100+ Epic Things to Do With Friends at Home (When You’re Bored)

Friends coming over to hang out, but not sure what to do? Looking for a list of things to do with friends at home?

You know that feeling when you and your friends are sitting around, scrolling through your phones, and someone inevitably asks, “So… what do you wanna do?”

And then everyone just shrugs? Yeah. We’ve all been there.

Here’s the thing about hanging out at home with friends: it doesn’t have to be boring. You don’t need to spend a ton of money. You don’t need elaborate plans. You just need a list of ideas to jump-start the fun.

And that’s exactly what I’m giving you today. So, you can skip scrolling for something to watch.

Whether you’re looking for fun things to do at home with friends on a random Tuesday, stuff to do when bored with a friend on a rainy weekend, or cool things to do with friends that don’t involve leaving the house, I’ve got you covered.

This is your ultimate guide to hangout activities that’ll make staying in the new favorite way to spend time together. As a Goal Slaying Coach to a community of thousands, I’m here to help you live your best life, and that includes with your friends.

Research shows that friends who engage in activities together, especially ones that involve laughter and shared experiences, have stronger bonds and greater life satisfaction.

So yeah, what you do together actually matters.

Things to Do With Friends at Home

Okay, so you’re at home. Maybe it’s your place, maybe it’s theirs. Either way, you’re looking for fun things to do at home for adults that don’t involve just sitting on the couch rewatching your favorite movie for the millionth time.

Here are some ideas:

Games & Competition🃏

1. Host a Board Game Tournament
Pick your favorite board game (or several), set up a bracket, and crown a champion. Make it interesting with silly prizes for the winner.

2. Card Game Marathon
From Uno to Cards Against Humanity to classic poker, card games are always a hit. Learn a new card game together or stick with old favorites. Some of my favorites are Skip Bo, Golf, and Eucher.

3. Casino or Poker Night
Yes, we all used to play poker in college and university. Get your poker face on and play for candy, fake money, or heck, even some real money. But of course, play responsibly. Set up multiple card tables if you have a big group and rotate games.

4. Video Game Competition
Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros, or whatever your gaming poison is. Bonus points if you make it a drinking game (for the adults, obviously).

5. Trivia Night
Use a trivia app, buy a game, or make up your own questions. Categories can be anything from pop culture to embarrassing stories about each other.

6. Charades or Pictionary
Classic party games that never get old. The more dramatic everyone gets, the better.

7. Murder Mystery Game
Buy a murder mystery game kit online or find free ones. Everyone gets a character, and you solve the mystery together. It’s like being in a real-life Clue game. Bonus points for dressing up.

8. Scavenger Hunt
Create clues and hide them around the house, backyard, or local park. Make the final prize something ridiculous or actually useful.

9. Escape Room at Home
There are tons of printable escape room kits online. Transform a room in your house into a puzzle-solving adventure.

According to research in the Journal of Leisure Research, playing games together strengthens friendships through shared laughter, friendly competition, and collaborative problem-solving.

Creative & Crafty 🎨

10. DIY Craft Night
Hit up your local craft store and pick up supplies for something you’ve been wanting to try. Painting, embroidery, polymer clay, debazzling, whatever.

11. Paint and Sip
Grab some canvases, cheap paint from the store, and wine. Follow a Bob Ross tutorial or just freestyle it. No need to pay to paint.

12. Knitting or Crochet Circle
Create a knitting circle, work on something like a blanket for someone. You could make it a group project and gift it to someone experiencing homelessness, someone having a baby, or even repurpose someone’s children’s jerseys or clothing into something meaningful.

13. Bedazzle A Book Night
Get some gemstones and glue, and bedazzle your favorite book. It’s cozy and perfect in a fun, creative way. Make your books look like they belong in a fantasy novel themselves.

14. Make Terrariums
Quick trip to your local plant nursery and dollar store. Pick up some pots, soil, and little plants or succulents. Make a mini terrarium together. You can even add in some figurines or whatever little bits express who you are and your personality. Everyone goes home with living decor.

