The short answer: The best things to do with friends are simple to plan, easy to say yes to and leave room to actually talk, whether that's a potluck, a hike, a game night or a day trip. You don't need a big budget: many of the best plans are free or cost less than a meal out.
Our picks for things to do with friends
Printables
Budget Planner Printable
Twelve undated pages you can print every month: budget, bills, spending, savings and debt.
Spreadsheets
Sinking Funds Tracker
It does the math: how much to set aside each month to hit every goal on time.
Starter pickPrintables
Meal Planner & Grocery List
Weekly meals, a grocery list sorted by aisle, and pantry and freezer inventories so you shop once and waste less.
Starter pickPrintables
100 Envelope Savings Challenge
Classic, half and 52-week challenges to print, plus a spreadsheet that tracks every envelope and tells you how much to save each week.
Below are 60 things to do with friends in 8 groups, plus how to split costs so everyone can come.
Social plans add up fast. A friendship budget and our Budget Planner Printable help you set a monthly amount for going out, so you can say yes without regret.
The full list: 60 things to do with friends in 8 groups
1. Free things to do with friends
- Hike a new trail
- Picnic in the park, with everyone bringing something
- Watch the sunset somewhere scenic
- Free museum or gallery day
- Library events, readings or classes
- Pickup basketball, soccer or frisbee
- Clothing or book swap
- Volunteer together
2. Things to do with friends at home
- Game night
- Potluck dinner
- Movie or TV marathon
- Cooking or baking competition
- Karaoke night
- Puzzle race
- Spa night
- Video game tournament
3. Creative things to do with friends
- Craft or paint night
- A "teach us something" night where everyone shares a skill
- Make a group playlist
- Start a book club
- Try a pottery class
- Make friendship bracelets or holiday ornaments
- Plan and film a silly short video
- Write and mail cards to a friend who moved away
4. Outdoor and active plans
- Bowling
- Mini golf
- Kayaking or paddle boarding
- Bike ride to a café
- Rock climbing gym
- Pickleball or tennis
- Camping trip
- Beach or lake day
5. Things to do with friends at night
- Trivia night
- Karaoke
- Comedy show
- Board game café
- Bonfire, where it's allowed
- Stargazing
- Dessert crawl
- Night market or food truck event
6. Food plans
- Themed potluck
- Make-your-own pizza night
- Brunch at home
- Farmers market and cook what you buy
- Try a new cuisine together
- Taco or chili cook-off
- Progressive dinner at each other's homes
7. Things to do with friends by season
- Fall: apple picking, a corn maze or Friendsgiving
- Winter: a cookie swap, holiday lights walk or gift exchange
- Spring: a garden day, plant swap or yard sale together
- Summer: a pool day, outdoor movie or road trip
- Any season: a "bucket list" night to plan the year
- Any season: a group volunteering day
8. Bigger plans worth saving for
- Weekend cabin trip
- Concert or festival
- Escape room
- Theme park day
- Day trip to a nearby city
- A group class series, like dance or cooking
- A milestone birthday trip
Things to do with friends by budget
| Budget per person | Ideas |
|---|---|
| Free | Hike, picnic, game night, library event, swap, pickup sports |
| Under $15 | Potluck, coffee and a walk, thrift challenge, puzzle night |
| $15 to $40 | Bowling, mini golf, trivia, a movie, escape room |
| $40 to $100 | Concert, pottery or cooking class, theme park |
| $100 and up | Weekend trip, festival, milestone celebrations |
How to plan something with friends
- Suggest a specific plan. "Game night at my place Friday at 7?" gets more replies than "we should hang out."
- Share the cost upfront. Say roughly what it will cost so nobody is surprised.
- Offer a free option. When budgets differ, a free or cheap plan keeps everyone included.
- Split the work. Assign dishes for a potluck, or let one person book and others pay them back.
- Make it recurring. A standing first-Friday game night or monthly hike takes the planning out of it.
- Settle up quickly. Pay each other back within a day or two so money never gets awkward.
