With many people currently working from home and many Christmas do’s having to adapt this year, we’ve come up some top ideas to make the most of your festive virtual office party. From party games to online tasting sessions, creative virtual workshops, and more!
Why not bring the team together over a new hobby or skill? Brush and Bubbles is offering an hour-long online step-by-step painting tutorial of your choice, so you can get creative with your colleagues this year. With all the equipment sent straight to your door, there is no need to leave the house!
My Chocolate is running a Virtual Team Chocolate Challenge, an online live-streamed workshop for teams of all sizes. For £34 per person, colleagues will be entertained by a charismatic Chocolatier, learning how to make fresh cream truffles! To help everyone craft their chocolate creations, a box of ingredients needed for the virtual activity will be posted to your door. The Chocolatier will guide colleagues as they make the ‘Isolation Truffles’: ‘I’m Losing my Marbles’, ‘Honey I’m Still at Home’ and ‘I’m Going Coconutty’. It’s also the perfect way to kick off and host a virtual dinner party – dessert is sorted!
Leeds List has rounded up a list of local bars and restaurants offering DIY experiences, from sushi rolling to making naan rolls, there’s plenty of foodie workshops to add to your virtual office party.
If you are looking for a more crafty Christmassy-themed workshop, The Secret Garden is selling Christmas wreath making kits from 23rd November. You can choose from the standard package which will include spruce, pine, dried fruit, cones and ribbon all for £25, or the luxury package which includes all of the above, plus a glitter stag head, wooden sleigh and robin for £30. Wreath making would make a great addition to your virtual office party this year, and one that is guaranteed to make everyone feel super festive!
As video calls are currently part of the daily routine of a remote worker, why not put an alternative spin on the usual Zoom work call this Christmas and get each colleague involved in a fast-paced Virtual Holiday Scavenger Hunt?
During your virtual scavenger hunt, challenge colleagues to find festive-themed objects around the house and bring them back to their screens – the best items to hunt for are the ones that have a ‘show and tell’ element. Consider ‘favourite Christmas decoration’ or ‘worst Christmas jumper’ as potential categories. Don’t forget that you’ll need to elect a scavenger hunt chief judge to decide who brings the best item to each round!
Getting everyone moving around their houses whilst enjoying a virtual party game is a great way to encourage storytelling, high energy and gives little to no opportunity to discuss pending deadlines and tasks!
Cocktail masterclasses and tasting sessions have taken the virtual world by storm this year! With people not allowed to visit pubs throughout lockdown, bars have taken matters into their own hands and are instead offering virtual classes.
Team Building Experiences offer a virtual Christmas cocktail masterclass event, where colleagues can try their hand at making four winter warmer drinks from the comfort of their own homes. The virtual mixology classes start at £50 per person, which includes delivery of a Winter Wonderland Cocktail Box to each team members’ home before the event, so they’re ready to go!
Dirty Martini offer an ‘at home’ service so each member of the team can have a pre-made cocktail of choice, equipped with a luxury garnish, delivered to their doorstep. A perfect way to a make a Christmas Zoom party that little bit more festive. Or if you fancy something more hands-on, the company is also offering a Christmas Cocktail Making Kit, perfect for those looking to host their own virtual cocktail masterclass event.
There are also some fantastic food sampling activities – City Brew Tours is providing an online Beer and Cheese Pairing Experience this Christmas. Custom tasting boxes will be delivered to participants’ homes a few days before the event, which can include up to five beers, gourmet cheese and artisanal chocolates – they had us at cheese!
If you’re looking for more virtual tasting session ideas with friends or colleagues, take a look at this round-up by the Daily Telegraph for more inspiration!
We all know that 2020 hasn’t left us with much to celebrate, however, why not use your virtual party as an excuse to honour all of your hardworking colleagues?
The Center for Management and Organisation Effectiveness highlighted that one of the most important roles of a Christmas party is that it provides an opportunity for recognition.
Try creating excitement around an awards ceremony, sending each employee a special invite in the post, requesting their attendance at a black-tie Zoom call (a black-tie theme gives colleagues the much-needed excuse to dress up during the pandemic, and swap those joggers for a nice shirt or dress!)
Awards could range from serious achievements to funny accolades that people have earned throughout the year, most importantly highlighting how crucial each employee’s hard work has been to the business. You could even invite all team members to vote for others, each nominating someone who has helped them during this time, whether this be ‘for brightening up Zoom calls’, ‘always offering to help’, or ‘having an infectious laugh’ – the opportunities are endless!
A celebration of hard work and personal character is a great way of ensuring that everyone leaves the virtual Christmas party feeling valued and appreciated.
If you’re looking for a party that is already planned for you and your team, Team Building offer a Virtual Holiday Party. For 90 minutes, colleagues can take part in a series of virtual party games and activities designed to bring festive cheer to the team. From holiday trivia to the ugliest sweater design challenge, the party is led by an energetic host to keep all engaged.
To get in the festive spirit during the working day, why not join our virtual Christmas Carol Singalong with the Wellington Place Workplace Choir on 18th December? Get your team to sign up and singalong to some Christmas classics from the comfort of your own home.
Whether you’re looking to host your own party or to hire an expert to do it for you, we hope we’ve provided you with plenty of virtual office party ideas and you are now all clued up on how to throw a virtual party – enjoy!
Request a viewing
