If you haven't had a chance to think about Christmas work shindigs, now is a perfect time. Go down the classic route of going out for a meal with your team or host a fun-filled office party with some of the best Christmas team-building activities.

It's nearly the end of the year, and many companies enjoy celebrating the holiday season with work parties. Team-building activities are a fun way to get to know new co-workers, strengthen relationships between employees and boost company morale. To help you prepare for your office party this season, we've come up with some of the best team-building activity ideas to spark creativity and have a little fun in the process.

1. Secret Santa

Secret Santa is a time-honoured holiday tradition. If you haven't given it a go yet, you're seriously missing out. It's fun. It's festive. And it forces all involved to get creative when choosing their gifts. It's easy to see why it's so popular. It doesn't require a lot of preparation, it's relatively inexpensive, and everyone enjoys being able to give someone something they wouldn't necessarily buy for themselves. Plus, there are no losers in Secret Santa because everyone gets a gift.

How To Play

If you're unfamiliar with the game, the rules are simple. Everyone on the team draws a name and gets that person a gift they think they'll like (or not). The twist is that you can't talk about it with anyone (hence the game's name). It's a great way to get people out of their comfort zones and learn more about their co-workers. Read over our bonus tips to get the most out of the experience.

Bonus Tips

• Get on the same page. Make sure everyone knows the ground rules for Secret Santa. No buying for yourself, no swapping gifts, etc. When it comes to Secret Santa, no rules are meant to be broken!
• Make it personal. A £10 Amazon gift card is a fine idea, but you can do better and make it more memorable. Get creative and consider your co-workers' interests and what they like (and dislike). If you're really stuck, you can't go wrong with a silly or personalised mug.
• Keep everyone guessing. Don't tell people who their Secret Santa is until the big reveal at the Christmas party. The nosiest ones will keep working hard to find out who their Secret Santa is, but that adds even more fun.
• Set a clear spending limit. Secret Santa doesn't have to break the bank to be fun. As the organiser, you have the power to say how much money can be spent on the gifts. Make sure everyone knows this so no one goes overboard.

2. Name That Tune

No matter how many times you sing along to a Christmas song, it never gets old. Even if you grew up hearing the same songs every year (and hate them now), they're still a part of your holiday tradition. So what better way to celebrate the season than a few rounds of Name That Tune? This song game is a Christmas classic for a good reason. It's easy to play, and (almost) everyone has fun doing it. It's a quick-thinking game in which players must figure out the name of a song by listening to just a bit of it.

How To Play

Line up all the participants into two teams facing each other, preferably in an open area where they aren't going to run into anything if they jump around or collapse in laughter. Play a song and stop it at random points throughout the song. Have each team decide what song it is, then when you come back to them have them sing a line of the song to prove they were right. Give each team one point for each correct answer. The first team to get five points wins!

Bonus Tips

• Mix up the scoring. Give out the points for saying the song title or the artists' name or finishing the lyrics. Maybe you can even score for knowing all three!
• Music for everyone. When picking the music, make sure to consider who will be playing. You want everyone to be able to play along, so putting together a playlist of both popular and old classics is the way to go.
• If you're playing with a large group of people, make sure there are enough prizes for all the winners. You don't want any winners to leave empty-handed.

3. Murder Mystery

Forget the mince pies. Skip the fruitcake. A clever Murder Mystery game at an office Christmas party is always a sure holiday hit and a killer team-building activity (pun intended). At first thought, it seems more suited for a Halloween party instead but don't let that put you off. There's a ton of Christmas-themed scenarios out there for you and your team to play through. The idea is simple. There is a murder, and everyone must find the murderer within a certain amount of time. The more complex the plot, the better.

How To Play

If you're creative enough and have the time to prepare, you can orchestrate your own Murder Mystery. Start off by thinking of a captivating Christmas-themed plot, figure out the clues to supply the detectives with, prepare some props to act as evidence and watch it all play out. But don't worry, you don't have to reinvent the wheel by finding a Christmas-themed Murder Mystery kit. There's plenty of those online, and most are undoubtedly fun. It's a win whatever you do. The kit will likely come with a guide, evidence packs, character booklets and even costume suggestions or audio files to enhance the experience. That way, all you have to do is follow the instructions and have a murderous amount of fun.

Bonus Tips

• The atmosphere is key. Don't be afraid to decorate your venue (if possible) to create that extra ambience. If you're stuck for ideas, you will likely find all the inspiration needed on Pinterest.
• Document your event. Take photos and videos as your team attempts to solve the Murder Mystery so you can share your experience with others later. It will make for engaging social media content to share with your followers.
• Awards for the very best. Consider adding awards into the mix to reward the most committed players. You can get as creative with them as you want, but you can't go wrong with the classic 'Best detective', 'Best costume' or 'Best performer' awards.

Bring Your Team Together

An office Christmas party is a great chance to celebrate the holidays while also enjoying time away from the desks. There's no doubt that these fun office Christmas party activities are excellent at bringing teams together in a social setting. With a little bit of creative thinking, you're sure to come up with some unique Christmas party activities that your entire team will love. We hope some of our ideas will help get your creative juices flowing.