Most people celebrate Halloween by attending a costume party, taking their kids trick-or-treating, or cozying up to a scary movie. But Halloween is also the perfect holiday to celebrate at work because it gives employees a chance to socialize and have fun, take a well-earned break and maybe even show off their creative costume skills.
Halloween parties let coworkers embrace their silly sides, whether that’s by showing off spooky, over the top Halloween desk displays, or enjoying the sugar high that comes from bowls of Halloween candy and other festive Halloween treats. Here are 15 office Halloween ideas that will help you plan a fun, memorable party.
1. Form a party-planning committee
Some people have a special knack for planning office parties, and you can lean on them to help you plan the ultimate Halloween bash at your company. Assemble a dependable group across different departments to help organize the party. Be sure to communicate your budget, assign specific tasks, and then let your team run with their ideas.
2. Pick a Halloween party theme
Every good Halloween party needs a theme that helps set the overall tone and spark costume ideas. You can keep it classic with a haunted house or spooky carnival theme, or opt for something a little more thrilling, like a mad scientist or mystery theme.
3. Choose classic decorations
The theme of your Halloween party should guide what decorations you choose, but you also can’t go wrong by sticking to the classics. Chanel the spirit of Halloween and incorporate a variety of traditional decorations — from cackling witches and jack-o’-lanterns to spiderwebs and spooky ghosts.
4. Host a costume contest
No office party is complete without a costume contest, so give your employees a chance to show up in their Halloween best. Select winners from different categories and pass out prizes for employees who have the funniest, scariest, creative, or best overall costumes.
5. Include a pumpkin-carving contest
Though carving pumpkins into goblin faces might be a fantastic team-building activity for the office, the looming clean-up process might be too overwhelming to take on. Instead, ask employees to bring in photos of the pumpkins they carve and home and let members of your management team choose the winners.
6. Decorate desks
Small gourds, pumpkins, and old-timey trinkets make great desk decorations, but to really take the office spook factor to the next level you need employee particpation. Encourage employees to decorate their desks or cubicles for some friendly, festive competition.
7. Set up a photo booth
A photo booth with Halloween-themed props and a spooky backdrop is a fun, interactive activity for an office party — and the perfect compliment to festive costumes.
8. Order catering
Bakers and chefs are busy this time of year creating autumn-inspired treats and impressive fall spreads. Check out our recommendations for Halloween treats that are sure to please. You can also visit ezCater to see the catering options near you.
9. Collaborate on a charitable project
Serving the community and participating in an office-wide donation always brings people together. Choose a nonprofit organization to support and collect items at the party to donate, like cans for a local food drive.
10. Plan a scavenger hunt
When faced with the possibility of finding treasures, employees get pretty excited. Plus, a Halloween scavenger hunt encourages office-wide teamwork.
11. Solve a murder mystery
Though your employees will enjoy the thrill of playing Sherlock Holmes, planning and coordinating all elements of a murder mystery party can be time consuming. The good news is you have complete control over the storyline of your murder mystery. Keep the details simple and structured so employees can easily follow along.
12. Play old-fashioned party games
Who doesn’t appreciate some friendly competition in the workplace? Apple bobbing, bean bag toss, balloon pop — old-fashioned games are the perfect compliment to any Halloween party.
13. Trick-or-treat at the office
Give your employees’ families a chance to participate in the fun. You can provide employees with baskets of candy for their desks and ask families to arrive at a specific time for trick-or-treating.
14. Pass out party favors
Don’t let your team members leave without some token of appreciation for their hard work, whether it’s gift cards, more festive goodies, or an additional day off.
15. End the day early
Let your employees go home early after the office festivities are over, if possible. Many of your employees likely have children, and an earlier start to the evening will give them extra time to prepare for trick-or-treating.
Of all the office Halloween ideas to consider, catering should be at the top of your list. Because the key to any successful Halloween party is good food. Streamline the food ordering and delivery process by using ezCater.