Office advent calendar ideas

An office advent calendar spreads Christmas across the whole month instead of loading it all onto one party night. Done properly it costs almost nothing, takes about ten minutes a day, and it's the thing people look forward to on the dullest mornings of the year.

The version that works is one envelope, task or joke a day - not twenty-four presents. Presents get expensive fast and turn into an obligation; tasks stay fun.

Below are twenty-four ideas you can lift straight into a calendar, plus how to run it without one person quietly doing all the work.

24 daily ideas

1. Worst cracker joke posted in the channel.
2. Wear something red day.
3. Make a hot drink for the person next to you.
4. Christmas song one-line quiz.
5. Share your favourite Christmas film in one sentence.
6. Compliment a colleague publicly.
7. Festive desk photo of the day.
8. Guess the baby photo.
9. Bring in one thing to share.
10. Two truths and a Christmas lie.
11. The sprout jar guess opens.
12. Christmas jumper day.
13. Emoji song quiz, ten questions.
14. Name that Christmas advert.
15. Nominate someone for the good-egg award.
16. Best Christmas dinner hot take.
17. Write a card for someone outside your team.
18. Charity collection day.
19. Christmas playlist: everyone adds one track.
20. The worst-present-ever story round.
21. Decorate your screen background.
22. Team photo, silly poses compulsory.
23. Sprout jar answer revealed, prize handed over.
24. Finish early if you possibly can. It beats every other idea here.

How to run one without it becoming a job

• Write all twenty-four in one sitting in November, then schedule the posts.
• Rotate ownership by week so it's four people doing a little, not one doing it all.
• Post at the same time every morning so people know when to look.
• Make everything optional and never name who didn't join in.
• Include remote colleagues in every single day's idea, or the calendar quietly becomes an office-only thing.

Budget versions

• £0: tasks, jokes and quizzes only - most of this list.
• Under £20 total: add a couple of small prizes at the end.
• Under £50: a team treat on one of the Fridays.
• Whatever you do, don't run a 24-gift calendar for a whole team. It sets a precedent nobody wants to repeat next year.

Shop small gifts

How to write it so it lands

• Tasks, not gifts.
• Write all 24 in November.
• Rotate ownership weekly.
• Every day must work remotely.

Where to shop next

• Office Christmas games
• Five-minute desk games for December
• Christmas team-building activities
• Secret Santa gift ideas
• Secret Santa name picker
• Printable quiz sheets
• Quiz round builder
• Christmas cards
• Funny gifts
• All guides
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas

Frequently asked questions

What can you put in an office advent calendar?

Daily tasks rather than gifts: a joke, a quiz question, a jumper day, a compliment round, a photo challenge. It keeps the cost near zero and the fun higher.

How much should an office advent calendar cost?

It can cost nothing. If you want prizes, £20 across the whole month is plenty - a daily gift calendar sets an expectation you'll regret next December.

How do you include remote colleagues?

Make every day's idea work in a chat channel, and post at a fixed time each morning so nobody misses it.