The Halloween season is almost upon us. As the fall season approaches, Halloween is an ideal time to celebrate all things spooky in the workplace.

We’d like to get in touch with the spirits and help you electrify the workday with unique Halloween office ideas.

So come with us and try out these funky team-building activities this Halloween!

Have no fear!

27 of the best office ideas for Halloween

Office theme days are a chance to break free from the ordinary and give the workday a memorable twist. Halloween is possibly the most fun festivity of them all! Who doesn’t love the chance of dressing up and celebrating the spooky side of life?

Halloween icebreaker questions can be a fantastic way to get the ball rolling, but we’re focusing today on Halloween activities to try out with your teams. 

We’ve split activities 3 ways, between in-office, outdoors, and virtual-friendly activities, so every base is covered!

Start the spooky season off right with 27 of our best Halloween office ideas below. 

In-office activities

Keeping things in-office can make life easier. These activities require minimal prep, so try them out in the workplace for a spine-chilling workday!

1. Halloween office decorations

One of the first things that comes to mind at Halloween is decorating the space around us. Bring the spooky spirit of Halloween straight into the office. Decorating is a great way of bringing people together. 

You can look at each area of the office, and group the people who sit there together into a decorating team. That way, each team will take massive pride in making their area look the best! You could reward the team who best decorates their work area with Halloween gifts or even some extrinsic rewards. Alternatively, a shoutout on the company group chat will suffice! 

2. Halloween costume competition

Decorating the office for a company holiday party pairs perfectly with a group costume competition. Let your teams know that this is a day to let their wild side loose and dress up in something fancy. As your teams take the chance to dress up, have a small competition at the end of the day to crown some winners.

Create a few different categories like “funniest,” “scariest,” or “most creative” to spice up proceedings. Celebrate the uniqueness that costumes bring to the office. It’s always fun to see Count Dracula sitting beside you as you work!

3. Pumpkin carving creativity

Another absolute classic Halloween activity is carving up those wonderful pumpkins. The tradition goes back hundreds of years. You can ask each person in the office to decorate their own or organize teams to carve as a group. This can be a great chance for team building.

Another great thing about pumpkin carving is that you can keep it as simple or complex as you like. Some people do it with just a knife and spoon, but there are loads of additional options like face paints, wigs, and googly-eyes that can make designing even more fun.

They do weigh a fair amount though, so just consider this if you order a lot of them!

4. Team pumpkin race

Leading on from carving, now’s the chance to get a bit more messy. Why not take those wonderful pumpkins your teams have carved, and organize a 1-on-1 pumpkin race? It’s hilarious to see two head-shaped pumpkins rolling to the finish line!

All you really need is a long, strong board that stands up at an angle, and away you go. Each team places their pumpkin at the top of the board and lets it roll to the finish line. You could modify the board to have lanes and barriers to filter out one of the pumpkins. There can only be one winner!

5. Pumpkin chuckin’

Rounding up our pumpkin activities, you could go out with a bang and do some pumpkin chucking. We were going to put this in our “outdoor activity list,” as it’s extremely messy. But if you’ve got somewhere that can be easily cleaned and where there isn’t any equipment, try this one out.

Pumpkin chuckin’ is exactly what it sounds like. Everyone is encouraged to take the pumpkins you made, stand behind a line, and throw them as far as they can. The results are splattered and shattered pumpkins, so as we said, choose somewhere that is safe and easy to clean up.

6. “Wrap the mummy”

For this game, you’ll need smaller teams and a few rolls of toilet tissue. If someone hasn’t played this game before, they might feel a bit confused at first when they see full rolls of toilet paper.

In this Halloween party game, the objective is for your small teams to choose one person to be “the Mummy”. The rest of the team will use one roll of toilet paper to wrap them up, completely covering their body underneath. Set a timer, and when the time's up, the team with the most efficiently wrapped mummy wins. (Pro tip: slow and steady wins the race!)

7. Office trick-or-treat

Remember knocking on your neighbor’s door as a kid, and asking them “trick or treat”? You’d stand for a few seconds wishing they’d give you candy and hoping they wouldn’t spray you with a water gun. 

