Food and Festivities
Decorating your surroundings while adding in the aromas of flavorful foods will bring the holiday to the office.
1. Decorate the Office and Have a Gratitude Scavenger Hunt
Add a splash of Thanksgiving décor throughout the floor of your offices. Orange, yellow, and brown bring warmth to the area, making it festive. Prepare a scavenger hunt list focusing on gratitude and thankfulness where employees, divided into teams, can enjoy roaming the offices in search of the items on the list.
2. Have a Potluck Lunch
On most holidays, even modest chefs like to take part in making a particular dish for the big day. Or, at the very least, picking up a traditional something at the supermarket.
So, stretch those chef muscles a little further this year and hold a team potluck lunch. Request that each person brings a favorite dish, so it will become a large feast for all to enjoy.
3. Anything but Turkey Lunch
The Wednesday before Thanksgiving, a handful of people dread the six days of turkey leftovers that they will be subjected to very soon, so instead of doing an extra day of turkey, make an anything-but-turkey lunch for the office.
Order ethnic foods to get tastes from around the world. Mexican and Chinese food are always fans’ favorites!
4. Turkey Day Tailgate
Thanksgiving and football go hand and hand, so why not have a turkey day tailgate party in the office? Have employees wear their favorite jerseys, paint their faces, and even put together a barbeque at work. You’ll have to ask HR about a friendly game of touch football, though.
5. Leftover Buffet
Some companies must go to work on Friday, so keep the holiday going by having a leftover buffet. Have each employee bring in leftovers to share. That way, everyone can indulge in turkey, mashed potatoes, and pie just as if they were still at home for the day.
6. Kids Cooking Class: Thanksgiving Side Dishes Contest
Let employees bring their kids to work and have a kids’ cooking class and Thanksgiving side dish contest. Provide or have an employee bring in specific ingredients that are easy to prepare in the office setting. Have a competition for the best dishes, but either way, everyone wins since there will be a ton of food for all.
7. Peanuts Thanksgiving Party
Not everyone will want to have a turkey lunch before Thanksgiving Day, so in the office, add a classic twist on the holiday of thanks.
Show a viewing of A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving while taking a note from Charlie Brown and his friend’s food selections. They did it right when they celebrated their Friendsgiving with candy, toast, popcorn, and sundae dishes.
8. Pie Swap Showdown
Make the holiday sweet in the office with a pie swap showdown. Have employees bring pies in for sharing. Each employee that brings in a pie gets to keep one slice from their pie and go down the line, taking a piece of pie from all the others until their pie pan is back to full.
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9. Have a Catered Lunch
If you’d rather give employees a full day of rest inside the office walls, why not hire a caterer to handle lunch for the team?
Ordering food from a fan-favourite or higher-end spot can show your staff how much you care for them. Good food speaks volumes when it comes to expressing your gratitude.
10. Recipe Exchange
A recipe exchange is a great event for the office leading up to the holiday. Traditional dishes make it to every Thanksgiving dinner, but it’s nice to share the wealth of those family recipes now and again. Learn a new recipe shared by your co-worker to implement in your Thanksgiving dinner this year.