15. Make Friendship Bracelets
Yes, like you did in middle school. It’s nostalgic, and you end up with something cute. Make them for each other.

16. Clay Creations
Create decorations, ornaments, dishes, vases, little figurines, or whatever your hearts desire. It’s easy with air-dry clay. Decorate with paint or paper.

17. Scrapbooking
Print out photos from your phones and make a physical scrapbook of your friendship. Very Tumblr 2014, but in the best way.

18. Adult Coloring Books
Grab your pencil crayons, or even better, markers (easier on the hands), and get coloring. Adult coloring books are super relaxing. Add some music and snacks, and you’ve got a vibe. You can also get printable pages online.

19. Vision Board Creation
Get magazines, poster board, glue, and scissors. Make vision boards for the year together.

20. Cookie Decorating
Buy or bake plain sugar cookies and frosting. Turn it into a competition for who can make the prettiest (or ugliest) cookie.

21. DIY Candle Making
Candle-making kits are pretty affordable, and you end up with candles you can actually use. (Without the harmful chemicals, too).

A study by the American Journal of Public Health shows that engaging in creative activities with friends reduces stress and increases feelings of well-being.

Food & Drink 🍹

22. Cook a New Recipe Together
Pick something none of you have made before. The more complicated, the more fun (and potentially disastrous).

23. Baking Competition
Great British Bake Off style. Everyone makes the same thing, and you judge each other. I personally LOVE making marshmallows.

24. Homemade Pizza Party
Buy dough (or make it) and set up a pizza bar with tons of toppings. Everyone customizes their own.

25. Cocktail or Mocktail Making
Look up fancy drink recipes and play bartender. Bonus points for ridiculous garnishes.

26. Wine, Cider, or Beer Tasting
Pick up a few different bottles from the store and do your own tasting. Rate them, take notes, pretend you’re fancy. Make it alcohol-free by tasting sodas or kombuchas.

27. Fondue Night
Cheese fondue, chocolate fondue, or both. It’s interactive eating, and it’s delicious. Or maybe maple syrup fondue? What can I say, I’m Canadian.

28. International Food Night
Pick a country, and everyone makes a dish from that cuisine. It’s like traveling without leaving home. Have you tried Jamaican? If cooking isn’t your thing, order from a new restaurant.

29. Waffle or Pancake Bar
Make a bunch of waffles or pancakes and set out different toppings. Sweet, savory, weird combinations encouraged. Try to make Japanese fluffy pancakes or potato waffles.

Entertainment & Relaxation 🍿

30. Movie Marathon with a Theme
Pick a theme (all movies with the same actor, a franchise, a genre) and commit to the marathon. Revisit the movies you grew up on, like Twilight or the Harry Potter Movies.

31. At-Home Spa Day
Face masks, nail painting, foot soaks, the works. Put on relaxing music and get pampered at home. Everyone can bring a self-care product to share. Also, snacks are self-care!

32. Karaoke Night
Use YouTube karaoke videos or get a karaoke machine. Duets encouraged, judgment discouraged. Or maybe dust off the Guitar Hero that you’ve got stored in your basement.

33. Dance Party
Clear some space, make a playlist, and just dance like no one can see you. It’s surprisingly good cardio.

34. Podcast Listening Party
Find a compelling true crime or storytelling podcast and listen together. Discuss as you go. You could also mix this up and binge-watch YouTube videos.

35. Book Club Meeting
If you’re all reading the same book, get together to discuss it. Make it a book club to remember by dressing up like characters in the book.

36. YouTube Deep Dive
Pick a topic and go down a rabbit hole together. Conspiracy theories, weird history, cooking fails, whatever. I’m really into prison documentaries (don’t judge).

37. Photo Shoot
Use your phone, an actual camera, or even Polaroids or Instax. Take turns being the photographer and the model. Get creative with it by having a theme or props.

38. Teach Each Other Skills
Everyone teaches something they’re good at. Could be a recipe, a card trick, a headstand, how to change a tire, anything.

