29 Fun Things To Do with Friends (at Home & Outside)

Friendships are so important. They can last for years, and good friends are there for you when things are rough and to share your successes and joy. Time spent with friends creates lasting memories. However, sometimes we need some new things to do with our friends. In this article, we will provide answers to that often-asked question, “What can I do with my friends?” We have fun things to do with your friends at home and outside. Then we share some seasonal suggestions for both summer and winter.

Fun Things to Do with Friends at Home

It is special to have your friends into your home or to visit theirs. With that in mind, we have several activities perfect for sharing with your friends at home. Most of them require very little investment and all of them provide fun.

• Cook Something New

Browse the internet to find a new recipe or create an original dish. Choose one of the following challenges:

• Keep the cost down.
• Choose a genre that is unfamiliar.
• Only use ingredients you have on hand.

Make sure you take pictures or a video of your preparation and final creation.

• Create a Video

Making a video with your friends can be as simple or complicated as you wish. Make it funny, serious, or simply a picture collage. Create a story and write a script if you want to. Post it online or simply show it to friends and family. Whatever you choose to do with your video, spending this time with your friends is sure to be special.

• Host a Paint Party

Paint parties are popular right now and it is easy to host your own. Find an online painting tutorial for a simple but attractive painting. Have your friends chip in for individual canvasses and the paints you need. Some of your friends may have paint brushes or purchase those as well. If a friend has artistic talent, let them lead the group. If not, simply watch the tutorial. Remember, your painting does not need to be exactly like the one you are viewing. Add your own original touches.

• Play Cards

Play an old favorite or try a new game unfamiliar to you and your friends. A game that involves playing with a partner adds special fun. There are games for just you and your bestie, games that pit two couples against each other, and games that work for a larger group. Do not forget card games like Uno and Skipbo, good for a large group.

• Enjoy Karaoke

Use an online version of Karaoke or rent a machine for the evening. Even your shyest friends might participate if you are in the privacy of your own home. Try duos and trios with a bit of harmony. Do not forget the snacks and drinks.

• Play Charades

As the host, you can write down some phrases or names of movies, books, or songs on slips of paper for your friends to act out. You will need a timer and a container for the slips of paper. If you want to play, halfway through, have a volunteer write some phrases and serve as host, while you join the fun of acting out phrases. If your group is large, try teaming up and keeping score. Provide a fun prize for the winning team – maybe candy or some other treat.

• Host a Potluck Dinner

Assign your friends a part of the meal to bring. To make cleanup easy, use disposable plates, utensils, and cups. Print names on cups when you serve the drinks. You can go one step further and have each person bring copies of their recipe for each friend.

• Have a Scavenger Hunt

A scavenger hunt takes a bit of preparation. However, it is well worth the investment in time because you reap so much fun. Hide little treats around the house and create a list of your hiding places. Then simply put clues leading to each place successively. If you wish, you can hide one big treat at the end.

Things to Do with Friends Outside

When the weather permits, spending time with your friends outside provides healthy fun. You can stay in your own backyard, wander your neighborhood or town, or venture to someplace far away. Whatever you do with your friends outside, remember to take plenty of pictures.

• Grow a Garden. Gardening is more fun with friends. Start small by creating pots of flowers or fresh herbs. If one of your friends has the space for it, consider a vegetable garden. Start with easy to grow vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, and green beans. You will save money, have much fresher vegetables, and get plenty of exercise.
• Take a Road Trip. Take a day or overnight trip with your friends. Check the weather and choose the perfect day to set out. Choose a destination if you wish, or simply roam the countryside. Take games to play in the car, plenty of snacks, and cold drinks. See something you like along the way? Stop and explore. More friends than your car can hold? Consider renting a van.
• Go Camping. If your friends agree that sleeping outside and cooking over an open fire is fun, plan a camping trip with them. Remember that camping is not for everyone. Check with your friends before planning a camping trip. You might wish to start with a one-night stayover and work up to a full-blown camping experience. If camping is out but you want a rustic experience, check out local cabins for rent.
• Explore and Make a Map of Your Town or Neighborhood. By making a map of your town or neighborhood, you will find areas you never knew existed. For a neighborhood map, take a walk with your friends. If you are mapping your town, take a few drives and record what you see. Your map can be as simple or detailed as you and your friends wish. You might want to start by doing some research on the internet for basic information. However, the goal is to personalize your map, so seeing things in person is imperative.
• Stargaze. Get your friends together on a warm, moonless night and stare at the stars. Check online to find out if there are any special nighttime features such as meteor showers or the presence of a planet. Use a telescope or binoculars if available. Remember chairs for sitting in and use stargazing apps on your phones to help identify what you see in the night sky.

