5 Ways To Add Holiday Cheer To Your Workplace, Austin Style

With the holidays on the horizon, glimmering like a beacon of hope, with promise of time off and minimal worries about work, it can be hard to keep morale up in the office when everyone’s minds are set on family festivities. That’s why incorporating fun team building activities as well as holiday work outings into the daily grind can stave off pre-holiday workplace ennui. Plus, Austin has plenty of fun and festive things to do – so get your team together and indulge in some holiday cheer this season! The following are some ideas of how to get the holiday spirit resonating in your office:

Organize an Ugly Christmas Sweater Making Party

Nothing says office bonding like a mind melding over the creation of ugly holiday sweaters. Get some sweaters from Goodwill and various holiday-themed craft supplies, and spend some quality time with your workplace peers. Throw a few adult beverages into the mix and it’s a party! You can even model this activity after Project Runway and have each team present their ugly holiday sweaters to a panel of judges, detailing their creative prowess and why they decided to use a quart of glitter on only one sleeve.

Volunteer or Donate Goods to a Local Charity or Nonprofit.

Organizing an office canned food drive or clothing donation drive is the perfect low pressure way to get your office inspired in this season of giving. If your team is eager to get more involved this holiday season, Austin has an ample list of volunteer opportunities. This comprehensive list is a great starting point for researching local food pantries with volunteer opportunities, such as Central Texas Food Bank and Caritas of Austin.

Take Your Coworkers to the Trail of Lights or Armadillo Bazaar

As Austinites, it is important to experience legendary holiday institutions such as the Trail of Lights at Zilker Park and the Armadillo Bazaar, held annually at the Palmer Events Center. Both events are open for weeks leading up to Christmas and are very close to downtown Austin. Perfect for an after work stop, Trail of Lights is a great little festive jaunt to take with coworkers before heading down the road to Uncle Billy’s for some beer and BBQ. The Armadillo Bazaar is a great way to bond with your team while getting a bit of holiday shopping in, plus you’ll be supporting small businesses and artisans!

Bring On the Holiday Baked Goods

Nothing warms the heart of someone you work with more than offering up baked goods, especially during the holidays. After all, having the privilege of eating a warm piece of banana bread or sugar cookie at the desk is temporary escapism and reminds coworkers that yes, not too much longer now before all you’ll be doing is feasting on baked breads and pies and cookies. Not. Too. Much. Longer. If you have a few baking addicts in the office, setting up a rotating weekly cycle of baked contributions is the perfect way to always have tasty treats at your fingertips which subsequently will make you and your coworkers feel more connected with the spirit of the holidays.

Take The Office Holiday Party Out Of The Office

Every office has some version of a holiday party or outing. While it can be fun and almost an out-of-body experience to drink heavily right next to the computer you work at day in and day out, what might be more of a success is to take the holiday party outside of the office. Austin is buzzing with amazing restaurants, breweries and things to see. You might be thinking, “but it’s daunting to try to plan an office outing! I don’t have time to organize something like that on top of Christmas shopping, work and daydreaming at work about my impending Christmas break!” That’s where Austin Detours comes in! We can help you plan a corporate holiday outing, no problem. It’s our job to create fun and plan everything for you, so let us know if we can help you out this holiday season!

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Want more ideas on spreading holiday cheer through well-crafted holiday parties? Check out this post from our friends at Love Lucia’s Parties!