That a work Zoom Christmas party is a really hard thing to organise!

[Laarkawaay]

It is 2 hrs during the day, so I can't fall back on a booze theme. Team of 15 and, yes I can do a quiz, but we can we do a quiz for 2 hours?! AIBU that this is a pretty hard ask? What's everyone else doing for their virual Christmas parties - though I'm not even calling it that as I'm worried it will be even shitter if I do!

I did a murder mystery thing with friends. That was OK.

My team is apparently having bingo. Which actually might be ok.

However, rather than just calling out numbers, the person organising it has decided that everything is an answer to a work related thing e.g. how many years do we need to store data? I'd suggest not doing that.

Pictionary or charades would work over Zoom. With a team if 15 though people will want to chat, and 15 people all trying to talk at the same will be awkward so have one or two activities where people break into groups of 5. Then the group of five can chat, and decide their quiz questions/charades to mime/ whatever.

Oh god, if my work try and inflict some of these ideas on us I'm going to have a powercut or something.

It just sounds like a form of torture.

I did a team building thing in October that I thought would be cringey but it actually went down really well. So we're doing something similar a couple of weeks before Christmas, because people asked us to repeat it. Everyone is missing seeing the people they used to see everyday, and just a chance to see everyone without a work hat/specific purpose cheered people up.

My tips would be:

• Use the breakout rooms in Zoom so you have a couple of / a few teams. It means people are in smaller groups - easier to chat - and also means you can make it competitive, which is usually a bit more fun. Even a small prize can be surprisingly motivating...
• Schedule it appropriately e.g. mid-afternoon and tell people in advance they can, if they choose, have a drink to hand
• Have a few different games - a knowledge quiz, a brainteaser type, bingo, problem solving... some people will be good at different things so gives everyone a chance
• Don't make any of them too long - a few quickfire rounds, not one long quiz. And plan timings in advance, so you don't drift over time and end up stuck on the bingo all day
• Scavenger hunts, fancy dress, having to create something, are all good. We also had a music round & got everyone singing

I've co hosted online cookery sessions for corporate team building events and Christmas parties (they follow the same model as public online cookery slots)
Typically, everyone at home cooks the food (lead by the chef on Zoom), then the participants have a continuing zoom meeting where they all eat together.

The cookery school is a charity, money raised supports local community food initiatives. It's vegan; recipes can be adapted for any allergies.
Corporate events so far have been 16-20 people, but I co-hosted a non corporate event for 40 yesterday, I think the largest group was around 48 people.
The school have received really good feedback.

I can't think of anything more horrific.

I hope it's not mandatory? I'm afraid I'd be having connection problems if this was ever inflicted on me!

We're having a Staff Meeting followed by the Christmas Virtual.

Christmas Jumpers

There's an Awards Ceremony
Quiz

And I'm sure I can rustle up some party food that I can scoff (might share with DH as he WFH) and we'll all just chat to each other ?

Sounds hellish.

We’re doing an online cookery class - facilitated by some fancy chef. We’ve picked Mexican as the theme. She’ll send us the menu and ingredients list we’ve to pre-buy and we’ve to be ready to go at 2pm on a particular day. Christmas jumpers on, glass or two of wine at the ready and back from school “helpers” 🙄 ready to assist.

There’s 15 of us and the lads all seemed keen. You can make this stuff as hard or as fun as you like. It’s better than nothing...

@Michaelbaubles

Ok - IF people want to do it and you’ve got the sort of group who would enjoy it, how about asking each person for a “party piece”; a poem, joke, magic trick or even a recipe demo etc. Optional for those who hate such things. Can be silly or taken seriously. People who aren’t into it can opt out or just tell a quick Christmas cracker joke. People who enjoy it (and there will be some) will have time to work on their “bit” and get attention in the meantime. Plus it passes the time nicely.

Also: stand up bingo could work over Zoom.

No no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no.

Oh Hell, no no no no no no no no no no no no

Compulsory Fun is bad at the best of times, but the idea of Compulsory Fun via a screen and a keyboard sounds like grounds to claim unfair dismissal.

Sounds like 2 hours of hell. I’m so glad my work aren’t trying to do this!

I'd also rather work. I can't thing of much worse than a virtual work party. Good luck x

@FudgeBrownie2019

Can you just send them all a hamper of booze/cheese/treats and give them an early finish?

My company normally does a Christmas trip abroad - usually somewhere beautifully snowy and picturesque. This year they've given us the three days off we'd usually have been away and said they're sending out "survival packages" instead. I am thrilled, despite missing out on a lovely trip.

I want to work where you work!!

Do you have any budget for this?

In organising one and we’ve arranged a few things - one of the team is into drama and dance as a side job outside work - she’s doing a half hour kids entertainment segment for the staffs kids (she’s dressing up as an elf and another team member age reed to be Santa)

For the adults - we have hired a professional quiz master for an hour - also we have a magician doing close up magic tricks.

We have a team member who is a DJ as well so he will be playin a few tunes as well

We have a pretty young team and everyone is super into it though

I’d live a link to the murder mystery thing (if it’s free). My book club suggested that as an idea for our virtual Christmas night

That’d be love not live, ffs autocorrect

Have people answer fun questionnaire. Have questions be guesses about that. Have a Christmas skit. A sing a long 12th days of Christmas. Christmas sweater contest where contestants have to describe their sweater. Have someone appear as Santa. Email out snack recipe in advance. Have a bake off.

@Whosthebestbabainalltheworld

We’re doing an online cookery class - facilitated by some fancy chef. We’ve picked Mexican as the theme. She’ll send us the menu and ingredients list we’ve to pre-buy and we’ve to be ready to go at 2pm on a particular day. Christmas jumpers on, glass or two of wine at the ready and back from school “helpers” 🙄 ready to assist.

There’s 15 of us and the lads all seemed keen. You can make this stuff as hard or as fun as you like. It’s better than nothing...

God, am I the only one who'd rather have nothing?

Just give everyone a half day off for God's sake.

@vanillandhoney

I can't think of anything more horrific.

I hope it's not mandatory? I'm afraid I'd be having connection problems if this was ever inflicted on me!

Yes, I’d be prepared for a lot of people having those.

Terrible idea.

Whoever has insisted on this should provide ideas.

My husband is organising a cocktail making class for his team via zoom. Sounds good to me!

Oh god, no one wants to do that. Early finish would be much more appreciated I'm sure.

I manage a very large team with a counterpart, they did amazingly earlier in the year in terms of performance and we wanted to reward them, my colleague wanted to give them a zoom party, I wanted to give them a week without a team meeting (we have daily briefings but also a over a week longer meeting) and to do what they wanted with the 90 minutes, we put it to the team, they voted anonymously, they had the time off.... Ask your team what they'd like to do

I appreciate our ceo arranging a virtual Christmas party but have declined as it sounds too awful but so well intentioned. I don’t want to enter a Christmas jumper competition.

We also had a virtual fireside drink with some of our managers and again while well intentioned it was a bit excruciating with awkward silences and then a manager going round each person on zoom asking what special skill they developed during lockdown