While there’s a lot to be said for a traditional Christmas party, there are other activities that can unlock some serious business benefits.

Ah, the good old work Christmas party.

Friday lunchtime knock off, a decent kitty behind the bar. Hit the pubs and have a cracking session sinking some coldies, playing a bit of pool, and throwing a few arrows.

While that may have been the perfect way to round out the year a decade or two ago, today things are a bit different. You can argue rightly or wrongly all you like, and look, there’s absolutely still a place for sinking a few beers and having a yarn about anything and everything.

However, we all know some of the things that can happen as the clock ticks on – he said this, she did that, has anyone seen Dennis, he disappeared about 11pm. And, when it comes down to it, if it’s a work event, you’re responsible.

Therefore, as a business owner, it’s smart to remove the possibility of your Christmas bash giving you a headache for more than 24 hours by thinking outside the box. Instead, why not give your team a different type of Christmas party? One that may bring some additional work-related benefits too.

Here are six of our favourite ideas for Christmas parties with a difference.

Head to an escape room

Escape rooms are a load of fun, and enable you to escape (see what we did there) work and concentrate on something else. For the uninitiated, groups of people have to solve clues and puzzles to move on to the next challenge and get to the next room. For a work team it’s brilliant – it removes any notion of roles in the business and enables people to work together in a completely different way for a common goal. Every city seems to have an abundance of escape rooms these days, so you’ll not be short of options.

Take a cookery class

Cooking classes may sound more like something your grandmother would enjoy rather than your team, but hear us out. Cooking as a group is a real leveller, and can really bring out some exceptionally good traits in people that may have previously been undiscovered. Follow the guidance of a pro-chef and learn to cook an array of different food together…  and then, best of all, sit down to eat it together! Your Christmas meal, right there. 

Survivor challenges

If you’ve got a big enough team, you can compete against each other. If not, you can team up with other local businesses to compete against them – a strategy that can do wonders for team bonding. Survivor challenges go a little something like this: Teams are formed, and then compete against each other in a number of tasks to win a place in the final. Tasks will usually involve things such as giant slingshots, archery, and balloon centurion challenge – all games and activities designed to get people working together in unusual ways to achieve a common goal. It’s a great prelude to a team picnic or barbecue, and can create memories that will be talked about for years.

Real life ninja warrior

If you’ve got a relatively sporty team, why not get them moving and competing against themselves and each other in a ninja warrior competition? Just like you see on television, courses require some gymnastics, parkour, running, jumping, climbing, balancing, tumbling, and vaulting to complete the course, all while working in teams to defeat the opposition.

An Amazing Race

Amazing Races essentially involve teams working together to identify clues and solve challenges across a city. However, speed isn’t the name of the game; it’s the number of points the team accumulates during the race. Work together, think logically, and use each team member’s skills to solve the clues, which often can be tailored to weaknesses or needed areas of improvement in your people.

Give back to your community

While the phrase ‘giving back’ is tired and cliched, the notion behind it has never been more valid. The proposition here is simple:Find a local charitable organisation or cause and volunteer for the day as a group. It could be helping clean up a beach or park or prepping and serving food at a local homeless shelter. Whatever it is, do it together – it’s guaranteed to bring a new, valuable perspective.

Getting a long-term benefit from your Christmas party

Of course, the annual Christmas party is a bit of a reward – a thank you – for your team at the end of an undoubtedly hard year, and they all deserve a bit of down time.  So we’re not for one second suggesting you don’t spring for a meal and a drink or three. That stuff’s important, and should form part of anything you organise. 

However, having a day away from the regular day-to-day tasks and responsibilities is massively beneficial. By setting up something for your people to do, you can create a scenario in which new relationships are formed, other relationships are solidified or recalibrated, and new leaders emerge. And, if you can get a business benefit that lasts longer than the stories of what Dennis *did* get up to after he’