Oh, What Fun! How to Host a Christmas Choir Kick-Off Party

Who doesn't love a Christmas party in September (even if it’s still shorts weather)?!

A Christmas choir party is a fun and festive way to welcome new members, build community, and generate excitement for the season ahead. Whether you're leading a church choir, community chorus, or small ensemble, this kind of event sets a warm, enthusiastic tone for the year and offers your choir members a sneak peek of what's to come.

In my first year as Director of Music at the First Congregational Church in Westminster, MA, I surprised my choir with a post-rehearsal Christmas party one Wednesday night in September. It was complete with twinkle lights, holiday centerpieces, hot chocolate, Christmas cookies, and games.

The next year, I planned a full-day choral workshop. I invited a friend (a professional conductor) to rehearse the group (a great learning experience for all of us), we read through our Christmas cantata, played a few games (including a gingerbread-house-making contest), and had a potluck lunch.

In this post, you’ll learn how to plan and structure a Christmas kick-off event for your choir and build anticipation for your holiday program. I’ll also share setup, invitation, and rehearsal tips, festive food ideas, and 13 holiday-themed (and hilarious) games that are great for adults

Whether you’re planning a mid-week party or a weekend workshop, these ideas will help you create an event that’s memorable and musical.

Code name: Santa’s got a brand-new bag (and a new party plan)

Scheduling Your Christmas Kick-Off Event

Choose a date

First, you’ll need to decide whether you want to make this event an extension of your regular rehearsal (and perhaps a surprise for your choir members!) or plan a more in-depth weekend workshop. Look ahead at the calendar and consider things like back-to-school socials, alumni reunions, and college football schedules.

A very merry Invite

Invite your current choir members and consider extending an invitation to those you think might be interested in participating, even if just for the short term. Create a festive paper invite, mock something up in Canva to send via email, or use an invite service like Paperless Post or Evite. Invite everyone to wear something red or green to get them in the holiday spirit.

Set the stage

Consider using your choir room for rehearsal time and a reception hall, rec room, fellowship hall, or other open space for food, activities, and games. If you expect new members at the event, have everyone write out a name tag when they arrive. If you're planning a longer day, you may want to have mini water bottles at the door for everyone to pick up, as well.

‘Tis the Season to be Jolly

Planning Your Christmas Kick-Off Event

The Big Reveal

Make a big show about your Christmas program and build anticipation for the grand reveal at the party. Distribute packets with music, a rehearsal schedule, a welcome letter for new members, a sharpened pencil, and a way to listen to the music (CD or streaming playlist). Spend some time listening to some of the music together to give everyone a sense of the whole program and build enthusiasm.

Making spirits bright

As Elf said, “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.”

Depending on how much time you have, spend some time rehearsing the new Christmas music. If possible, balance your rehearsal time with quick read-throughs and more detailed work (and possibly sectionals). If you're planning a full workshop day, plan a few 45- to 60-minute rehearsal blocks and build in breaks for conversation and community-building, games and activities, eating, etc.

A-MIX & A-MINGLE

Food is a must at any party. The added benefit here is that it provides opportunities for conversation among choir members. Here are a few creative ideas:

Brunch bar (cinnamon rolls or coffee cake, mini bagels, and fresh fruit)
Catered lunch
Dessert buffet (you could also turn this into a cookie swap)
Potluck (everyone brings a dish)
Cookie-decorating station
Hot chocolate bar (whipped cream, peppermint syrup, sprinkles, crushed candy canes)
Appetizers (holiday cheese ball, mini quiches, Christmas tree crudite, and spiced nuts)

Let the reindeer games begin

13 Festive Holiday Party Games for Adults

A well-timed game (or two) can make your Christmas Kick-Off even more memorable. Here are 13 festive (and hilarious) game ideas that work great with adults, require minimal setup or prep, and are easy to explain and facilitate.

