Food, food, glorious food…and drinks

This first one may sound like a no-brainer, but how you go about getting your grub can very well be a part of the fun. You can take the easy route and just have everyone order in from their favorite restaurant. A more economical option would be to make it a pot luck party, and have everyone bring a dish to the house of whoever’s hosting for a buffet-style banquet. For a very small group of friends, cooking together can certainly provide hours of fun and laughter; just don’t snack too much during the process, lest you ruin your appetite! Some sweet snacks for after dinner, whether store-bought or home-made, would almost certainly be appreciated by everyone present. It’s worth remembering to make sure that the food provided is inclusive, and doesn’t exclude vegetarians/vegans and/or those with certain food allergies.

But what about drinks? Did you know they could be the evening’s main event? Some well-to-do groups of friends have been known to host wine- or beer-tasting parties, where the attendees (and host, of course) bring some choice beverages for everyone to taste and discuss.

Snuggle up with Popcorn and a Movie!

Movies are an indisputable staple of nights in, but the importance of the right selection cannot be overstated, and this can prove to be harder than one might imagine if the group of friends in question is comprised of people with varying taste. It’s therefore best to start with what’s NOT an option, and the ideal way to go about that is to ask everyone involved which movie genres they do not enjoy. Once common genre tastes are established, the next step is to decide what everyone’s in the mood for. So for instance, if the unanimously chosen genres are comedy and horror, the former might be the safer bet if everyone expresses a desire for something fun and light-hearted which doesn’t require a lot of concentration. On the other hand, those involved might feel that horror is the ideal choice for a movie night during Halloween season. A movie like the recently released Hocus Pocus 2 would be an accommodating medium between the two, but you’ll be spoilt for choice in the Halloween section of Netflix movies, such as the Fear Street trilogy, and the feature-length Goosebumps movies.

A slight variation on the movie night option would be to watch an episode or two of a popular series everyone in the group enjoys. Many did this for the series finale of Game of Thrones back in 2019, and more recently, the season finale of Stranger Things 4. Naturally, this would require forethought and planning, as everyone involved would need to agree ahead of time to not watch the chosen series’ episodes.

Bring your A-game for a Board Game

If a more upbeat evening is what you have in mind, then you might want to whip out some classic card or board games. Poker, Scrabble, UNO, Jenga, Monopoly, Charades, Pictionary, Taboo, Cards Against Humanity…these are just a handful of favourites sure to keep everyone on the edge of their seat. A popular variation of Game Night would be Trivia Night, which could be general or themed. Party-goers can create their own questions, or remove the need for prep work by making use of games like Trivial Pursuit.

A more niche type of game night would be a night of role-playing. This can be done in a variety of ways. One of the oldest and most popular forms would be via the game of Dungeons & Dragons. Full-on LARPing is another option, but not really suited for small spaces. The most modern version of this concept would be a LAN party, where avid gamers bring their laptops to one location, usually a friend’s house, and play online multiplayer games, oftentimes of the role-playing variety, together in the same space.

Let’s make music! Or sweaters. Or paintings. Or…

0If you belong to a particularly creative group of friends, a hobby night is a happy night for everyone. Musicians can bring their instruments and have a jam session, provided all attendees are included somehow and neighbours aren’t disturbed. Likewise, those who sew, crochet, or knit can create clothes and accessories together, and those adept at drawing and/or painting can work on separate pieces or, better yet, one big piece together; how’s that for teamwork? The only problem with that idea would be deciding who’s to keep the finished product!

If the notion of working together at something appeals to you but you’re not the most artistic bunch, a jigsaw puzzle might just be the ticket. Just make sure to pick one with a picture that appeals to everyone and that’s not excessively hard to figure out, or you risk losing everyone’s interest.

We need to talk

Everyone talks at get-togethers. This is the most basic occurrence. Even the most reserved group member will occasionally pepper the conversation with a few random quips. But a night of organized discussion on an agreed-upon topic is another party form altogether. Topics can range from personal projects to philanthropic pursuits you all wish to go in on together. It can even be an opportunity to discuss a long-awaited group trip, where everything from itinerary to budget is explored. Throw in a drawing board, light background music, snacks, and drinks, and you’d be surprised by the electric energy good conversation can stir up for an entire evening. Just be conscious of your friends’ personalities and steer clear of potentially sensitive topics to avoid turning the evening sour. Nobody wants that!

Enjoy the World Cup 2022 Matches

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If your squad is remotely interested in the world’s most popular sport AND you yearn for a night in with friends, then 2022 is the year for you. Breaking from its traditional summer schedule due to the host country being the perpetually sunny Qatar, the FIFA World Cup 2022 will take off on November 20th with a match between Qatar and Ecuador, and with matches taking place virtually every day for a month, this guarantees you and your friends will have something exciting to look forward to no matter what day of the week you all decide to get together…for a whole month.

You can add some silliness by painting each other’s faces with your favorite team’s flag, but most of all, be sure to have an endless supply of “sports bar snacks”, such as pizza, wings (chicken or vegan), nachos, beer, and wine. If your pals become especially rowdy during sporting events, closing windows and balcony doors would be a good idea out of consideration for your neighbours.

This World Cup is the first since the onset of COVID-19, so it’s a much-needed morale booster for many across the globe, and enjoying it at home with friends is a smart way to keep the virus at bay. Even for those dilettantes with only a superficial interest in the sport, the FIFA World Cup has proven to be a timeless way of bringing loved ones together, and where better to do so than in the comfort of one’s own home?