Things to Do With Friends at Night 🌙

When the sun goes down, the vibes shift. Here are fun things to do on a weekend with friends after dark:

39. Stargazing in the Backyard
Bring out blankets, download a stargazing app, and just look up. Bonus if you can identify constellations or look for your zodiac signs.

40. Bonfire or Fire Pit Hangout
If you have outdoor space, a fire makes everything better. S’mores optional but highly recommended.

41. Ghost Story Time
Turn off the lights, light some candles, and share scary stories. Or read creepy Reddit threads out loud.

42. Late-night Game Session
Some games just hit different at 2 AM. The delirium makes everything funnier. Playing spoons half-tired is highly recommended.

43. Midnight Snack Cooking
Make elaborate snacks at ridiculous hours. Breakfast for dinner at midnight counts.

44. Living Room Camping
Build a blanket fort, set up sleeping bags, and tell stories. It’s camping without bugs or bears.

45. Night Photography Walk
If you’re in a safe area, walk around and take photos of your neighborhood at night. It looks totally different. Buy some creepy light-up masks to take it to another level.

46. Glow Stick Party
Cheap glow sticks from the dollar store, turn off all the lights, and have a glow-in-the-dark dance party.

Research from the University of California found that late-night social activities create stronger memory formation and bonding, possibly because the shared tiredness creates a unique vulnerability and authenticity.

Things to Do With Friends by the Seasons

Summertime ☀️

Summer vibes call for specific activities. Here’s what to do when bored with friends at home during those hot months:

47. Water Balloon Fight
Classic summer fun. Fill up a bunch of balloons and go to war in the backyard. Bunch O Balloons makes it super easy to fill them.

48. Sprinkler or Slip-and-Slide
You’re never too old for this. Set it up and act like you’re 10 again. Check if Slide the City is coming to your hometown.

49. Outdoor Movie Night
Hang a white sheet, use a projector (or laptop), and watch movies outside. Bug spray recommended.

50. Grilling and Chilling
Fire up the grill, make burgers, hot dogs, or veggie options, and eat outside. Don’t forget to make some yummy sides too.

51. Ice Cream Sundae Bar
Set up different flavors of ice creams, toppings, and sauces. Build ridiculously high sundaes.

52. DIY Lemonade Stand
Yes, as adults. Make different flavored lemonades and sell them (or just drink them yourselves).

53. Backyard Picnic
Spread out blankets, pack a basket with snacks, and have a picnic in your own yard.

54. Garden Party
If you have a garden or even potted plants, spend time outside together planting or just enjoying the space.

55. Chalk Art Competition
Get sidewalk chalk and decorate your driveway or patio. Take pictures before the rain washes it away.

Spring Things To Do 🌸

Nothing beats shaking off the winter blues with your crew. Here are some ideas for when the weather starts turning:

56. Flower Market Trip
Visit a local farmers’ market or flower stand and each pick something to bring home. Arrange them together before you leave.

57. Backyard Seed Starting
Get some seed packets and small pots. Plant herbs or vegetables together and check in on each other’s progress all season. Make it a competition.

58. Spring Cleaning Swap
Help each other declutter their homes or clean out their closets. One person’s donation pile is another person’s treasure. Have a clothing swap after.

59. Outdoor Brunch
Set up a table outside with mimosas (or sparkling juice) and make a big spread together. Celebrate the sun being back.

60. Rain Day Puzzle and Tea Afternoon
April showers are inevitable. Lean into it with a big puzzle, hot drinks, and a cozy playlist.

61. Plant a Container Garden
Grab some pots and seasonal plants from a nursery and create a little patio or balcony garden together.

62. Spring Photo Walk
Everything is blooming! Go for a walk and take turns photographing each other and the scenery.

Fall Things To Do 🍁

Autumn is arguably the coziest season for hanging out. Here’s how to make the most of it:

63. Apple or Pumpkin Picking
Head to a local farm or market and stock up. Then come home and bake something with your haul.

