What are good 12 days of Christmas ideas for work?

Mix small daily things with two or three bigger days: a treat drop, a song quiz at stand-up, a cookie decorating lunch, a thank-you postcard station, then a finale like the party or a hosted game. The three plans on this page each give you all twelve days with the time and prep for each one.

When should 12 days of Christmas at work start?

Count back twelve workdays from your last day before the holiday break. The traditional twelve days start on Christmas Day and run into early January, which is when most offices are closed, so work teams use the days before the break instead.

How do you do 12 days of Christmas for remote employees?

Keep most days in chat so they take minutes: a playlist, a photo thread, a GIF battle. Add two or three live moments on a call and a hosted game as the finale. For a hybrid team, give every day an office version and a remote version.

What is the difference between 12 days of Christmas and a Christmas spirit week?

Some teams call the 12 days a 12 days of Christmas spirit week, but a classic spirit week packs five themed days, often dress-up days, into one week. The 12 days run longer with one small thing a day and build to a finale. Our Christmas spirit week ideas cover the five-day version.

How much does 12 days of Christmas at work cost?

As little as you want. Most of the ideas here cost nothing or a box of treats; the money goes into one or two food days and the finale. Decide the total first, then choose the days.

What are the 12 days of Christmas gifts in order?

A partridge in a pear tree, two turtle doves, three French hens, four calling birds, five gold rings, six geese a-laying, seven swans a-swimming, eight maids a-milking, nine ladies dancing, ten lords a-leaping, eleven pipers piping and twelve drummers drumming.

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Office events

12 days of Christmas at work: 3 ready plans and 36 more ideas

One small thing every workday until the break, with a plan you can print and a message for each day. Written for office, remote and hybrid teams.

KraftyLab TeamUpdated Oct 202611 min read

Twelve small wrapped gifts in a row on an office kitchen counter beside a mug of hot cocoa.

Twelve days of Christmas at work means one small, optional thing every workday until the holiday break, building to a finale. It suits teams that want December to feel festive, with Christmas activities at work spread out instead of packed into a week of dress-up days. Below are three ready plans with the time and prep for every day, 36 more ideas for 12 days of Christmas at work to swap in, a message to post each day, how to run it, and 12 days of Christmas trivia with answers.

3 ready plans for 12 days of Christmas at work

Pick the plan that matches where your team works. Each day shows how long it takes and what to get ready; print any plan as a wall calendar.

The in-office plan

12 days of Christmas office ideas for a team that mostly works in person. Most days take 5 to 30 minutes; one fills a lunch hour, one is a drop-in corner, and day 12 is the finale.

Day 1
Pear pastry kickoff · 10 minPear tarts in the kitchen and a board with 12 numbered envelopes, one opened each morning.
Day 2
Desk ornament drop · 5 minOne ornament with a name tag on every desk; people hang theirs on the shared tree.
Day 3
Festive mug day · 5 minNothing to buy: people bring their most festive mug for a lineup photo at 10 a.m.
Day 4
Song intro quiz at stand-up · 5 minA playlist of the first three seconds of five Christmas songs.
Day 5
Five golden rings donut break · 15 minRing donuts in the kitchen at 3 p.m., a nod to day five of the song.
Day 6
Window doodle afternoon · 30 minWashable window markers and a few stencils for snowflakes and stars.
Day 7
Lunchtime cookie decorating · Lunch hourPlain sugar cookies, icing bags and sprinkles on a covered table.
Day 8
Thank-you postcard station · 10 minPostcards, pens and stamps; everyone writes one to a coworker or a client.
Day 9
Cocoa cart rounds · 20 minA cart with hot cocoa and toppings wheeled past every desk at 2 p.m.
Day 10
Gift-wrapping corner · All dayPaper, tape, scissors and tags in one corner so people can wrap their own gifts.
Day 11
Elf name badges · 5 minA badge for everyone with an elf name made from their initials, like Jingle Sparkletoes.
Day 12
The office finale · 60 to 90 minThe party or a hosted game, and the last envelope opened. Book a host about 2 weeks ahead.

