First off, all work and no play is not good for business.
Your employees need to unwind every once in a while for better morale, focus, and productivity.
And, in our experience, an office party is a great way to facilitate that.
Plus, at a corporate party, your employees can socialize and build relationships with their colleagues and other team members, cultivating team spirit.
Likewise, a work party gives you the chance to show appreciation for your employees’ hard work, which will keep them motivated and prevent turnover.
So, you’ve got plenty of good reasons to organize a fun office party.
But where do you start and how can you make your event memorable?
No worries; we’ve prepared a list of tried and tested, crowd-pleasing office party ideas to choose from.
Let’s explore them!
Table of Contents
List of Work Party Ideas to Consider
List of Work Party Ideas to Consider
Truth be told, regular corporate parties can become boring over time and your employees will likely lose interest in attending them.
Our advice?
Always look for fun corporate event ideas.
Based on our experience, we can safely say that unique office party themes, fun games and team-building activities, delicious refreshments, and cool event swag prizes will create the perfect party experience.
Now, check out some of our favorite office party ideas.
Idea #1: Murder mystery
Playing detective as a group is a lot of fun and cultivates teamwork, making murder mystery one of the best office party ideas.
Here’s a brief step-by-step guide to a killer murder mystery night (no pun intended!):
- Find an intriguing murder mystery game and purchase it. Masters of Mystery and Night of Mystery offer some great options.
- Send out invitations to your employees providing context for when and where the story takes place.
- Assign specific roles to each team member and ask them to improvise costumes or accessories for the party.
- Pick tasty refreshments that match the murder mystery theme.
- Explain the rules and encourage your employees to collaborate to solve the murder mystery.
- Reward the winners with special swag.
For example, you can opt for our black ceramic custom mug and personalize it with the message ‘True detective’.
Of course, you can play murder mystery games online as well. And since you’re here, check out other virtual event ideas too.
Idea #2: Escape room
Escape room is an awesome virtual team celebration idea that fosters camaraderie and teamwork among remote employees.
A brief step-by-step guide:
- Choose a virtual escape room provider, like Team Building Hub, and ask for details of the game.
- Choose an online video chat platform (e.g. Zoom, Google Meets) where your team members can chat with each other during the game.
- Set a time and date well in advance so that remote employees can attend, or give them a workday afternoon off for this event.
- Meet up and play the game. Remind your team they should collaborate and communicate to solve the escape room clues and puzzles.
- Celebrate victory or soothe the pain of defeat by organizing a virtual happy hour.
To make this more fun, you can send your employees this Aged & Infused DIY Cocktail or Mocktail Infusion Kit via mail before the event.
Of course, there are plenty of in-person escape rooms as well. You may want to check your local businesses for more info.
Idea #3: Talent show
We all have hobbies and secret talents our colleagues don’t know about.
So, organizing a talent show where employees can showcase their passions is a great icebreaker for an otherwise formal work environment.
A brief step-by-step guide:
- Pick a venue with a small stage where your team members can perform their acts.
- Rent microphones and speakers to create the ultimate talent show experience.
You should also consider renting a karaoke set, since many people will want to sing.
- Assign an MC and three judges to further entertain the crowd.
- Create an online poll and ask your employees to vote for their favorite act.
- Announce the winners and offer them a prize.
Since it’s impossible to know the winner in advance, we suggest going with these Skullcandy Bluetooth earbuds that anyone would love.
The best part about a talent show is that you can turn it into a hybrid event.
This way, even your remote employees can participate and feel part of the team.
Idea #4: Fun potluck
There’s a little foodie in all of us, which is why potlucks are very popular office celebrations.
Likewise, since your employees might have different cultural backgrounds, this is also a fun way to promote diversity and inclusivity in your work environment.
A brief step-by-step guide:
- Clearly define what a potluck is so your employees know what to expect.
Namely, explain to them that each team member is expected to cook a special dish. It can be a culture-specific dish, one of granny’s recipes, or whatever you decide.
- Let your team know well in advance when the company party will take place so they have time to plan their dishes.
- Set up a big table and ask your employees to lay out their dishes together with a name tag.
- Create an online poll and ask the attendees to vote for their favorite dish.
- Reward the winner with a snack gift basket to maintain the gourmet theme.
We recommend this Snack It to Me Remmy Pouch that is filled with a mix of delicious sweet and salty snacks.
Clearly, you can only host this work party in person, as participants need to be able to taste the dishes.
Idea #5: Scavenger hunt
Scavenger hunts are one of the best office party ideas because they promote friendly competition and teamwork.
