Staff parties should be a chance for everyone to let their hair down and celebrate a bit. Good food and lots of laughs are absolute must-haves (not to mention some adult beverages, right?). Staff party games are a holiday tradition, but let’s face it: Sometimes they can feel more obligatory than fun. But the right party game can provide a fun memory before teachers head off to break. If you’re looking for ways to mix things up with fresh new games everyone can enjoy, take a look at this list of low-key options.
1. What’s in Your Cellphone?
This clever twist on a scavenger hunt will have teachers hunting through their phones for pics of their pets or showing off their ringtones. Players review what’s in their cell phones and get a number of points for each item they can claim. For example, if a player has an audiobook, they may earn 2 points, but if their wallpaper is an image from a movie or TV show, they may earn 5 points. Decide what players are searching for and the points for each thing beforehand. Some ideas of what players can earn points for:
- Having the most contacts
- Having the fewest contacts
- Having the Amazon app, Netflix app, Uber, Starbucks, or other popular apps
- A photo of a cat or dog
- A selfie
- An audiobook
- A popular novel
- Emojis, like thumbs up or down, high five, hug, crying face
- A restaurant in their contacts list
- The principal or AP in their contacts list
2. Two Truths and a Lie Holiday Edition
Two Truths and a Lie is a standard get-to-know-you game. Each person tells two true things about themselves and one lie. Other players try to guess which one is the lie and get a point for each one they get right. Give this game a holiday party twist by playing the Holiday Edition. Everyone comes up with two truths and one lie about themselves that applies during the holidays. It may be helpful to give people a list of ideas like:
- I am a scrooge.
- I dress up as Santa.
- I believe in Santa.
- I decorate a tree for every room of my house.
- I never snoop through the presents under the tree.
- I hate shopping.
- I start decorating in October.
- I listen to the Christmas radio station.
- I don’t start shopping until Christmas Eve.
- I watch Hallmark Christmas movies on repeat.
- I send holiday cards.
- I can name all of Santa’s reindeer.
3. Name that Kid Holiday Edition
Teachers bring in photos of themselves as kids, preferably depicting a holiday celebration. Post the photos and have teachers guess which photo is the grown-up staff member. Have teachers record their answers on a list, and the winner is the person who has the most correct. Or you can go through the photos one at a time.
4. Find Someone Who … (People Bingo)
Help your staff get to know one another a little better with People Bingo. Find someone who meets the criterion for each square, but you can’t use the same person twice! Play like traditional bingo and try to get a row across, down, or diagonally, or give a prize to the first person who fills in their whole sheet. Make it holiday-themed with a bingo card with holiday prompts, like:
- My birthday is in December.
- I travel during winter break.
- I love eggnog.
- I open my stocking first.
- I celebrate Hanukkah.
- I celebrate Kwanzaa.
- I can name all of Santa’s reindeer.
- My favorite holiday movie is Elf.
5. Teacher Would You Rather?
Would You Rather is one of those hilarious staff party games everyone has played at least once. Use our free Teacher Would You Rather questions at your staff party, or do a search online to find tons of crazy scenarios to discuss.
6. Staff Trivia
You’ll need to do a bit of advance prep on this one, but it’s so much fun to play. Gather a random fact about every single person on your staff, then write up a trivia game to find out just how well everyone knows each other. Possible facts to use include middle names, place where they were born, how many siblings they have, favorite book or movie, and so on.
7. Ugly Sweater Contest
Ugly Sweater Contests have become a staple of holiday staff party games. Hold a vote for the worst sweaters, or create a variety of categories like “Best Homemade Sweater” and “Silliest Science Sweater.”
Learn more: Best Ugly Holiday Sweaters
Buy it: Ugly Christmas sweater
8. Minute To Win It Games
Minute To Win It ideas are always popular staff party games. Check out these Minute To Win It games for students, and see how your staff does with them. Add a few holiday-themed Minute To Win It games, like the reindeer ring toss, snowman cup stack (get holiday cups to stack instead of red cups), or marshmallow toss (throw marshmallows instead of pom-poms into cups).
Buy it: Reindeer Ring Toss
9. Draw Up Top
Give each player a paper plate and something to write with. Each player places the plate on top of their head and keeps it there. Then give a series of directions to create a drawing one by one. Players must complete the drawing with the plate still on top of their head without looking. Here’s one example:
- Draw a line for the ground.
- Draw a rectangle on the line to make a school building.
- Now draw a triangle on top of the rectangle to create the roof.
- Add a door to the building.
- Add two windows to the building.
- Draw a tree on either side of the building.
- Draw a sun in the sky.
Take down the plates and check out the drawings. Offer a prize for the best one.