64. Pumpkin Carving or Painting
Carving is classic, but painting pumpkins is surprisingly fun and way less messy.

65. Soup and Stew Cookoff
Everyone brings a pot of their best fall soup or stew. You get fed and vote on a winner.

66. Fall Foliage Walk
Find a trail or park with beautiful fall colors and go for a walk. Bring a thermos of something warm, like apple cider.

67. Harvest Movie Marathon
Pick fall-vibes movies, like Hocus Pocus, Practical Magic, and Knives Out, and commit to watching the whole lineup.

68. Candle and Cozy Product Haul
Hit up a home goods or thrift store together and stock up on fall candles, mugs, and cozy things. Make an afternoon of it.

69. Friendsgiving Planning Session
Get together early in the season to plan your Friendsgiving menu, divide up dishes, and make it an event worth looking forward to.

Wintertime ❄️

Cold weather doesn’t mean you have to be stuck inside doing nothing. Here are things to do with your friends when it’s freezing:

70. Hot Chocolate Bar
Make different flavored hot chocolates with all the toppings. Marshmallows, whipped cream, candy canes, the works.

71. Holiday Movie Marathon
Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, whatever you celebrate. Watch all the classics.

72. Cookie Baking Extravaganza
Bake enough cookies for days. Package them up as gifts or just eat them all. You could also do a cookie swap.

73. Soup Swap
Everyone makes a different soup, and you all trade. You leave with multiple meals.

74. Indoor Fort Building
Use every blanket and pillow in the house. Make it elaborate, just like in the movies.

75. Puzzle Competition
Get the same puzzle for everyone (or teams) and race to finish it.

76. Cozy Reading Afternoon
Everyone brings their current book, makes tea, and reads together in comfortable silence.

77. Winter Craft Day
Make ornaments, knit scarves, and create winter decorations.

78. Game Night with Comfort Food
Play games while eating the most comforting winter foods. Think mac and cheese, pot pie, warm bread.

Holiday Things to Do 🎁

Holiday time calls for festive hangouts:

79. Ornament Making Party
Make ornaments together to hang on the tree or give as gifts.

80. Holiday Card Creation
Make your own holiday cards instead of buying them. Way more personal.

81. Sit Fireside with the Cutest Snowfolks Around
Build snowmen if you have snow, or make indoor versions with cotton balls and craft supplies.

82. Gift Wrapping Party
Bring all your gifts, share supplies, and help each other wrap while drinking and listening to music.

83. Holiday Baking Day
Make all the seasonal treats. Cookies, fudge, candy, everything.

84. Decorate Together
Help each other put up decorations at your respective homes. Many hands make light work.

Things to Do With Friends Outdoors (But Close to Home)

If you’ve got a yard, patio, or balcony, use it:

85. Outdoor Yoga or Workout Session
Follow a YouTube video together. Fresh air makes it better.

86. Gardening Together
Plant flowers, vegetables, or herbs. It’s therapeutic, and you end up with something beautiful (or edible).

87. Outdoor Painting
Set up easels or just use clipboards. Paint the scenery or each other. Why not sip, too?

88. Badminton or Volleyball
If you have space, set up a net and play. It’s more fun than you remember.

89. Frisbee, Hacky Sack, or Catch
Simple, but it gets you moving and outside enjoying the nice weather.

90. Outdoor Tea Party
Set up a table outside with tea, cucumber sandwiches, and pastries. Feel fancy.

91. Bird Watching
Get a bird identification book or app. See how many different species you can spot.

92. Nature Scavenger Hunt
Make a list of things to find in your yard or neighborhood. First to find everything wins.

Studies published in Frontiers in Psychology show that spending time outdoors with friends enhances mood, reduces anxiety, and strengthens social bonds more than indoor activities.

Wintertime Outdoors ⛷️

Just because it’s cold doesn’t mean you have to stay inside. Bundle up and make some memories:

93. Go Tobogganing, Tubing, or Sledding
Find the best hill in your area and race each other down. It’s chaotic, it’s cold, and it’s absolutely worth it.

