The Zoom Edition: Holiday party games

by Excel Dyquiangco / December 15, 2021

Games are a great way to spruce up your Christmas and year-end parties. With members now meeting in-person and online, the spirit of the season is still very much alive in spite of the pandemic. And since some may be at the comfort of their homes, what to play via video links?

If you are running out of ideas, we have got you covered. Let us go beyond the “Bring-Me” games and explore the following recommendations.

Scavenger Photo Hunt

Much like a real scavenger hunt where players all search for items on the list, this time instead of bringing the item to the host, you take a photo. This game not only develops your memory or even problem-solving skills, but also exercises the body as you get to search for items all over the house. Best of all, you never know what you can find digging up that precious object!

Here is how it works.

Make breakout rooms to divide the group into teams. Drop a link to the prompts in the conversation before the players enter the room.
Allow teams around 10 minutes to locate and stage the pictures on the list.
Recall the players to the main room after the timer runs out.
Pick a few teams at random to participate in each photo category. Players can either share their screens or drop a file into the chat to show off their photos.
Determine a winner in each category and give points accordingly.
The team with the highest point wins.

The Naughty and Nice List

The Naughty and Nice List is a game for the brave since you need to be ready to let that secret that you have been keeping for years slip. Have you ever faked an illness? Or how about running a red light once? Whatever your “secret” is, Santa is sure going to find out.

To begin, participants turn on their cameras. The leader gives a list of “naughty” behaviors, and participants who engage in them must turn off their cameras. The players that stay on screen at the end of the game are placed on the “nice” list and win a prize.

Some of the prompts to consider.

Told a child that Santa wasn’t real.
Ran a red light.
Pretended to be asleep to avoid working on a chore.
Gifted someone something that I got for free.
Binged watched a reality show for five straight hours, or more.
Watched Netflix while in a Zoom meeting.
Didn’t wash the dishes the whole day (or more).
Argued over politics.

Rich Kid Christmas

Rich Kid Christmas is an online holiday edition of the game show The Price Is Right. If you often go to the supermarket, or a fixture at online shopping malls, then this is the game for you! Those who are not familiar with prices, however, would know which item to include on their Christmas shopping list by the time the game ends.

To play the game on Zoom, search the internet for some expensive items such as watches, cars, television sets – even grocery packages – and have the attendees guess the price without going over.

Points will be awarded to the team that comes closest to the actual cost.

Tip: You can actually show some unique items as well, but include some well-known ones so that the group is not totally stumped!

Holiday Hangman

The famous word game Holiday Hangman has been updated for the holiday season. If you love to draw or doodle, or just love trivias, the Holiday Hangman is just right up your alley. Not only does this develop your creative side, but also helps you think out-of -the box!

Create a few slides on Zoom with slots for each letter in festive words to play the game. Christmas greetings, movie or holiday TV episode titles, music, stories, delicacies, and other seasonal phrases can all be used. Display a slide on the screen each round using the screen sharing capability. To write in letters and draw the hangman, make sure the annotation tool is turned on.

Each participant takes a turn guessing a consonant or vowel. If no one guesses the word before the man’s entire body is drawn, either one person will win or everyone will lose!

Pro tip: If the typical hangman is too depressing for the holidays, you may draw a rough Christmas tree instead.

Name That Tune

In this simple Christmas game, have fun with holiday (or even common) songs. The best part about this game is that you don’t need much planning to work it out. Simply play 10 to 20 seconds of each song from a Spotify Christmas playlist. Have your team members guess the song title and give the winner a themed prize.

While guessing the tune is the main task, you have the option to add a twist by letting the participants sing along simply for the fun of it. Who knows, a team member might even surprise you with their hidden talent.

Even if the whole world is gradually returning to their previous lives, throwing a full-fledged Christmas celebration might be difficult. However, you may still have the fun of your life by throwing a healthy virtual Christmas party with colle. Have fun trying out any of these games, and have a wonderful Christmas season!

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The Zoom Edition: Holiday party games

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