47 Easy Friendsgiving Ideas for a Stress-Free Party

Are you looking for fresh ways to celebrate Friendsgiving this year? Ditch the boring dinner-only parties and liven things up with these 50 fun ideas for a memorable Friendsgiving with your closest pals!

From lively games and creative activities to thoughtful gestures of gratitude, you’ll find unique ideas to bond, laugh, and make new traditions together.

Whether you go potluck style or DIY a themed extravaganza, these suggestions will inspire you to plan your most spirited and special Friendsgiving yet.

So get ready to embrace your playful side, make joyful memories, and toast to the wonderful friendships that make life flavorful. The festivities await!

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Fun Friendsgiving Ideas

1. Potluck

Have each friend bring a dish like an appetizer, side, main course, or dessert to share.

This is a great idea for multiple reasons:

• You only make one dish instead of a full-course dinner. Or you can take care of the drinks!
• You get to sample something new!
• It saves you time and money, so it’s virtually stress-free!

Make sure to coordinate who’s bringing what so you don’t end up with all appetizers! Assign categories if needed to keep it balanced.

This allows everyone to contribute their cooking skills.

2. Friendsgiving Theme

Pick a fun theme like a 90s Friendsgiving or a tropical Friendsgiving.

Once you have chosen your theme, it’s time to decorate accordingly.

This can include using themed plates, tablecloths, centerpieces, and other decorations that match your chosen theme.

Dress up in outfits that match the theme too for extra fun.

Choosing a theme for your Friendsgiving celebration can help set the mood and make the event more memorable.

Related: 25 Fall Party Ideas: Themes, Planning, Decor, Food, and More!

3. Secret Santa Gift Exchange

This is a great idea to get everyone in the mood for Christmas or if you’re not able to get together with them in December.

Have everyone draw a name out of a hat to assign each person another friend to give a gift to.

Set a modest price limit of $10-20 and have them keep their recipient secret until the gift exchange where everyone opens gifts.

This adds an element of surprise and thoughtfulness.

4. Carnival games

To add some fun and excitement to your Friendsgiving celebration, consider setting up some carnival-style games.

Some ideas might include a ring toss using mini pumpkin rings, a pie-eating contest with mini pies, or Halloween-themed bowling.

These types of games can help get everyone involved and create a lively atmosphere.

To make the carnival games even more exciting, consider offering fun prizes for the winners.

Some ideas might include baking mixes, candles, or gift cards.

These types of prizes can help tap into a playful spirit and add an extra element of fun to your Friendsgiving celebration.

5. Talent show

Have each friend prepare a silly talent like singing, comedy sketch, or magic tricks to perform for everyone.

Vote on a winner at the end if you’d like. It lets everyone show off their creativity.

6. Decorating contest

Split into teams at different tables and have a decorating contest to transform tables using leaves, gourds, table runners, candles, etc. into creative, beautiful settings.

Offer a prize for the winning tablescape. Make it a friendly competition.

7. Cocktail-making class

Hire a professional mixologist to come to teach everyone to make 2 to 3 festive cocktail recipes. Provide the spirits and ingredients.

Learning to make new drinks together is fun and educational.

8. Karaoke

Pass around a microphone and queue up popular songs on a machine. Let everyone belt out their favorite tunes whether they can sing well or not! It gets everyone participating.

9. Ugly sweater contest

Have everyone dig out their gaudiest, ugliest holiday sweater to get in the spirit for Christmas.

Vote on the most garish one. Offer a prize like a gift card or bottle of wine for the winner. Embrace the silly season.

10. Gratitude circle

Sit in a circle taking turns sharing things you’re feeling grateful for. It helps reflect on the importance of friendship and cultivate thankfulness.

11. Cookie exchange

Each person bakes 2-3 dozen of their best cookie recipe. Swap cookies in containers so everyone ends up with a variety.

Enjoy sampling each other’s treats.

12. Crafting

Get creative and make table decorations, place cards, and centerpieces by painting terracotta pots, decorating candles or wine glasses, building table runners, etc. Provide crafting supplies.

13. Board games

Break out board games like Catchphrase, Taboo, charades, Trivial Pursuit, and Jenga. Playing games together is a fun way to bond.

14. Scavenger hunt

Create a list of silly photo tasks around the neighborhood or house for teams to run around completing.

