Discover 20+ fun, free virtual holiday and Christmas party ideas for 2022!
The holidays are the perfect time to reflect on the successes of the year while sowing seeds of connection and rapport for the year ahead.
Celebrate the holiday season and throw an amazing virtual party everyone will love with these ideas!
A few of our favorite free virtual holiday & Christmas party ideas:
Read on for details on these ideas, as well as additional activities!
- Host a virtual holiday-themed scavenger hunt
- Watch classic holiday movies together
- Take turns leading a DIY holiday cooking class
- Warm up with holiday icebreaker activities
- Do a family-friendly craft activity together to make new connections
- Play “Guess Who” with childhood holiday photos
In this list, you’ll find:
- Free virtual holiday party ideas to boost team spirit and holiday spirits
- Food and drink ideas for virtual holiday parties
- Inclusive, non-religious holiday party ideas
- Virtual Christmas party ideas for remote teams
- Fun games, scavenger hunts, holiday movies, and more
- Virtual holiday party ideas that include friends and family
Book a Guided Holiday Experience
Do you have a budget to spend and want to take your virtual holiday party to the next level? If so, explore Unexpected Virtual Tours’ experiences for remote teams! From taking a European holiday to playing festive holiday party games, there’s something for everyone on your team.
1. Plan a White Elephant or Small Gift Exchange
A virtual “Secret Santa” gift exchange can be fun or stressful, depending on who you ask. That’s because some team members love the chance to get something special for a coworker. At the same time, others dread the task of finding the perfect gift – even for a white elephant swap!
This year, make your gift swap easy by going completely virtual. Send a quick online survey to your team, so they can share their favorite stores or treats. Then, assign each employee a recipient to purchase a digital gift card for. With instant email delivery, you can skip the hassle of wrapping and shipping and start new holiday traditions!
Standby options like Target and Starbucks are always popular. But, these days, many local businesses also sell gift cards online with e-delivery options. Other beloved but slightly unexpected options: a gift card to outdoor retailer REI, video game platform Steam, or even a state parks pass!
2. Have an Adventure from Home with a Virtual Scavenger Hunt
Scavenger hunts don’t have to take a lot of planning. Here’s how to plan a low-effort virtual holiday scavenger hunt!
Before your holiday party video call, make a list of holiday items people might have around their home. For example: a holiday ornament, a menorah, hot cocoa mix, mittens, or a pine-scented candle.
Go through the list, reading off items one by one. Each person must gather the item from around their home and share it on-screen. Give people 1 point for each item they find. At the end, give the winner a fun prize!
This activity is a great way to get employees talking and connecting. Pause and allow employees to share about their favorite holiday trinkets. Some may be imbued with deep traditions and meaning!
3. Spruce Up Your Party with Virtual Invitations
Sure, you could just send a regular calendar invite. But, why not make your virtual holiday event invite a little more special?
These days, it’s easy (and free!) to send out a customized digital party invitation. You can include your company logo, festive designs, and all the party details. Some websites let you track RSVPs and send reminders!
Keep things simple with a free service like Canva to design and email your invitations. Their built-in templates make it easy to customize your invite.
4. Host a Virtual Happy Hour for the Holidays – One of our Favorite Free Virtual Holiday & Christmas Party Ideas!
In lieu of an office party, a virtual happy hour or dinner party is a fun way for remote teams to enjoy the holidays together. Encourage everyone to bring their favorite holiday drinks or treats. To set the tone, you can create a holiday playlist for everyone to enjoy together.
Or, encourage everyone to use a fun holiday-themed video call background. This will help everyone get in the festive spirit.
Want to practice your mixology skills – but don’t have a budget for an expert-led class? Find a holiday cocktail recipe on YouTube and send everyone a list of ingredients ahead of time if they’d like to participate!
One of our favorite holiday mixology videos: Holiday Cocktails, from Basics with Babish!
