It’s easy to get in the same routine when it comes to office birthday celebrations—from the usual birthday lunch and cube decorations to a standard birthday card, these events can become pretty predictable in the work place. But they don’t have to be. Here’s a foolproof list of unique birthday celebrations guaranteed to make their special day memorable:
1. Dress Alike: Have your entire team dress like the person who is having a birthday. It’s simple and can be hilarious.
2. DIY Lunch: Prepare their favorite entrée or a fun food theme as a do-it-yourself lunch. That way everybody can pitch in and participate.
3. Office Scavenger Hunt: Set up clues around the office that are characteristics or fun facts about the special team member. Take them on a scavenger hunt to find the final prize, which can be their birthday gift or a free lunch.
4. Wish Wiki: Have your team (or whoever is involved) submit wishes or good memories of that person. Then create an online Wiki page with all of the well wishes and present it to them.
5. VIP Parking Spot: Set them up with a VIP parking spot for their birthday week.
6. Grab Bag: Fill it with a bunch of fun trinkets or gift cards so anyone can pull from it on their special day.
7. Dessert Potluck: Go with a theme or just bring sweets! You can’t go wrong with sugar.
8. Game Time: Set aside an hour or two to play a fun group game—Pictionary or Jenga are always a good time.
9. Field Trip: Get out of the office for a couple of hours and head to a nearby food truck (if the weather permits) or go bowling with the team.
10. Piñata Party: Get a piñata of their favorite character and stuff it with whatever you like! Candy is always the safe bet, but gift cards and gag gifts are a fun surprise, too.
While most of these ideas apply to any office size, we know it can sometimes get tricky in a bigger or smaller company. Feel free to make these ideas your own by getting resourceful and using what you have. Whether that means celebrating multiple birthdays on a monthly basis at a bigger office, or getting other teams together to make it a group activity at a small company, this list is made to fit whatever you’re working with.