Jobhop Jobhop's blog : 6 Ways to Celebrate Halloween in the Office

Halloween is on the horizon, which means the end of the year is almost here and your staff are likely working hard to meet their end of year goals. Give them (and yourself) a much-needed break with a festive Halloween party featuring plenty of games and time to socialise. These activities can all be done in the office, on a small budget, and with minimal preparation.

Just because Halloween lands on a work day doesn't mean you can't celebrate!

In fact, most employees love celebrating holidays at work. It's a great way to hang out with your co-workers, eat great food, and even dress up for work!

Don't know how to celebrate but still keep things professional? We've got you covered!

1. Office space decoration

Somewhere in each of your employees' houses, as well as your own, probably exists a stash of Halloween decor that won't be used this year. Instead of spending a lot of money on decorations for an event that will last less than a day, take a more eco-friendly route and reuse any old Halloween supplies that your team can contribute. Take a short break to decorate the office together the day before to build excitement for the party.

Go ahead, place some orange flowers on everyone's desk. Or get some of those adorable munchkin pumpkins and gourds and decorate the meeting room. If all else fails, you can always cut out bats and spiders, and stick them everywhere in the office. After Halloween, box up and store the decorations, adding to your collection each year.

2. Costume contest

In reality, Halloween is all about dressing up. Relax the office dress code for a day, if possible, and allow employees to dress up in work-appropriate Halloween costumes. Your customers will love coming into an office filled with Halloween spirit!

Encourage employees to dress up by offering awards for the best costumes. Don't just make the staff vote for their favourite costumes because let's be honest, it's often a popularity contest. Try offering awards for different categories like the most creative costume. Offer rewards like halloween sweets, gift cards or even a pass for a 'leave early from work' day!

(And remember, the best way to make the staff feel comfortable coming to work in costumes is for upper management to participate as well!)

3. Halloween breakfast or brunch

If costumes aren't your team's idea of a good time, focus on the food. Serve pumpkin spice lattes and cupcakes, or any of the thousands of pumpkin-spice-infused food and beverages that are on the market right now. Once the food is served, encourage employees to spend some time together, instead of immediately returning to their desks.

5. Pumpkin carving competition

You provide the pumpkins, your team provides the inspiration. Separate employees into small groups of 2-5 participants (depending on the size of your company or team) and give each group a pumpkin a couple of days in advance of the party. It's then up to them to use any supplies from their home to transform the pumpkin into something of their choosing. On Halloween, unveil all the pumpkins to see how imaginative each team got, and then vote on the best creation.

Again, create multiple categories for judging winners, so everyone has an equal opportunity to shine. Oh, and don't forget to take lots of pictures - they're great for uploading to your company website or sharing on social media.

5. Halloween games and competitions

Who says Halloween games and competitions are just for children? Halloween is the time of the year to let loose and have some fun. Here are some Halloween party games and contests - pumpkin pie eating contest, riddles, bobbing for apples and more. It's Halloween and everyone deserves a break! Besides, Halloween celebrations in the office are a great way to promote teamwork, employee morale, and interdepartmental collaboration.

6. Halloween movie marathon

It's tradition to watch a horror movie on one of the most terrifying nights of the year. But since you'll be heading to the office on the 31st of October, here is the next best thing to do: screen horror movies at work. You can watch the classics such as Scream, The Exorcist, and A Nightmare on Elm Street.

With a little creativity, a bit of planning, and a lot of enthusiasm from your team, you can throw a thrilling Halloween office party that everyone will remember.