It’s almost the spookiest time of the year, and office managers are scrambling to prepare fun ways to celebrate Halloween as a company. For companies working remotely or practicing hybrid flexibility, it’s extra important to create virtual events that make employees feel connected and appreciated, no matter where they are.
Halloween is traditionally a great way to have fun in the office. But who says you need an actual office space?
Here are a few ideas for hosting a virtual Halloween party that will bring employees together and keep them entertained. The trick is to keep everyone engaged, encourage participation and consider your employees’ event preferences.
If you’re planning to host the event after work hours, be mindful that a two hour virtual event might not be ideal for everyone, especially those with little ones. No virtual event fatigue here!
Set the scene with free Halloween Zoom backgrounds
Zoom backgrounds are a fun way to get any virtual party started! Send out a link to free downloadable Halloween Zoom backgrounds before the party so everyone has time to set up.
To really get into the spirit of the holiday, you can share these a few days before the party to build anticipation for October 31st. However, depending on who your employees interact with during the work week, it’s worth considering whether or not a silly or spooky Zoom background would make sense for them.
Encourage costumes, and even a costume contest
If people aren’t in costume, your party is basically just a meeting!
Costumes are the heart and soul of Halloween, and WFH doesn’t mean we have to give them up. Get people excited to dress up by allowing them to wear fun outfits during the workday, if possible. We also love the idea of giving separate teams different themes; for example, marketing could be monsters, while sales are zombies.
For next level fun, turn the party into a contest — and encourage family participation, if possible! You can even break down winners into categories: scariest costume, best kid’s costume, best pet costume and more. Employees will love showing off their cute kids and furry friends, and the costumes are sure to get a laugh out of everyone. Announce the contest categories at least a few days before the party, so employees can plan to have their dog dressed to the nines ahead of time.
And of course, offer the winners fun swag prizes! To keep it interesting, choose high quality, everyday items that most people will enjoy and use. How about some universal favorites, like the Ascolour Flight Bag or the Known Supply Bucket Hat?
More gift ideas: 35 Employee Appreciation Gifts Your Team Will Love
Kick things off with some simple games
As we’ve all learned in the last year and a half, mingling freely via group video conference is nearly impossible. Whereas at an in-person party structure isn’t as important, it’s a good idea to have some activities planned for your virtual Halloween party. Icebreakers and games are a great way to go.
Open the event with some goofy Halloween-themed “would you rather” questions while waiting for everyone to log on. This will get the conversation flowing and hopefully provide a few laughs before getting into the real fun.
There is of course the classic Halloween monster trivia, where you break out into teams and see who can identify the most creatures.
More tips: 9 Swag Ideas To Make Your Virtual Event More Engaging
Fun activities for everyone
One-of-a-kind special activities are a fantastic way to keep people engaged at a virtual party. There are so many creative options out there!
If you’re searching for group Halloween games to play online, sign up for something like “War of the Wizards,” a virtual RPG game that you can play with up to 200 people.
Or, for a pop-culture savvy group, test their knowledge of popular Halloween movies! Make a list of famous quotes from top spooky films and see who can identify the movie they’re from.
For a more relaxed vibe, use a group movie streaming site like Teleparty to watch a Halloween movie with your team. You’ll get to sit back after a long day and see everyone’s funny reactions to the suspenseful parts in the movie.
Or, if your team feels like rolling up their sleeves, send pumpkin carving toolkits and create your own jack-o-lanterns together. Vote on the best pumpkins and send the winners a prize!
Spooky activities for thrill seekers
For the adventurous crowd, test your teamwork and detective skills with a virtual murder mystery party! Employees will be able to dress the part for an easy costume if they’re assigned their murder mystery personas beforehand.
Would you be spooked if you knew your future? There are dozens of sites for free online tarot card readings and fortune telling, if your team is feeling spiritual. Alternatively, you could have a virtual psychic or tarot card reader on the call to lead a fortune-telling session. There’s even a virtual Ouija board to answer your deepest, darkest questions.
If your team craves a more personal, real-life feeling virtual activity, take a virtual tour of a haunted building! The Eastern State Penitentiary, a historic haunted prison in Philadelphia, offers online tours. Or, consider a virtual escape room for an adrenaline rush that’ll get your team mingling. Teambuilding offers a bunch of Halloween-themed online escape rooms!
Encourage DIY Halloween cocktails or mocktails
The internet is brimming with unique Halloween themed drinks that are perfect to spice up a virtual party. We love this list compiled by Delish of 20 spooky cocktails that you could send over to your employees ahead of time. They include classics like the Sweet Poison, The Zombie and Bloody Mary Margaritas.
For extra fun, try kicking off the party by making them together! This is another case where swag would come in handy and enhance the experience. Send them the ingredients to make a mini cocktail at home, or elevate the experience with branded drinkware and accessories.
We have everything from rocks glasses to cocktail shakers to mini tumblers — all ready to receive your logo and ship out to your employees.
Send everyone some branded candy and treats
Is it even a Halloween party if there’s no candy involved?! Trick or treating may be for kids, but everyone loves a sweet treat on Halloween.
Treat your employees with custom branded candy classics. Jellybeans are always a hit, as are gummy worms and Swedish Fish! We can get your candy logo’ed up and into the hands of your employees in no time at all.
Create Halloween gift boxes for remote employees
Make it really feel like a party with fully customizable boxes stuffed with the swag and sweet treats mentioned above. A surprise package will build excitement for your event — and create a physical connection between the items in the swag box and the activities on screen.
To create another moment of connection and promote a shared experience, you can even ask everyone to open their swag boxes at the same time during the virtual Halloween event. Watch their faces light up at the fun surprises, and have them guess what activities are on deck based on the items in the box.
No matter where your employees are located, we’ll handle all the logistics and shipping to make sure your team is fully stocked with everything needed for a virtual Halloween party.
Have any questions? Get in touch with our team using the form below!
