Jobhop Jobhop's blog : 7 Tips for Getting Your Office into the Christmas Spirit

It's almost that time again...

You know what I'm talking about. It's the festive season!

You've more than likely already heard Christmas songs on the radio or saw the lights switch on in your town. Now it's time to make sure you bring the festive joy to your workplace. Just because it's Christmas doesn't mean the workload slows down, however, you can still add some festive cheer to the office with these fun ideas...

1. Crank up the Christmas music

"The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear", once said a wise Elf; so crack out the Christmas classics, turn up the volume and sing along. You will be feeling merry and bright in no time!

2. Munch on a mince pie

Ditch your usual afternoon biscuit and swap it for a mince pie instead. The small pastry tart is filled with the essence of Christmas, so take a bite and savour the festive spices.

3. Decorations

Christmas just isn't the same without decorations. Whether it be a few bits of tinsel around the office, or getting the tree out of storage and buying some fairy lights to hang on the windows. There is no limit to what you can do around the office with a trip to Poundland and a bit of imagination.

4. Christmas games

There are many games you can play in the office without spending money - from Pictionary to charades. Create teams with your colleagues and have a competition to see which team wins the most games over a week.

5. Festive food

Bringing in food during the festive period seems to be a given, whether it be a box of biscuits or some cheeky mince pies. Why not organise an office festive buffet, where every team member brings food and drink in to share? It's a great way of taking a bit of time out with your colleagues, and no one will ever say no to cake during the festive period.

6. Secret Santa

The basic idea is simple. Everyone writes their name on a slip of paper, folds it up so no one can see the name and pops it into a hat. You then take it in turns to pick a name out and then - without saying who you've got - buy them a present. Secret Santa is the time to have fun, be creative and choose a gift that is suited to the recipient. Put a limit of £5 or £10 on the gift, wrap each one carefully and remember to label who it's for - print out the label in case the recipient recognises your handwriting. Secret Santa is best kept within departments where staff are likely to know each other well but if it's a company or branch-wide, then it's a good idea to write a couple of things you're interested in to go along with your name so everyone doesn't end up with socks or deodorant.

7. Christmas Jumper Day

15th December is Save the Children Christmas Jumper Day: get involved and encourage your team to wear their favourite festive knitwear. You could even get competitive and have a contest for the ugliest Christmas jumper. Not only do you get to wear something a bit more fun to work, but you can also help a great charity by donating too!

These are just a few suggestions to make your office a bit more festive in the run-up to Christmas. If you have any other ideas feel free to let us know over on Twitter. Hopefully, Christmas in your office just got better.