Another year has passed, and with December quickly approaching, businesses large and small will most likely begin planning the dreaded work do. We understand that not everyone enjoys drinking and socialising with their coworkers, but we at Maxim have created a list of some tried and tested games to make your Christmas Office Party more enjoyable!

In no particular order or affiliate links (no ads)

1. Jenga

Jenga is a fun, interactive game for people of all ages, and there is no limit to the number of people who can play. If your company has 2-4 people, we recommend that each player take their turn, going through everyone until the group collapses, and any group larger than 4 should be divided into groups. Divide an 8-person group into two groups, for example. Allow a different payer from your team to remove the blog from the tower on each alternate go. Whoever destroys it for their team loses.

For those who aren't driving, we've always asked the losers to do a dare or take a shot of their choice of alcohol.

2. Christmas Quiz

A quiz brings out the competitive beast in all of us, and it can be amusing to watch your coworkers shout out and scribble down answers with their hands covering their paper to ensure no one can see what they believe is a perfect score. What's also great about quizzes is how versatile they are. You can make it as easy or difficult as you want, for as long as you want, on any topic you want.

If you don't have time to create your own quiz, don't worry; there are thousands, if not millions, of quizzes available on Google, both printable and interactive. We've used a Who Wants To Be A Millionaire one and a website called Kahoot, which allows you to use your phone as a controller and interact with a TV/laptop/computer.

3. Karaoke Competition

I understand that this may not be for everyone, but you never know who might get up and belt out Angels by Robbie Williams after a few mulled wines (not my choice btw).

Fortunately, thanks to advances in technology, this one is also quite simple to set up. Option 1: Sing along with your favourite artist using a music streaming app connected to a Bluetooth speaker. Option 2: Play a Karaoke YouTube channel with a backing track and lyrics that you can sing along to on a laptop or television (our favourite option). Option 3 is to buy your own Karaoke machine, plug it in, grab the microphone, and sing your heart out!

4. Rockin' Around The Coworker Tree

If you have any leftover Christmas decorations, this is a great way to put them to use. Form two groups from your team, and one volunteer to be the judge. Each team must choose a member to serve as the decorated "tree." (Make sure that each group has enough decorations, such as tinsel, baubles, lights, and other ornaments) After you ring your jingle bell to announce the start, the groups have two minutes to quickly decorate their human trees! When the timer stops, the judge will decide which tree has won.

And don't forget, get the losers to do a dare or eat a horrible treat like a brussels sprout!

5. Put The Carrot In Rudolph's Mouth

This is a Christmas-themed version of the classic party game "Put the X on the Y." You can be as creative or as straightforward as you want. To do this one, tape a piece of A3 paper to the wall and have the most artistic member of the group draw a reindeer on it. Print out a couple of carrots and label them with everyone's name so you know who is who. After that, position an individual a few feet away from the wall and blindfold them. They must now attempt to place the carrot in the reindeer's mouth (you can use blue-tack on the back to make it sticky). The person closest to the mouth wins!

You can make it more difficult, and possibly more entertaining, by spinning the individual before they have their turn.

6. Drink When 'blank' Happens

If your Christmas parties are more of a pre-drinks before you go out and paint the town red (and green), you could combine the act of drinking with the comfort of watching your favourite Christmas movie. To add to the fun and unpredictability of the night, take a sip of your drink or take a shot whenever someone says a festive word of your choice. However, if you choose a common word, you may not be able to leave the office!

Here are some ideas for words or phrases you could use:

• Christmas

• Present(s)

• Jingle bells

• Eggnog

• Santa

• Love

• Naughty

7. Board Games

You don't always have to overthink party games; sometimes the classics work just as well, if not better. I believe this is self-explanatory, so I've simply listed games that we've previously played that worked well (these work well for 2-8 players):-

• Cards Against Humanity

• Twister

• Uno

• Race To Base

• Monopoly

• Charades

• The Chameleon

8. Baking Contest

You've got the decorations up, everyone's in their Christmas Jumpers, Michael Bublé is in the background and you're sipping on some eggnog. The only thing you now need is food!

Option 1: Have your team select a specific food item, such as gingerbread, and then have everyone make their own version and bring it in. Try them all and anonymously vote for your favourites!

Option 2: Have each member of your team bring their own food item, such as gingerbread and another brings in mince pies. Try them all and anonymously vote for your favourites!

Option 3: You could decorate a plain food item within the office. You could, for example, hold a gingerbread house decorating contest, using icing, jelly tots, smarties, strawberry laces, or whatever you want to make the best house possible. Try them all and anonymously vote for your favourites!

So there you have it, folks! These are just a few ideas for fun, festive, and engaging games to spice up your office Christmas party. Whether you're looking to foster teamwork, encourage laughter, or simply avoid awkward silences, these games are sure to make your holiday celebration a memorable one. Remember, the goal is to have fun and create lasting memories with your coworkers. So let loose, enjoy yourselves, and most importantly, don't forget to spread some holiday cheer!

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