Just because you're stuck in an office
all day doesn't mean Christmas fun can't extend to your
workplace. Depending on the environment at your work, it's
definitely possible to mix holiday fun with work.
One obvious choice for some fun at the office during the
holidays is to have a party. You could have several, in fact.
How about a cookie exchange party? Plan to do this at lunchtime
one day, and during that block of time, everyone brings several
dozen cookies they have made. You have to set a particular
number of cookies everyone brings. Because once everyone has an
empty plate, they go around the table picking up cookies that
look good to them and place them on their empty paper plate. If
everyone brought 3 dozen cookies, say, then everyone gets to
take home 3 dozen cookies. This is not a particularly unique
idea, but one that brings a bit of fun into the workplace.
Keeping in mind whether or not the public visits your workplace,
you might choose to decorate. Why not have a Christmas tree
decorating event? Everyone brings 6 ornaments and as a group
activity, everyone decorates the tree. This is a good way to
build team spirit and decorate your workplace at the same time.
Don't forget to institute a "secret Santa" event at work, where
you secretly buy gifts for someone and have some type of gift
exchange. But what about a "Santa's helper" activity? Someone in
the group has to begin this on the sly. Essentially, this first
person (the only one in the know about how the whole thing
began) puts together a little gift. Ideally, it's a basket with
a few gift items in it. They might be decorative items, or baked
goods or even bath items. Attach a card saying that "Santa's
helper" dropped by and brought these items. Now the person who
received the "helper's" gift must put together a little
something for someone else and - again on the sly - deliver it
to the next person. It continues until everyone has received a
visit from "Santa's helper".
Nothing brings people together like a group activity designed to
help others. What if your officemates came up with an activity
designed to help people less fortunate at the holidays? You
might adopt a local family and everyone in the office purchases
items for that family. You might choose to purchase Christmas
trees for needy families. If the public visits your office
often, you might even begin a "sharing" tree and people can
bring items to put under the tree for needy families or
children. As a group activity, the office workers can then
deliver these items to the needy.
The particularly festive office might want to have someone come
in and do a cooking demonstration. If there are enough people
interested, you can hire a cook or baker to come into your
office on your lunch hour and do a demonstration or class. Say
you want to bake but don't know what to bake this year. A baker
can come in and demonstrate cookies or other goodies you might
not have thought to make. Or someone can come in with ideas and
samples for the perfect Christmas meal. These ideas are perfect
for the environment where people work many hours and are quite
busy but still want to do their regular cooking and baking each
year.