What we love most about this office party game is that you can organize it both indoors and outdoors depending on the season.
Here’s a brief step-by-step guide:
- Come up with a list of challenges and riddles that your employees need to solve and the items they must find during the scavenger hunt.
- Divide your staff into teams. We suggest you avoid large groups and stick to 3–5 people per team to make it more engaging.
- Inform them how much time they have to complete the scavenger hunt and time them.
- Give points for each completed task and use them to identify the winner.
- Reward the winners with cool swag, like this Royal Fleet Smart Fitness Tracker that monitors your heart rate, blood pressure, steps, and calories.
You should always organize scavenger hunts in person as a fun get-together.
Idea #6: Office Olympics
With office Olympics you have countless fun activities you can include and never enough time to try them all.
First off, you should decide whether you want to organize your next office party in person or online, as office Olympics work either way.
For virtual events, you can opt for a typing race, a trivia contest, or a costume contest.
For in-person office Olympics, you can organize a football or basketball tournament outdoors or try desk chair football or rubber band archery indoors.
Brief step-by-step guide:
- Create a schedule so that everything runs smoothly and your employees don’t get bored.
- Divide your staff into teams by mixing and matching employees from different departments.
- Explain the rules of the game and create a system so that each member of the team gets a turn.
- Keep score and announce the winners.
Since this office party idea promotes exercise, you can reward the winners with a Cobra fitness and yoga mat.
Idea #7: Photo booth
Photo booths are a fun addition to any office party, especially if they come equipped with unique props.
Using photo booths for company holiday parties means everyone leaves with a fun memento of the event.
When renting a photo booth choose one that allows you to quickly post the photos on social media using themes, overlays, and the company logo.
Might as well get some free advertising out of it…
Idea #8: Trivia game night
Trivia game night is another popular themed party idea that cultivates teamwork and friendly competition.
A brief step-by-step guide:
- Choose a trivia theme and come up with the questions. For example, you can opt for a movie night theme with questions about famous Hollywood movies and actors.
While you can try a DIY approach, we prefer using online professional trivia questions because it’s easier and less time-consuming.
- Divide your employees into teams of people from different departments so they can get to know each other.
- Explain the rules up front and keep the score to identify the winning team.
- Reward the winners with theme-related prizes. For a movie night theme, we recommend this What’s Pop’N Gourmet Popcorn Gift Set.
In our experience, you can host a trivia game night both in person and online and get the same great vibes.
Idea #9: Casino night
A casino night office party theme can be a lot of fun as long as you don’t lose real money.
Plus, it’s a great icebreaker for new hires and inter-departmental networking.
Here’s your step-by-step guide:
- Prepare the venue with rented casino equipment to create the perfect party experience.
- Ask your staff to dress up in old-style casino attire to add a touch of sophistication to your event.
- Hand out an exact amount of fake money to each employee at the beginning of the night.
- Reward the person with the most winnings at the end of the night.
To keep up with the casino night theme, this Bicycle® Bourbon Connoisseur Playing Cards Gift Set makes for a great prize.
Idea #10: Movie night
If you’re looking for a more laid-back office celebration, then movie night is your best option.
A step-by-step guide:
- Set a movie night theme and find a relevant movie. Since you can host regular movie nights, you can choose a different genre each time.
- Rent out a video projector and find a spacious room with an empty wall.
- Rent out bean bags to create a cozy atmosphere.
- Set up a goodies table, including popcorn, nachos, sweets, and beverages.
- Play a short trivia game once the movie is over.
Ask questions about the movie and reward the person who answers the most questions correctly with this Pop Culture Gourmet Gift Set.
You can host a movie night via Zoom as well.
Idea #11: Office awards night
One of the most effective ways of showing your appreciation for your employees’ hard work is to host an office awards night.
You can do this during the holiday season to thank team members for the work they put in throughout the year.
Of course, besides the big office awards, you should also prepare smaller employee Christmas gifts for the rest of the team so that nobody feels left out.
A brief step-by-step guide:
- Set a budget and stick to it because hosting an office awards night for a large group of people can be costly.
- Find the right venue to fit everyone and to create an elegant ambiance.
- Choose a classic theme, like The Great Gatsby, and ask your employees to dress accordingly.
- Hire a DJ and an MC to entertain your staff and encourage them to dance.
- Establish the award categories and identify the winners based on their work results.
- Choose high-quality and unique swag for the prizes.
If you want to wow the winners, the Cleer Enduro ANC Noise Canceling Headphones are a good choice.
While you may not want to host the office awards night online only, you can make it hybrid, so that even remote employees can attend.
