If your workplace is lacking in the merry and bright department, we recommend a company-wide Secret Santa gift exchange to get everyone in the holiday spirit. To make your event even more exciting and worthwhile, put a twist on your Secret Santa exchange with the spirit of giving in mind!
Feel free to take a leaf out of Daniel Stark Law’s book to get your creative juices flowing. Every year, we hold a Secret Santa exchange, but instead of simply drawing names and giving mundane gifts to our coworkers under a specific price limit, we up the ante. As an alternative, we’ll buy a new toy that reminds us of our particular coworker, then donate all the gifts to charity.
It’s a pressure-free way to poke some fun at ourselves while giving back to children in need. Usually our gifts are related to what we appreciate most about each other—something that highlights the great qualities that keep us coming back into work every day. In the past, we’ve selected a remote control car for a co-worker who’s a bit of a grease monkey. Other ideas include an alarm clock to the biggest late policy offender, or an Easy Bake Oven to the co-worker who’s always bringing in home-baked goodies to the rest of the office. We present our gifts and our stories as a group at our annual Christmas party and share a good laugh together. After that, we’ll take the gifts to Voices for Children who advocate for children in foster care. The toys we donate help them provide both Christmas gifts and birthday gifts to foster children throughout the year.
There are so many organizations giving gifts to children and families in need, and we know they could all use a little extra help this time of year. Encourage your co-workers to take some time to give back in a fun and relaxed way. There’s no better way to spread Christmas cheer than to help someone else have a great holiday.