5. Shake Things Up with Virtual Holiday Party Games
Holiday and Christmas parties are more fun when there’s an interactive element. Virtual holiday and Christmas games are a great way to get your team interacting, laughing, and bonding together.
Try playing holiday bingo together, or create a holiday-themed trivia quiz. You can also use skribbl.io for a free online-based drawing game, similar to Pictionary.
Personalize your holiday bingo! At myfreebingocards.com, you can generate up to 30 customized holiday bingo cards for free.
6. Watch Holiday Movies Together
For many of us, holiday movies conjure up cozy memories of hot cocoa and snuggly blankets. Encourage your remote employees to prepare their favorite winter beverage and join together for a holiday or Christmas movie night!
Your team can vote ahead of time on which movie to watch. Then, use a free browser extension like Teleparty to stream your flick together. Keep a dialogue going in your team’s Slack channel or group chat.
To keep this activity free, choose an ad-supported streaming movie site. Some options include Crackle, IMDb TV, and Tubi.
7. Take Turns Leading a DIY Holiday Cooking Class – One of our Favorite Free Virtual Holiday & Christmas Party Ideas!
No budget for a chef-led virtual cooking class? No problem! Try taking turns leading a basic holiday cooking class during December.
You can do this as a participatory activity, with everyone buying their own ingredients and cooking along. Or, do it in the style of a cooking show, where one person cooks and demonstrates while the others watch and ask questions.
This is a great opportunity to see your team members’ leadership and presentation skills in action. You can also learn a lot from how employees react when things don’t go to plan!
For some holiday recipe ideas, check out Food Network’s list of 50 Quick and Easy Holiday Recipes.
8. Warm Up with an Icebreaker Game
This idea is perfect for teams that don’t often interact together. Encourage everyone to get to know their coworkers with fun introductory games at the start of your party.
For example, play a work-friendly game of “Never Have I Ever.” Everyone starts by holding up 10 fingers. Then, read a list of holiday mishaps. Each person puts a finger down if they’ve done the activity described.
A few good ideas: Never have I ever…
- …fallen off the roof while putting up holiday lights
- …broken a snow globe or ornament
- …peeked at my holiday gifts
- …gotten pelted with a snowball
- …knocked over a row of Christmas trees when picking one out
Remember to choose a fun prize for the winner! Take a peek at the gift card ideas mentioned in list item #1, or buy the winner a meal from their favorite local restaurant.
9. Host a Family-Friendly Craft Activity – One of our Favorite Free Virtual Holiday & Christmas Party Ideas!
Allow your employees’ kids, partner, or roommates to get in on the fun with this activity! A holiday craft session is a fun way to get to know your coworkers and their families better while also creating some fun home decorations.
One classic holiday activity? Making paper snowflakes. Adults will love this because it reminds them of nostalgic holiday school activities from their youth. Little ones will be excited about the Frozen inspiration!
Find 17 magical paper snowflake craft projects here. This list includes upcycling ideas, a snowflake suncatcher, DIY gift tags, and more!
1o. Send a Holiday Card After the Party
This idea does require the cost of postage and stationery. But, for a nominal cost, consider sending your employees a holiday card after your virtual party – or even an emailed card.
Include the usual holiday greetings and well-wishes. And, consider adding a sentence or two about how glad you were to see the employee during the party. If you’re a manager or executive, this gesture of gratitude can go a long way.
Thank the employee for their specific contributions to the party, whether they led a cooking demo, participated enthusiastically in trivia, or went all-out with their holiday attire. Take time to recognize each person’s unique contributions to your team. This can help set the stage for a restful holiday and a productive year ahead!
Jazz up your cards with fun holiday stamps, like this “Winter Scenes” Forever stamp option.
11. Play “Name that Holiday Tune”
Does your team include music lovers or fans of Christmas caroling? Play a holiday version of “Name that Tune” to see who knows popular holiday songs the best!
As the moderator, you can play a 5-10 second clip of a favorite holiday song. Then, have team members call out the name of the song or type it into the chat box. The first one to get it right wins a point! Keep track and award prizes for the winners.
