We are swiftly approaching the end of the year, and that can only mean one thing… an end-of-year holiday party! Much like last year, this year’s party may be more of a virtual experience than a physical one. But that doesn’t mean it needs to be any less enjoyable.
Tips for running a remote holiday party
We have all become much more accustomed to working from home these past two years. Zoom has quickly become a staple of our laptop toolbars while tabs for our messaging apps like Slack and Teams are constantly open.
While we may have excelled at remaining efficient and proficient while running online meetings and classes, how has that translated into fun activities and parties? Maybe you’ve taken to them like a duck to water. Perhaps the silence is deafening and the minutes are dragging.
No matter, because we have some top tips to help make this year's virtual party memorable.
1. Make sure your video tool doesn’t cut out
If you’re hosting the meeting make sure your internet is strong enough to do so. Also be sure not to run out of those Zoom minutes!
2. Keep an eye on time
Yes this is a holiday party but everyone spends most of their week at their desk and computer. Keep things short and sweet so people aren’t overcome with some Zoom fatigue.
3. Decide a date and send invites early
As this is a virtual party you don’t have to organize it for a Friday evening. See what day works best for your team and choose a date that works for everyone. Also try to give them as much advance notice as possible.
4. Treat everyone
It’s always a good idea to show some extra appreciation to teammates and in-person parties may include a meal or drinks. So get creative and don’t think that just because this party is virtual that you can’t do something extra special for everyone.
Nice and straightforward, nothing too complicated! Now I know that you may be asking, ‘But what exactly can we do if we are all joining remotely?’ Well good thing I came prepared with a bunch of activities in the form of games and quizzes that you can organize.
Best holiday games
Games are the flavor of the season so let’s have a look at some of the best games that work just as well online as they do in person. Some are holiday specific of course but others are perfect for this virtual setting. So let’s get ready for game time!
1. Office Awards
So who is your team’s style icon? Who has that comedic spark we all love? Who received the best email from a client? Office Awards are the perfect way to have a few laughs and offer some well deserved recognition to your teammates.
Office Awards
2. Virtual Holiday Card
Save some money on postage this year by letting everyone send their holiday cards virtually. Say thanks to a teammate, wish them all the best, and give everyone a chance to show their appreciation for one another.
Best Wishes Virtual Holiday Card
3. Guess Who
This one may require a little extra research and gathering of information. Play a game of Guess Who and see who really knows one another. Ask for some fun and not too well known facts about from team members that they are willing to share.
4. The 12 Days of Christmas
Maybe you know all about partridges and their rightful place in a pear tree, or how many swans your true love is set to buy you this year. But did you know this is more than just a song? Split into teams of odd and even numbers and be prepared to stand up and down as you sing your part with the corresponding actions. If you need to look them up then there’s plenty of versions online.
5. Murder Mystery Party
Whether it’s the exploits of Sherlock Holmes, the work of Hercule Poirot, or even some true-crime drama, we all would love the chance to play detective. So get the team together and put their deer stalkers on, polish the magnifying glass, and see who can figure out the clues. If you’re not in the mood to tap into your inner Agatha Christie then there are plenty of pre-made ideas online. All you have to do is add the clues to your slides. Easy!
Murder Mystery Party
6. Virtual Gift Giving
Secret Santa doesn’t have to end just because we are all apart. Thanks to the e-commerce boom, as well as one-click shopping, we can always get something online that doesn’t need to be handed over in person. Setting a budget is always a good idea for these kinds of gift giving activities.
7. Pictionary
Pictionary is a staple of most family Christmas celebrations. The wildly popular group game can easily be adapted for online games. Any online whiteboard is the perfect place to set up the game. For example, one of our favorite online tools to use here at Mentimeter is Miro. Many others have begun to use Zoom’s whiteboard feature to get the drawing party started.
Top holiday quizzes
So you’ve probably run a few Zoom quizzes over the past few months… I know I have. But time to ditch those homemade questions and time spent researching to make sure that answer you think is right is definitely 100% correct.
We wanted to make this easier than ever for you so we decided to take all the hard work out of the equation and just give you a lovely series of simple to download templates to use. We also went all out (considering it’s the season of giving and good will) to include a range of extra trivia questions on some of the quiz pages. Consider it our gift to you.
So have a look and see what topic tickles your fancy and what your colleagues will enjoy the most. We do warn you, that when it comes to film and tv quizzes, people get very competitive… speaking from personal experience.
1. Winter Quiz
Snow is beginning to fall and temperatures are quickly dropping (in some parts of the world anyway). But what do we all really know about Winter traditions, features, and history? Well time to find out as we dive into Winter and all its wonders.
Winter Quiz
2. Christmas Quiz
Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or any other holiday there’s a Menti quiz for you. Holiday traditions provide us with some great trivia questions and tidbits of fascinating information. So why not see who the festive know-it-all in your office is?
Christmas Quiz
3. Holiday Music Quiz
Some may prefer the styling of Bing Crosby and his Christmas album, while others have been blasting Mariah Carey since Halloween ended. No matter who your preferred choice of artists is, there is no denying that there is more than enough good (and bad) holiday music to come up with a really challenging and fun quiz.
4. Food & Drink Quiz
What do people love more about the holiday season than food? This is the perfect time of the year for many foodies out there with traditional family meals and comfort food filling up tables. So to celebrate this let’s look at some food and drink trivia. If you feel like getting extra jolly then throw in a few extra questions about Christmas cuisines from all corners of the globe.
Food & Drink Quiz
5. Die Hard Quiz
Is it the best Christmas movie ever? Is it a Christmas movie at all? Well many of us here at Mentimeter agree that it is and that it deserves a place among our vaulted movie quizzes, some at home may love watching the exploits of John McClane. No matter which camp you find yourself in there is no denying that a Die Hard quiz is sure to add some fun to your office party.
Die Hard Quiz
Happy holidays and a joyous New Year!
Now go and enjoy that end-of-year party and enjoy the celebrations. Everyone here at Mentimeter wishes you a happy holidays and we hope to see you again before the end of the year and into the next!