94. Skate at an Outdoor Rink
Most cities have at least one. Rent skates if you don’t own them, and don’t worry about looking graceful. Bonus points for finding a skating trail.

95. Snowshoe a Local Trail
Rentals are usually affordable, and you don’t need any experience. Pack a thermos of something hot.

96. Snow Sculpture Competition
Take the snowman up a notch. Pick a theme, set a timer, and judge each other’s creations.

97. Winter Photography Walk
Fresh snowfall makes everything look completely different. Bring your phone or a camera and see what you capture. Golden hour makes it even more magical.

98. Stargazing in the Snow
Cold nights often mean the clearest skies. Lay out on a blanket, download a stargazing app, and look up.

99. Drive Around to Find the Best Holiday Lights
Make it a proper tour with snacks in the car and a rating system for each house.

100. Outdoor Bonfire Night
If someone has yard space, a fire makes even the coldest night feel cozy. Blankets and hot drinks are mandatory.

101. Winter Nature Walk
Birds, frozen ponds, bare trees, falling snow… winter has its own kind of beauty. Just walk and take it all in together.

Things to Do With Your Best Friend

Sometimes it’s just you and your BFF. Here are things to do with your friend when it’s one-on-one:

102. Deep Conversation Night
Get those conversation card decks (or find questions online) and really talk.

103 Make Friendship Time Capsule
Write letters to your future selves, add photos and mementos, and seal them up to open in 5 or 10 years.

104. Recreate Old Photos
Find photos from when you first became friends and recreate them now. The results are usually hilarious.

105. Life Planning Session
Talk about goals, dreams, and where you want to be in the year. Help each other make plans.

106. Learn Something New Together
Pick a skill neither of you has and learn it together via YouTube tutorials.

107. Clothing Swap
Go through each other’s closets and trade items. One person’s “never wear” is another’s new favorite.

108. Playlist Making
Create the ultimate playlist of songs that remind you of your friendship or represent different eras of knowing each other.

109. Write Each Other Letters
Handwritten letters to each other about what your friendship means. Keep them or exchange them.

If you want to show your best friend how much they mean to you, sometimes finding the right words can make all the difference.

Things to Do With Friends as a Group 🎉

Got a whole crew coming over? Here are some ideas of things to do:

110. Potluck Dinner
Everyone brings a dish. You end up with a feast, and nobody has to cook everything.

111. Group Game Tournament
Set up stations with different games. Rotate through and keep score.

112. Talent Show
Everyone performs something. Singing, dancing, comedy, magic tricks, whatever. The worse, the better.

113. Themed Costume Party
Pick a theme (decades, movie characters, colors), and everyone dresses up.

114. Group Craft Project
Work on something big together. A mural, a quilt where everyone does a square, a group scrapbook.

115. Recipe Exchange Party
Everyone brings copies of their favorite recipe and the dish made from it. You leave with new recipes to try.

116. White Elephant Gift Exchange
Even outside the holidays, this is fun. Set a budget and make it weird.

117. Group Photo Challenge
Give everyone the same photo prompt and see who takes the best shot. Judge and vote on winners.

Research from Harvard University on adult development found that the quality of our relationships, especially those involving shared activities and experiences, is the biggest predictor of happiness and health over our lifetime.

Online or Long-Distance Friends 🌍

Can’t be together physically? Here’s what you can still do:

118. Virtual Game Night
Use platforms like Jackbox Games, Among Us, or board game apps to play together online.

119. Watch Party
Use Netflix Party or similar apps to watch movies or shows together while video chatting.

120. Virtual Cooking Together
Pick the same recipe, video call, and cook together from your respective kitchens.

121. Online Trivia or Quiz
Lots of websites offer multiplayer trivia games you can play remotely.

122. Virtual Book Club
Read the same book and meet on video to discuss.

If you’re trying to figure out how to maintain long-distance friendships, these virtual activities can help you stay connected even when you’re far apart.