The remote plan

For a team that only meets on video. Most days live in Slack or Teams and take minutes, not meetings.

Day 1
Countdown post · 5 minA pinned post listing all 12 days and optional calendar holds for the live ones.
Day 2
Festive camera day · All dayThree holiday backgrounds shared in chat; a hat or a sweater counts too.
Day 3
Desk view photo · 5 minEveryone posts a photo of their workspace, decorated or not.
Day 4
Team playlist build · 2 minA shared playlist where everyone adds one holiday song by noon.
Day 5
Hometown in December · 5 minA thread where people post a winter photo from where they grew up or live now.
Day 6
Pet or plant cameo · 5 minThe first five minutes of the team call: pets or houseplants in something festive.
Day 7
Online jigsaw race · 20 minLinks to the same free online winter jigsaw for each breakout room.
Day 8
Thank-you thread · 10 minOne thread where everyone thanks a coworker for something specific from this year.
Day 9
Paper star craft-along · 20 minA printable star template sent a day early; fold it together on camera.
Day 10
Holiday GIF battle · 10 minFive prompts posted one by one; the best GIF reply to each gets a point.
Day 11
One wish for next year · 5 minEveryone posts one thing they'd like the team to try next year.
Day 12
The virtual finale · 60 minA hosted game on your call, booked about 2 weeks ahead; two sessions if you span time zones.

The hybrid plan

For a team split between the office and home. Every day has a version for both, so nobody watches from the sidelines.

Day 1
Two-channel kickoff · 5 minThe envelope board in the office and the same daily card posted in chat each morning.
Day 2
Tree on camera · 20 minA webcam on the office tree; remote people pick where each ornament goes.
Day 3
Festive hat day · 5 minHats in the office and on camera, then one screenshot plus one room photo.
Day 4
Gingerbread at 3 · 15 minGingerbread cookies in the office and a cookie delivery credit for remote people.
Day 5
Christmas song bracket · 2 min a daySixteen songs, one poll round a day in chat; the winner plays at the finale.
Day 6
Mixed-pair coffee · 15 minPairs of one office person and one remote person for a video coffee.
Day 7
Desk and background contest · 10 minPhotos of office desks and home backgrounds, judged together in one poll.
Day 8
Two-format team card · 10 minA paper card in the office; remote messages printed and taped inside.
Day 9
DJ hour · 60 minOne office DJ and one remote DJ take turns on a shared playlist.
Day 10
Guess the desk · 10 minPhotos of ten desks, from the office and from home; guess whose is whose.
Day 11
Gifts arrive · 5 minRemote gifts timed to land today and the same gift at office desks; order 2 to 3 weeks ahead.
Day 12
The hybrid finale · 60 minAn in-person game in the office plus a virtual session for remote staff, or one virtual event for everyone.

36 more 12 days of Christmas activities for work

Swap any of these into a plan when a day doesn't fit your team. They're sorted by how much time they take.

5-minute ideas

For the busy days in the middle. Nobody leaves their desk for long.

1. Guess the jar. A jar of wrapped sweets at reception; the closest guess on day 12 takes it home.
2. Festive sock day. The easiest dress-up there is, and it works on camera if people lift a foot.
3. Holiday emoji status. Everyone sets a festive status emoji in Slack or Teams for the day.
4. Gratitude jar. Drop a one-line thank-you in a jar any day; read them all at the finale.
5. Candy cane grams. Free candy canes with a tag; send one with a note to someone who helped you.
6. Email sign-off contest. Best festive email sign-off of the day, voted by whoever received them.
7. Song of the day. One person picks a holiday song each morning and posts why they love it.
8. Shake the box. A wrapped box at reception; people shake it and write a guess of what's inside.
9. Snow forecast poll. A poll on whether your city sees snow before the break; just for fun, no stakes.
10. Festive meeting names. Rename the day's recurring meetings, like 'Sleigh Route Planning' for the roadmap review.
11. Bring-a-fact stand-up. One person opens stand-up with a winter fact they looked up from a good source.
12. Joke board. A whiteboard by the kitchen with one Christmas joke a day and space for groans.