10. School Scattergories
In Scattergories, the goal is to come up with an item to match each category on a list, but all words in each round must start with the randomly selected letter picked at the beginning. So, if the letter is C, you would try to identify words that start with C for each category. Put letters in a bag and pull one to decide the letter for each round, and create grids with spaces for at least three rounds. Here are some categories to get you started:
- Things in a classroom
- Field trip destinations
- Places teachers go during winter break
- School supplies that have run out by December
- Something you could find in a student’s backpack
- Reasons kids are absent in December
- Favorite read-aloud
- Favorite activities for winter break
- Bulletin board themes
11. Charades
Charades is one of the most popular staff party games of all time, and it’s a timeless classic for a reason. Use winter holiday words to inspire charades, or create a charades game that your staff will get a kick out of with specific teacher-inspired prompts like:
- Trying to make 100 copies before the bell rings
- Trying to get the projector to work
- Lunchroom duty
- Submitting attendance
- Eating lunch
- Fire drill
12. Pictionary
Similar to charades, in Pictionary, players draw a picture and their team tries to guess it before the timer runs out. Use this list of holiday words as prompts for a winter-themed game.
13. Ring a Bell
This one is simple and keeps the fun going throughout the whole party. Every few minutes, ring a bell (or use a bell app on your phone) and announce the next “person you’re looking for.” Each winner gets a prize. Some ideas:
I’m looking for the person …
- … whose birthday is closest to January 1.
- … who has visited the most countries in their lifetime.
- … who has the most pennies in their pocket or purse.
- … who is traveling the farthest distance for winter break.
- … who got the most ridiculous gift from a student.
14. Plastic Wrap Ball Game
Try this game instead of a traditional gift exchange. Create a large ball of plastic wrap full of little gifts for people to discover! Start by wrapping one gift in the middle, then wrap with plastic wrap. Add a new gift every few layers. Players take turns unwrapping the ball until everyone has had a turn and has a small gift.
15. Poke-a-Present
This is another cute way to give out small prizes. Put small items (e.g., lip gloss, erasers) into plastic cups. Cover each plastic cup with a tissue paper lid. Then, glue the cups to a foam board in the shape of a tree or snowman. At the party, invite each guest to poke a cup to receive their gift!
16. Guess the Song
Create a list of holiday songs. Gather everyone together and play the first 10 seconds of a song. The first person to shout out the title wins—extra points if they name the artist as well. Start the list with common songs (“Jingle Bells,” “Silent Night”) and increase the difficulty as it goes along. Include your school songs as well (the fight song, the sound of the transition bell …).
17. Favorite Things Gift Exchange
For a variation on a gift exchange, have each staff member bring in three of their favorite things. So, if someone loves socks, they would bring in three pairs of socks. Each person shares about their favorite thing and why they brought it. Then, people draw numbers and, one at a time, choose a favorite thing to take home. At the end of the event, everyone takes home three different favorite things.
18. Decorate a Coworker
Have boxes of holiday decorations ready—tinsel, lights, baubles, stars, wreaths, etc. Divide into groups. Each group chooses one person to be decorated. When the timer goes off, the group decorates their person for five minutes. To make this more interesting, provide a rubric and grade for each group’s decoration.
19. Cookie House Building Challenge
This requires some preparation. Provide teams with gingerbread house pieces (or graham crackers), frosting, and lots of candy. Teams can choose a theme—Charlotte’s Web farm, Hogwarts, a traditional gingerbread house—and get to decorating! This game can be just for fun, or you can discuss and grade each house once it’s done.
20. Tree Decorating Challenge
Bring in lots of school supplies and challenge teachers to create and decorate a tree. You can have them create a tree from scratch, or provide a few trees for teams to decorate with ornaments they make.
21. Ugly Sweater Station
Have school staff wear or bring in an old sweater. Then, provide decorations, like felt shapes, letters, lights, bows, and more. Provide paint markers, pins, and other ways to attach decorations and get to work. If you have your holiday party before school lets out, wear the holiday sweaters the next week at school.
22. Holiday Photo Booth
Provide holiday-themed accessories and a corner for taking photos. Some accessories:
- School hats
- Santa hats
- Elf ears
- Rudolph noses
- Antlers
- Scarves, mittens, hats
- Bells
- Wreaths, garlands
- Lights
- Snow, snowballs, top hats, carrots
23. Make a Mixed Drink
Set up a station with all the things teachers need to mix up a nice hot cocoa drink (peppermint sticks, marshmallows, dark chocolate sauce) or soda concoction (gummy bears or worms, flavored syrups). Encourage people to write their recipes and name their drinks with literary or school titles.
