There is no better time than now to get your spooky on. You're never too young or old to experience the wonderment of Halloween; and again, it only comes once every year. It's a day where you get to casually stroll into the office dressed up as whatever or whomever you like. To top it off, you get to stuff your face with savory foods, drinks, and delectable sweets.
This special day can also give your employees a way to let loose and bond in the workplace. Such festivities offer a viable avenue to raise employee morale. This is especially true when your workers play a part in the planning to make the celebrations as elaborate as possible.
With that said, planning such an event can be taxing. For one, you don’t want everything to look like it came off a tacky corporate template. It may also be unwise to go above budget merely for one night of fun.
This article aims to show you how to make your next Halloween office party a memorable and spooktacular affair. So get your pen and paper out, and let's have a little fun with this!
Halloween: Demystified
Halloween has its origins in Celtic Culture that dates back to 2000 years ago. Back then, they called it Samhain. They took time to celebrate bountiful harvests and the transition from summer to colder months. The Celts and many other people view it as a fracture in time that allows the departed to walk the earth.
So, they lit bonfires, had parties, and made merry to ward off evil spirits. Time, advances in science, and other social reforms have watered down this meaning. And now we live in a world where Halloween is more like a pre-game for the end of the year holiday season.
But, this historical perspective shows why Halloween is the best night to party and even give back to the less fortunate.
Importance of Celebrating Halloween in Your Office
Let’s face it, making it through a whole year of working in proximity to the same faces and office equipment can be tiring. So, we all need an excuse to make the office more fun. And Halloween lines up perfectly with the count down to a new year.
Celebrating Halloween in the workplace improves the following dynamics:
1. Team spirit: Planning the most spooktacular Halloween office party takes a concerted group effort. Your employees are more motivated with such a project because it will make life fun for everyone. This dynamism will also translate into future office projects, no matter how serious.
2. Collaboration: most office projects have team leaders who give leadership and structure to the overall initiative. Party planning doesn't call for structured leadership. So, your team leaders can learn more about active listening in a less-constrained setting.
3. Creativity and independent thinking
4. Fun: Office life is more fun when everyone shows up in a costume. Add a dash of cheeky (but harmless) pranks then you have the perfect atmosphere for building lasting bonds. This also helps build company loyalty as it displays your organization's values on workplace friendships.
5. Morale: Halloween’s festivities give employees a break from deadlines and other pressures. Organizing a Halloween party is a team effort that can help shore up collective morale.
Halloween office Decorations simplified
Most Halloween office decorations are tacky because it takes time and effort to develop an elaborate theme. This may not be possible with a limited budget. Your staff also has to continue performing daily tasks.
These simple ideas can help spark creativity into your Halloween theme:
Traditional Halloween Garland usually features orange and black fabric swatches. You can add hints of gold and copper to give it a pop of color. Don't forget to ask your colleagues to take pictures of their best costumes, as sticking them to your garland helps make it a process that involves everyone.
Ghoulish lollipops are easy to make and play well with an overall spooky theme. All you need to do is tie a piece of toilet paper to the lollipop head. Then you can draw a simple face and spread them around every office cubicle.
Candles add ominous yet playful vibes to your decorations. You can put them in a Mason jar or drinking water glass to prevent them from dripping all over your desk.
Printable Halloween templates offer an excellent means for draping your wall in ghoulish delight. You can get spider webs, bats, mummies, and all sorts of templates online. Once you're done printing them, you can sit down and create cut-outs using scissors. Then it's simply a matter of hanging them on walls, cubicles, and other surfaces across the office.
Mobile file cabinets also have loads of potential despite their seemingly serious nature. You can decorate them to look like maintenance droids, and they can also double up as portable snack or drink dispensers as they roll smoothly on casters. If you're a Doctor Who fan, you can use cardboard boxes to disguise them as Daleks, then enjoy moving them around the office shouting, "destroy all humans!"
Halloween Office Party Ideas to Make This Year’s Event the Most Spooktacular
1. Pumpkin Carving Contests
These contests are a Halloween tradition in most of North America. They give your employees a chance to express their creative side.