Well, you can encourage team engagement by having teams trick-or-treat right across the office. Each person’s desk would be like 1 neighbor. Dressed-up teams walk around to their neighbor and collect lollies and chocolates until their bag is full. 

You might find some teams stash their candies in their work drawer, which could actually be great for when they need a 3 pm sugar hit during the work day!

8. Horror book club

Halloween could be the perfect opportunity to set up a fantastic book club dedicated to all things horror. There are plenty of readers out there who are avid fans of the horror genre. For people who enjoy reading, book clubs are one of the best ways in the world to connect with others and delve further into their passion.

You could even design a meeting space where the book club meets for the weekly get-together. By having a dedicated space, Halloween decorations can go straight up onto the wall. Encourage your teams to read more than before with a book club dedicated to spooky shenanigans.

9. Food festivities

Nothing brings people together quite like food. There are so many festive dishes we enjoy around the fall period that this could be a great opportunity to organize a day for a potluck. This is when each person brings in a homemade dish that relates to a certain theme.

It doesn’t need to be just Halloween dishes (though jelly donuts are highly encouraged!). Have each person or team bring in a dish that reminds them of the fall season, and watch lunchtime flourish! People really do bond over food, so try this one out for some festive team-building.

10. Spooky music playlist creation

Music brings another fantastic boost to group harmony. Almost everyone has a Spotify account these days, and the “jam session” function is superb for bringing people together. Think about all those fantastic spooky songs we have:

• Thriller - Michael Jackson
• Monster Mash - Bobby “Boris” Pickett
• Disturbia - Rihanna
• Somebody’s Watching Me - Rockwell
• Ghost Town - The Specials

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You’ve probably got a bunch more that come to mind when you think of Halloween, these are just the few we think of. Celebrate a Halloween spirit week by building musical playlists, and you’re cooking with gas!

11. Halloween breakfast

Many people believe that the way to the heart is through the stomach. You could be leaving your teams with a fantastic positive impression if you organize a Halloween-themed breakfast for them. 

You could consider taking your teams out to a nearby restaurant, or just keep things in-house and order some food right to the office. Baking some delicious treats like cupcakes and pumpkin muffins can make for a wonderful morning. Motivation and mingling come naturally when food is involved, so celebrate your teams with a Halloween-inspired breakfast.

12. Apple bobbing

Our final in-office activity involves quite a lot of water, so prepare well with waterproof materials beforehand. Apple bobbing originates from the UK and has in fact been around for at least 500 years. It’s still enjoyed across the world today.

The premise is simple. All you need is a few big buckets, a load of water and a bunch of apples. Make at least two teams, and allocate one bucket per team. Fill each bucket with water and a lot of apples. They should be floating on the surface. Then, each team member needs to dip their face into the water and pull out an apple, using only their teeth. No hands allowed!

Outdoor and out-of-office activities

Some activities simply work better outdoors. Fall teambuilding activities held outdoors let teams absorb the changing colors of the fall season and appreciate the outdoors together. Consider getting outside the office walls to solidify team bonds even further.

13. “Escape Dracula’s Castle” escape room

Escape rooms are a well-loved group activity that brings teams together to find clues, solve riddles and ultimately win by escaping. Team members will work together under pressure and have a bundle of laughs throughout.

Dedicate some time and create one called “Escape Dracula’s Castle” using dim lighting, fake blood, and a gothic atmosphere. Create some spooky challenges like decoding ancient scrolls or finding Dracula’s hidden lair. Spooky sound effects are great for this too. 

Use professional escape room planners to design and set up the activity, or create your own using your office space and some Halloween decorations. Enjoy!

14. Outdoor ghost walk

If you’ve got the time and resources (and the bravery!) then you could take a look at local guided ghost tours in your area. This could be a great way to bring teams together and have them try something extraordinary.

Guided ghost tours as a group can be a hair-raising experience that brings everyone closer together. If you can find one that isn’t too far away, it allows people to learn a little more about the surrounding area. Get in touch with a ghost-walk tour provider and enjoy the thrills!

