Christmas Party Ideas

Christmas party ideas get bounded around almost every office in the UK from September onward, in some cases before. However, planning and putting on a great Christmas event for staff or team members can be a challenging undertaking and there are a number of questions that need to be answered including: Where should the party be hosted? Should there be food? Should there be a theme? How can everyone be catered for?
Staff members look forward to work Christmas parties for many months and so it is important for morale as well as general enjoyment that the occasion goes off in the right place, at the right time and without any hitches or disruptions that could put a dampener on things. Generally, there are well defined routes to go down when it comes to arranging Christmas dos.
This tends to mean the occasion revolving around being either a team-based event or something more informal such as drinks and a meal. However, it is always a challenge once the general idea is established as what the Christmas do should actually entail is easier said than done. What are the options?

Going Shooting for Christmas

Thinking ‘outside the box’ is hard to do in the case of Christmas parties as everyone has a very different idea of what their ‘ideal’ party looks like. However, going shooting is a great way to change things up and inject a degree of excitement into proceedings.
There are a range of shooting clubs and venues throughout London, the surrounding areas and the UK who are able to cater for groups of all shapes and sizes. Many gun and shooting clubs and ranges will have corporate packages available for groups and this will cover events such as Christmas parties.
These venues, particularly those that do not require participants to take out membership, will usually be able to work with all levels from amateurs and first timers to seasoned professionals and gun experts.
Shooting packages can include different activities such as clay pigeon and clay target shooting, skeet shooting, target shooting and various other variations. Furthermore, many gun ranges and clubs offer related target activities such as axe throwing and archery, allowing groups to try a wider range of competitive activities.

These types of parties are great ways to build team spirit and add a degree of healthy competition to what is a thoroughly enjoyable day out for all involved. Importantly, such a unique Christmas party will also give everyone in the office something to talk about for many months to come.

Eating and Drinking

This is a tried and tested Christmas party idea that is successfully pulled off year after year by thousands of people. It is a well-established way to get everyone together in a comfortable setting (sometimes with their significant other) in a way that allows everyone to engage and converse with each other. Restaurants will also have a great deal of experience around corporate hospitality and will be well placed to cater for all groups.
Getting everyone together in this way is also a great way to break-in new team members who will be able to mingle and mix with all people from the company or organisation in a much more relaxed, non-work driven setting, making a nice change from the office. There are however, different settings for these types of Christmas parties, depending on the mood and type of event you wish to put on.

Restaurants and Private Venues

Restaurants are great places to put on Christmas parties as they will be well-accustomed to all sorts of groups. This means that you will not have to worry about anything, from the food and drink to the setting and clearing up afterwards. All of these things will be included in the price paid. Everyone will be familiar with this type of setting too, meaning that from the outset, all present will feel welcome and comfortable, making for a wonderful time.
Moreover, most restaurants have packages available and in the months leading up to Christmas will advertise special, seasonal rates to cater for those looking to book Christmas parties and events. Conveniently, many restaurants will often, depending on the size and spend of your group, provide free or discounted extras such as alcohol or canapes upon request.
Private venues include events halls and specially designed venues. These can be dressed up in the way you like which can be nice if there is a theme. Additionally, you can often fit more people in a private hall or venue than you can in a restaurant, making these types of places ideal for much larger groups.

eating-drinking-christmas
Parties involving eating and drinking are always popular

However, whilst some of these venues (often found in hotels or conference centres) have catering facilities, many do not come with a caterer or provide food in the way a restaurant does. This means that the cost will be higher as you will likely need to order the food provisions separately from an external caterer.

Bars and Clubs for Christmas

More and more people are turning to bars and clubs for Christmas parties. A great way to let off some steam and mix with work colleagues, a bar or club is an informal setting that allows everyone to unwind and relax. In the case of bars, it is fairly common to rent out a private room or even the entire bar for the Christmas party, allowing for a truly enjoyable and private Christmas party. When it comes to clubs, the same is true, albeit somewhat less common.
Having your Christmas do in a bar though means that usually, at least a proportion of the drinks will be provided as part of the package by the venue and often, these venues can provide food and snacks. Also, to add a touch of fun and something different, there can be a theme, be it the music, the décor or even a dress code to get everyone in the right mood for the party.

bars-clubs-christmas
Bars and clubs are a great way to let off some steam

 

Team Building and Group Activities for Christmas Parties

Corporate events and get togethers have long fancied team building activities and venues. Traditionally this has included things like raft building and rope climbing to get everyone working, chatting and joking together. In recent times though, whilst these are still popular, more and more team-related and team friendly places are sprouting up offering a whole host of activities for work colleagues and groups of people to enjoy.
More often than not, these venues will have on site café, catering, food and drink facilities and provisions. You can therefore book a corporate package that is likely to come with activities as well as food and drink (but not always alcohol as this will depend on their licencing status.)

team-building
Team building activities make for a fantastic Christmas party

 

Escape Rooms for Christmas

Escape Rooms are a novel and fun way to get teams working together, all looking to achieve a common goal. Locked and ‘stuck’ in a themed room, team members must look for and decipher clues in order to be able to escape the room within an amount of time. For example, the participating group may find themselves stuck in in 17th Century Japan, having to decipher themed clues to enable their escape.

escape-rooms
Escape Rooms are an increasingly popular activity

This is a great way to get friends and work colleagues working closely together, whilst having fun. Additionally, these provide wonderful talking points as colleagues discuss how clues were and weren’t figured out thereafter. Escape Rooms are also able to cater for larger groups and can also be a fun way to start an evening that then progresses to a restaurant or bar.

Zorb and Bubble Football

Zorb and bubble football are lively and action-filled ways to get everyone running around, letting off some steam and working together as well as against each other to allow for some competition amongst friends and colleagues. Typically 5 to 8 a side, players are wrapped in a giant, inflatable bubble. In order to tackle opponents and get the ball from them, players will need to bump into opposing players to push them off the ball.

Zorb football is as unique as it is fun and memorable, with players not requiring a great degree of football skills in order to play the beautiful game in this way. These events are made for larger teams with games being around 10 minutes of 8 a side football, with the winning team staying on. This comfortably allows for up to around 32 total players, across four teams on a rotating basis.