December has arrived and the party season has officially begun!
(Christmas is coming, whether you like it or not).
There's so much to do - shopping, posting, giving, receiving, eating, drinking, wrapping and (most importantly)... partying!
And what does every party need? Games of course!
So, all you party-planners out there organising the office Christmas shindig - I've got some inspiration for you...
This week, as the first Festive Friday Funny, I've been asking the Coburg Banks consultants to reveal their favourite Christmas party games. Enjoy!
Competitions.
Christmas Game 1: A Snowman Competition.
The Rules: (Obviously, it's going to have to snow first - so this is a rather spontaneous game!) The person who creates the best Snowman (or woman) should get a prize.
Christmas Game 2: A 'Christmas Tree' Decorating Competition.
The Rules: Put a certain amount of time on the clock, get each team to decorate the tree (fast) - and the best decoration wins! This game is even more fun (but more dangerous) if your 'Christmas trees' are actually staff members, dressed up in green.
Christmas Game 3: A Christmas Jumper Competition.
The Rules: Are you taking part in Christmas Jumper Day on 18th? It's the PERFECT excuse to have a Christmas jumper competition, awarding prizes to the best and worst dressed, of course!
Christmas Game 4: Christmas Come Dine With Me.
The Rules: I mentioned this in our client blog on Tuesday because it's an amazing way to get everyone involved at work. Participants pick a piece of paper out of a hat, revealing the Christmas dinner item they must cook and bring in on a chosen date, like sprouts or mince pies. Each dish will be marked out of 10, depending on taste and effort. Highest score wins!
Traditional Games (with a festive spin).
Christmas Game 5: Pin the Nose on the Rudolph.
The Rules: The same rules as pin the tail on the donkey apply... just use a picture of a reindeer and a big red nose instead.
Christmas Game 6: Christmas Charades.
The Rules: A good-old fashioned game that always seems to pop up on Christmas day (after a few beverages of course). To make it even Christmassy-er, only allow Christmas-related charades like Home Alone, Away in a Manger and Father Christmas.
Christmas Game 7: A Christmas-Santa Hunt.
The Rules: Just like an Easter-egg hunt. Hide some chocolate Santas around the house/office and challenge your family/friends/colleagues to find them! (For those who are young-at-heart).
Christmas Game 8: Christmas Douche.
The Rules: The nominated "doucher" comes up with a Christmas-related category like 'Christmas carols.' They then think of a carol themselves (without revealing it to the others). Players must go around the circle, naming carols while the 'doucher' hovers an egg-cup full of water over their head. When someone says the carol the doucher has in mind, they get 'douched' - the water gets poured on their head. They now become the 'doucher.'
Guessing Games.
Christmas Game 9: The Stocking Guessing Game.
The Rules: Place an item (weird and wonderful shapes work best) in a stocking. Ask each person to guess what is inside!
Christmas Game 10: Who Did I Rob?
The Rules: Choose a particularly sneaky person to steal one item from everyone's desk (preferably a Christmas decoration/card etc). Then, at the party, present them, and people must work out which item belongs to who.
Christmas Game 11: Who Am I?
The Rules: You know that game where you stick a post-it note on your head - with a name on it - and you have to guess who it is by asking questions? (I think there's even an app for it now.) Make it more festive with Christmas-related names - like Santa, the Grinch, an elf etc...
Christmas Game 12: How many baubles do I have?
The Rules: Now - firstly, it's really important that, before you decorate the tree, you count how many baubles you're adorning it with! If your tree is already up - it could be awkward... Then, get everyone to guess how many baubles they think there are. The winner is whoever is closest - (you can't have duplicate answers and you can't let them stand there for hours counting...)
Festive Sports Day.
Christmas Game 13: Penguin Waddle Relay.
The Rules: It's like any other relay - players must 'run' around the cone (about 25 feet away) and back again before the next player in their team can go. However, in the penguin race, they'll also have a balloon between their legs which they'll have to somehow pass to others (no hands) when they've completed their turn.
Christmas Game 14: The Christmas Wrapping Race.
The Rules: A race to see who can wrap the quickest! Terribly wrapped items should be disqualified - make sure you pick some really weirdly shaped items - like a mop!
Christmas Game 15: The Bauble And Spoon Race!
The Rules: We all know (and love) the egg and spoon race - but to make it more festive, why not use a bauble instead? If that's too easy, you could do a bauble and fork race!?
Christmas Game 16: The Sleigh Relay
The Rules: A wheelbarrow relay race - but instead of a farmer and his wheelbarrow, you have a Santa and his reindeer (it works better if you're both dressed up, I guess!)
Drinking Games.
Disclaimer: I am in NO way encouraging you to get drunk (especially in the office...)
I am merely aware that Christmas tends to be a time for over-indulgence.
Christmas Game 17: Kris Kringle
The Rules: A festive twist on the old favourite "Fuzzy Duck" - everyone sits in a circle and must take turns saying 'Kris Kringle' - if anyone messes up, they must drink. If anyone speaks at the wrong time, they must drink. Anyone can also say 'Christmas Drinks' to reverse the direction but only 3 of these are allowed in a row. If you say a fourth 'Christmas Drinks' you must drink.
Christmas Game 18: Santa's Hat
The Rules: This amazing game from COED is perfect if you fancy a chilled-out drinking game whilst watching a Christmas film. You simply pop a Christmas hat onto the left hand corner of the screen and then, whenever an onscreen character 'wears the hat' you drink.
Christmas Game 19: The Christmas Alphabet Game
The Rules: You may remember this childhood game... the first player names something Christmassy beginning with A, the second must repeat that thing and come up with something beginning with B, the third person must repeat both things (beggining with A and B) and come up with something beginning with C and so on... If you mess up, you must drink!
Christmas Game 20: 'Christmas 'Spoons'
The Rules: You can play this game with or without booze and it's exactly the same rules as normal Spoons. Just swap your cutlery for some festive candy canes. Click here to find out the rules. Be careful though, this is a quick-fire game that could get you drunk pretty easily - particularly if you're not a fast thinker!
Are You Excited About Christmas?
As you can probably tell, from our last couple of blogs this week (and the fact that I've been morphed into Father Christmas - below) we most certainly are!
We'd love to know what fun and festive games you like to play - just pop an email over to Harriet.Grimshaw@coburgbanks.co.uk!
Recruiter Pro Tip (For Managers). Christmas is a great time for employees and Managers - it gives everyone a chance to be merry, get involved and ultimately bond as a team. If you're not doing anything to reward, celebrate and engage your staff this year - then you're really missing a trick! For more inspiration, click here.
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Have fun this festive period!
