12 Days of Christmas Ideas For Work: 50 Activities

Need some 12 Days of Christmas ideas for work? Here are 50 ideas to pick your favorites from and have your staff have a holly, jolly time!

Christmas is a magical time of year that can bring people together. Celebrating Christmas at work creates an opportunity to build relationships and strengthen workplace morale.

There are many ways to make it festive and fun, from decorating the office to holding a holiday party or even organizing 12 days of Christmas activities.

Even if you don’t celebrate Christmas, it’s a good idea to spend quality time as a whole team at the end of the year. IT’s a great way for your staff members to bond and you can invite the whole team.

Here are some ideas for celebrating this joyous occasion in your office:

12 Days of Christmas Ideas For Work – 50 Total Ideas To Pick From!

1. Decorate Your Own Ornament

Set up an ornament decorating station in the break room and have everyone decorate their own ornament for the office tree.

Provide all kinds of art supplies that allow people to get creative! Christmas decorations are pretty easy to make and can decorate the office for the season.

You can also make salt dough ornaments – it’s really easy!

2. Gift Exchange:

Have everyone participate in a Secret Santa gift exchange, or organize games like White Elephant or Yankee Swap for added fun.

A White Elephant Party works like this: everyone brings in a random wrapped gift, and then takes turns opening them. When it’s your turn you can either choose to keep the present you’ve opened or steal someone else’s!

A Yankee Swap is similar, but everyone gets a chance to pick from the presents before they can be stolen.

Secret Santa works like this: each person is assigned a “secret” recipient and has to buy them a gift.

Keep a reasonable budget, say under $20. And no gift cards (or iPods!) allowed.

3. Host A Holiday Bake-Off

Encourage everyone to bring in their favorite holiday treat and have a bake-off! It can be as simple or as complex as you wish – from cookie decorating contests to full on Iron Chef style challenges with a panel of judges!

This is a fun way to welcome in a festive season!

4. Christmas Karaoke

Turn up the holiday tunes and have everyone take turns singing their favorite Christmas carols.

You can even set up competitions for best solo performer or choose teams to compete against each other in a battle of the bands style competition.

5. Holiday Movie Marathon

Organize a movie marathon in the break room and have everyone bring their favorite holiday movie snacks. Once you’ve planned the movie list and date, use Punchbowl’s online Christmas party invitations to make your event announcement even more festive. You can customize these invitations to include event details and even a sneak peek of the movie lineup.

Put on your favorite Christmas classics for some fun! You could also host this virtually and invite your remote employees in too. It’s a fun way to include them.

6. Ugly Sweater Contest:

Encourage employees to dress up in their ugliest holiday sweaters and have a contest to see who has the worst! Bonus points if you have them find their ugly christmas sweater secondhand.

7. Charitable Giving:

Organize a charitable giving event such as a toy drive or food donation collection and have everyone come together to give back to those in need.

8. Jingle Bell Hunt:

Hide jingle bells around the office and then have teams compete in a race to find them all. Have a set of prizes that the winner can pick from!

9. Holiday Card Making:

Have each team create their own festive holiday card that will be sent out to clients or partners. It’s a great way for everyone to show off their creativity and spread good christmas cheer! We don’t all have the time to make christmas cards.

10. Gingerbread House Competition:

Break up into teams and have each team build their own gingerbread house. Have a panel of judges decide on the winner for added competition!

Turn it into fun social media content and have your customers vote on who made the best gingerbread houses on Instagram.

11. Holiday Trivia

Test everyone’s knowledge of holiday trivia with an office quiz. Make sure to include questions about Christmas traditions as well as popular holiday movies and songs!

12. Christmas Tree Decorating Contest:

Set up a Christmas tree decorating contest and have each team design their own themed tree. Pick a winner based on creativity, originality, and overall look. It’s sure to be lots of fun!

13. Holiday Potluck:

Ask employees to bring a dish to share with their colleagues during lunchtime. It’s a great way to show appreciation for each other and enjoy some delicious food!