24. Pajama Party
Instead of sweaters, have teachers dress in the best holiday pajamas they can find. Make pajamas a theme with a pajama contest, breakfast food bar, and hot cocoa bar.
25. Never Have I Ever
Play Never Have I Ever, but with your school and the holidays in mind. Participants start with 10 tickets. If they have ever done the thing on each card, they put a ticket in the middle. The person who loses all their tickets first loses. The last person standing is the winner.
Some prompts for Never Have I Ever:
- Regifted a present
- Opened a present before it was time
- Kissed someone under mistletoe
- Broken up with someone during the holidays
- Baked or eaten fruit cake
- Been at the airport on Christmas Day
- Bought someone a gift that I wanted, hoping they would give it to me
- Played holiday music before Thanksgiving
- Played holiday music after Christmas Day
- Used Santa as a way to manipulate kids into behaving
26. Reindeer Games
These are holiday-themed office Olympics-style competitions. Divide teachers into teams and have them name their team. Then, complete challenges like:
- Present Pass: A relay where teachers hand off a wrapped present from one runner to the next.
- Down the Chimney: Have teachers shimmy through a play tunnel on the floor.
- Frostbite: Players reach into a bucket of ice to get a white rubber snowball.
- Tug-of-War: Use a garland wrapped around a rope for tug-of-war.
- Reindeer Race: Tie balloons decorated as reindeer to string, and use straws to race the reindeer.
27. This or That? (Holiday Edition)
For these staff party games, participants choose between two related but opposite options. Have teachers choose one side of the room for each option. Prompts:
- Store-bought or homemade gifts
- Gloves or mittens
- Naughty or nice list
- Eggnog or hot cocoa
- Real or fake tree/decorations
- Travel or stay home
- Shop for gifts in November or the night before
- Elf or Die Hard as a Christmas movie
28. Stuff a Stocking
Have teachers bring various stocking stuffers and provide a stocking for each staff member. Teachers can stuff one another’s stockings.
Learn more: Our list of small (inexpensive) gifts for teachers.
29. Who Am I? (Holiday Edition)
A holiday version of Hedbanz, give each staff member a card that has a holiday icon on it (Clark Griswold, the Grinch, Scrooge, Buddy the Elf, etc.). Each player attaches the card to their head. As they mingle, they ask questions about who they are and give others clues about who they are.
30. Family Feud
Host a game of Family Feud. Provide topics and common words or phrases related to that topic. So, if the topic is Holiday, responses could be: family, food, relaxing. To make this game specific to your school, ask teachers beforehand what comes to mind when they hear each phrase you’re going to use, and use those in the answers. Some themes you can use:
- Winter break
- Final exams
- Last Friday before break
- Holiday movie
- The carpool line
31. Santa Hat Challenge
As each teacher enters, give them a Santa hat. Choose one player as the leader and announce the leader to everyone. The leader is in charge of putting and taking the hat on and off, and everyone else follows the leader. When the leader takes off their hat, everyone else must do the same. If someone is too slow or doesn’t take their hat off, they lose. It’s like Simon Says but with Santa hats.
32. Karaoke
Holiday karaoke is one of the favorite staff party games and will bring out the most from teachers who love to sing.
33. How Many Ornaments?
Decorate a tree with ornaments (or put ornaments into a glass jar). Have teachers guess how many ornaments are on the tree or in the jar. The teacher that gets the closest wins.
34. Dangling Doughnuts
Use string to hang doughnuts at a height where teachers can reach them with their mouths. Then, players stand with their hands behind their backs and try to eat the doughnut without touching it. If someone touches the doughnut, they’re out. You can also play this game with cookies that have a hole in the middle for easy tying.
35. What’s in the Stocking?
Stuff a stocking with random items—they could be teacher-y, like whiteboard markers, erasers, and/or clickers, or they could be holiday-themed, like ornaments and gingerbread men. Pass around the stocking, and players use their sense of touch to guess what is in the stocking. The teacher who has the most correct guesses is the winner.
36. Candy Cane Relay
Prepare these staff party games with a lot of candy canes, chopsticks, a few stockings, and several large bowls. Divide the group into teams. Put unwrapped candy canes into bowls. Each player puts a chopstick in their mouth, puts their hand behind their back, and tries to hook as many candy canes as they can onto their chopstick. Then, they try to transfer the candy canes to their team’s stocking. The team with the most candy canes in their stocking is the winner.
37. Holiday Food Taste Test
Put out samples of holiday foods (eggnog, fruit cake, candy canes, etc.). Have teachers take a sample and taste it without looking at it. Can they guess what each sample is?
38. Holiday Limbo
Limbo but with Christmas carols. Use a string of Christmas lights instead of a broom for people to limbo under.