A year of friend plans
| Month | Plan idea |
|---|---|
| January | Cozy game night |
| February | Potluck chili cook-off |
| March | Pottery or paint night |
| April | Spring hike |
| May | Farmers market brunch |
| June | Beach or lake day |
| July | Outdoor movie night |
| August | Camping or cabin trip |
| September | Trivia league |
| October | Corn maze or apple picking |
| November | Friendsgiving |
| December | Cookie swap or gift exchange |
How to budget for a social life
Friends matter, and so do your savings goals. A plan for social spending lets you enjoy both:
- Set a monthly "social" amount. Add it as a category, using our budget categories list as a guide.
- Track what you spend. The Budget Planner Printable ($5.99) has monthly pages for every category, including fun money.
- Save for big group plans. The Sinking Funds Tracker ($4.99) sets aside a monthly amount for a friend trip, concert or wedding.
- Make hosting easy. The Meal Planner & Grocery List ($3.99) plans a potluck or dinner and the shopping list in one place.
- Save as a group. The 100 Envelope Savings Challenge ($3.99) works well for friends saving together for a trip.
Need more ideas? Try our fun date ideas for couples, our list of hobbies for activities to share, and our would you rather questions for game night.
Planning a low-key night in? Pull a few dad jokes for a no-laughing challenge, or check the full moon 2026 calendar and plan an evening walk under a bright moon.
Want a night built around real conversation? Bring a short list of deep conversation questions and take turns answering over dinner.
Budget Planner Printable
Twelve undated pages you can print every month: budget, bills, spending, savings and debt.
$5.99 · Instant download. Print at home or fill it in on screen. Or browse the full Budget & Money collection.
Frequently asked questions
What are fun things to do with friends? Fun things to do with friends include a game night, a potluck dinner, a hike, trivia at a local spot, a movie marathon, a cooking night, bowling or mini golf, a picnic, a day trip, karaoke, an escape room and a craft night. The best plans are easy to say yes to: a clear date, a simple activity and a cost everyone is comfortable with.
What are free things to do with friends? Free things to do with friends include hiking, a park picnic where everyone brings something, a game night with games you own, a movie night at someone's home, a free museum day, a library event, a pickup basketball or soccer game, a sunset walk, a clothing swap, a book club, volunteering together and a backyard bonfire where it's allowed.
What can friends do at home? Friends can do plenty at home: a game night, a potluck, a movie or TV marathon, a cooking or baking competition, a craft night, a karaoke night, a puzzle race, a clothing swap, a themed dinner, a spa night, a video game tournament and a “teach us something” night where everyone shares a skill.
What are things to do with friends at night? Things to do with friends at night include trivia, karaoke, bowling, a late movie, stargazing, a bonfire, a night market, a comedy show, a board game café, a dessert crawl and a night hike with flashlights on a familiar trail. For a cheaper night, host a game night or movie night at home.
What are things to do with friends when bored? When you're bored with friends, try something with a little challenge: a cooking contest with a mystery ingredient, a thrift store outfit challenge, a photo scavenger hunt, a new hiking trail, an escape room, learning a dance from a video, building a fort, starting a group puzzle or planning a future trip together.
How do you split costs with friends fairly? Split costs with friends fairly by agreeing on the plan and rough cost before the day, using a simple rule like even splits for shared items and pay-your-own for personal orders, and settling up within a day or two with a payment app. For potlucks, assign dishes so costs even out. Choosing a free or cheap plan when budgets differ keeps everyone included.
How do I make plans with friends who are always busy? Make plans with busy friends by suggesting a specific date and activity instead of "we should hang out sometime," keeping plans short and close to home, and setting a recurring event like the first Friday of the month. Low-effort plans, like a walk or a potluck, get more yeses than big outings.
What are things to do with friends for the holidays? Holiday things to do with friends include a Friendsgiving dinner, a cookie swap, a white elephant gift exchange, an ugly sweater party, a holiday lights walk, a gingerbread house contest and a holiday movie night. Our Friendsgiving planner and gift exchange ideas help with the details.
How much should I budget for going out with friends? How much to budget for going out with friends depends on your income and goals, but it helps to set a fixed monthly amount for social spending and plan around it. Mixing free plans, like hikes and potlucks, with one paid outing a month keeps the total in check. Our guide to a friendship budget shows how to set that amount without feeling left out.
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Sources
- Camping trip nps.gov
- Stargazing science.nasa.gov