Things to Do with Friends in Summer

• Hold a Garage Sale. Sometimes we do not have enough good stuff for a successful garage sale. If we get together with our friends, we not only have enough things, but help keeping track of prices and sales. Choose a sunny Saturday morning and start early. Price items beforehand. Make sure you have a secure place to keep receipts and plenty of bills and coins to make change. Donate what you do not sell to a community group that provides for those in need.
• Visit a State Park. Check online for a state park near you and get your friends together for a day of fun. Take food for a picnic and swimming gear if there is a lake. Some parks have perks like boat rentals or hiking trails. Do not forget your sunscreen and bug repellent.
• Visit an Amusement Park or Waterpark. If you are on a budget, the local waterpark is probably your best choice. Again, the options range from a trip to a well-known amusement park in your state or elsewhere, to a small local waterpark. Nothing beats the heat in summer like playing in water! Get with your friends to plan ahead and, if necessary, save up some cash and make reservations.
• Have an Ice Cream Party. If a friend has an ice cream maker, you can use it to create your favorite flavors. If not, you can make ice cream in a plastic food storage bag (really!). Have your friends bring whatever they want to add for flavor, fruit, chocolate chips, nuts, etc. There are other recipes on the internet, but we have chosen to share one that uses whole milk, as most of us have that on hand. The only thing you might need to purchase is the rock salt. The recipe below makes four servings. More friends? Just make more batches.

You will need:

• Two cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• One tablespoon vanilla extract
• Ten cups ice
• Eight tablespoons rock salt

Directions

Mix the milk, sugar, and vanilla together in a medium bowl. Pour 1/2 cup of the mixture into a sandwich-size resealable plastic bag. Add in your desired flavors. If using fruit, only use about a tablespoon, just enough to flavor it. Put the first bag into another sandwich-size resealable plastic bag and seal tightly. Repeat using different flavors.

Put the salt, ice, and filled bags in a four-quart food storage container with a secured lid. Take turns shaking the container for about five minutes until the mixture is frozen and resembles ice cream. Enjoy!

• Take a Hike. Whether you choose to wander around your own neighborhood, venture into town, or hit a local hiking trail, hiking provides hours of adventure and exercise. Take water to stay hydrated and stop for breaks when some of your friends show fatigue. Take plenty of pictures to share later.
• Ride Bikes. If you and your friends do not have your own bikes, check out places to rent them locally. Find a park to ride in or check out local bike trails. It is quite possible none of you have ridden a bike for years. However, it is a talent that comes back to you when you try again. Wear helmets for safety.
• Have a Bar-B-Que. Use a grill or open fire for cooking. You can make the menu as easy or elaborate as you wish. Grill steaks and vegetables, do hot dogs or hamburgers, make sides or buy deli salads. You can also provide just the meat and assign your friends to bring the side dishes. Lots of friends? Have one bring a second grill.

Things to Do with Friends in Winter

Winter days can seem long and dreary. If we are not careful, we may spend too much time alone. Get your friends together and try some of the following activities. Remember to provide a nice hot cup of coffee or cocoa after time outdoors or while enjoying one of our indoor activities.

• Make Holiday Ornaments. Have your friends bring anything they have that might be used to create holiday ornaments or decorations – paints and brushes, stickers, old holiday cards, fabric scraps, construction paper, glue (or hot glue), pinecones, etc. Look online for some ideas. Personalize with names if you wish.
• Make Homemade Holiday Cards. Handmade cards tell someone you took the time to create something just for them. Use construction paper or lighter weight paper if you are mailing the card. Find directions on-line to create your own envelopes or purchase some for the cards you plan to mail.
• Build a Snowman. You can either build a snowman together or each build you own. Get creative and make a snow pet or family group. Take pictures with your finished creations to have a lasting memory and do not forget a group shot with all your friends.
• Have a Snowball Fight. Stretch out your time outdoors and make it more enjoyable by taking time to make your stash of snowballs and then heading inside for a lunch of soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. After lunch, head outside and on the count of three, start your snowball fight. You can team up in pairs or divide into two teams or just fight solo. When the snowballs are all gone, head inside and get warm.
• Enjoy a Bonfire. No snow? No problem. Gather enough wood for a bonfire. You can add paper and cardboard for a really big blaze. Make sure the area surrounding the bonfire is clear and have a hose handy just in case of a problem. Serve hot cider, hot chocolate, or S’mores as the fire dies down. If so moved, sing some songs together or dance around the fire.
• Binge Watch a Favorite Show. The first thing to do is to decide which show to watch. Majority rules here. Start in the early a.m. with an easy breakfast – someone might want to pick up fast food on the way over to save time. Order in pizza for lunch and have everyone bring a microwaveable meal for dinner. Make popcorn and have plenty of snacks and drinks. Just think, if you start early and continue late, you may be able to watch all the episodes in the series you choose!
• Host a Book Club. If reading is something you and your friends enjoy, choose an interesting book to read or listen to. You can make your book club a weekly event, assigning chapters to read and then discussing the book in detail.
• Play Board Games. Have each of your friends bring their favorite board game. Some of the more complicated ones can take a whole evening. Or you can opt for some simpler games. If you have many friends participating, you can divide your group into teams and rotate through playing a few different games. Whatever game you choose, you are guaranteed to have fun.
• Put Together a Puzzle. Puzzling works best with four people, one on each side of the table. Remember to do the border first. You can choose any size but consider how much time you will spend working on the puzzle. One with 750 pieces is doable with four people in one evening.

So, whatever the time of year, weather outside, amount of time you have, or your interests, we have provided enough choices of things to do with your friends that you are sure to find the perfect activity. Our activities will help those friendships stay strong and interesting. We could have shared many more. When it comes to doing things with friends, anything you can do alone is more fun with others. Whatever you decide to do with your friends, have fun!