Halloween isn’t just for little kids. Plenty of us big kids at heart have tons of fun with the celebration, too. This fall, bring Halloween into the office to help boost morale and encourage workplace camaraderie. With a few creative decorations, office trick-or-treating and some Halloween party games, you can turn just about any uneventful workday into a memorable, spooky bash.
Set the Halloween Tone
When planning a Halloween office party, strike a balance between fun and professionalism. First, decide what time of day works best. You may prefer to limit the festivities to lunch time and transform the cafeteria into a frightening haunted house.
If you’re going to utilize the work area, get the employees involved by assigning teams to decorate specific hot spots. This type of collaboration not only promotes having fun, but also provides employees the opportunity to show off their creative talents.
If employees are allowed to wear Halloween costumes, emphasize the fact that the costume must be workplace appropriate. Also, remember to let employees know their participation in the event is completely optional so they don't feel obliged to take part if they are uncomfortable about doing so.
No Halloween celebration is complete without an overabundance of sweets. Purchase gourmet cupcakes with delicious seasonal flavors such as pumpkin spice or take a trip to your local grocery store or bakery and find creative cupcake toppings that match your Halloween theme.
Trick or Treat
You can’t have Halloween without trick-or-treating. That just wouldn’t be right. Recreate fond childhood memories by having employees trick-or-treat around the workplace, collecting delicious treats from the offices and cubicles of management/leadership. To keep supplies high, buy candy in bulk and provide it to management for distribution. Another trick-or-treating idea encourages employees to give candy to one another. Have each employee decorate a basket for his or her desk. Throughout the day, co-workers, as well as management/leadership, can place treats inside the baskets. If trick-or-treating presents a challenge, give your employees goody bags. Purchase packages of candy that contain a mixture of several different types of sweets. Fill inexpensive trick-or-treat bags with the candy, along with small non-edible treats, such as monster-themed stress-relieving toys or colorful sticky notes. If you are having an office party, distribute the bags during the Halloween festivities. For a scaled-down affair, decorate a small utility cart in Halloween decor and deliver the bags to each desk throughout the day.
Halloween Office Games
Halloween party games offer a great way to coax even the most reserved employees out of their shell. These workplace-appropriate options give your employees a chance to bond and have some fun together. A Halloween-themed “spooky box” offers fun and laughter. Cold spaghetti feels like a brain, while peeled grapes make participants feel as though they are touching eyeballs. Have employees put their hands inside the box and guess the actual contents.
Depending on the amount of space in your office, a scavenger hunt is also a great Halloween office game. You can even have your employees work in pairs to promote teamwork and cooperation. Provide each team with a list of items to locate, or use a different approach and have teams take digital pictures of the items within a set amount of time.
Candy in bulk is key to a Halloween party guessing game. Place the candy in a large glass jar and have employees guess how many pieces are inside. The person with the most accurate guess wins a prize. Guessing is also at the center of another adult Halloween game. Everyone loves a good trivia contest. Make it specific to the season by asking questions about popular horror movies. Complete the theme by giving the winner a pair of free movie passes or a gift card.
With a keen imagination, some creativity and fun Halloween games, you can plan an office party that creates memories while also promoting office bonding and morale.