TL;DR: The best work holiday parties are easy to join, wherever people work. Plan with employee input, hold the party before the holidays (ideally during work hours), give remote teammates an equal seat, keep gift exchanges optional, and fill the time with activities like karaoke, cookie decorating, an ugly sweater contest, games, a talent show, or awards.
For many companies, the annual year-end holiday party is their biggest chance to recognize and celebrate their employees.
Whether your team gathers in the office, splits time in a hybrid setup, or relies on remote work, you may be stuck on how to create a festive environment for your company holiday party this year!
Holiday parties are still a fixture at work. In Challenger, Gray & Christmas’s 2024 holiday party survey, 64% of companies said they planned holiday celebrations, and 4.5% reported virtual events. Most teams aren’t all in one place, either: Gallup’s hybrid work indicator found that, as of August 2026, 54% of remote-capable US employees work hybrid and 25% work exclusively remote. The ideas below work in the office, on a video call, or both.
With increasing economic uncertainty and company cultures needing a boost, it’s important to show how much you appreciate your employees. Showing your appreciation doesn’t have to cost much money or include mailing out mini ice sculptures. And if your team uses recognition points, year-end rewards they can redeem for gift cards, charitable donations, or custom perks can keep the thank-you going into the new year.
How do you plan a great work holiday party?
Plan a party everyone can join, whether they’re in the office or on video. Here are some general tips to help you host the best work holiday party. Or you can jump straight to our 17 holiday party ideas! For the rest of your year-end planning, see our guide to holiday programs.
Plan it with your team
Pull together a small planning group with people from different teams and levels, share the budget, and ask what worked at past events. If an idea doesn’t make the cut, explain why, so everyone still feels heard.
Pick a time and place that works for most people
Schedule the party before the holidays start, so more people can attend. Many employees prefer a celebration during the workday: in ezCater’s 2025 Workplace Holiday Party Trends Report, 53% of employees said they want their holiday party held during work hours. For an in-person event, choose a venue most of your team can get to easily, and make sure it isn’t the same room where they work every day.
Give remote teammates an equal seat at hybrid parties
If part of your team joins on video, plan for them from the start instead of streaming the office party as an afterthought. Put a camera and a good microphone where the action is, name a host who watches the chat, pick activities that work on screen, and send remote attendees the same food, drinks, or kits the office gets.
Use breakout groups to recreate small group and one-on-one interactions
One of the best parts about company holiday parties is the one-on-one and group interactions you can have with colleagues. In person, mix up the seating so people meet colleagues they don’t usually work with. Thanks to Zoom breakout rooms, you can recreate that feeling on video. Throughout the gathering, break your employees into small groups and provide an icebreaker to get the conversation started. Using breakout rooms is especially important if you have a large number of employees on your roster.
Spotlight employees throughout the night
A remote or hybrid party takes more planning than one you host in person. Make sure to plan and brainstorm conversation topics, and organize activities!
Plus, to keep everyone’s attention, try dispersing employee awards throughout the night instead of having a big award ceremony at the end. Need inspiration? Try these creative employee reward ideas.
Make it fun for families, too
If the party is virtual, your employees probably aren’t getting a babysitter for the night like they usually would. Your employees’ families will probably be around in the background, so you might as well try your best to accommodate them when picking activities. For an in-person party, consider inviting partners and kids, and plan a few kid-friendly activities.
For example, you could try:
- A speed “get to know you” round
- Having kiddos introduce their grown-ups
- A pet parade!
- Mix and match breakout rooms—try specific rooms for spouses and kids!
Be considerate of time zones
If some of your team is remote, they probably aren’t flying in for the party. If you have a party at 7 p.m. in California, it’ll be 10 p.m. in New York. Your best bet is to have your party during working hours. 🕟
If you have coworkers in other countries, time zones get even more complicated. You may have to accept that some people can’t come to the company holiday party, or they can only stay for a little while.
If you’d like everyone to see the party in its entirety, you can consider recording it and sharing the recording with the team.
Hashtags and custom backgrounds can add a fun cultural element to the night
Social media is a great way to get out the word about your company and the culture you’re building. You can do this whether your party is in person or remote. Consider commissioning some unique virtual backgrounds from a graphic designer or creating a special hashtag for the event.
Encourage your employees to use the hashtag and custom backgrounds to highlight the fun, make memories, and build some employer branding while you’re at it.
