Minute to win it Christmas games for the office

How a round works

1. Split everyone into teams of 4 to 6. Each team picks one player per game, so different people play each round.
2. Explain the game in one sentence and show it once without the timer.
3. Start a 60-second timer that everyone can see or hear: a phone with a loud alarm is enough, a big screen is better.
4. All teams play at the same time at their own table. A referee per table counts the result.
5. Give points by rank: 3 for the best team, 2 for second, 1 for every other team that finished the task or tried.

10 Christmas games for the office

1. Cup tree: build a pyramid out of 10 plastic cups and stack it back into one tower. Material: 10 cups per player.
2. Bauble chopsticks: move pompoms or small unbreakable baubles from one bowl to another with chopsticks. Most pieces in 60 seconds wins.
3. Oven mitt unwrap: unwrap a small wrapped box while wearing oven mitts. First to show the box wins.
4. Candy cane fishing: hold one candy cane by the straight end and use its hook to lift other candy canes into a mug, one at a time.
5. Snowball spoon run: carry cotton balls one by one on a spoon to a bowl a few steps away. Dropped balls stay on the floor.
6. Gift box tower: stack empty small boxes as high as you can. The tower has to stand for three seconds.
7. Bow attack: stick as many gift bows as possible on a teammate's sweater or jacket. The teammate stands still, no bows on the face.
8. Snowman wrap: the team wraps one volunteer in toilet paper from shoulders to knees. The neatest snowman gets the points, judged by the room.
9. Paper tree behind the back: tear a Christmas tree out of a sheet of paper with your hands behind your back. The room votes.
10. Hum the hit: one player hums Christmas songs, the team guesses as many titles as possible in 60 seconds. Good for people who do not want to move.

A 30-minute tournament plan

1. Opening (3 min): explain points and roles, show where the timer is.
2. Five games of 60 seconds each, with about 4 minutes in between for setup, scores and a short laugh at the results.
3. Use one calm game in the middle, for example Hum the hit or Paper tree, so the room catches its breath.
4. Final (5 min): one game where the whole team plays at once, for example Snowman wrap.
5. Afterwards, change the tempo with a quiz round, so the evening does not stay at full volume.

Fair for everyone

• Nobody has to play. Ask for volunteers per game and offer the roles of referee, timer and scorekeeper.
• Skip games that need bending, jumping or eating if your team includes people who would not enjoy that.
• Check the floor and the space: no glass baubles, no running between desks.
• More ideas for quiet colleagues: games where nobody stands in the spotlight.

The games

Host tips

• Buy material for one extra round. Cups crack and cotton balls disappear.
• Write the five games and the order on one sheet for each referee.
• Film only with permission and keep the clips inside the team.
• Short on time? These games fit into 10 minutes.

More party guides

• Christmas icebreaker questions for work that nobody finds awkward
• White elephant steal rules for the office
• Work Christmas party ideas for any team size and budget
• Christmas party host script: sample lines from welcome to goodbye