When entertaining friends, it’s good to have a variety of options. That’s why we’ve come up with a list of fun at-home activities that are sure to make your next night out memorable.
Kids will love creating their own snack art. This easy DIY can keep them busy for hours.
Answer icebreaker questions
Ice breakers are designed to warm up group conversation by breaking down barriers with light-hearted questions. They are a useful tool to help team members get to know each other and foster a positive working atmosphere.
There are three types of icebreaker questions: sharing, interaction, and teambuilding. Sharing icebreaker questions are ones that encourage participants to share a short piece of information about themselves. This type of icebreaker question is great for teams that are new or have gone through leadership changes.
Interaction icebreaker questions are thought-provoking, humorous, or a pick one kind of questions like “which celebrity would play you in a movie?” These types of icebreakers work well when teams are meeting in person. However, it is important to remember that not every meeting should have a light-hearted tone.
Create a karaoke party
If you have a karaoke machine, make sure it’s set up and ready to go. Clear a dance floor area, if necessary, to create a space where people can sing and move around freely. It’s also a good idea to hide any in-the-way coffee tables, cat trees or knick-knacks to give everyone a sense of privacy and space.
Consider setting up a song request sheet so that guests can sign up for singing time. If you want to add some extra challenge, have a game where players must sing songs but without telling the other participants the title or artist. The first person/team to guess correctly earns a point. You could even assign judges to critique performances and give feedback. It’s an easy way to get a fun and competitive spirit going.
Play party games
A good party game requires a low barrier to entry, has an easy setup and is fun for a wide variety of people. It should also get people laughing almost instantly and be adaptable to the group size (too hard and it’s boring, too easy and it won’t work).
Try a few of these classic, crowd-pleasing party games for the most spirited gathering. They’re great for kids (and tweens and teens will enjoy them too), with non-competitive versions available for very young children, toddlers and preschoolers. For older kids and adults, add time limits, scoring systems and silence rules to make the games more challenging. These picks can include hilarious physical or mental challenges, such as taking the worst selfie, coming up with a name for an emo band or reading the last text in a sexy voice.
Do a puzzle
When children build a puzzle they are working to figure out how to fit pieces together, whether that’s in a logical way, or through trial and error. This is a great opportunity to teach problem solving skills in a fun and enjoyable manner.
Unlike other activities, puzzles require a child to be attentive and engaged for an extended period of time. This helps a child to develop their attention span over time and learn to focus without getting distracted.
Also, when a puzzle becomes frustrating, a child must push through the frustration and continue working on it in order to complete the task. This teaches perseverance and builds grit. Additionally, building a puzzle requires a lot of hand-eye coordination and large motor skills. This helps children develop their fine motor skills as well.