Holiday party ideas for work that everyone can enjoy
Planning the office holiday party usually lands on one busy person in late November. This prompt has your todo.is agent suggest themes, games and food that fit your team, find venues or caterers near you with links, and build a timeline, budget sheet and invite text so the planning is mostly done.
The prompt
- Plan a work holiday party for [NUMBER OF PEOPLE] people at [COMPANY OR TEAM] in [CITY OR "REMOTE"]. The date is around [DATE] and the budget is [TOTAL BUDGET]. Give me 5 theme ideas, 8 games or activities that work for mixed groups (including non-drinkers, remote people and people who do not celebrate Christmas), and food ideas with vegetarian and allergy-friendly options. Find 4 venues or caterers near us with links. Then plan the best option: a 6-week countdown checklist, an evening timeline, a budget sheet in Excel, and an invite message. I will book everything myself.
What to change
- [NUMBER OF PEOPLE]: How many, e.g. "40" or "12".
- [COMPANY OR TEAM]: Who it is for, e.g. "a 40-person marketing agency".
- [CITY OR "REMOTE"]: Where, e.g. "Austin" or "remote, 3 time zones".
- [DATE]: Rough date, e.g. "Friday, December 12".
- [TOTAL BUDGET]: Total budget, e.g. "3,000 dollars" or "40 dollars per person".
Example result
- Work holiday party plan: 40 people, Friday Dec 12
- Theme ideas
- • Winter cabin: warm lights, cocoa bar, cozy dress code.
- • Year in review awards: silly and sincere awards voted by the team.
- • Around the world dinner: dishes from places the team comes from.
- • Retro game night: arcade games, board games, a quiz.
- • Gingerbread build-off: teams build and decorate, judges pick winners.
- Games and activities
- • Year-in-review quiz with team photos
- • Gift swap with a set price limit
- • Photo booth with props
- • Cooperative trivia teams mixed across departments
- • "Guess the baby photo" (optional, only for those who opt in)
- • Card writing station for clients or a local charity
- • Mocktail competition
- • Short thank-you speech from the founder (5 minutes, not more)
- Food
- • Buffet with a clear vegetarian and vegan section, labeled allergens, and good non-alcoholic drinks.
- Venues and caterers found
- • 4 options with links: a private room at a restaurant, an event loft, a bowling venue with a party package, and a caterer for the office. Check each official site for availability and packages.
- 6-week countdown
- • Week 6: set budget and date, send save-the-date
- • Week 5: book venue or caterer, ask about dietary needs
- • Week 3: send invite with RSVP, plan games and awards
- • Week 1: confirm numbers, buy supplies, plan rides home
- • Day after: thank-you message and photos
- Evening timeline
- • 18:00 Arrival and drinks
- • 18:45 Dinner
- • 19:45 Awards and quiz
- • 20:45 Games and photo booth
- • 22:00 Wrap up
- Invite message
- You are invited to our holiday party on Friday, Dec 12, from 6 pm. Dinner, games and a few awards. Let us know by Nov 28 if you can come and any food needs.
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and add your headcount, location, date and budget.
- Paste it into todo.is or send it to your agent on WhatsApp or Telegram.
- Get theme and game ideas, venues with links, a budget sheet and a countdown checklist. You make the bookings.
- Ask for a remote version, a poll to pick the theme, or weekly reminders for each step of the countdown.
Tips for a better result
- Hold it during or right after work hours so parents and people with long commutes can come.
- Call it a "holiday" or "end of year" party and keep the theme open to every background.
- Make non-alcoholic drinks just as good as the rest, and plan safe ways home.
- Book venues early. December dates fill up fast.
holiday party ideas for work: FAQ
- When should you plan a work holiday party? Start 6 to 8 weeks ahead, and earlier if you need a venue in December. Send a save-the-date as soon as the date is set.
- How do you make an office party inclusive? Pick a neutral theme, include food for all diets, offer good non-alcoholic drinks, keep it in reasonable hours and make every activity optional.
- What are fun holiday party ideas for remote teams? An online quiz, a hosted cooking or cocktail class with kits sent ahead, a gift swap by post, or a year-in-review awards call.
- Can todo.is book the venue or caterer? No. Your agent finds options with links and can draft emails to venues. You book and pay yourself.
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