Secret Santa ideas for work in Australia and other English-speaking cultures around the world have its origins rooted deeply in the Scandinavian tradition called Christmas knock or “Julklapp”. Secret givers would knock on people’s doors, and once opened, quickly toss a present and run away before anyone could identify them!

A modern variation of this in Australia, however, is simply called Secret Santa or Stealing Secret Santa, where co-workers bring a good Secret Santa gift for everyone, hopefully one that everyone would like.

How does Secret Santa work?

All the gifts are placed in one place and every office participant is given a number at random. One at a time, and in that order, a participant opens the gift and shows everyone what they received. The next participant can choose to open a new gift or steal any of the previously opened ones.

There are many Secret Santa gift ideas for co-workers that you can come up with, and it is a great idea, to be honest! For one, it makes for a highly affordable option because you don’t have to worry about buying a gift for every single co-worker. Plus, you never know what you’re going to get, and it’s always a fun experience at work trying to guess who got what for everyone in the team or group.

Here are Secret Santa ideas for work that everyone will no doubt enjoy:

Secret Santa Ideas for Work in Australia

Waterproof Dry Bag

If you’re looking for a novel gift that’s also smart and practical, then go for a waterproof dry bag by Gentlemen’s Hardware. It’s sure to be a hit among both male and female co-workers, and suitable for anyone who enjoys adventuring out in the open, be it camping, fishing, kayaking or just hanging out at the beach.

The waterproof pouch keeps your phone and valuables safe, even when the bag is fully submerged in water. In fact, while we’re talking about Secret Santa ideas for work, this might be a fantastic gift for someone you barely know.

Mini Arcade Machine

This one’s for the gadget-loving and nerdy bunch in your office, the men mostly, that is! Everyone loves a great arcade machine, and this handheld one comes with an impressive 240 of the top 16-bit hits that we all enjoyed playing while growing up.

Sleepy Gift Set

The sleep-inducing shower gel and lavender body lotion combo is not only easy on the wallet but among the top Secret Santa gift ideas for co-workers that’s sure to leave anyone impressed. It also comes beautifully wrapped, so half your work is already done!

Tea Pot and Tea

Ah yes, a good old fashioned tea pot and tea is a safe bet and works all too well every time. It’s a beautiful gift for anyone who loves having tea at work, and who doesn’t, right?

Reusable coffee cup

If the office isn’t the most fun place to have coffee while meeting deadlines, impressing customers and having a few laughs with your co-workers every now and then, then we don’t know what is!

This environmentally-friendly reusable cup will please any coffee lover with ease.

Dean and Monroe Prosecco

With delicate notes of white peach and melon, your co-workers will surely enjoy kicking back to a little Prosecco with crackers, cheese platters, seafood and chips, when they need to take a break from work.

Ladybird Book of ‘The Meeting’ in Hardcover

Sometimes, you just can’t avoid meetings. On the other hand, they offer a nice change of pace from the real work. But, they can also be unbelievably boring all the while!

We included this in our Secret Santa ideas for work Australia list because we feel this delightful book contains an interesting mix of hilarious and witty text with Ladybird-style illustrations to poke light-hearted fun at how absurd office meetings can be – and how even more absurd it can be dealing with them!

It’s a winning gift for any workplace.

Nanoblock London Bus

The London bus is a world-famous English icon, so why not have a beautiful replica of this in your office? It’s made from high-quality material from Japan and anyone from the office who’s ever been to the UK will relate to it right away.