Give prizes to the team who finishes first. It gets people moving and laughing, which is just what you need after a big meal!

15. Charades

Have friends write down movies, songs, and books on slips of paper and take turns acting them out for the rest to guess.

See who can get the most right. It’s an interactive classic!

16. TikTok dance-off

Teach and then perform currently trending TikTok dances. See who can master the viral moves. Record them and share them online.

Great for a few laughs.

17. Hot Cocoa Bar

Offer rich hot chocolate and set out fun mixins like marshmallows, crushed peppermint, chocolate chips, caramel sauce, cinnamon, and whipped cream.

Let guests customize their own mug. It’s cozy, warm and comforting.

18. Gratitude jar

Provide slips of paper and pens for guests to write down things they’re thankful for about each other. Read them next year as a reminder.

19. Friendsgiving awards

Come up with silly superlatives/awards for your friends like “most likely to break out in dance” “best smile”, etc. and hand out certificates.

20. Casserole cook-off

Assign each friend a type of casserole to make like green bean, sweet potato, or broccoli. Taste test and vote on the best one. Casseroles feel homey.

21. Puzzle competition

Break into teams and race to complete identical jigsaw puzzles. Offer a prize to the fastest team to finish theirs correctly. A brainy activity!

22. Bake-off

Hold a baking contest where friends bring their best homemade pies, cornbread, brownies, etc. to be judged on taste, and presentation.

Offer fun prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place.

23. Touch football

Get fresh air and exercise by playing touch football together in the backyard or nearby park. Just don’t get too competitive!

24. Self-care station

Set up a DIY spa station with face masks, nail polishes, hand massagers, aromatherapy, etc. so guests can give themselves a little pampering.

Provide calming music to help everyone relax and recharge.

25. Friendship notes

Provide stationery and pens so guests can write nice notes for each other about how much their friendship means.

Instant feel-good vibes!

26. Volunteer together

Give back by assembling care packages of food, socks, and hygiene items to donate to a shelter. Or volunteer at a soup kitchen.

27. Leaf rubbing

To do a leaf rubbing activity, you will need to gather some colorful fall leaves. Once you have the leaves, place them under a piece of paper.

Then, use a crayon to make frosty leaf rubbings on the paper.

After you have completed the leaf rubbings, you can frame them as artwork.

This activity is a great way to create earthy and natural artwork that can be displayed in your home or given as a gift.

28. Create Vision Boards

Cut out inspiring pictures and quotes from magazines to make vision boards representing your dreams and goals. Get creative.

29. Foosball/air hockey tournament

Set up tabletop Foosball or air hockey games and battle it out for the championship. A little friendly competition is engaging.

30. Bonfire

If the weather allows, build a bonfire outdoors, roast marshmallows, make s’mores, and cozy up with blankets. The fire pit ambiance takes it up a notch.

31. Trip down memory lane

Gather old photos from school or childhood. Reminisce and tell funny stories from the past. Nostalgia and laughter make lovely companions.

32. DIY succulent planting

Have everyone pick out a container and get planting soil, succulents, and rocks to make their own mini succulent garden.

Add some decorative elements like mini pumpkins or pine cones to stay in the fall theme.

33. Horror movie marathon

Dim the lights, make popcorn, and queue up your favorite scary movies to binge. See who gets spooked! Add blankets and snacks.

34. Living room campout

Pitch tents and lay out sleeping bags in the living room. Stay up late whispering and reading by flashlight just like a childhood sleepover.

35. Friendsgiving meal kit

Plan recipes and mail portioned ingredients to long-distance friends. Schedule a video call to cook the meal “together” and catch up. Virtual but bonding!

36. Virtual Friendsgiving

Set up laptops around the dinner table. Video chat with a long-distance friend to include them.

Make it as interactive as possible.

37. Friendsgiving playlist

Create a festive Spotify playlist with happy, upbeat songs to play in the background during your meal and activities. Share it with everyone.

Here are some ideas for a Friendsgiving Playlist:

• Sister Sledge – We Are Family
• Nat King Cole – Autumn Leaves
• The Rembrandts – I’ll Be There for You
• Nina Simone – Feeling Good
• Jack Johnson – Better Together
• Stevie Wonder – You Are The Sunshine Of My Life
• Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – Home
• Natalie Cole – This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)
• Bruno Mars – Count On Me
• Michael Franti & Spearhead – Life is Better with You
• Jennifer Hudson – All Dressed Up in Love
• Clarence Clemons & Jackson Browne – You’re a Friend of Mine

38. Childhood games

Play Duck Duck Goose, Red Rover, or Freeze Dance like the good ol’ days. Enjoy some carefree fun together.

