Valentine’s Day – one of the most highly anticipated yet highly dreaded holidays of the year. For those ladies who have a significant other to spend the day with, we salute you. However, single collegiettes can have just as much fun! We’ve complied the perfect list of fun activities that gal pals can enjoy together to turn Valentine’s Day into Galentine’s Day!
1. Send each other cute letters or cardsWho doesn’t love a letter via snail mail? Send your gal pals some adorable cards in the mail for a more personalized way to say, “I love you!” You can even make your letters pink and scented like Elle Woods!
2. Make a Galentine’s Day playlist and have a dance partyA dance party is the perfect way to celebrate Galentine’s Day with your ladies! Plug in some catchy tunes (Beyoncé, Iggy Azalea, or Ariana Grande, anyone?) and dance the night away!
3. Enjoy an indulgent brunch off campusGather your gal pals for an off-campus brunch excursion! Bowdoin students love going to Wild Oats Bakery for a casual brunch or to The Daniel for a more elegant midday meal.
4. Watch a fun TV show or movieMovie nights are always a blast when you’re with your girlfriends, and Galentine’s Day gives you a perfect excuse to spend a night unwinding in front of the T.V.
5. Bake somethingRecruit a couple girlfriends to spend Galentine’s Day helping you bake those delicious Oreo-chocolate-chip cookies that you’ve been dying to try.
6. Tackle a DIY projectDIY is always more fun in a group! Grab some of your gal pals and head over to the Bowdoin Craft Center for a night of arts and crafts!
7. Go on a shopping excursion (even if it’s just window shopping)The outlet mall in Freeport is only a fifteen-minute drive from the college, and Galentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity for some much-needed retail therapy! Take your best girlfriends out for a day of shopping!
8. Go on a coffee date at Gelato Fiasco or The Little Dog Coffee ShopAre you and your BFF obsessed with coffee? Take some time on Galentine’s Day to walk down Maine Street and sample some of the local variety coffee! Not only will you be supporting local businesses, you’ll be taking a (much-needed) break from your daily dose of caffeine at the campus café.
9. Attend a concertIf you’re not opposed to a long drive, Portland is the perfect place to go for a night of live music on Galentine’s Day.
10. Volunteer at the Coastal Humane SocietyAlternatively, if you and your girlfriends are strapped for cash, the Coastal Humane Society is a great place to spend some time on Galentine’s Day! The McKeen Center will pay for your transportation to and from the shelter, and you can spend the day cuddling with puppies and kittens! Spread the love!
11. Dress up for a night inHave you been waiting for the perfect opportunity to try a new makeup look or a daring new hairstyle? Spend Galentine’s Day with your girlfriends giving each other a makeover! Who knows? Maybe you’ll find a new signature look!
12. Eat a bag of Dove chocolates and recycle the inspirational wrappers into an art projectTurn something ordinary into extraordinary! Recruit all your gal pals to help you eat a bag of Dove chocolates and then use the inspirational wrappers to create something beautiful.
13. Have a Henna party or apply glitter tattoosSpend Galentine’s Day giving each other Henna tattoos (or applying glitter tattoos) while gossiping and eating chocolate!
14. Make a list of celebrity crushesWho doesn’t love gushing about their top celebrity crushes? You and your gal pals can spend some time compiling a definitive list of the most crush-worthy celebrities in Hollywood and beyond.