An adjustable standing desk gives the contestants an extensive crafting and display surface.
2. Ping Pong, Beer Pong Other Party Games
Ping Pong and beer pong contests give your employees a chance to bond over their college party days. A sit and stand desk offers the perfect surface for playing such games. However, it may be wise to substitute alcohol with apple juice because getting inebriated in an office environment has never been a good idea (both in the movies and in real life).
3. Mummy Wrapping
Halloween festivities are incomplete without getting into a bit of mischief. The employees can wrap the boss in toilet paper or kitchen rolls to transform them into a mummy. This activity plays towards getting everyone closer as nothing beats adults bonding over kids’ activities.
4. Costume Contests
Everyone makes a concerted effort to have the best Halloween costume. So why not reward this with a pageant? You can turn the lights off and use desk lamps as spotlights to add drama to the mix.
5. Chair Races
Let’s face it; we have probably thought about racing ergonomic office chairs around the office at one point or the other. They have sleek features, are comfortable, and let's not forget those smooth-rolling casters. Well, a Halloween party comes as the best excuse for such child-like undertakings. Pro-tip: set some ground rules and add some cushioning to your race track. This helps avoid contestant injuries and damage to office equipment.
6. Murder in the Office Mystery
This idea comes from The Office –A long-running TV series that explores the intrigues of everyday American office life. In the show, Michael starts a murder mystery game to help distract the office from bankruptcy rumors. And, if the show is anything to go by, then this game is more than ideal for one night of complete distraction from the everyday office hullabaloo.
7. Office Trick-Or-Treating
The idea around office trick or treat is simple. Your colleagues walk around offices and cubicles soliciting treats. You get pranked if you don't have any candy. Such activities allow people that probably never talk outside work parameters to giggle and share candy. It gives shy and reserved workers a chance to break out of their shells, even if it's just for a while.
8. Potluck Lunch or Dinner
You can cut down on the catering budget if everyone brings something to eat. This helps employees bond over their cooking prowess as they get into the holiday spirit. If this doesn't work, you can order a pizza or hit the local diner for some soft drinks and finger foods. >
9. A Spooktacular Horror Movie Showcase
Taking a few hours away from your desk and chair can help you get into the holiday mood. You can set up a screen or projector in one of your conference rooms. Adding some Halloween decorations also helps enhance the theme. Now the only thing that’s left is picking the right movie.
10. Office Decoration Contests
You can host a mini office decoration contest regardless of whether your team works from home, cubicles, or separate offices. You can enhance this initiative by supplying a small budget or rewarding them with gift coupons from online stores like Amazon.
The trick is giving everyone the same budget to even out the playing field. The top mark can go to whoever has the best decorations and the smallest budget.
11. A Mortifying Playlist
It's hard to have a party without some music. You can keep it simple by allowing everyone to load their favorite Halloween track to your playlist. That way, everyone gets to hear what they love. But, don't forget to include classic favorites like:
Thriller – Michael Jacksons
Feed My Frankenstein – Alice Cooper
Pet Sematary – Ramones
Somebody’s Watching Me –Rockwell
12. Giving Back to Charity
People often get caught up in holiday festivities and forget there are less privileged individuals in our society. Your Halloween party planning committee can collect funds, clothing, and foodstuff from their colleagues.
You can organize how these items can reach orphanages, homeless shelters, and other refuge areas for the less privileged. You can also set some time to visit hospitals, soup kitchens, VA centers, or even retirement homes to spread joy to the people situated there.
Conclusion
Halloween is one of the first and most fun days of the end of the year holiday season. So, getting your Halloween party right can help your office stay focused. This fact is especially true if they have to be at their desks to Christmas.
As you can see, it doesn’t have to cost that much or distract you from your core business. We hope these tips give you a head start as we count down to the 31st of October. Feel free to use them as you see fit but remember to involve everyone in the planning and executing.
This helps people to abandon their hang-ups and bond with each other. As always, feel free to drop a comment and add anything that’s missing from this list. Hopefully, we can use your feedback to make an even more spooktacular Halloween office festival list next year.
Have a spooktacular day!
