It’s the time of year for the Christmas festivities to swing into motion! Today, I’m sharing some tips on how to do a Secret Santa draw at work. Obviously, my focus is about how to do Secret Santa at school with teachers and school staff. However, this post has perfect tips for becoming the Secret Santa organizer in any workplace setting. In fact, I kind of consider this post to be an ultimate guide to all things Secret Santa! You will find gift ideas, a free Secret Santa questionnaire, and free printable messages from Secret Santa.
No doubt, there are many ways to organize and play the Secret Santa game. Some schools or offices run their game for only one week. Others may span the month of December. At my school, the game lasts from the week after Thanksgiving break until the last day or two before Christmas break starts. Some offices may choose to only exchange one big gift at a work Christmas party rather than gifting multiple small gifts.
For the purposes of this post, I am going to explain how we do Secret Santa at school and provide some tips for keeping things running smoothly. One of the Secret Santa organizers at my school graciously sat down with me to share her tips and pointers. Our school has over 100 employees – many whom participate. Organization is a must!
Designate a Secret Santa Organizer in Your School or Office
For a successful execution of a school-wide or office-wide secret gift exchange, it is best to have a real-life human running operations. Just note that this person will most likely not participate in the name drawing. In the information below, you will see that this person has access to viewing and knowing all the name exchanges.
You might refer to this Secret Santa organizer person as the bookkeeper. We have two organizers at my school. One is the bookkeeper who does not participate in the game. The other is an assistant to the bookkeeper who does participate in the game.
Now, if the bookkeeper wishes to participate and is not bothered by the fact he or she will know who his person is, I guess participation is possible. But it kind of takes the surprise element away from the person who will eventually be revealed to the bookkeeper.
Start Early
You may feel Christmas is a ways off. However, since you do have several different things to consider (explained below), you need time to plan and execute. If you want to set up a longer-running game like my school does, you will need to start earlier with your planning.
Choose The Type of Secret Santa Generator You Want to Use
Using a Secret Santa Website
With so many online Secret Santa generator sites out there, it may be tempting to use one of those. Online Secret Santa sites are convenient, and there is no housekeeping to keep up with. My family uses Elfster each Christmas as our family Secret Santa draw tool. Elfster works somewhat well for our family of seven adults. Other similar sites exist, as well. I hear there are also some Secret Santa apps, but I have no experience with those.
However, I am not sure I would recommend an online system for a large group of people. I have experienced several issues in the past with using the online Secret Santa name generator. For one thing, these systems typically are designed around email notifications. Some family members have failed to see the emails come to their inbox. Others have forgotten their Elfster password which delayed our online Secret Santa draw because everyone has to log in and set up their wish list before names are drawn.
Using a Paper Secret Santa Form
No doubt, for a large group of people, I would go with a good old paper Secret Santa generator system. Having a paper system involves some organized steps (which I will share below), but it will prevent some headaches. There are lots of great Secret Santa templates out there.
Luckily for you, I have a handy dandy free Secret Santa form for you to print and use!
The great thing about a paper gift exchange form is that it provides plenty of helpful information about this person whom you may or may not know much about.
Consider if You Want One Big Secret Santa Group or a Few Smaller Groups
If your organization is super sized, you might want to consider organizing multiple groups for a more personalized experience. If there is no way Bobby Joe from the SPED department will know Janie Lee over in the athletics department, maybe you should consider organizing some smaller Secret Santa groups based on departments or building areas. My husband’s organization employees hundreds of people. Smaller groups would make more sense in that case.
However, if you feel the majority of the staff likely knows one another well enough, then carry on with one large group.
Choose the Duration of Your Secret Santa Game
Do you want your game to last one week? Two weeks? Here are some suggestions.
Option 1
The gift drawing game begins on the first work day after Thanksgiving break. Participants secretly exchange small gifts two times a week until the last work day before Christmas or until the staff Christmas party. (Keep daily Secret Santa gifts under 5 dollars.) A final larger gift ($15-25) is exchanged on the last day or at the party. The Secret Santa matches are revealed at this time.
Option 2
The game begins two weeks before Christmas break. Participants secretly exchange small gifts three times a week until the last work day before Christmas or until the staff Christmas party. A final larger gift of $15-25 is exchanged on the last day or at the party. The matches are revealed at this time.
Option 3
The game begins on the last 5-day work week before Christmas. Gifts of $5-10 are exchanged every single day. A final larger gift of $15-25 is exchanged on the last day or at the staff Christmas party. The matches are revealed at this time.
Obviously, every school, office, and organization runs differently. These are only suggestions based on a typical school schedule. You can modify as needed.