14. Christmas Caroling:

Round up the troops and head out into the streets for some caroling. Everyone can take turns singing their favorite holiday tunes while spreading joy to passersby!

15. Hot Cocoa Bar:

Set up a hot chocolate bar in the break room for employees to enjoy! Have all kinds of options like marshmallows, candy canes, whipped cream and other tasty toppings.

Have different milks and dairy-free options available for your team members. They’ll love it!

16. Giving Tree:

Set up a giving tree in the office where everyone can buy gifts for local families in need or donate toys to charity. It’s a great way to give back and celebrate the season of giving.

17. Office Tree Lighting Ceremony

Have a tree lighting ceremony where everyone can get together to light up the office Christmas tree and sing carols.

Have everyone decorate the tree with their handmade ornaments.

18. Holiday Party:

Throw an office holiday party complete with decorations, music, food and drinks for everyone to enjoy! Encourage people to dress up in festive attire and have some fun.

19. Christmas Jokes & Riddles:

Share some classic holiday jokes and riddles around the office for a good laugh! Post them up on bulletin boards or print them out to give to everyone.

20. Holiday Puzzles:

Organize team building activities with puzzles or riddles that everyone can work on together. It’s a great way to encourage teamwork and have fun!

21. Cookie Decorating:

Set up a cookie decorating station for everyone to enjoy. Provide a variety of toppings and decorations for people to get creative!

Pre-baked cookies or decorating sets will be the easiest and will make the process fun for everyone!

If you have a remote team, send every one a kit and have them decorate over Zoom.

22. Reindeer Games:

Organize some fun reindeer games, such as Rudolph’s nose-ring toss or Christmas bingo. Everyone can join in the silly activities and have a good laugh!

These fun games will promote bonding and give everyone something to talk about!

23. Holiday Scavenger Hunt:

Organize an office scavenger hunt where teams compete to find all the items on their list within a certain amount of time. It’s a great way to get everyone moving and having fun!

24. Christmas Pictionary:

Split up into teams and have a game of Christmas Pictionary! Provide clues about popular holiday movies, songs, and characters for some creative drawing battles.

25. Christmas/Winter Bingo:

Set up an area in the office where employees can play a game of Christmas or Winter Bingo! Provide players with bingo cards and check off the boxes as they match up items on their board.

The entire team can play (remote or not) over a week or two. Have everyone take pictures to prove their bingo!

26. Holiday Crafts:

Encourage everyone to get crafty by setting up a holiday crafts station in the office. Have a variety of supplies like glue, paint, markers, and glitter for people to use.

27. Stocking Decorating:

Challenge everyone to decorate their own holiday stocking. Provide a variety of materials, such as fabric, ornaments, and ribbon for some creative designs.

28. Holiday Pet Party:

Invite employees to bring their furry friends to the office for a fun holiday pet party! Have plenty of treats and toys for them to play with while everyone enjoys some good company.

29. Wish Tree:

Set up a “Wish Tree” in the office and have everyone write down their wishes for the coming year on paper ornaments. Hang them up on the tree to spread good cheer!

30. Christmas Light Decorating Contest:

Organize a competition where teams can design and decorate their own unique set of holiday lights. Pick a winner and hang them up around the office to spread some cheer!

31. Door Decorating Contest:

Challenge everyone to decorate their own office door with festive holiday decorations. Have a panel of judges decide on the winner and hang up the winner’s door in a prominent area!

32. Re-Gifting Exchange:

Encourage employees to bring in any unwanted gifts they have received for an office re-gifting exchange. It’s a great way to put those items to good use and make someone’s holiday special.

33. Minute to Win It Games:

Organize a series of Minute to Win It games that will test everyone’s patience and skill. Make sure to include some holiday-themed challenges for extra fun!

Ideas include who can eat a cookie fastest without using their hands, who can shake the most cotton balls out of a tissue box that’s taped to their back, and who can build the tallest tower out of candy canes.