Remember to keep this idea inclusive by branching out from traditional Christmas songs. You can add pop favorites into the mix, or include songs from different cultures and traditions.
12. Recap & Reflect on Your Year Together
The holiday season can be a poignant time to reflect on the year that’s about to be over, as well as the new year ahead. One free virtual holiday party idea that boosts connection and team spirit: recap your favorite moments from the past year.
During your next holiday-time team meeting, encourage everyone to share one professional accomplishment and one personal moment that you’re proud of from the last year. Then, you can also share challenges or unanticipated roadblocks and how you navigated through them. You may learn something new about your colleagues that gives you a greater appreciation for them – as well as finding commonalities you didn’t know existed.
At the end of your session, be sure to reiterate how much you appreciate your team members as well as their ability to share vulnerable moments in their lives with trusted coworkers.
Spark more ideas and dialogue with this list of 24 Journaling Prompts for End-of-Year Reflection.
13. Play a Game of “Guess Who” with Childhood Holiday Photos – One of our Favorite Free Virtual Holiday & Christmas Party Ideas!
Break out the photo albums and get ready for some laughter! For this activity, ask each team member to send you a childhood holiday photo of themselves. Diverse teams are sure to see a variety of image backdrops – from retro 70s holiday tinsel to 90s fashion and décor that’s making a modern resurgence.
Gather all the photos together in a slide deck – bonus points for making your presentation themed with holiday backgrounds! Then, show each photo one-by-one and have everyone guess who it is. Everyone will have a blast reminiscing together and getting a glimpse of their coworkers’ childhoods.
Some people on your team may not want to share childhood photos – or may not have many childhood photos to look through. In those instances, encourage team members to share a funny holiday-themed stock photo that makes them laugh.
For those who don’t wish to share childhood photos: browse sites like Pexels and Unsplash to find laughter-inducing holiday images. Then, coworkers can guess whose wacky sense of humor the image aligns with!
14. Host a Virtual Hot Chocolate Party!
Hot chocolate is a universally loved holiday drink. So why not concoct some warm cocoa with your teammates? Hop on a video call with a piping hot mug of your favorite winter beverage. Get creative with mini marshmallows, candy canes, flavored whipped cream, and more!
Take turns sharing your creations with the team. You might discover some new tricks and tips to make the perfect cup, or special family recipes! Those who don’t enjoy cocoa can choose a different drink to make – apple cider, chai, a coffee drink, or anything you can whip up in your kitchen. Award prizes for most creative, best-looking drink, and the one that looks easiest to try at home!
Get your hot chocolate fix with this guide from Country Living: 30 Best Hot Chocolate Recipes That’ll Make You Swear Off Dry Mix Forever.
15. Spark Creativity with a Holiday Poetry Slam
Have you ever been to a poetry slam? It’s basically an open mic night where people perform spoken word poetry in front of an audience. This holiday season, slow down and spark creativity during a poetry slam for your team.
Ask everyone to come to a video call prepared with a poem to read – either someone else’s work, or their own original poem. Make this event festive by encouraging poems with a holiday or winter theme. Some classics: “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost and “A Visit from St. Nicholas” by Clement Clarke Moore.
Browse the Poetry Foundation’s collection of Christmas poems and nature-inspired winter poems.
16. Set Intentions for the Year Ahead with Vision Boards
Many people have strong feelings about New Year’s resolutions. Some people love setting detailed personal improvement goals for themselves, while others would rather skip the process altogether.
A lower-pressure way to explore intentions for the year ahead? Build a vision board! Each team member can create their own unique vision board using common household supplies. For instance – start with a posterboard or large piece of cardboard. This is the perfect way to upcycle those holiday delivery boxes!
Then, cut out images and words that inspire you from magazines, greeting cards, newspapers, or even wrapping paper. Glue them onto your vision board to create a unique motivating collage. You can embellish it with stickers, sequins, or anything your heart desires.
