Christmas Party Ideas

Tinsel, carols and sugar-sifted mince pies. It’s that time of year again. Santa’s red chair is rolled out as the centrepiece of every shopping mall. Pine, bells and glitter adorn every pole, sign and public bus. Distant relatives’ arrival dates are scrawled onto calendars. Parents scramble for gift wrapping paper, festive-looking napkins and blow dust off abandoned recipe books. And employees receive the anticipated work e-mail - the end of year work Christmas party. A celebratory affair, yet predictable. The exhaustion and relief of the culmination of yet another laborious year manifests itself in vulnerable conversation with respective bosses and questionable dance moves.

But employers and employees can attain closure by other means, such as channelling celebratory spirits toward practical and interactive workshops. Workshops with colleagues encourage a playground for creativity and stress-relief after the arduous working year. Busy your hands in an aroma-filled wreath-making workshop and walk away with a Christmas décor or gift. Or de-stress in a juggling workshop, sharpen your focus and concentration whilst dodging balls resulting from miscalculated throws. We’ve provided a list of the top Christmas party ideas below.

Wreath Making  

Embrace the festive spirit in a crafty Christmas Wreath-making workshop. Assemble an Australian inspired wreath, and twist and weave twigs, flowers and leaves artfully around wire. Setsuko Yanagisawa, a talented florist with over 13 years of experience, will invite you into her Glebe floristry and guide you to create your own unique take on the traditional wreath - and you'll have lots of creative fun along the way. The minimalist, contemporary aesthetic wreath has potential to compliment the modern Australian home or gifted to friends and family, with added artisan value. 

Mixology

Liquor, the only necessary and perhaps overarching, redeeming element of every arduous family gathering in the festive months. Similarly, the culprit of many an embarrassing moment at work Christmas parties. Whether used as a crutch and drunk in excess, or casually sipped on to compliment a celebratory occasion, alcohol, or more specifically cocktails are no doubt a staple for the exhausted employee.

Re-invent the work Christmas party, without sacrificing the alcohol, in an educational Mixology workshop. We have some top bars in Sydney like The Roosevelt and Della Hyde running cocktail classes that embrace the art of mixology with new and classic techniques. Mix, muddle and shake-up some of the most popular cocktails. Sip on Cosmos, Margaritas and Moijtos with colleagues in a relaxed and interactive environment. Walk away with brand new recipes under your belt, to share with and impress relatives at upcoming festive events.

Action Painting

Action painting involves spontaneously dribbling, splashing or smearing paint onto the canvas, though it is not confined to three motions. With roots in the 1950s Abstract Expressionist movement, the painting method or rather, lack of method is derivative of artists who valued the physical interaction with materials more so or on par with the finished work.

Get messy with colleagues and express yourself through physical motion as you create stunning art in an Action Painting workshop. Broaden your knowledge of the Expressionist movement and the great action painters of the past. Whip, flick and swish paintbrush against canvas. Experiment with different textures, willow charcoal, sharpies, inks and oil crayons. Opt for unique brushes and stamping tools made out of potatoes, onions, sticks, cloth, eye droppers and spray bottles. Walk away with your very own large painting on loose canvas or box board, to gift or to decorate. For more inspiration read our article on fun team building ideas.

Juggling 

The end of the year translates to unwind and relax time. And what better way to unwind than tossing small colourful balls into the air, in a Juggling workshop. Juggling has the ability to sharpen focus and concentration, acts as a form of stress-relief, maintains and increases range of motion in the arms and shoulders, improves coordination, wards off food cravings and functions as the ultimate exercise that doesn’t feel like exercise.

Scoop, drop and attempt to master a fluid rhythm with juggling whizz Stephan Novikov in his stress-free, self-paced Juggling Journey workshop. Juggling is the ideal Christmas party idea for colleagues looking to unwind and laugh over amusing miscalculated throws. Leave with a neat new party trick to amuse the kids on Christmas day.

Superfood Sushi

Rich ham, steaming Christmas pudding with oozing thick custard, sugar-sifted mince pies and copious amounts of wine. As we scramble to fill our bellies before the health-kick New Years resolution, health is often neglected during the indulgent festive season. Though, healthy food doesn't have to be boring or tasteless, according to Chef Yoshiko Takeuchi. 

Maintain your health during the testing festive months with Yoshiko’s Superfood Sushi class. With over twenty years’ experience, the author of two Japanese health-food cookbooks and a frequenter of some of Sydney’s top kitchens, Yoshiko uses only top quality Japanese ingredients in her cooking. Follow traditional methods with colleagues, such as forming mounds of sushi rice, creating nigiri and nori rolls whilst sipping on Japanese tea. Learn essential Japanese seasonings, cooking techniques and recipes to incorporate in a well-rounded and delicious Christmas dinner. 

End of year work Christmas parties don’t have to be predictable evenings, but opportunities to channel energies into interactive and rewarding workshops and bond with colleagues in leisurely and stress-free environments. Explore our Christmas party ideas on our workshop page for the best alternatives.