The pandemic has put a damper on nightlife for most college students, especially if bar-hopping means being suspended from campus. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have some fun with your close friends during these difficult times as long as you are safe about it. Here are a couple of the Friday night activities my friends and I have resorted to instead of taking the risk.
1) Wine and Paint Night
A personal favorite activity between my friends and myself is a wine and paint night. If you want to be freer in your painting, you can just put on an upbeat playlist while you all paint and talk for a couple of hours. But if you aren’t sure what to do, you can rely on good old Bob Ross to inspire you.
2) Game Night
Another cult classic among many groups of friends is the classic game night. Throughout the year, you and your friends can build a collection of board games or console games so that when the night rolls around, you aren’t stuck with just Cards Against Humanity. One of the best console games my friends always go for is Super Smash Bros. But if you want to spend less money on the game and are into a more fantasy style game, you can also try out Dungeons and Dragons. The choices are truly endless.
3) Movie Night
Movie night is always a reliable choice since you can choose to either focus on the movie or do other things while the movies play. There can also be a theme to your movie night, like Disney movies from the late 90s, or every Harry Potter, Twilight, or LoTR film. Plus, while the movies are getting set up, you can have popcorn or even bake cupcakes or cookies.
4) Self-Care Night
During such trying times, we all deserve a night to truly care for ourselves and relax a bit. You could kick back and relax with friends. Whether it be practicing makeup on each other, painting nails, or doing a DIY face mask with each other, you and your friends can do anything that helps take away some of the stress from school during a pandemic. If exercising is your stress reliever, why not try a workout video together since YouTube has hundreds of them. The key is to relax and think about the health of your mind and body.
5) Cook-Off
If you and your friends love to cook and have a kitchen, then this might be your choice. You can go about a cook-off in a couple of ways. One way is to be like the show Chopped, where you pick certain challenging ingredients from your pantry to make into a meal. Another option is to pick a theme for meals like Asian cuisine, American cuisine, or Mexican cuisine. The point is that you have a good time, though, so let your competitive side come out a little bit and see what you all can come up with!
Social distancing during school doesn’t have to only be about classes and your bedroom ceiling if you want to stay safe. There are many options you can pick from to have an enjoyable Friday night with friends, and if you’re of age, you can add to the excitement with a bit of alcohol!