17 Fun Office Party Ideas to Bring Co-Workers Together
Alanna Lawlor
Contributor
If you’re tired of the same old boring corporate party, then fear not! We put together some fun and easy office party ideas that bring your co-workers together. Whether you have foodies, music lovers, or trivia enthusiasts, there’s a work party idea for everyone.
Throwing an office party is notoriously difficult to organize, but our suggestions are designed to make that process simple, easy, and fun. We know that every company operates with different budgets, facilities, and amenities—which is where these office party ideas come in.
Here are 17 fun office party ideas to celebrate with your co-workers and employees this year:
Trivia Night
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Trivia night is an office party staple. Trivia is easy to organize, you can host it from anywhere, and it’s a great way to engage your colleagues. Have different team members create their own trivia games, drawing from their own knowledge to devise clever questions covering various themes and topics.
Name That Tune
Everybody loves a good melody, and there is no better way to bring co-workers together than a name-that-tune contest. It’s important to choose music that most people will have heard at some point, but you can absolutely include bangers from multiple genres and decades.
Pro Tip: Trivia night or name that tune are both a great virtual office party idea if you’re working remote. Platforms like Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet have user-friendly screen-sharing software, and you can add a bit of spice by encouraging people to dress up.
Thirsty Thursday
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The weekend is approaching, and your team has been crushing their goals, so why not pop open a few beers at happy hour? Thursdays are a great day to unwind and blow off steam with your colleagues. Have a themed drink or hire a bartender to craft custom cocktails.
Themed Party
Anytime you want to celebrate, you can always go with a themed party. Whether you’re celebrating a milestone event, a grand opening party, retirement party, or anything in between, a theme gets everyone involved and having fun. Here are a couple creative themes for an office party:
Roaring 20s Themed Party
No one has ever declined an invitation to a roaring 20s party, and that is a fact backed up by all the statistics. Transform the office with an explosion of black, white, and gold, filling every corner with tinsel, feathers, and balloons. Book a photo booth for the perfect finishing touch, and let your staff loose with gin cocktails.
Mad Men Mixer
A Mad Men-themed office gathering is the perfect excuse to get dressed up and pay homage to the most fabulous party era of all time. Plan your decor around a retro color scheme featuring forest green, mustard yellow, and burnt orange, and stock your bar with spirits, mixers, and cocktail garnishes. Complete the aesthetic with ornate crystal decanters and champagne coupes.
Karaoke
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Karaoke parties are fantastic morale-boosting activities. Your outgoing colleagues will make a beeline for the mic, while shyer staff will have the opportunity to shed their inhibitions. You can hire a karaoke DJ and host in-office alongside decorative balloons and tables with tasty snacks and beverages.
Board Game Night
Board game night is a great opportunity for a true team building activity. Have employees bring in some of their favorite board games and set up different areas for people to play. Grab some beers, make some mocktails, and get ready for a night of fun.
Community Care Day
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Nothing facilitates a sense of community among staff, like volunteering and working together for a unified cause, and the opportunities to do so are endless. You could help out at an animal shelter, host a fundraiser for a local charity, organize a beach clean up; the list goes on.
Find out what charitable causes are close to your colleagues’ hearts, and explore different ways to show your support as a team. After, you can go out for a few well-deserved drinks, celebrating your fresh perspective on life.
Murder Mystery Party
Murder mystery parties are a fun way to unite people and can be customized to fit various themes, from Hollywood glam to Victorian gothic. Planning a murder mystery party involves assigning characters, developing a script, preparing a dinner menu, and coordinating with your guests.
Pizza Party
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If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! A pizza party will never disappoint. If you want to mix things up, arrange a DIY pizza bar with every imaginable topping, from pepperoni to chocolate spread. To take it a step further, you could host a pizza decorating contest, revealing hidden culinary talents among staff.
Sundae Funday
Ice cream is a universal favorite and an immediate mood booster. If you have a freezer at work, you could purchase multiple flavors and store them on-site, allowing everyone to help themselves and add their own toppings.
Thanksgiving Potluck Party
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Potluck parties are the ultimate office gathering opportunity and what’s better than a Thanksgiving meal. The best thing about potluck gatherings is that you get to try new foods and exchange stories about your warm associations with particular dishes. Everyone will be full of gratitude after this celebration with co-workers.
Ugly Sweater Party
When it comes to office holiday party ideas, you can’t go wrong with an ugly sweater party. Give out prizes for the ugliest sweater, host a gift exchange, make seasonal cocktails and apps, and don’t forget a surprise visit from Santa.
Wine Tasting Party
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Every squad deserves at least one wine-tasting experience, and if you’re going to do it, you may as well set the bar high. Host a wine tasting party in the office, a bar, or a local vineyard. To elevate your wine party, try pairing a few varieties with artisanal cheeses and charcuterie.
Pro Tip: It’s always wise to stock a selection of alcohol-free beverages at alcohol-themed celebrations to accommodate non-drinkers.
Cocktail/Mocktail Crafting
Why not shake things up with a professional cocktail-making class? Picture yourself muddling a mint leaf, rimming a glass with salt, or setting fire to multiple shot glasses. Cocktail classes are an epic bonding experience, and they are the perfect way to help your squad loosen up and give them an enviable edge.
Global Festival
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Celebrate the cultural diversity in your workplace with a global festival. Encourage your colleagues to wear something traditionally associated with their place of origin, and ask everyone to select a few songs for the playlist.
Spice up your food table by inviting staff to contribute a dish from their country or order a few goodies from their favorite restaurants. To top it off, you could seek out hidden talents and host an impromptu performance or bust a few moves to a vibrant fusion of beats.
Paint and Sip
Wine and painting parties are becoming increasingly popular and are suitable for people with every level of experience, including beginners. They are an excellent opportunity for you and your colleagues to escape the monotony of the office and unleash your creative potential without fear of judgment.
Scavenger Hunt
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Scavenger hunts are the ultimate team-building exercise. They require you to divide into groups and work collaboratively to solve clues while looking for missing items. You can also make them as easy or complex as you like, focusing on objects and puzzles relating to in-house jokes or past bonding experiences. Escape rooms are an excellent alternative if you don’t have time to organize a scavenger hunt from scratch.
Find more party ideas and inspiration here on The Bash.