15. Halloween candy-making workshop

We hope you’ve got a few people with a sweet tooth in the office. A workday dedicated to candy-making can really brighten up the work atmosphere and build team bonds in a relaxed setting. Creepy confectionaries at Halloween time are a great choice, and can be used for your office trick-or-treating!

Chocolate bats, gummy eyeballs and candy skulls are on the workshop menu. Teams or pairs can be made for the candy-making process and any leftover treats can be taken home for people’s families to enjoy. Bring professional candy makers to your office or take your teams out to a decked-out kitchen, and you’re on your way!

16. Cider (or mocktail) tasting day

Harvesting apples and making cider also has a long history at Halloween time. Taking your teams out of the office to try ciders from professional brewers could be a fabulous way to spend the day. Make sure there are non-alcohol options for teams to gulp too!

Have a search for cider breweries near you. They often have festive menus, so ciders and mocktails that have cinnamon and blood-orange mixers are something your teams can try. There’s always a relaxed atmosphere for tasting days, which can benefit team cohesion and bring people closer together. Cheers to that!

17. Blindfolded taste-testing

Celebrate the scary season by putting fear to the test! Most of us have taken part in a blind-tasting game before. They can be really fun (and slightly nerve-wracking!). Put a Halloween spin on a blind taste-test and your teams are sure to be in for a treat.

Have a little search online for surprising or shocking foods. Obviously there should be nothing dangerous eaten, but foods like black licorice, durian, and super-sour candies can deliver a real surprise to a blindfolded person. You could use some Halloween-themed delicacies too to keep things tasty. Try out the unknown this Halloween with a blindfolded taste-test challenge!

18. Halloween scavenger hunt

Maximize the wonder of the great outdoors with a scavenger hunt that’s dedicated to all things spooky! You could keep this one in-office too, but outdoors usually works better. Create teams and give them clues and riddles connected to Halloween. 

Here’s a riddle to get you started:

Jack-o-lanterns in the night

Eerie faces shining bright

Whatever carved them lies around

And holds your next clue safe and sound

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Your teams will search for a fake knife lying near a glowing jack-o-lantern. Introduce another riddle with the fake knife, and keep the scavenger hunt going. Happy hunting!

19. A night at the (scary) movies

The final out-of-office activity we recommend is taking your teams out for a good, old-fashioned evening at the cinema. Most of us associate Halloween with scary movies on TV. Movies and media are great at bringing people together and getting them talking, so make the most of this.

Many cinemas love to create a schedule of Halloween movies during the fall. Scout out your local cinema schedules. You can ramp it up a notch by encouraging teams to wear something spooky on the night out. It doesn’t have to be anything too crazy, just a pair of horns or vampire fangs can really lighten the mood. Celebrate your teams with a night at the movies!

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Virtual-friendly team activities

Our final category of activities keeps virtual teams in mind. Many companies now are almost completely remote, and virtual teambuilding is just as important as teambuilding in the office. Try these Halloween virtual activities to help hybrid and remote staff build new bonds.

20. Photo booth

Many companies enjoy using a quirky photo booth in the office around holidays. A dedicated photo booth near Christmas and Easter times are great for making memories. So why not take the opportunity to create a virtual photo booth for all things scary?

You’re probably aware of changing your background to something quirky while on a remote video call. However, there are now many apps and companies that specialize in really fun photo booths. Set up a Dracula blood booth or a Witch Cavern photo session to bring photo booth memories to your remote workers. Happy days!

21. “Guess the ghoul”

This activity works great as a fall icebreaker question game, especially for newer staff and remote workers who don’t spend much physical time together. You want to ask all of your remote employees to bring a childhood photograph that has them in a Halloween dress-up. Keep these photos anonymous!

Create two teams and take turns sharing the photographs. Each person needs to “guess the ghoul,” that is, guess which member of staff is shown in the photo. Award points to each correct guess, and hey presto! You’ve got a game that helps people bond over childhood photographs!

22. “What’s your greatest fear?”

Another simple activity that is great for team bonding is what we call “What’s your greatest fear?” Halloween time has always involved a bit of fear, and it can actually benefit team members to open up about some of the things that scare them.

