1. Holiday this-or-that
Read two options (“mulled wine or hot chocolate?”, “real tree or fake tree?”); people move to a side of the room or vote with emoji in the chat. A perfect 5-minute warm-up.
Quick Christmas games you can play in 10 minutes
Updated: 2026-10-19
Not every team gets a full party. Sometimes you have the last ten minutes of a team meeting or the start of the December all-hands. These games need little or no preparation and are finished before anyone checks their phone.
Pick one per meeting in December and you have an ‘advent calendar’ of mini-games.
The games
2. Emoji Christmas movie quiz
Show a row of emojis (🏠👦😱) and teams guess the film or song. Works on a projector, in a video call or printed on the table. Ten emojis take about ten minutes.
3. One-hand gift-wrap race
Pairs wrap a box together, each person may only use one hand. Fastest neat parcel wins. Loud, funny, done in five minutes.
4. Zoomed-in picture guess
Show an extreme close-up of a holiday object (a pine needle, tinsel, a gingerbread corner) and zoom out step by step. Fewer steps = more points.
5. Who’s most likely to… (kind edition)
Read a prompt (“…still be decorating on 23 December?”) and everyone points at or names a colleague. Keep prompts kind and work-safe; skip anything about drinking, money or looks.
6. Blind ranking
Five holiday items are revealed one by one (e.g. cookies, films, songs) and each must be placed 1–5 immediately – no moving later. Sparks easy, low-stakes debate.
7. Two truths and a holiday lie
Each person shares three short holiday facts about themselves; the others guess which one is invented. Keep it to holiday topics (worst gift, family tradition) so nobody overshares.
8. Ugly sweater (or desk) contest
Optional dress-up; everyone votes in categories like ‘most festive’ and ‘best DIY’. Remote teams can vote on camera backgrounds instead.
Host tips
- Start the meeting with the game, not the end – people leave early.
- Keep a list of five ‘this or that’ questions on your phone for spontaneous moments.
- For remote meetings, use reactions and chat for answers.
FAQ
Can I do this in a 15-minute stand-up?
Yes, a this-or-that round or one emoji puzzle takes 2–3 minutes.
Do I need to prepare anything?
Most of these need only a list of questions, which you can copy from this page.