Make gift exchanges and giving optional
The holidays already stretch budgets. In the American Psychological Association’s 2023 holiday stress poll, 58% of US adults said spending too much or not having enough money to spend causes them stress. Keep gift exchanges opt-in, set a spending limit, and if you want to give back, consider a company donation on employees’ behalf instead of asking them to chip in. For more ways to make the season welcoming, see how to celebrate holidays inclusively at work.
Looking for some fun holiday gift ideas for employees? Download our free list of 40 unique ideas that fit any budget!
17 holiday party ideas for remote, hybrid, and in-office teams
Excited yet? Good. Let’s talk about ideas.
1. Have a karaoke or lip sync battle
Everyone loves karaoke. Book a karaoke room, set up a machine in the office, or use Zoom to have everyone on your team do karaoke or lip-sync to their favorite tracks. Bonus points if your team sings holiday songs. 🎤
2. Make fancy cocktails
Sometimes, the best part about corporate parties is the open bar. 🍸 Hire a local bartender to run a class at the office, or for remote teammates, book a virtual mixology class to teach your employees how to make a drink or two (mocktails count, too). Your employees will have fun learning a new skill and chatting with their coworkers. You can also compete to see who makes the prettiest drink at the end of the night!
3. Get crafty
It’s always fun to learn something new together, and there are tons of classes your team can attend together (in person or virtually!). For a fun holiday touch, why not try a wreath-making kit?
Chat as you complete the craft together, around a table or on video. Your employees and their families will walk away with an item they can cherish for many holidays to come!
4. Decorate holiday cookies
Everyone loves holiday cookies. In the office, set out plain cookies and a toppings bar. For remote teammates, send a recipe for making cookies (or let them purchase premade cookie dough), so you can all decorate the cookies together. Send a kit with various sprinkles, frosting, and other goodies to make the cookie decorating contest even sweeter.
You can also involve family members by creating a few age brackets (best cookie decorated by a kid, best cookie decorated by a teenager, etc.).
5. Send a special holiday package
It’s always fun to receive packages in the mail! For your holiday party, why not hand out or ship your employees a fun holiday gift box? Make your employees wait to open them until the party to build anticipation and excitement!
6. Host an ugly sweater party
This one works just as well in the office as it does on camera. 😄
Get everyone to buy or craft the perfect ugly holiday sweater. From there, you can give awards for the most creative, ugly, or funny designs of the night.
7. Have a paint-and-sip party
Paint-and-sip parties are the best because you always have something fun to remember the night by—your painting! Reach out to your local paint party company and see if they’ll host your team in person or run a virtual event. For a virtual event, send employees all the supplies they need to paint, along with a bottle of wine or sparkling cider, and start painting!
If you can’t reach out to a paint party company, send everyone a paint-by-number kit. These kits usually come with all the supplies your team needs, and it’s hard to mess them up as long as you follow the numbers.
8. Play games
We all love a good party game! Play games that work in person or online, like Pictionary, Charades, or Bingo. For remote teammates, use breakout rooms to split into teams. For more ideas, see our list of team building activities.
9. Solve a murder mystery
Murder mysteries are fun to solve. Let your team get their detective hats out to solve a company murder mystery! Hosting a murder mystery takes some upfront planning, but you can create a mysterious night your employees will talk about for years to come.
10. Present a talent show
Showcase the talents of your employees. You never know what kind of talent you might discover with your employees! Encourage your talented employees to sign up for time slots throughout the night. Your employees can show their talent for singing, playing instruments, poetry—any number of creative endeavors. At the end of the night, you can crown a talent show winner, or you can just be blown away by the talent on your team.
11. Watch your favorite holiday movie
Hosting a movie night with your employees is easier than you think. Book a conference room with a big screen, or for remote teams, set up a time to watch and get on a video call to react together.
Here are some holiday movie ideas:
- The Polar Express
- Home Alone
- A Charlie Brown Christmas
- Elf
- The Santa Clause
- Love Actually
12. Organize a Secret Santa
Whether you swap gifts at the office or by mail, a gift exchange is an easy tradition to keep. Draw names, set a budget, and send gifts to each other—for remote teammates, remember to account for shipping times! To cut down on admin time, try a tool like Elfster! Keep it optional, so no one feels pressured to spend.
