Secret Santa fun ideas for the office

Christmas shopping shouldn’t stressful – it should be magical and fun! That’s why we’ve put together a handy list of Secret Santa fun ideas that everyone in the office will love. So, when you draw your Secret Santa giftee, you know exactly what present to give them.

What is Secret Santa?

You probably know all about Secret Santa by now. But for those who don’t know, we’ll give you a quick run-down.

Secret Santa is a Christmas gift giving tradition. A group of people (family, friends or co-workers) draw a random name to become that person’s Secret Santa.

Each person has to buy a present for their chosen giftee. But remember, the entire thing must stay a secret! The fun of Secret Santa is that no one knows who bought them their gift.

When the presents are exchanged, everyone should try and guess who their Secret Santa is. The guessing game is just as much fun as the gift swapping!

How do you choose the perfect Secret Santa gift?

Thinking of Secret Santa fun ideas can be super tricky. How do you pick the perfect gift? Too expensive and you’ll go over budget. Too cheap and they’ll think you aren’t taking part in the fun. How do you find the right balance?

There’s no right or wrong way to pick a Secret Santa gift. That’s the great thing about Secret Santa – you can do whatever you like! But here are some things to keep in mind when thinking of Secret Santa fun ideas for the office:

• Stick to the budget

It’s typical for co-workers to set a budget for Secret Santa. It’s the best way to ensure that everyone receives an equal present. So, when choosing a Secret Santa gift for your co-workers, make sure not to stray from the specified budget.

• How well do you know your recipient?

Chances are, you know some people in the office better than others. That’s perfectly normal! But you need to think about how well you know them when choosing their gift.

If you know them really well, choose something that reflects their personality or your relationship. Maybe you have an inside joke with your giftee? Or perhaps you know they’ve got their eye on something fun?

If you don’t know your co-worker well, choose something simple. Or even better, use this as an opportunity to get to know them!

• Keep it light

Secret Santa is supposed to be a fun way to celebrate the festive season. So, when you’re thinking of Secret Santa fun ideas, make sure to keep it light. You don’t want to be the only one in the office gifting a serious present!

Santa Academy’s Secret Santa fun ideas…

If you’re struggling to think of Secret Santa fun ideas for your co-workers, have no fear! We’ve put together a list of fun Christmas gifts to give you inspiration for your office Secret Santa.

Here are 9 Secret Santa fun ideas for the whole office to enjoy:

1. Personalized mug

When it comes to Secret Santa fun ideas for the office, you can’t go wrong with a personalized mug.

A mug is a staple for any office environment. After all, tea and coffee are a must!

And you can personalize the mug to suit the person you picked for Secret Santa. Maybe you can print a photo of their little one on the mug. Maybe you have an inside joke that you could make reference to. Or maybe they have a fun, friendly nickname around the office.

2. Stationary

You might be thinking, how did stationary make a list of Secret Santa fun ideas? But for an office-worker, stationary makes the perfect gift! And you can make it extra fun by personalizing their new stationary set.

Here are some stationary ideas that we love:

• Notebook
• Planner/diary
• Pens and pencils
• A desk organizer.

3. Mindfulness journal

If you liked our last Secret Santa fun idea, we think you’ll love this one too – a mindfulness journal!

Working in an office can be stressful. So, to help them relax at the end of the working day, they can reduce stress with a mindfulness journal.

There are loads of different mindfulness journals out there, and each one is full of different things. However, we’ve put together some examples of what you’ll find in a typical mindfulness journal:

• A place to write about emotions
• Motivational quotes and affirmations
• Tips and tricks for relaxing
• Space to record your aspirations and goals
• Fun prompts and questions.

4. Luxury bath products

Next on our list of Secret Santa fun ideas: get your giftee some luxury bath products!

We’re sure that your giftee works really hard – they deserve to relax every now and then! And what better way to relax than with some new luxury bath products?

Here are our favorite bath products for the perfect Secret Santa gift:

• Luxury shampoo, conditioner and bath wash
• Bath bombs
• Bubble bath
• Bath salts
• Wax melts
• Scented candles (Christmas scents are preferred!).

5. Trivia calendar

Still looking for Secret Santa fun ideas? With this next gift, they can have fun and stimulate their brain. Buy them a trivia calendar for their desk!

You might be thinking, ‘what’s a trivia calendar?’ It’s simple really. It’s a calendar with 365 quiz questions – one for each day of the year!

The whole office can put their knowledge to the test. You could even use it for a Christmas quiz or holiday party! Who’s really got the biggest brain in the office?

6. Basketball hoop for a wastepaper basket

Next on our list of Secret Santa fun ideas? Buy your giftee a basketball hoop for the office wastepaper basket.

It’s a super simple gift – but super fun too! All you do is attach the basketball hoop to a wastepaper basket – then you’re ready to go!

Now you can turn recycling into a fun game. Throw paper balls at the wastepaper basket and see who can get the most through the basketball hoop. You could even turn it into a Christmas game for the office party!

7. Their favourite sweet treats

A list of Secret Santa fun ideas wouldn’t be complete without this next gift – buy them their favorite festive treats!

You can’t go wrong with this Secret Santa gift. After all, who doesn’t love a sweet treat at Christmas time?

And you can make it super personal! Try baking their favorite treats from scratch. They’ll love their gift even more if it has a personal touch.

8. Indulge with their favourite festive tipple

We’re sure everyone will love this next gift – treat them to their favourite festive tipple!

This is perfect if you’re struggling to think of Secret Santa fun ideas for the office. You can even add a personal touch by gifting them a customised glass to match!

And remember, it doesn’t have to be alcoholic to be a great gift! Treat them to their favourite coffee, tea or hot chocolate. Can you think of a better way to celebrate Christmas than with a mug of your favourite hot drink?

9. Mini tabletop games

Last on our list of Secret Santa fun ideas – have fun with a mini tabletop game.

They’re great way to have fun at lunchtime. Or they’ll make great entertainment at the office Christmas party!

There are loads out there to choose from. Whether you pick mini table tennis, mini table football or desktop golf, your giftee will have heaps of fun!

The Santa Academy app

If you’ve found our list of Secret Santa fun ideas useful, why not check out our Santa Academy app?

Coming Christmas 2022, the Santa Academy app is filled with festive fun for everyone to enjoy. No matter who you are, you’ll find something for you at Santa Academy!

Christmas is an extremely busy time for Santa, and he needs help getting ready for the big day. At Santa Academy, you’ll learn how to assist Santa and everyone on Lacus Island as they prepare for Christmas. And what better way to learn than with elves, fairies and reindeer?

Enroll into Elf Ed, Reindeer Recruit or Fairy Fellow for 24 days of festive fun. Each day during advent, you can unlock the secrets of Christmas by helping the elves, reindeers and fairies. You’ll make important decisions, like which sleigh Santa should use on Christmas Eve. Or who should win Employee of the Month at the Elf Station.

You can download the app from 1^st November 2022. School starts 1^st December 2022.

Keep up with Santa Academy!

You don’t have to wait until Christmas 2022 to have festive fun. Keep up with Santa Academy and follow the Lacus Herald, Lacus Island’s daily newspaper, written by our Author, Jill.

Find out what your favorite characters are getting up to or hear the latest news from Lacus Island. You’ll find a new Christmas story – every single day!

Find more fun, festive tips and ideas, such as:

• Easy Christmas crafts for kids
• Christmas printables
• Things to do near you for Christmas
• Christmas activity book ideas
• Christmas art ideas
• Christmas party ideas for kids
• Tips for helping kids to read
• Christmas baking for kids
• Christmas countdown ideas for your family
• Christmas writing ideas
• And many more!