A Step-by-Step Guide To Organizing a Secret Santa for Virtual Teams
Playing a Secret Santa is a great way to bring the remote team together, relieve the year-end stress, and create memories. Learn how to organize Secret Santa online with coworkers who live far away, what to give, and explore creative virtual holiday party ideas.
According to Forbes, one in five employees work remotely, and it is not always possible to gather everyone in the office for a Christmas party. Organizing the Secret Santa gift exchange helps even remote employees socialize, exchange thoughtful gifts, and celebrate the holiday season together. Read the step-by-step guide on how to host a Secret Santa online, what to consider, and how to ensure that everyone receives a gift.
What is a remote Secret Santa?
Virtual Secret Santa is a great team-building activity where you exchange presents with coworkers. It promotes the art of gift-giving while letting people on your team connect with each other at a distance.
The main feature of the virtual game is that you send presents by mail rather than bring them to the office. Everyone gets a personalized gift and bonds with coworkers even if you cannot meet in person. Below, we have explained how to play Secret Santa with virtual and hybrid teams.
Secret Santa rules for a virtual gift exchange with coworkers
Here is how to organize Secret Santa online easily even if your coworkers live on different continents:
Draw names using an online generator
There are plenty of Secret Santa generators for virtual exchanges that draw names online and save the results. Here is how to organize an online Secret Santa draw using the MySanta app:
- The game organizer (an HR manager or anyone on the team) creates a new game and then invites players by email. The number of players is not limited.
- When everyone joins the game, draw names and see who gives a present to whom. The results of the draw are saved.
- Set the gift budget and deadline, and all players will receive reminders to send their presents on time.
You can play with remote and hybrid teams across the globe, set exceptions, and share gift wishes.
Set gift budget and deadline
Set the appropriate budget for gifts depending on how much your team is willing to spend. Usually, $20 to $30 is a good budget for coworkers.
Decide on the deadline when everyone should mail their gift. Because the exchange is remote, you will need to send gifts early so that the recipients have them before Christmas.
Use a gift theme
To add creativity to your gift exchange, consider using a gift theme. You can exchange tech gifts, practical gifts, funny presents, or else. Thus, it will be easier for participants to choose good gifts.
Create wishlists
In our MySanta generator, each player can share their gift wishes and even create personalized wishlists. Your Secret Santa will see the wishlist and might buy the exact item you want, and you will not receive another useless present that will sit on a shelf.
Send gifts to recipients
The biggest concern for virtual exchanges is not revealing yourself when mailing the present to the assigned coworker. Here is how to handle this best.
If you buy a gift on Amazon, there is an option to send it anonymously to the recipient. If you send a present by mail, you can specify the address of the game host (or pick one person in your team) on the return label and ask everyone to do the same. Thus, you will keep the mystery alive and not reveal yourself before the exchange day.
Host an unboxing event
To strengthen ties between remote coworkers, organize the video call and host a virtual gift exchange. You can use any video conferencing platform, such as Microsoft Team, Zoom, or Google Meet. All players unwrap their presents and guess their Secret Santa. Plan some virtual activities or create a chat where everyone can share pictures of their gifts to turn the exchange into a memorable event.
Secret Santa gift ideas for remote coworkers
Choosing a good gift for an online coworker is tricky. You cannot observe them in the office or ask around about what they like and dislike. Here are some popular gifts for remote coworkers:
Tech gifts
A wireless charger, phone stand, mug warmer, earbuds, or a portable speaker are great, desirable gifts for any coworker. They are super practical and you can hardly go wrong.
Practical gifts
Send your coworker something they will actually use and not just put it somewhere in their apartment. A personalized mug, hot-dog toaster, hot sauces, green tea, desktop vacuum cleaner, or a planner are good ideas.
Gift certificates
Gift certificates are not the best idea as they are seen as non-personalized, last-minute gifts. Yet, if you choose a subscription that matches your giftee’s interests, they can be very desirable.
Experience gifts
Gifting experience is a trend that is here to stay. Think about show or performance tickets, paint-by-number kits, an escape room, mixology classes, a songwriting class, a DIY candle kit, or a spa gift card.
