The office holiday party usually follows the same script. Everyone grabs a drink, finds the three coworkers they already talk to every day, and quietly checks the time. A few well-chosen games flip that script. Suddenly the new analyst and the VP are on the same team, arguing about the best way to win an ornament relay.
At Throwback, we've spent more than a decade running team games for companies like Goldman Sachs, EY, and Google. Here are 10 of our favorite Christmas party games for work. Every one of them fits in a conference room, takes less than 15 minutes, and works without a single drink (though we won't stop you).
How to Run Games at Your Work Holiday Party
Mix up the teams. Split people by color, not by department. The whole point is getting people who don't usually work together on the same side.
Keep rounds short. Eight to ten minutes per game keeps the energy up. Stop each game while people are still having fun.
Balance brains and brawn. Mix light physical games with puzzles and trivia so everyone has a moment to shine, not just the former college athletes.
Keep score. Track points across every game and crown a winning team at the end. Bragging rights are the best prize there is.
Pick a host. Someone needs to explain the rules, keep time, and keep things moving. Without a host, games stall out fast.
10 Christmas Party Games for Work
1. Ornament & Spoon Relay
The classic egg-and-spoon race, holiday edition. It's simple, it's silly, and it gets competitive fast.
What you need: Shatterproof plastic ornaments, spoons, and cones or tape to mark a course.
How to play
● Split into teams and line up behind a starting line.
● The first player balances an ornament on a spoon, walks to the turnaround point, and comes back.
● Drop the ornament and you're back to the start (or do three jumping jacks as a penalty).
● Hand the spoon to the next teammate. The first team to get everyone through wins.
2. Holiday Feud
Survey says… this one is pure fun. It works even better when the questions are about your own office.
What you need: Answers from a quick survey sent to your team a week ahead, a bell or buzzer, and a whiteboard.
How to play
● A week before the party, send a short survey with questions like “Name the best holiday movie” or “What's the most-used phrase in our team meetings?”
● Two teams face off, with one player from each at the buzzer.
● The host reads a question. The first to buzz in guesses the top answer.
● The team that wins the buzz keeps guessing until it gets three strikes, then the other team gets one chance to steal.
3. Mitten Wrap Race
Wrapping a present is hard enough. Try it with oven mitts on and only one hand each.
What you need: Oven mitts or thick mittens, empty boxes, wrapping paper, tape, and scissors.
How to play
● Pair up. Each partner puts on mittens and keeps one hand behind their back.
● Working together, each pair wraps a box using only their two free hands.
● The host calls time after three minutes and judges the wrapping jobs.
● Best-looking (or most creative) gift wins.
4. Snowball Hoops
Inspired by Head Hoops, one of our most popular outdoor games, adapted for the office.
What you need: Wastebaskets or buckets, crumpled white paper or rolled-up socks for “snowballs,” and tape for a throwing line.
How to play
● One player from each team holds a wastebasket inside a marked box. They can move around, but they can't leave the box.
● Teammates throw snowballs from behind the line for 60 to 90 seconds.
● Count the snowballs in each basket. Rotate the catcher and play again.
5. Candy Cane Fishing
A no-hands challenge that has the whole room cheering within about ten seconds.
What you need: Wrapped candy canes and a table.
How to play
● Each player holds a candy cane in their mouth by the straight end.
● Using only that candy cane, they try to hook other candy canes off the table. No hands allowed.
● Run it as a relay: each teammate has to hook one before the next player can go.
● The first team to finish wins.
6. Holiday Rebus Race
A brain game for the puzzle lovers on your team. A rebus uses pictures, words, and their placement to represent a phrase, and holiday phrases make perfect material.
What you need: A printed set of holiday-themed rebus puzzles for each team.
How to play
● Give each team an identical set of puzzles, face down.
● On “go,” teams race to solve every puzzle.
● The first team to bring the host a fully correct set wins.
● New to rebus puzzles? Our guide to rebus puzzles explains how they work and how to make your own.
→ Link “guide to rebus puzzles” to /blog/rebus-puzzles
7. Reindeer Ring Toss
Equal parts skill and spectacle, especially once someone volunteers to wear the antlers.
What you need: Antler headbands (inflatable ones from a party store work great) and rings (pool rings or rings cut from paper plates).
How to play
● One player per team wears the antlers and stands in a marked spot.
● Teammates take turns tossing rings onto the antlers from behind a line.
● Most rings landed in 60 seconds wins the round.
8. Holiday Telephone
The classic whisper game, with holiday tongue twisters that fall apart in the best way.
What you need: A list of holiday phrases, like “Prancer's peppermint pancakes are perfectly plated.”
How to play
● Teams line up shoulder to shoulder.
● The host shows the first player in each line a phrase.
● Each player whispers it to the next person down the line.
● The last player says it out loud. Closest to the original earns the point.
9. Gingerbread Build-Off
A creative team challenge that's secretly a communication exercise.
What you need: Gingerbread kits (or graham crackers, frosting, and candy) and a timer.
How to play
● Split into teams of four to six and give everyone 20 minutes.
● Pick a theme, like “build our office” or “build the company's dream HQ.”
● For a twist, pick one “architect” per team who can talk but can't touch anything.
● A judge (or a vote) picks the winner. Give out extra awards for categories like Most Creative or Best Structural Engineering.
10. Holiday Trivia Showdown
A great closer that gets everyone back in one room.
What you need: Prepared questions and a way to keep score.
How to play
● Mix holiday pop culture questions with a few about your company.
● Teams answer in rounds, writing answers down.
● Wrong answer? The next team gets a chance to steal.
● Most points after three or four rounds wins.
Want Someone Else to Run It? Book a Holiday Color War
Running ten games while also hosting a party is a lot for one office manager. That's where we come in.
A Throwback Color War is our indoor version of field day. Our coaches split your group into color-coded teams and run five to eight games over about 90 minutes, mixing light physical challenges with trivia, puzzles, and game-show-style rounds. At the end, we tally the scores and crown a winning team, who will enjoy bragging rights at least until the rematch.
We can host in your office or book a third-party venue for your group. In New York, we've hosted at indoor turf venues like Socceroof, where we can run the same games as our outdoor field days, no matter what December weather is doing.
You'll also get games you won't find on any list, including Throwback originals like Pong Feud (Family Feud meets beer pong), Telephone Taps, and Battlechips.
Ready to plan? Learn more about a holiday Color War for your team.
Planning in New York? See our team building activities in NYC.
[Add a button here: “PLAN YOUR HOLIDAY EVENT” → /color-war#request-more-info]
Holiday Team Building FAQs
What are good holiday team building activities for work?
The best holiday team building activities are short, team-based games that mix people across departments: relays, feud-style trivia, puzzle races, and creative build-offs. If you'd rather not plan and host it yourself, a hosted event like a Throwback Color War handles the games, equipment, and scoring for you.
Can you play holiday party games at work without alcohol?
Yes. Every game on this list works without drinks, which makes them a good fit for any office culture.
How long should holiday party games last?
Plan for 60 to 120 minutes total, with eight to ten minutes per game. Our Color War events typically run about 90 minutes with five to eight games.