In your virtual setting, go around in a circle and just ask each person to name what they fear the most. They’ll be mentioning things like heights, blood, or deep water, and sometimes just saying these things out loud can help people feel more relaxed. Encourage them to work on their fears and you’re helping with positive reinforcement. This is great for quick virtual team building. Have no fear!

23. True-crime podcast listening session  

Podcasts on the subject of “true crime” have surged in popularity over the past few years. More people than ever are fascinated with crimes from the past, and there are some fantastic audio productions to listen to.

Short listening sessions to concise true-crime podcasts like Swindled, Case File, and Serial can really create a spooky atmosphere. Side note: You will want to make sure you’re familiar with the case details beforehand. Some true-crime cases are very serious, so be considerate of this when choosing a podcast. 

24. Ghost storytelling

Round-robin style storytelling can be a fantastic way for teams to loosen up while bonding together. A virtual setting works perfectly for storytelling, so let’s encourage teams to open up with stories about ghosts, or anything spooky that happened to them during Halloween.

Perhaps your team members have never had anything like a supernatural experience. If that’s the case, create a storyboard of fictional events and characters and have them improvise a scenario, one person at a time extending the story. Don’t be afraid to let your creativity loose when crafting a story with your teams!

25. Halloween virtual murder mystery

Murder mysteries are a really fun way to bring teams together, and a virtual setting works perfectly. Get your teams into the spooky spirit and allocate a character to each team member. One person as a vampire, a ghost, a witch, and so on.

You’ll need to plan out who the “murderer” is beforehand and use some breakout rooms to let your teams stipulate who the real killer is. Each time the teams come back to the main room, give out some spooky clues and riddles to keep them guessing. Try this one with your teams this Halloween!

26. Spooky trivia games

Online trivia games work well for bringing everyone together in a relaxed setting. Designate some teams and let them know they’re in for an evening of Halloween knowledge. Get into all things spooky, like famous films, creepy folklore and Halloween traditions. Start your questions off being easy, gradually getting harder until they’re spine-chillingly tough!

Use a virtual trivia platform, or create your own slideshow with questions and spooky images. Eerie sound effects work well here too. Try it out with small teams, and allow individuals to buzz in if the other team doesn’t have the answer. This is a great, lighthearted way to build up bonds between your teams while letting loose at Halloween.

27. Werewolf

Our final activity recommendation is the global phenomenon “Werewolf.” It’s a social deduction game where teams play using bluffs, secrets, and deception. There needs to be two teams: villagers and werewolves. Villagers try to figure out who the werewolves are before they’re eaten (or eliminated). Werewolves work together secretively to fool the group and take out villagers, one by one.

One moderator is needed, and each game has a “day” and “night” phase. At night, werewolves choose one person to eliminate. On the day, villagers vote on who the werewolves are. The fun lies in the deception and teamwork needed to survive! Try this one at a Halloween party evening!

Apply a spooky theme to a team retreat for the ultimate in teambuilding!

Are you interested in bringing your teams closer together and solidifying bonds? A team-building retreat is the best way to deliver an unforgettable experience while propelling teamwork to new heights.

Here at Surf Office, organizing team retreats is what we do best. Organizing a retreat with us during the fall could be exactly what your teams need! 

Here’s what we offer:

• Stress-free transfers? We got you! ✅
• Quality-assured accommodations? Check! ✅
• Engaging team-building activities? Our speciality ✅
• Restaurant reservations? That's on us! ✅
• Expert retreat planning assistance? Of course, we have this covered! ✅
• Onsite support, tailored to your needs? Absolutely ✅

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Not only this but we also have access to 160+ locations around Europe, APAC, the US, Latin America, and now Africa, meaning the sky is your limit when it comes to choosing the right location for you and your team.

Imagine a teambuilding retreat in an unforgettable destination, amplified by a Halloween theme! Pumpkin carving art contests and ghost mysteries await your teams on our team-building retreat.

Let us sort out the tricky logistics for you. Spaces are very limited, so get in touch now!