How To Throw A Half-Decent Christmas Party On Zoom

• If you can’t get together this Christmas, you can get online.
• There are a number of activities you can still do to get in the festive spirit.
• Here are our top 8 ideas to help you engage with members over Christmas.

The last 12 months have been very [insert the most appropriate word here]. And now it looks as though the ongoing pandemic is going to keep the vast majority of us apart at Christmas. But never fear, there is a (fairy) light on the horizon – you can now throw a Christmas party on Zoom!

(Full disclosure: that last statement was said in a highly sarcastic manner. One of the many perks of working for myself is that I no longer have to endure a work’s Christmas party. However, hopefully I can come up with one or two suggestions to make your coworking space’s online festive celebrations somewhat more enjoyable.)

1. KISS

No, I’m not suggesting you introduce some cringey mistletoe-based games. Instead, I would suggest you Keep It Simple, Stupid.

Chances are, you have had to rely on Zoom or another video platform more than you would have liked over the last 12 months. You don’t want to organise a six-hour extravaganza of online games where everyone is plagued by Zoom fatigue for the rest of the Christmas break. Short and sweet always wins the day for online social events (in the opinion of this Ebenezer Scrooge).

2. Organise a Secret Santa

Oh yes, Secret Santa. Another workplace Christmas tradition where you’re given a lovely bit of tat that will probably end up in the recycling bin by 2021.

Instead, why not organise an online Secret Santa where everyone puts up a wish list within a specific budget? Then, they get a gift they actually want delivered to their door – and they can open them up on your Zoom call. If it’s feasible, you could organise a Christmas drinks and/or snacks exchange and drop off your favourite consumable item to your Secret Santa – and eat or drink it on the Zoom call.

Suggested Reading: 15 Gift Ideas Your Coworkers Will Love

3. Get Creative

Another option is to organise a mass craft session. You could make wreaths, cocktails, cakes, anything really. And make sure you send your participants a pack of everything they’ll need to make their craft – it’s a nice touch.

One popular option (and I can’t think why) seems to be a BYOB cocktail hour. You could ask attendees to swap recipe ideas or even make their beverages on camera. Tom Cruise, eat your heart out.

4. Crack Out the Games

Every Christmas, as with so many others, my family insists on playing board games. Or as my youngest son recently renamed it “the dice and shouting games”. How apt.

Now, a Zoomed-based game of Monopoly probably isn’t a practicable option. However, there are a few online options you could try, including browser-based gaming sites like Tabletopia or Boardgame Arena. Christmas-themed scavenger hunts are another (relatively) fun option that don’t take too long.

Another seasonal twist on a classic game is ‘name that holiday tune’ where you create your own festive playlist and get attendees to guess the tune.

5. Do a light tour

This one requires a little bit of prep from your attendees. But you could ask them to take some pictures of their local area and its Christmas festivities to share. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, but this is a nice one to bring people together, even when we’re so far apart.

6. Watch a Christmas movie

I’m a sucker for a good Christmas movie and there’s a very clever platform called Teleparty where you can watch TV with your friends online. It works with Netflix, Disney, Hulu and HBO, synchronising your video playback, and it comes with a group chat option too.

7. Don’t Forget the Snacks

Christmas and good food are synonymous. You may want to make sure your members have some good snack options available – even if your Christmas party is online.

There are a number of delivery services you could use. ZeroCater, for example, recently rolled out an AI-backed digital cafeteria called the Cloud Café. Available in the US, it offers customisable, affordable, and delicious food options for employees. You could even use this into the New Year to provide your members with tasty treats.

8. Forget it, Give to Charity

2020 hasn’t been easy on anyone. It may be nice to give something back, instead of spending money on a Christmas party.

You could actually make this the theme of your Zoom Christmas party. Just ask everyone to pop on a festive sweater and talk about a charity that’s close to their heart – then make a donation from your coworking space to each of their causes. That may even be enough to warm my (cold, tiny, Grinch-like) heart.