Now that you have the method of execution (online Secret Santa organizer vs. paper Secret Santa survey) and the duration of the game determined, the bookkeeper is ready to communicate with potential participants.
10 Steps for the Secret Santa Bookkeeper
I am going to give exact steps of the Secret Santa bookkeeper at my school. Remember, we use a paper method. If you are using an online method, your steps will be a little different.
Prepare for the Secret Santa Draw
- Select the Secret Santa survey of choice (remember mine is linked above!).
- Print enough copies for your staff or at least most of your staff.
- Send a school-wide or office-wide email letting your staff know the details of the game (start date and end date, clear expectations of how often the gifts should be exchanged and how much should be spent, the date and method of the final reveal, etc.). In the email, ask participants to visit your office or classroom to receive a copy of the blank template on a certain date. (This is important as we have learned the participants who make the effort to walk to receive the paper are the serious ones. If you just place copies in everyone’s mailboxes in the teacher’s lounge, some will fill it out since it is conveniently there. However, they may not be as serious about the game as you need them to be. This kind of weeds out the folks that aren’t really into it.)
- Instruct interested coworkers to return the completed form to your classroom or office on a certain date. (But give an extra day before you actually do the draw to accommodate for absent staff members, etc.)
- Make a second copy of all forms just to have in the event someone loses his or hers later.
- Make a master list of all coworkers who have turned in a form. Type or write each staff member’s name with an empty space beside.
- Place every completed Secret Santa form in a large manila envelope. This manila envelope will become your “Secret Santa generator” tool.
Execute the Secret Santa Draw
- Individually, approach each staff member whose name is on the master list. That staff member will draw a paper from the manila envelope. Remember, that envelope is the Secret Santa name generator. The staff member (person A) must show the name (of person B) on his newly drawn Secret Santa survey to you. Write the name from the survey onto your master list beside the name of the person who just drew. (Do not let anyone see your master list.) Person A is now the Secret Santa for person B. (Note: this recording step is very important. If there is no record kept as to which staff member drew which person, things can get messy. Staff members occasionally lose their Secret Santa form and then forget which person they had drawn. Yes, this happens. Keep the list somewhere safe!)
- Once the Secret Santa draw is complete and all papers have been distributed, send another email letting everyone know the partners have all been matched. This is a good time to share the expectations and rules of the game a second time.
- Check in with the staff 1-2 times during the duration of the game to make sure everything is going smoothly. Remind everyone of the expectations and dates at least one more time during this time.
Typical Questions about Secret Santa for School or Office
As with any game out there, occasionally questions or issues will arise. You may be wondering the following:
Can a staff member participate in Secret Santa if she will be out on maternity leave (or another long absence)?
If a person knows she is going to be out, she can still participate with a certain amount of preparation. I participated at my school while out on maternity leave.
First, I asked a super responsible teacher friend if she would be willing to store my gifts in her classroom and distribute them for me. Next, I bought my gifts in advance. Afterward, I printed a paper calendar and marked which gift needed to be distributed on which day. Before leaving for maternity leave, I took everything to my friend. She was also the collector of all the gifts I received from my own secret person. On reveal day, I was present at school (with newborn in tow…because, hey, it was also an excuse to show off the world’s cutest baby) to reveal myself to my person.
Again, this took a level of organization and planning. But that game was a fun pick me up when I was a bit lonely at home on maternity leave. Just knowing I was surprising someone with fun stuff and that my friend was going to drop my gifts off for me occasionally was a mood lifter.
What happens if someone winds up absent for a while and doesn’t participate?
This one is tough. Most of us in the teacher world or corporate world don’t expect to be absent much, but unexpected illnesses do happen. The lack of participation may have to be handled on a case by case basis – between the bookkeeper and the absent person.
What happens if someone is not absent yet fails to bring gifts as often as the schedule directs?
Ick. Don’t be that person. It is super disappointing to realize your person is not as with it as everyone else. Watching all your coworkers in the teacher’s lounge open gifts while you continue to have an empty mailbox is no fun. If a staff member complains to the bookkeeper that he has not received many or any gifts, the bookkeeper can look up the name of the secret person on the master list. It may be necessary for the bookkeeper to speak to that person to make sure he/she understands the expectations.
Can we give funny Secret Santa gifts?
Of course! Funny Secret Santa gifts show you are in tune to the person’s personality and lifestyle. One or two gag gifts is fine. A lot of people really appreciate funny Secret Santa presents. But I would tread carefully in gifting funny Secret Santa gifts to people whom you don’t know much about.
Should Secret Santa gifts be wrapped or not wrapped?