A fun way to mix up Secret Santa is by giving prompts for recipients to answer. Then, it’s up to the gift giver to “interpret” those responses with a perfect care package!
13. Host a fundraiser for a charity of your employees’ choice
Volunteering is a great tradition during the holiday season. If you’d rather not ask employees to spend money, the company can make a donation on their behalf. Here are a few ideas:
- Arrange drop-off locations for a holiday food drive or for donating winter coats and warm clothing
- Host a fundraiser and raffle off prizes
- Volunteer at a food pantry by packing, organizing, or giving out food
- Deliver groceries or meals to seniors
14. Reflect and reminisce
It has been a big year, and it’s almost over! 😄
Take the time to reflect on the year—highs, lows, notable moments, everything! Write it all down. A quick timeline of your company’s accomplishments over the year can be impactful to see.
It can also be cathartic to write down the lows of the year to rip up with your colleagues. 🙃
15. Support local restaurants
Holiday parties are a great way to support local restaurants. Cater the office party from a local favorite, or give remote employees a budget to purchase from a local restaurant they love. Have everyone go around on video and talk about why they chose the restaurant they did (or do this in a breakout room if you have a large organization). A virtual potluck lets you support many local restaurants at once.
16. Leave it to the professionals
Hey, you deserve some surprises, too! There are organizations dedicated to showing your employees a good time, in person or online.
The Vendry is a great place to find vendors for team events, including virtual group experiences. From magic shows to mixology classes to ramen making, there are tons of great events to have fun with!
17. Give recognition year-round
As grand as a holiday party is, we need to give employees recognition year-round. Your employees need to hear about the fantastic work they do more often than once a year or through an employee nomination program. Some of the benefits of effective employee recognition can include stronger engagement, better retention, and closer team connections.
One of the easiest ways to give recognition year-round is a peer-to-peer recognition program like Bonusly. Bonusly allows everyone to get involved in the recognition process. From entry-level employees to the C-suite, everyone can recognize employees for a job well done. Bonusly works in Slack and Microsoft Teams, so remote, hybrid, and in-office employees can see their value more often than once a year. Recognition points can be redeemed for gift cards, charitable donations, and custom rewards in more than 200 countries.
Frequently asked questions about work holiday parties
What are some good holiday party ideas for work?
Good holiday party ideas for work are easy to join and give people a reason to talk. Popular picks include karaoke or a lip sync battle, cookie decorating, an ugly sweater contest, party games, a talent show, a holiday movie, a Secret Santa exchange, a charity drive, and a year-in-review with team awards. Most of them work in person, on video, or both.
What are good virtual holiday party ideas for remote teams?
Choose activities that work on camera: a karaoke or lip sync battle, a virtual mixology or wreath-making class with supplies shipped ahead, cookie decorating, online games in breakout rooms, a talent show, a movie watch party, or a Secret Santa by mail. Ship any kits early enough to arrive before the party, and keep the event short enough that people stay engaged.
When should you hold a company holiday party?
Hold it before people leave for the holidays, so more of your team can attend. A daytime event during working hours makes it easier for everyone to join. For distributed teams, pick a time that falls within working hours in as many time zones as possible, and record the main moments for anyone who can’t make it.
How do you make a work holiday party fun?
Give people something to do, not just somewhere to be. Mix a small-group activity or icebreaker with one shared moment, like a contest, a talent show, or awards, and spread recognition through the event instead of saving it for a long speech at the end. Keep it short, make activities optional, and offer plenty of options for people who don’t drink.
How can you recognize employees at a holiday party?
Thank each team for specific contributions from the year, hand out a few fun awards, and let peers give shout-outs, too. With Bonusly, teammates can recognize each other in Slack or Microsoft Teams. On the Organization plan, admins can also support year-end gifts by creating a group award or running a limited-time Flash Points event, and employees can redeem the points they receive for gift cards or curated gifts.
Conclusion: Celebrate your team, wherever they work
Company holiday parties still matter, whether your team works remotely, hybrid, or in the office. You can celebrate together in a conference room, at a restaurant, or over Zoom or Microsoft Teams. Hopefully, these ideas will help you host a party that brings your team together for a night to celebrate the end of the year while getting excited for the year ahead!
Want to keep the appreciation going after the party? Get a demo to see how Bonusly makes recognition and rewards part of every week.