Idea #12: Karaoke night
A karaoke night is a great choice for a company party because it lightens the mood and lets your employees get to know each other.
It doesn’t even matter if your team members have talent or not, because everyone will have a great time.
Your step-by-step guide:
- Choose a venue with a small stage to make the performers feel special.
- Rent out a karaoke set and speakers for the ultimate party experience.
- Prepare a playlist with popular songs that everyone knows and can sing along to.
- Create an online poll so your employees can vote for their favorite singer.
- Reward the winner with music-related company swag.
We suggest the Soundpro Waterproof Magnetic Speaker that you can customize with your company name.
This fun office party works best in person. ?
Idea #13: Ugly sweater party
Forget about the boring, traditional office Christmas party and opt for an ugly sweater party instead.
This is a lot more fun and your team will love it!
Brief step-by-step guide:
- Give details about the dress code so that everyone’s on the same page.
Namely, tell them to look for the tackiest and most colorful Christmas sweater.
- Go crazy with Christmas decorations to complement the ugly sweaters.
- Choose holiday season refreshments, like hot cocoa, cider, and cinnamon rolls. But also look for Christmas-themed baked goods.
- Plan some old-school and fun games, like board games or bingo.
- Host an ugly sweater contest and let your team vote for the ugliest.
- Reward the winner with a stylish branded hoodie to replace the ugly sweater.
For example, you can choose the tentree Space Dye Classic Hoodie.
If your entire team works remotely, you can host this office holiday party via Zoom.
Idea #14: Combined birthday party
At SwagDrop, we believe that celebrating employee birthdays is one of the best ways to show your appreciation for their hard work and make them feel valued.
However, in the case of enterprises and larger teams, celebrating each employee’s birthday separately can become costly.
Thus, we suggest you organize combined birthday parties for multiple employees.
A brief step-by-step guide:
- Always ask new hires if they like celebrating their birthdays. After all, some people don’t feel comfortable celebrating birthdays publicly.
- Organize this get-together during lunch break to make sure everyone attends.
- Set up a buffet with delicious finger food and beverages and order a custom cake.
- Play some music to create a festive atmosphere.
- Hand out cool swag to the employees celebrating their birthdays.
In our opinion, you can never go wrong with tech swag. For example, our employees loved this Wood Bluetooth speaker with a wireless charging pad.
Make sure you don’t forget about your remote employees. Host their birthday parties on Zoom and make sure to send them a birthday gift by mail.
Idea #15: Cooking competition
Foodies will love a fun cooking competition!
However, it’s kind of hard to host the entire thing in person since you need a lot of cooking equipment.
As such, we suggest you do it online or as a hybrid event.
Brief step-by-step guide:
- Choose a theme and a recipe. For example, you can go with an American cuisine theme and choose a classic burger recipe.
- Divide your employees into teams of 2–3 people to make this a team-building exercise.
- Let them choose whose kitchen they want to use for the competition.
- Provide each team with the same ingredients to make this a fair competition.
- Meet up with all the teams on Zoom simultaneously and time them.
- Reward the winners. The winner should be the team that finishes first and/or the one with the best-looking burger.
As for their prize, we recommend this Burger Night Gift Set.
For a hybrid version, you can ask your employees to bring their home-cooked dishes to work the following day so everyone can taste them. ?
Idea #16: Winter wonderland
Picking an inclusive Christmas party theme is not as easy as it may seem.
So, if you want to play it safe, a winter wonderland–themed party will do the trick.
Of course, you can rent an elegant venue and exquisite decor, but that can end up being quite expensive.
Let us show you how to make this a budget-friendly work party and include your team in the process.
Here’s a brief step-by-step guide:
- Buy a Christmas tree and some basic ornaments, then ask each employee to bring one extra ornament from home.
Make them feel part of the team and create a sense of unity.
- Give your employees two hours off to adorn the Christmas tree together. Give them a chance to socialize and have a bit of fun.
- Ask your employees to cook a Christmas dish or cake and bring it to the office on a specific day.
- Tell your team to dress for the occasion.
- Buy Christmas lights and adorn the office outside work hours to surprise your team on the day of the party.
Just remember to dim office lights to create a cozy atmosphere.
- Bring a speaker from home and create a fun Christmas playlist for the party.
- Prepare small gift bags for your employees. You can fill them with delicious sweets and snacks, but make sure you add one practical item as well.
Our top pick that you can get for $10–$12 is this Jolt 2,200 mAh Power Bank.
