Time to Reflect, Time to Give Thanks

As the year continues, and Thanksgiving break ends for both schools and businesses, minds turn towards gratitude and the little things that make the office a part of your family. In the holiday spirit, some offices may wish to bring a little touch of holiday magic back into the office through an office Thanksgiving or Christmas party. But how can any office make their party unique? Consider some of these options!

1. Consider a potluck! While the concept of a full office Thanksgiving feast may seem daunting, offering a potluck dinner, where each person can bring a dish for everyone to share, can help a party come together in a snap! Lay out dishes on credenzas or let everyone put their dish on their desk, then come together at the conference table! With an extending conference table, seating the whole office becomes even easier.
2. Play games! Setting up games such as bowling with pumpkins and a water bottle, cornhole, or darts can easily bring small teams together and allow the entire office to cheer each other on!
3. Decorate! Nothing says festive like decorations to suit the office, and setting up for Christmas or Thanksgiving with some appropriate décor can be the perfect way to get the office in the holiday spirit. Garlands, lights, and wreaths easily grace desks with hutches, while miniature trees and centerpieces add to executive desks and conference tables. Consider even setting aside a credenza as a winter wonderland with the addition of a miniature train set & scenery.
   

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4. Make a Thankful Tree! In a main room of the office, consider setting up a unique tree that can stand straight through Thanksgiving to Christmas! Place a bowl of cut out paper ornaments and pens next to the tree, and ask everyone in the office to write one thing they are thankful for on a paper, then hang it on the tree. Watch the tree come to life as ornaments are added! If the office does not have the extra space for a tree, set this up as a cut out tree or collage on a wall with sticky notes!
5. Pie Swap! Consider this smaller alternative to a full Thanksgiving or Christmas meal, and have everyone bring a pie to share or trade! An extra-special touch to this would be to also have everyone bring the recipe for their pie, and swap recipes as everyone enjoys the bounty.
6. Hand-written Thank-you Notes! A sweet, personal touch could be to ask everyone to hand-write a thank you or Christmas letter to another employee. With most modern correspondence happening through email, getting a personal note that someone took the time to hand-write can make all the difference.
7. Donate! Set up a food, toy, or clothing drive at the office for a local charity, and encourage everyone to take part. Giving a little can change someone’s entire world, and what better way to give back than bring joy to the local community!

With just a little effort, any office can brighten with the joy of the season! Have a Happy Thanksgiving, and a Merry Christmas season!