everyone grooving. Use the breakout rooms for mingling and chatting to bring your team closer.

Plus, we've got some fun games like the Holiday Pub Trivia Charity Game where you can compete while supporting a good cause in your company's name, and Holiday Coworker Feud for some friendly rivalry and awesome prizes!

How to get started 👉 Host your festive celebration at the Holiday Pub! 🍻

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16. Give back 🤝

This year, turn the holiday shindig into a heartwarming and memorable experience that also gives back to others outside of the office. Make a difference this holiday season by organizing a group volunteering effort within your team.

Whether it's crafting cards for nursing home residents, hosting a virtual donation drive, or gathering nearby employees to go caroling for a local charity, this special way to celebrate the season will create a lasting impact on your team and others. Once you’ve come up with some options for volunteering efforts, poll your team members to gather their input and preferences. The more avenues to give back, the merrier!

You could even host a round of Confetti's Winter Mini Games. With each correct answer, points will be translated to meal donations to those in need thanks to a partnership with Feeding America! Have fun and give back!

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17. Break the ice 🧊

Festive icebreakers are an easy, low-cost way to build stronger connections and laugh with the team while spreading some holiday cheer. Here are some holiday-themed "would you rather" questions to get you started:

Would you rather spend the holidays somewhere warm on the beach or in a cozy cabin in the snow? 🏖️🏔️
Would you rather have a real Christmas tree that smells amazing but sheds needles everywhere or a fake tree that looks perfect but has no scent? 🎄🪵
Would you rather have to wear an ugly sweater every day in December or dress up as a reindeer for one full day? 🦌👕
Would you rather eat only holiday cookies for a week or only candy canes for a week? 🍪🍬
Would you rather build a snowman or have a snowball fight? ⛄️❄️

How to get started 👉 We've got more where those came from. Check out our list of 50+ holiday icebreakers to use all season long!

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Plan your virtual holiday office party with Confetti 🥳

Confetti knows team bonding and virtual events better than the rest. We'll help you plan an extra fun virtual holiday party that'll put you at the top of the nice list!

Choose an event from our Holiday Party collection or get in touch with our team for help finding the perfect event for your company culture goals. Confetti is here to create the perfect itinerary for the winter season!

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‍Frequently Asked Questions ❓

How can you make sure your holiday party is inclusive?

To make your work holiday party inclusive, it's important to consider the diverse backgrounds, cultures, and traditions of your team members. Here are a few ways to create an environment where everyone feels welcome and celebrated:

Offer a Variety of Holiday Themes: Instead of focusing solely on one holiday, acknowledge and celebrate a range of end-of-year festivities, such as Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Diwali, and New Year’s. Consider hosting a "Winter Holidays Around the World" event to highlight different cultures.
Avoid Religious Exclusivity: While some employees may celebrate religious holidays, keep the overall tone of your event neutral and focus on themes like gratitude, togetherness, and the joy of the season, ensuring no one feels left out.
Encourage Team Input: Ask your team for their ideas and preferences when planning the party. Allowing everyone to contribute will ensure the event reflects the diversity of the group and creates a sense of ownership and inclusion.
Host Multiple Activities: Offer different types of activities that cater to various interests, from games and trivia to crafting and storytelling. This ensures that everyone can participate in something they enjoy.
Create a Welcoming Atmosphere: Use inclusive language in invitations and during the event. Acknowledge that everyone may have different ways of celebrating (or not celebrating) during the season, and ensure all voices are heard and respected.

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What are the best holiday team building activities? 🤨

The best team building activities for your holiday party will, of course, have a holiday theme! Here are our top three recommendations:

A virtual holiday happy hour
An engaging holiday trivia game
A friendly competition, like an ugly sweater making contest

Why should I throw a virtual holiday party for my team? 🧐

It's important to throw a virtual holiday party for your coworkers because it's the perfect opportunity to show them how much you appreciate them.

The holiday season is when everyone is getting together and celebrating, so why not take advantage of the opportunity to get your coworkers together? It doesn't have to be expensive or elaborate—just a few minutes spent thanking them for their hard work and letting them know how valuable they are will go a long way.

How long does it take to plan virtual holiday parties for the office? 🤔

For your next event — whether it's a big event or small — Confetti can help you plan in no time! Seriously, all it takes is just a few clicks. And yes, that includes any of your end-of-year holiday team building activities!

Don't just take our word for it: read our case study with FormAssembly to learn how much time you can save.

15+ Virtual Holiday Party Ideas