More Things To Do With Friends at Home

Inexpensive Things to Do With Friends 🏕️

You don’t need money to have fun. Here are free things to do with family and friends or cheap options:

123. Park Hangout
Just go to a local park and hang out. Bring a Frisbee or a soccer ball if you want. Why not play a game of Disc Golf? It’s as fun as it sounds.

124. Window Shopping
Walk around the store or mall without buying anything. Try on ridiculous outfits in dressing rooms.

125. Photoshoot in Nature
Find a pretty spot and take photos of each other. Free, and you get good Instagram content.

126. Teach Each Other Recipes Using What You Have
Use ingredients you already have at home. Get creative with your recipes.

127. YouTube Workout Challenge
Find free workout videos and do them together. Suffer together, bond together.

According to a study in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, the cost of activities is not correlated with friendship satisfaction. What matters is time spent together and shared enjoyment.

Kid-Friendly Things to Do With Friends 🎨

Got little ones around? Here’s what to do:

128. Play-Doh Creations
Set up a Play-Doh station. Adults and kids can both participate.

129. Story Time Circle
Take turns reading books out loud. Kids love it, and it’s calming for everyone.

130. Simple Baking with Kids
Make easy recipes like no-bake cookies or rice crispy treats that kids can help with.

131. Dance Party
Put on kid-friendly music and just dance. Kids have the best moves.

132. Outdoor Play
Set up simple outdoor games like tag, hide and seek, or bubbles.

Neurodivergent-Friendly Things to Do With Friends 🧶

Some activities work better for neurodivergent folks. Here are some options:

133. Parallel Play Hangouts
Be in the same space doing your own things. Reading, crafting, and gaming separately but together.

134. Low-Sensory Movie Night
Watch with subtitles, lower volume, dimmed lights. Whatever makes everyone comfortable.

135. Structured Game Time
Games with clear rules and structure can be more comfortable than open-ended socializing.

136. Quiet Craft Time
Do crafts together without pressure to fill the silence with conversation.

137. Nature Time
Being outside can be calming. Walk, sit, or do low-key activities in nature.

Research from the National Autistic Society emphasizes that neurodivergent individuals often thrive in friendships that allow for structured activities and parallel play rather than constant face-to-face interaction.

When You’re Struggling to Connect

Look, sometimes hanging out feels hard. Maybe you’re going through a rough patch. Maybe you’re dealing with social anxiety. Maybe you just feel disconnected.

That’s okay.

If you’re feeling isolated, know that you’re not alone. Understanding what to do when you have no friends can help you start building those connections from scratch.

And if you’ve recently moved and you’re trying to build a social circle, learning how to make new friends in a new city can give you practical steps to take.

You can also try apps designed to help you make friends, which can be less intimidating than in-person meetups when you’re starting out.

The point is: friendships are worth investing in. They’re worth showing up for. They’re worth the effort.

The Harvard Study of Adult Development, which has tracked people for over 80 years, found that good relationships keep us happier and healthier. Not money, not fame, not success. Relationships.

So pick up your phone. Text your friend. Make plans to do anything literally on this list.

Or make up your own thing. Just be together.

You’ve Got Everything You Need

Here’s what I want you to remember: fun doesn’t require elaborate plans or tons of money.

Some of my favorite memories with friends happened during the most random, unplanned hangouts. That time, we thought we were geniuses for mixing coffee and tea. The afternoon we spent reorganizing my closet and ended up trying on everything I owned.

The stuff to do with friends that matters most isn’t about what you do. It’s about who you’re with. And if you want to show up as the best version of yourself in those moments, it’s worth brushing up on how to be a good friend and picking up a few friendship tips for adults that actually work in real life.

And when you’re ready to take things even further, it’s time to start setting friendship goals.

So pick something from this list. Or don’t. Make up your own thing. Just get together and be present with your people.

That’s what it’s really all about.

It’s all you, boo.

Last Updated on April 20, 2026

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