I would say some gifts should be wrapped but some gifts should not. On the one hand, the presentation of a well-wrapped gift shows effort and enthusiasm for the gift exchange. On the other hand, there are plenty of fun things at Christmas time that are festive enough in their own right without gift wrap. Think of how pretty a glass candle looks in a teacher’s mail box. Or a cute Rudolph reindeer Christmas drink gift like this one I made for my Secret Santa last year. Click over to the post for instructions on how to make it.
Should we attach messages from Secret Santa on the gifts?
Maybe, you are wondering if you should add some Secret Santa quote tags? I am a big fan of attaching cute messages from Secret Santa on the gifts. However, they take time to think out and make. Luckily for you, I made some printable Secret Santa text on printable tags. A fun little Secret Santa quote just adds to the fun – whether the gift is wrapped or unwrapped.
Just click on the link below and print your own messages from Secret Santa. You can print in color or in grey-scale.
Do men participate in Secret Santa at school or in the office?
Yes! Although schools are typically a female-dominated setting, our male coworkers do exist and should not be excluded! Secret Santa for men is becoming more of a thing. At my school, more men have participated in recent years.
Some women may struggle with Secret Santa ideas for guys. As for Secret Santa ideas for men, I am no expert. I can barely shop for my own husband and dad. All these years, I have only drawn women coworkers in our gift drawing. I do recommend asking your spouse or significant other to help you choose some gifts as they may be more in tune with gifts for the opposite gender.
Also, I imagine it is just as difficult for male coworkers to shop for females from a Secret Santa draw whom they may not know all that well. And let’s face it – chances are quite high they are going to draw a female’s name in a school Secret Santa draw. In a different office setting, the male-female ratio might be more even.
To get insight into Secret Santa ideas for guys, I asked a few of the male educators at my school about their participation. Here is how they responded.
Male #1
One male coworker said some of the gifts he has enjoyed are Yeti type mugs or cups, things for hunting trips (like hand warmers, gloves, snacks), and fun and quirky socks. This coworker acknowledged that he can’t take credit for the gifts he brings his secret person because his wife and mom do the shopping.
Male #2
Another male coworker reported he enjoys school supplies for his classroom such as dry erase markers and white board spray. Also, he suggests snacks like mixed nuts, small LED camping lights or flashlights, Coleman 16-oz propane tanks (which you can get 2 for $7 at Walmart), nostalgic tree ornaments, and $5 gift cards to basically anywhere.
Male #3
A third male coworker said he likes funny Secret Santa gifts that have a personal vibe. He has received t-shirts with funny slogans like “I’m smiling on the inside” and funny signs that say “deal with it” and “living the dream.” This coworker admitted he doesn’t have as much fun doing the gift exchange game if he doesn’t know the person he is shopping for very well. He puts more into it if he knows the person or thinks the person might be fun to shop for. His wife helps him with the shopping if he doesn’t know the person very well.
I find that a place like Uncommon Goods has an excellent collection of unique gifts for men. You can navigate to the “men” category and then filter by price range. In fact, Uncommon Goods has great teacher Secret Santa gift ideas and gift ideas for anyone, really.
Should I regift gifts from a Secret Santa draw?
I would not recommend recycling any gifts after you draw names Secret Santa style. Clearly, when regifting a gift from a Secret Santa draw, you cannot guarantee the gift you are considering regifting won’t make its way back to the person who gave it to you. Recently, someone at my school had a regift mishap with one of our “You got Boo’ed” games in October. Just don’t do it! Or, regift the items to someone outside of your work circle.
Should we consider any Secret Santa themes for our game?
There are plenty of Secret Santa themes out there. For instance, you can make some rules that say everyone must give only handmade gifts or only Christmas-themed gifts. Or maybe only office supply gifts or only teaching gifts. Maybe, you want to really push it and do only gag gifts. Personally, I do not think using strict Secret Santa themes is a good idea. The more challenging you make the game during this hectic time of year, the more bumps you will have. Possibly, you may have weaker participation if you implement themes.
Hopefully, I answered any questions you might have about how to do a Secret Santa draw at school or in any workplace. No doubt, organizing these Christmas drawing ideas takes some work, but it is well worth it!
Don’t forget to print your free Secret Santa form to use with your staff!
If you are brimming with the holiday spirit, be sure to check out some of my other Christmas posts:
Christmas Desserts for the Classroom
Decorating with Plants on the Christmas Table
Black and White Christmas Tour
Free McDonald’s Christmas Printable
Dirty Santa Ideas for the Classroom
Tips for Seeing Garvan Gardens Christmas Display
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