Gift themes
Set the creative gift theme based on your team’s preferences and interests. If many people in your company are fans of Harry Potter, and Marvel, enjoy cooking, or are fashionistas, using a relevant theme will make the gift exchange more exciting.
Fun Secret Santa reveal ideas for a virtual exchange
Unwrapping gifts and guessing the giver’s identity is the most exciting part of the exchange! When exchanging presents virtually, you can incorporate these Secret Santa reveal ideas to make guessing more interactive:
- Secret Santa with clues. Each participant submits a clue about their identity, for example, a fun fact, an inside joke, or a short poem. The gift recipient should guess them based on this clue.
- Virtual Scavenger Hunt. Create digital clues related to each player. Hide them in shared documents, photos, or a virtual escape room. These clues must lead to the Secret Santa’s identity.
- Office trivia. Before opening a gift, each participant answers a trivia question and gets a funny punishment if they give a wrong answer.
How to organize a virtual holiday party?
During the online gift exchange party, all coworkers open their gifts in front of the camera and guess their Secret Santa. You can make this virtual event more exciting and fun by planning more activities and games.
Virtual Christmas party ideas for coworkers
- Cookie-decorating contest. This fun activity for remote employees is easy to organize. Everyone will need cookies (baked or from the supermarket), as well as icing and other elements for decorating. Everyone decorates cookies and show them to everyone to determine a winner.
- Ugly sweater party. The timeless holiday classic! Encourage everyone on your team to wear ugly Christmas sweaters for the video conference. The perfect way to create holiday magic!
- Wine and cheese tasting. If you’re into something classier this year, organize a wine and cheese tasting event remotely. Tasting kits are delivered to employees, and everyone enjoys the flavors and a good conversation.
- Christmas trivia. It is easy to run a trivia online. You can choose the theme for trivia and award the winner with a small prize, or pair the trivia with Secret Santa or another activity.
- Movie marathon. Choose a Christmas movie and watch it online, sharing your impressions in the chat.
- Festive talent show. Everyone on the team showcases their talent to everyone. You can sing, dance, prepare a comedy act, paint, read poetry, or else.
When planning your remote gift exchange, draw names early and share wishlists to make choosing gifts easier. A virtual Secret Santa exchange will help the remote team know each other better, celebrate Christmas together and inspire everyone to work productively next year.
FAQs
How do you ensure everyone participates in virtual Secret Santa?
To ensure participation in Secret Santa, invite players in advance so that everyone has time to choose a nice gift and send it to the assigned coworker. Inform everyone about the rules and when the video conference will take place. However, if someone opts out, respect their decision, as participation in Secret Santa must be volutnary.
Can you organize Secret Santa for a hybrid team?
In the MySanta generator, you can organize a hybrid gift exchange. In this case, some employers bring their gifts to the office, and others send them by mail to remote participants. On the exchange day, everyone joins the video call and guess their Secret Santa.
What if someone fails to send the gift on time?
Have a number of small gifts in case someone forgets to send the gift on time or any issues with delivery occur. These can be digital certificates or subscriptions you can email to a coworker who hasn't received a gift. Nobody should leave the online party empty-handed!
How do you organize Secret Santa for a large company?
With an online generator, you can invite unlimited players. Even if it's 100 or 500 employees, you can draw names and assign a Secret Santa to everyone. Or, you can organize multiple games and have each department host their own Secret Santa exchange.
How do you handle time zone differences in a virtual Secret Santa?
When planning a video call for a fun Secret Santa reveal, choose time that is convenient for players in all time zones. If it isn't possible, encourage everyone to record the video of opening the gift and uploading it to a special chat where everyone can share their emotions and discuss presents.
How do you set a gift budget for remote teams?
Keep the exchange affordable yet fun for everyone. Popular Secret Santa budget for coworkers is $20 or $30, but you can set any amount that works for your team.
How can you keep Secret Santa anonymous during a virtual exchange?
Encourage all participants not to specify their names when sending gifts. If you send gifts by mail, add the address of one person in the company as a sender to keep the mystery.