Everyone can chat and catch up with each other while creating their boards. When you’re done, take turns sharing what you created!
17. Play Holiday Bingo
Challenge your team to a game of virtual holiday bingo! This is a fun way to enjoy an interactive game together while sharing your favorite holiday traditions.
You can create your own custom Bingo boards, or use an online template. Skip the number and letter callouts and instead opt for Bingo cards that include creative conversation starters. For instance – check off a square if you’ve already hung up your holiday decorations. Or, check off a square if you’re wearing a cozy sweater. You can include prompts based on favorite holiday foods, traditions, trivia, and more.
Explore Bingo ideas and free, downloadable cards with Unexpected Virtual Tours’ blog post: Virtual Team Building Bingo Ideas.
18. Share Favorite Holiday Memories
Finish this sentence: “My favorite holiday memory is when….”
Everyone has a holiday memory they treasure, or that taught them something important. Ask each of your team members to share a memory on your next video call together. This might be something silly – like the time your Great Aunt Mildred mixed up the salt and sugar and made the world’s worst holiday dessert! Or, employees might choose to open up and share a more reflective memory.
Either way, you’re sure to learn something new about your team members. This activity can also help you understand more about how everyone views the holidays and better connect with your team.
19. Create Your Own “Advent Calendar” of Activities
Want to pack a bunch of fun holiday activities into the month of December? Create your own “advent calendar” of fun!
Using the holiday ideas in this list – or your own ideas – create a recurring optional calendar invitation for your team with a video call link. This might be a 15-minute morning break several times a week, or a half-hour long fun session on Friday afternoons.
During that time, employees can show up ready for some festive fun and a break from the hustle and bustle of the workday. Pick your favorite ideas and activities from this list, and create a schedule for your team. Bonus: rather than putting all the pressure on one big holiday party, you’ll be scattering moments of whimsy throughout your team’s December.
20. Share Holiday Memes, GIFs, & TikToks
During the busy holiday season, we could all use a laugh! Create a Slack channel or start an email thread for everyone to share their favorite funny holiday memes, GIFs, and TikTok videos.
Set the tone for your team that content should be “safe for work” and respectful. Outside of that, enjoy the fun that comes from sharing lighthearted moments of delight with your team!
Get inspired and tickle your funny bone with Reader’s Digest’s list of 30 Funny Christmas Memes that Deliver the Holiday Humor.
Looking for a seamless, guided holiday experience? Let Unexpected Virtual Tours handle the details!
Explore our interactive experiences for remote teams – including guided virtual holiday parties!
European Holiday
Virtually travel to Europe on this Europe virtual team building event. This unique holiday experience includes two virtual walking tours with engaging, on-location guides.
Be amazed by Roman architecture and enjoy virtually strolling through the famous Prague Old Town Square. See the Roman Pantheon and the Prague astronomical clock. Then, “choose your own adventure” with our Prague guide through the gorgeous holiday markets.
Last but not least, the optional European Treat Box includes unique seasonal delights for your team. Everyone will love trying cookies from the Czech Republic, custom espresso and raspberry lollipops with the Prague astronomical clock, Dolce & Gabbana pasta, and amaretti cookies.
Unexpected Virtual Holiday Party
This celebratory event focuses on honoring holidays around the world, with a live and interactive Jeopardy-themed experience!
Your team will paint and decorate celebratory cookies and make paper holiday sweaters. Then, take a virtual field trip to iconic holiday sites in New York City. Get a live look at Times Square, Rockefeller Center, and the Saks Fifth Avenue windows with our experienced virtual tour guide!
This fast-paced, fun event will get everyone moving and laughing together – it includes 5 virtual holiday games in just one hour! Breakout rooms encourage cross-departmental collaboration and new connections. Additionally, this inclusive holiday party includes everyone with multicultural holiday elements.
Moreover, this holiday experience has been featured in the NY Times and Thrillist as one of the most creative holiday party ideas for remote teams!
Located in Atlanta? Check out Unexpected Atlanta Tours & Gifts