Lunch-length ideas

Each fits a lunch hour, with food or without.

13. Ornament exchange. Everyone brings one wrapped ornament and leaves with someone else's.
14. Soup and bread lunch. Three slow cookers of soup and fresh bread; one volunteer per pot.
15. Winter board game lunch. Two or three short board games on the big table, new players welcome.
16. Client card signing. A stack of client holiday cards and good pens; everyone signs a few over lunch.
17. Clementine peel challenge. Who can peel a clementine in one unbroken piece the fastest?
18. Gingerbread people decorating. Plain gingerbread cookies and icing; give each one a job title.
19. Hot chocolate taste-off. Four store-bought hot chocolates, tasted blind and ranked on a whiteboard.
20. Paper crown craft. Make the tissue-paper crowns from Christmas crackers and wear them all afternoon.
21. Christmas trivia lunch. Twenty questions in teams of four, read out over sandwiches. Christmas trivia questions
22. Neatest wrap contest. Same box, same paper, 15 minutes; the crispest corners win.
23. Christmas sandwich lunch. Turkey, stuffing and cranberry sandwiches, with a vegetarian version on the side.
24. Instant photo portraits. An instant camera and a festive backdrop; everyone takes a photo home for their desk.

Bigger days

One or two per run, usually near the end. Most need a week or more of notice.

25. Team gingerbread build. Teams build from kits over a long lunch; judges from another department. Gingerbread contest rules
26. Door decorating judging. Two weeks of decorating, one afternoon of judging with ballots. Christmas contest ideas
27. Volunteer half day. A morning shift at a food bank or toy drive, booked early because December fills up.
28. Hosted holiday game. A live host runs a Christmas game show or trivia on your call or at your office. Virtual holiday party
29. Kit class at home. A kit ships to every home and an instructor leads it on a call; book 3 weeks ahead.
30. Ugly sweater party. Categories, a runway and a vote, in the office or on camera. Ugly sweater party guide
31. Charity bake sale. Bakers bring trays, everyone buys, and the money goes to a local charity.
32. Mini golf or arcade afternoon. Leave at 3 p.m. for an indoor mini golf course or an arcade nearby.
33. Pajamas and pancakes morning. Cozy clothes and a pancake griddle before the first meeting.
34. Team photo day. Book a photographer for fresh headshots and one festive team photo.
35. Secret Santa reveal. Open the gifts together and guess who drew whom. Free Secret Santa generator
36. Superlatives ceremony. Light awards voted in advance, like Calmest in a Crisis, handed out with paper crowns.

12 daily messages for Slack or email

One short announcement for each day of the in-office plan. Copy, fix the times and places, and post it first thing.

1
Day 1 of 12: the countdown starts now! There are pear tarts in the kitchen and a board with 12 envelopes by the coffee machine. One opens every morning. Everything is optional, so join in as much or as little as you like.
2
Day 2 of 12: check your desk. There's an ornament with your name on it. Hang it on the tree in the lobby whenever you pass.
3
Day 3 of 12: festive mug day. Bring your most festive (or most chipped) mug and join the lineup photo at 10 a.m. in the kitchen.
4
Day 4 of 12: song intro quiz at stand-up. Five Christmas songs, three seconds each. Shout the title first to win bragging rights.
5
Day 5 of 12: five golden rings! Ring donuts land in the kitchen at 3 p.m. First come, first served.
6
Day 6 of 12: the windows are your canvas this afternoon. Washable markers and stencils are by the big window from 2 p.m.
7
Day 7 of 12: cookie decorating at lunch. Plain cookies, icing and sprinkles are set up in the break room from 12. Take one home, eat one now.
8
Day 8 of 12: the postcard station is open. Grab a card, thank someone who made your year easier, and drop it in the box. We'll handle the stamps.
9
Day 9 of 12: listen for the cocoa cart. It's coming past every desk at 2 p.m. with marshmallows and peppermint.
10
Day 10 of 12: the gift-wrapping corner is open all day. Paper, tape, tags and scissors are by the printer. Bring your own gifts and wrap away.
11
Day 11 of 12: say hello to your elf self. Name badges are at reception. Wear yours today and see who can guess everyone's real name.
12
Day 12 of 12: finale day! Join us at [time] in [place] for [the party / the game]. The last envelope opens then. Thank you for making this a fun December.