39. Murder mystery party

Select a murder mystery scenario online. Assign everyone a character and have them work together to solve the whodunnit. Costumes and props add flair!

40. Makeup workshop

Hire a makeup artist to teach you all classic techniques and holiday looks. Provide makeup for everyone to practice hands-on.

Make goodie bags for your friends to take home.

41. Build A Fort

Use furniture, blankets, and pillows to make elaborate blanket forts inside.

Get in touch with your inner child and see who makes the coolest fort.

42. Carpool karaoke

Pile in a car, blast the tunes and belt out songs together. Take turns singing solos and ham it up.

Good tunes make time fly.

43. Polaroid guestbook

Take instant polaroids of your celebrations and sign a scrapbook guestbook with memories from the day. Flip through the memories next year.

45. Brunch bar

Make and label brunch stations filled with toppings like poached eggs, guacamole, bacon, and bloody marys. Let everyone build DIY brunch plates.

46. Massage train

Sit in a row and give each other relaxing shoulder massages one after the other. Trade massage skills and de-stress.

47. Netflix party

Pick a show to start binging while cozying up with hot cocoa in matching PJs. Make themed snacks to enjoy.

48. Friendship Apples

Make caramel or candy apples topped with candies, nuts, and sprinkles describing friends like “crunchy kindness” “sweet as pie” and “berry creative.”

These cute and symbolic snacks are a great way to show your friends how much you appreciate them.

Friendsgiving Ideas FAQ

What is Friendsgiving?

Friendsgiving is a term used to describe a Thanksgiving celebration that is held with friends instead of family.

It typically involves a large meal with friends either on or near Thanksgiving, and it can be celebrated in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving or on the day itself.

Friendsgiving has become a popular tradition among millennials, with many hosting their own Friendsgiving dinners (source: Merriam-Webster).

How did Friendsgiving originate?

According to several sources, the term “Friendsgiving” originated in 2007 from a tweet, but it gained national prominence in 2011 when Bailey’s Irish Cream used the word in an ad campaign and it became a plot point in The Real Housewives of New Jersey.

Some people credit the hit show Friends for inspiring the concept of spending the holiday with friends instead of family (source: Delish, Make it Grateful).

The tradition of Friendsgiving has since become popular among millennials, with many hosting their own Friendsgiving dinners (source: The Atlantic).

How many people should I invite to Friendsgiving?

Friendsgivings are usually more intimate gatherings of your closest circle of friends, anywhere from 4-12 friends is ideal.

What’s the best day to host Friendsgiving?

Friendsgivings are often held 1-2 weeks before or after Thanksgiving. Pick the most convenient weekend day for your group like Saturdays.

Should I host it at my house or book a venue?

Your home or a friend’s home you can decorate is best for a cozy vibe. Only book a venue for large groups.

How do I assign who brings what dishes?

Use an online sign-up sheet or have guests choose dishes by category – appetizers, sides, mains, desserts.

What’s the best way to decorate for Friendsgiving?

Use fall colors like burgundy, orange, and yellow. Incorporate leaves, pumpkins, and candles for a seasonal feel.

You can also buy Friendsgiving Party Decorations on Amazon.

What type of menu works well?

Comfort foods like casseroles, baked pasta, chili, and sandwiches are easy-to-eat Friendsgiving fare.

Here are some great Friendsgiving Cookbooks:

• Friendsgiving: The Official Guide to Hosting, Roasting, and Celebrating with Friends
• The Friendsgiving Cookbook: 50 Recipes for Hosting, Roasting, and Celebrating with Friends

How do I come up with a fun theme?

Pick eras, places, shows, or words that will be easy to decorate for like 60s, tropical, retro, etc.

How do I organize the activities?

Print out a schedule to share so everyone knows when activities, games and meals will happen.

How long should Friendsgiving last?

Friendsgiving often lasts 3-6 hours. Schedule activities, games, and meals so the time flies by!

What are inexpensive activities to include?

A potluck meal, crafting, playing board games, holding a talent show, having a decorating contest and movie marathons are great budget-friendly Friendsgiving ideas.