10 Activities and Entertainment Ideas for This Year’s Holiday Parties

This larger-than-life, interactive photo activation from Interactive Entertainment Group comes with LED lights, an entry tunnel and a built-in winter wonderland theme. You can also kick it up a notch with props like giant candy canes and synthetic snow, as well as branded backdrops and messaging.

In collaboration with Warner Bros. Themed Entertainment, Gaylord Hotels’ new multisensory experience, “Mission: Save Christmas featuring Elf,” allows guests to team up with Buddy the Elf to power Santa’s sleigh through immersive environments including the North Pole and a snowball fight in Central Park. The experience is available at Gaylord Palms in Orlando, Gaylord Opryland in Nashville, Gaylord Texan in Dallas and Gaylord Rockies in Denver.

Assembly, a virtual event company that delivers culinary experiences, offers special meal and cocktail kits for the holidays including a four-course feast with dishes such as roasted hen, sauteed green beans and chocolate panna cotta, and a curated cocktail kit. Experiences are 60 to 90 minutes and can be led virtually by one of Assembly’s chefs. Meal kits cost $150 each, with a hosted event at $200; a cocktail add-on is $16. Cocktail kits cost $100 each, with a hosted event it's $125; dessert add-on is $11. All meal and cocktail kits are made to serve two. Meal kits can be made vegan and gluten-free to comply with any dietary restrictions.

Onyx Offsites & Trainings, an experiential education company that provides custom retreats, team building and wellness initiatives to organizations, offers virtual holiday activities including a wreath-making workshop where participants learn how to create their own masterpieces with the help of a professional florist. Foliage and materials are provided in advance ($1,495 set-up fee plus $115 per person). In-person options include Craft for a Cause, which allows teams to wrap presents, trim and dress fresh trees, decorate handmade ornaments and make donations to the local community ($2,500 set-up fee; per person fee varies based on craft activities selected).

Delicious Experiences’ lineup of virtual culinary workshops are tailored to each group’s needs and include a customized ingredient kit delivered to each guest in advance. This year’s special holiday offerings include seasonal mixology classes, gingerbread village parties, spiked hot chocolate making, bean-to-bar chocolate tasting and a Nailed It!-style decorating competition—all presented over Zoom (or your preferred video conferencing platform). Workshops start at about $150 per person for a large group.

Norway-born Oche recently brought its signature dart games and craft cocktails to the U.S. with a Miami Beach location that fits groups of 12 to 200. Named for the line that players stand behind when throwing darts, Oche features 12 booths with tech-driven dart games. For smaller groups, Oche offers private or semiprivate booths. In addition, projectors, microphones, speakers and audiovisual equipment are available. The menu features dishes such as sweet chili prawns mofongo and wagyu burger with avocado and cheddar chipotle mayo.

The Escape Game's Remote Adventures allow teams to play from their home or office over Zoom. All of the games are live and hosted by The Escape Game’s guides who act as the team's hands and feet inside the actual room. Players have access to an online dashboard to keep up with clues and the inventory of items that are found. Only eight players can participate, but hundreds of players can play simultaneously between all of the locations available ($32.99 per player). Choose from six different rooms, including “Rugrats: Search for the Losted Toys,” which is made in partnership with Nickelodeon.

Recently launched by sommelier Michelle Paris, Toronto-based Vini Ventures allows guests to taste wine (and charcuterie) virtually. The company creates bespoke wine tasting kits using recyclable and reusable glass bottles, packaging made with recycled paper and recyclable packing materials. Plus, all of the packing, boxes and wine labels can be custom designed and branded. The kits come with three to six bottles per box with sizes ranging from two to four ounces. A QR code directs recipients to a website where they can access tasting notes for each wine. Vini Ventures has also partnered with La Palette and Cheese Boutique and other local providers to offer a range of charcuterie, cheeses and snacks to customize deliveries. Pricing is available upon request.

With locations in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio and Wisconsin, Silverspot Cinema lets you watch your team’s favorite holiday movie in comfy, oversized leather seats, along with custom food and beverage packages and signature cocktails. On-site event equipment, including microphones, a red carpet and a step-and-repeat, is also available.

Artisan pasta brand Sfoglini debuted its holiday kits for both kids and adults. For family-friendly parties, there’s the Kids Pasta Craft Kit ($19.99), designed in partnership with Cinta + Co, which includes all the tools necessary to create small festive holiday ornaments. For the grown-ups who might be Zooming in from home, there’s the Lobster Pasta Dinner Kit ($49.99) and the Sfoglini Pasta and Pomodoro Box ($29.99).