34. Gift Wrapping Station:

Set up a gift wrapping station in the office where employees can wrap their presents with other colleagues. Provide a variety of wrapping paper, tape, and ribbons for everyone to use.

35. Holiday Photo Booth:

Have a photo booth set up in the office where employees can take silly holiday photos with their co-workers. Print out the photos and hang them up around the office for everyone to enjoy!

Holiday photo ideas could include wearing festive hats, Christmas sweaters, or funny props.

36. Professional Family Photos Day:

Organize a professional family photos day where employees can bring in their family members to take pictures with Santa. It’s a great way to show appreciation for everyone and have some fun!

37. Host an Awards Ceremony:

Host an awards ceremony where each employee is recognized for their contributions to the team in the past year. Provide festive snacks and drinks while everyone celebrates together!

38. Volunteer:

Organize a volunteer day where everyone can join together to help out in the community. It’s an excellent way to make a difference and spread some holiday cheer!

39. Bring in a food truck:

Bring in a food truck to the office so everyone can enjoy some tasty holiday treats. It’s a great way to provide a break from work and reward employees for their hard work.

40. Garland Making:

Set up a garland making station in the office and have everyone make their own festive decorations. Provide different ribbons, bells, ornaments, and other supplies for people to get creative!

41. Christmas PJ Day:

Have a “Christmas PJ” day where employees can wear their favorite festive sleepwear to the office. It’s an excellent way to get everyone into the holiday spirit!

42. Holiday Murder Mystery:

Organize a holiday-themed murder mystery game for everyone to enjoy. Split people up into teams and give them clues to solve the case!

43. Escape Room:

Set up a holiday-themed escape room for employees to work together and solve puzzles. It’s a great way to encourage teamwork and have some fun!

44. Christmas Cocktails:

Organize a “Christmas cocktails” night where everyone can enjoy festive drinks and snacks. Provide recipes for creative holiday-themed drinks that everyone can mix up!

45. Cooking Class:

Host a cooking class where everyone can learn to make festive holiday dishes. Provide recipes and ingredients for people to follow along and have a great time!

46. Family Holiday Party:

Host a family holiday party to show appreciation for all of your employees and their families. Organize some fun activities for everyone to enjoy and provide snacks and drinks.

47. Hidden Snowmen:

Hide small snowmen figures around the office and have everyone try to find them! Offer a small prize or reward for each person who finds a hidden snowman.

48. Elf on the Shelf:

Bring an Elf on the Shelf to the office and have everyone take turns moving it around each day. It’s a great way to spread some holiday spirit and encourage creativity!

49. Indoor Snowball Fight:

Organize an indoor snowball fight with foam balls or cotton balls! Provide a variety of snowballs for people to use and split everyone up into teams.

50. Holiday Charades:

Host a holiday-themed charades game where everyone has to act out different festive items or characters. It’s a great way to get everyone laughing and in the spirit of the season!

How to Pick Your 12 Days of Christmas Ideas For the Workplace

Choosing the right 12 Days of Christmas ideas for the workplace can be a challenge, but there are plenty of fun and festive activities that everyone will enjoy.

The key is to pick activities that fit within your office culture and budget. Consider what type of event would suit your employees best, such as game nights, team building activities, or charitable events. Whatever you choose, make sure it’s something that everyone can get excited about and have fun with!

Also, don’t forget to keep safety in mind when planning your 12 Days of Christmas ideas. Make sure all activities follow any workplace safety regulations and consider any potential risks involved before starting. And most importantly, always remember to have fun and spread some holiday cheer!

Final Thoughts on 12 Days of Christmas Ideas For Work

These are just some of the ideas for celebrating Christmas at work. With a little bit of creativity, you can make it an enjoyable time for everyone in the office. So what are you waiting for? Start planning your holiday festivities now! Have a wonderful holiday season!

These 12 days of Christmas ideas for work will help you bring joy and festivity into the office this holiday season. So get started planning your christmas celebration! And enjoy the start of a holiday tradition for your team.

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