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Ideas for a virtual christmas party

Corona does not allow to meet physically in bigger groups and yes sitting in front of a screen does not sound much like Christmas, fun or and adequate compromise – but not having any celebrating together does not feel like an option either.

One big question of many managers, leaders, employees is: How to establish „informal exchange“ or keep/develop the „corporate culture“ in virtual environment. A Santa or Christmas party is a great way to experiment, test and learn!

virtual Christmas party

Let’s collect options to spend some personally valuable time together, celebrating Christmas in teams, departments or even larger groups.

Let’s also see what we CAN DO in the digital world,
which could not be possible physically.

Openning / Welcome / Ice Breaker:

  • Questions to start the conversation:
    • When/how do you get your christmas tree?
    • Tell us about your „coldest“ winter day
    • Your strangest Christmas present you ever received?
    • What question would you ask Santa Claus?
    • What is your earliest memory of Christmas?
    • Do you open presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?
    • What is your favorite holiday food?
    • Does your family practice any interesting Christmas traditions?

Story telling / Role play:

  • One is reading a christmas story (alternative, everyone reads a part) – Teams live or recording it and share via StreamExamples: The Night Before Christmas, The Polar Express, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, A Christmas Carol, The Nutcracker – or something from local country
  • Doing a role play together (with clothing) playing the christmas story – Teams live
  • ​​​​​​​Everyone’s sharing a story around your favorite christmas picture (e.g. photo of former christmas tree, local christmas events/markets, illuminations..)
  • Remembering – round of shared stories, what made 2020 emotionally special to you (positive stories)

Cultural:

  • International cooking together, Show Cooking – Teams live
    Distribution of the ingredients upfront, one is „show-cooking“ via video – everyone is cooking at home – than eating together
  • Eating internationally together (advanced) – Teams live
    everyone cooks a local meal to be ready before the event – dial in, eat together and present your meal (and a story behind it)
  • Create a Team cookbook – ConNext, OneNote, PowerPoint, Teams
    Collect international recepies for christmas cookies from your (global) team, share them, everyone bakes what he/she likes – than discuss, rate, consolidate – everyone gets a digital copy (e.g. with selfie and cookie picture)

Physical:

  • Everyone asks the private address from one team mate, everyone sends a small present to the colleague (do not open!) At the virtual christmas event, each opens the present after the other
  • Collect (or share) some money to be spent. Everyone orders something for themseves (or another person) – at the event share what it is and why you value it.

Music:

  • Collecting a group christmas playlist – Spotify, YouTube, …
    Everyone adds a title he/she likes most to create a „personal“ team playlist, everyone can use (or share)
  • Sing along – singing christmas songst together – Teams live (yes it works!!)
  • Playing music together – whoever has an instrument or knows how to play it – others sing or listen

Games/Fun:

  • Christmas BINGO – Excel, Teams
  • Gather a set of photos, everyone „gets“ (to see) one and has to tell a „christmas story“ around it
  • Everyones wears a Santa hat or christmas pullover…
  • Everyone sends a personal photos to a moderator, who places all on a white board – at the event go through and everyone guesses to whom they belong – once solved, share the story around the photo
  • Holiday-themed trivia: Break into teams, separate into breakout rooms, and complete timed trivia questions centered around the holiday in categories like Christmas around the world, traditions, and holiday songs.
  • Christmas movie charades: Act out the title of festive movies like “Miracle on 34th Street” or parts from holiday classics such as the infamous tongue-stuck-on-pole scene from “A Christmas Story”
  • Mousepad Drawing: Screen-share and select the whiteboard feature, then give one team member a seasonal prompt such as reindeer, mistletoe, or eggnog. The teammate will have sixty seconds to draw the word while other guests guess.

Donations:

  • collect money for charity to donate – collect ideas what for to collect, use crowd-funding platforms
    (can be done by individuals, teams or even large groups)

Creative Things:

  • Build a Advent calendar together or offer one for your team – every day one opens a door (a picture, a quote, a microlearning, a praise…)
  • Build paper christmas decoration together (everyone gets colored paper, foil, cardboard, pens, scissors, glue…) one is showcasing how to build a Santa, Angels, Stars, napkin holder…
  • Build christmas tree decoration together (even with kids) – e.g. Origami (youtube)
  • Take and share christmas selfies – build a collaborative Whiteboard together (add favorite Christmas quotes)
  • Build a desk decoration – provide cut-out templates to download and everyone colors it – show it – have fun

Chatting:

  • Setting up Breakout Rooms (3-5 people each) – have conversations about non-business topics (hobbies, culture, activities, vacations, plans, experiences, local events)
  • Setting up a one-time or regular „Christmas Bar“ – virtual dial in to have a drink and chat together

Relaxing:

  • Someone with a stove, a fire place or a chimey puts it on „teams“ video – all others have a conversation while watching the fire place
  • Santa or Christmas Yoga – once or as a series of short sessions. One is leading with video, the others participate with/without video – eventually share experience afterwards
  • Christmas Meditation/Mindfulness. One is leading with video, the others participate with/without video – eventually share experience afterwards

What are your ideas to have a great christmas event while not being able to physically meet?

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8 Antworten

  1. Avatar von Frank Kleinert
    Frank Kleinert

    What a great idea Harald. Thanks!

  2. Avatar von Thomas Dugaro

    Hi Harald, my wonderful colleagues have produced a special edition of their Method-Monday only regarding virtual christmas ideas.
    It’s in German, obviously.

    https://open.spotify.com/episode/7o4j9clR4dizxNnAiOHOlq?si=YpTYBIzFRZWXB0Qq3EESCQ

  3. Avatar von Juergen Kunz
    Juergen Kunz

    Great source of inspiration! Many thanks Harald!

    I would like to add a combined physical & creative thing idea: decorate a christmas tree together.
    You can do it live: video conference, one is setting it up the chrismas tree at home and decorates it with decoration material the others provided before.
    You also can do it virtual: Ask: What would you take to decorate the tree? And develop/build a collaborative Whiteboard together…

  4. Avatar von Karsten Dreier
    Karsten Dreier

    Great ideas, thank you.

    I love the idea with the breakout rooms. That is what usually happens on those X-mas parties. People are sitting or standing together in different groups an talk to another.

  5. Avatar von Lars Roth

    Hello Harald and thank you very much for this acticle about Ideas for a virtual christmas party! Really great and funny ideas – let’s party!!! 🙂

  6. Avatar von Jörg Weisner

    Great collection of ideas, thanks Harald!

    1. Avatar von Katrin
      Katrin

      Funny, I had a chat with colleagues just yesterday about virtual Christmas parties.

      As something very simple we thought about everyone to post a gif that describes this year or their hopes for next year.

      A commercial offer could be one from Artnight: https://harald-schirmer.de/2020/11/11/ideas-for-a-virtual-christmas-party/

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