Idea #17: Morning breakfast party
Nobody is a big fan of Monday mornings, but a morning breakfast party can change all that and boost your team’s morale.
A brief step-by-step guide:
- Check out nearby coffee shops for large order discounts and delivery services.
- Buy ingredients for a healthy breakfast bowl, such as fruit, cereals, yogurt, and nuts.
- Buy some delicious donuts or other mouth-watering pastry.
- Set up a nice buffet in the office and play some music.
- Spark up conversations to encourage everyone to mingle and start their week on a pleasant note.
Idea #18: Halloween costume party
You can never go wrong with a Halloween costume party.
Your brief step-by-step guide:
- Set the date and the dress code well in advance, so your team has time to prepare.
To make this more fun and let your employees show their artistic side, ask them to create their costumes themselves.
- Prepare some fun activities, like a pumpkin carving contest or a Halloween makeup station.
- Go wild on Halloween decorations and refreshments as vendors are always well prepared for this time of year.
- Host a Halloween costume contest and ask your staff to vote for the most original costume.
- Hand out a prize to the winner. Since they went trick-or-treating, we would opt for this Out To Lunch Gourmet Treats Cooler.
If you have a virtual team, you can host a Halloween costume party via Zoom and play some online Halloween games.
Idea #19: Santa’s workshop
Santa’s workshop is one of our favorite office holiday party ideas.
It gives your team members a chance to dress up, socialize, have fun, and celebrate the holiday season.
A brief step-by-step guide:
- Ask for volunteers to play Santa and a few elves.
- Find an empty office corner to set up Santa’s chair and surround it with fake gifts and Christmas decorations.
Hire a photographer to take photos of your employees sitting on Santa’s lap. ?
- Set up the elves’ workstations where your employees will take turns to participate in fun activities.
- Plan fun activities, like face painting and making popsicle stick bridges.
- Host a wrapping contest with sweets, snacks, and toys that will go to charity.
- Hand out Christmas gifts to all your hard-working elves. For a tasty and practical gift, we recommend the Corkcicle® You’re Terrific Gourmet Gift Box.
We recommend this themed party for in-person teams so that everyone can actively participate.
Idea #20: Sports day
If your employees spend all day at a desk, you should always look for ways to encourage them to exercise.
And there’s no better way to do that than by organizing a sports day.
A brief step-by-step guide:
- Pick a group sport, like baseball, soccer, or basketball.
- Divide your staff into teams consisting of both men and women of all ages to create an inclusive experience.
- Personalize T-shirts with each player’s name and a number.
- Book a playing field and inform your employees well in advance.
- Assign two referees to avoid any bias.
- Set up a refreshments table for the players.
- Announce and reward the winning team. This Copper Vacuum Insulated Bottle is a great choice as they can use it at both the office and the gym.
Idea #21: Throwback party
Once again, it’s about playing dress-up, but this time, your employees will also have to show their dance moves.
Brief step-by-step guide:
- Choose your era, but we suggest you don’t go further back in the past than the 80s so that your employees can relate.
- Create a playlist for that era with popular hits that most people know.
- Ask your employees to dress up for the chosen era.
- Host a costume contest and a dance contest to get everyone on the dance floor.
- Create an online poll for your team members to vote for the most original costume and the best dancer.
- Hand out prizes to the winners. We suggest you go with these iLive Tiki & Bluetooth Speakers with LED Flame that your employees can hang in their backyards and dance the night away.
Idea #22: Pajama party
Who says you can’t wear your PJs at the office?
While you can host a pajama party online, we believe that it’s much more fun to do it at the office as it will lighten up the mood.
A brief step-by-step guide:
- Set a date and let your team know in advance so that they have time to decide which PJs to wear.
- Rent some bean bags to create a comfy setting.
- Organize a movie night as we described earlier.
- Don’t forget about the refreshments!
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Start Ordering Swag for Your Office Party Now
Just pick one of these unique and fun office party ideas and start planning.
As for the prizes or gifts, we’ve got you covered.
Just check out our SwagDrop shop and start building your swag pack for the best office parties.
And if you need any help, we’re always here for you.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some of the most common questions about office parties:
Q1. How do you make an office party interesting?
To make an office party interesting, you should pick a special theme, prepare some fun games or activities, and hand out unique prizes.
Q2. How do you organize an office party?
To organize an office party you should first decide whether you want to host it in person or online. Then, pick a venue and gather all the necessary supplies. Finally, plan some fun activities and enjoy yourself.
Q3. What do you need for an office party?
What you need depends on the type of office party you want to host. However, as a general rule, you always need tasty refreshments and quality swag.