How to run 12 days of Christmas at work

It's a small thing every day, so the hard part is keeping it going. Six rules that help.

Pick one owner. One person runs the calendar and the budget, with two helpers for the bigger days. A committee of eight moves too slowly for a daily thing.
Count back twelve workdays. The song's twelve days start on Christmas Day, when most offices are closed, so work teams count down to the break instead. Start twelve workdays before your last day.
Set a budget and spend it on three days. Most days cost nothing or a box of treats. Put the money into the food days and the finale.
Send a kickoff note. One note a few days before, with the dates and a promise that every day is optional. A version to copy is below.
Keep every day optional. No sign-ups that shame people who skip, no dress-up anyone has to buy, and a version of each day that works on camera.
Make day 12 the finale. The party, a hosted game, the Secret Santa reveal or the gifts. Book anything with a host or a kit early: hosted games about 2 weeks ahead, kits about 3.

Four coworkers in sweaters hanging ornaments on a small lit Christmas tree in an open office.

The kickoff note

Subject: 12 days of Christmas starts [date] Hi team, From [date] to [date], we're counting down to the break with one small thing every workday: treats, a quiz, a craft, a few surprises, and a finale on [date]. Every day is optional and nothing costs you a cent. Join what you like and skip what you don't. If you'd like to help run a day, just reply. [Your name]

Want a shorter burst? Our Christmas spirit week ideas fit the same energy into five days with three ready schedules.

12 days of Christmas trivia

Twelve questions about the song and the season, for a stand-up or the finale. The gifts follow the lyrics most people sing today; tap to see each answer.

1. What does my true love give me on the first day of Christmas?
Show the answer
A partridge in a pear tree.
2. What arrives on the fifth day?
Show the answer
Five gold rings.
3. Which comes first in the song: the maids a-milking or the swans a-swimming?
Show the answer
The swans, on day seven. The maids arrive on day eight.
4. What are the lords doing on the tenth day?
Show the answer
Leaping.
5. How many gifts arrive on the twelfth day alone, counting every item in that verse?
Show the answer
78 (1 + 2 + 3 and so on up to 12).
6. How many gifts does the singer receive across all twelve verses?
Show the answer
364, one for almost every day of the year.
7. How many partridges are given in the whole song?
Show the answer
12, one in every verse.
8. How many French hens are given in the whole song?
Show the answer
30: three in each of the ten verses from day three on.
9. Which two gifts tie for the most items across the whole song?
Show the answer
The geese a-laying and the swans a-swimming, 42 each.
10. Older versions call the day-four gift colly birds. What does colly mean?
Show the answer
Black, as in coal-black: colly birds are blackbirds.
11. Which English composer's 1909 arrangement made today's tune the standard one, drawn-out 'five gold rings' included?
Show the answer
Frederic Austin. His version also popularized 'four calling birds'.
12. Which feast day on January 6 follows the twelve days of Christmas?
Show the answer
Epiphany. Most traditions mark Twelfth Night on the evening before, January 5.

Need a full round? Our Christmas trivia questions cover movies, music and food, with answers.