No. 1 - Guess How Many

Fill a large vase with Christmas ball ornaments—all different sizes and colors. When people arrive, have everyone guess how many ornaments are in the vase. Consider awarding multiple prizes to those who guess the number of red or green ornaments, etc.

No. 2 - Humming All the Way

Type up a list of Christmas songs (enough for half of your group). Print two copies and cut into strips. Place strips in a bag and have each person draw a slip of paper (discretely) as they arrive. When you’re ready to begin, have everyone hum their song and start moving around the room. The goal is to find the other person who is humming the same song as you. Once you find this person, begin singing the song out loud (with words). The first pair to do this wins!

No. 3 - North Pole Relay

Blow up a few dozen balloons. Divide the group into two teams. Players must pop 10 balloons using just their hands with winter gloves on (slightly modified from this source).

No. 4 - Jingle Bell Jam

Players take turns shaking wrapped presents filled with jingle bells to determine how many jingle bells is in each. Then, they put them in order of the most jingle bells to the least. (source)

No. 5 - Snowball Fight

Blow up about 30 white balloons. Divide everyone into teams of 8-10 and have them stand on opposite sides of the room. Use tape to create a divider line down the middle. Place an equal number of balloons on either side. Players must work to get balloons to the other side of the divider line using only their feet. At the end of one minute, blow the whistle to stop the game. Whoever has the least amount of balloons on their side of the room gets the point. Play until one team has reached 3 points. (source)

No. 6 - Whipped Cream Trees

Give each player 2-3 cans of whipped cream. The goal is to make the tallest whipped cream Christmas tree in one minute. (source)

No. 7 - Snowball Toss

Have players stand behind a designated line. The goal is to toss marshmallow (snowballs) through a Christmas wreath (hung in a doorway) into a bowl on the floor. The player with the most snowballs in the bowl at the end of 1 minute is the winner. (source)

No. 8 - Christmas Paper Plate Game

Distribute heavyweight paper plates and sharpies or pens. Ask players to put their plate on their head and draw the following (without looking):

Draw a horizontal line for a floor.
Draw a Christmas Tree. Add a garland or a few ball ornaments.
Draw a star on top of your tree.
Draw a fireplace with a mantel next to the tree.
Draw a stocking hanging from the mantel.
Draw a present below the tree. (source)

No. 9 - Gingerbread House-Decorating Contest

This works well with a small- to medium-size group. Divide people into groups of 3-4. Give each group a workspace and gingerbread-house-building supplies: graham crackers, empty cracker boxes or milk cartons, frosting, plastic knives, and various candy for decorating (gum drops, nonpareils, twizzlers, M&Ms, pretzels, frosted mini wheats, etc.). Set a timer for 15-20 minutes and let the groups get to work. If you want a more advanced version, consider appointing an outside judge or team of judges to score the finished houses and choose a winner.

No. 10 - Christmas Shopping Challenge

Wrap several empty boxes and fill some gift bags with paper (more than enough for one person to carry). Have players take turns picking up as many presents as they can. Once they have all they believe they can hold, carry them across the room to a designated spot. If they drop anything along the way, it's out. Add up the bags and boxes they were able to successfully carry and return the packages for the next person’s turn. Whoever carries the most across wins! (source)

No. 11 - Christmas Movie Trivia Quiz

Test your movie knowledge with this fun Christmas-themed trivia game! Print this sheet for each person and make sure you have a jar of freshly-sharpened pencils nearby.

No. 12 - Christmas Carol Opposites

This one is harder than it sounds! See if your choir members can crack these carol riddles—remember, they're opposites! Consider having people work in pairs for this activity. Print this sheet for those participating (first page) and print the answer sheet (second page) for yourself.

No. 13 - Name That Tune (Holiday Edition)

Divide your group into teams. Play the first song for all to hear. The goal is to be the first to shout out the name and artist of the song. The first team to guess the song and artist will earn points for their team. One team could get points for the song and the other team get points for the artist—whichever team shouts it out first. You can also give additional points for knowing if the song is from a movie, Broadway musical, etc. Here’s a playlist you can use.