There is no “right” way to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Although we might get caught up in the relationship aspect, the holiday is really about celebrating with people you love.
This Valentine’s Day, I wrote an entire list of activities that a group of friends could do to celebrate together. It ranges from crafts to binge watching to dressing up and going to a fancy dinner.
No matter who you choose to celebrate Valentine’s Day with, here is a list of 14 fun activities that you can do together:
- Movie Night
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This first one is pretty self-explanatory. Get some popcorn, candy and a handful of beloved rom-coms and enjoy.
A spread of movie snacks for Valentine’s Day If you need a place to start with romantic movies, I recommend “Set It Up,” “Hitch,” “Pride and Prejudice,” “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days,” “When Harry Met Sally,” “The Proposal” and “A Cinderella Story.”
If that wasn’t enough, you can check out Vanity Fair’s list of the best romantic comedies.
No matter the movie you pick, you and your friends will have a great time eating snacks, talking and swooning at these romantic movies.
- Read-a-thon
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I have seen people on TikTok gathering with friends to read for an entire 24 hours. Although you do not have to go this extreme, grabbing some friends and reading in each others’ company is a great way to spend Valentine’s Day.
A TikTok of a 24 hour read-a-thon Not only do you get to be in the company of your friends but you can also stop reading to chat, get food, talk about your books, etc.
If you need some ideas on where to get started, here is Amazon’s list of the best romance novels of 2023 — it is Valentine’s Day, after all.
Three people reading together - Cookie making/Decorating
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Valentine’s Day is a day for sweets, and what better way to celebrate than to make delicious cookies and decorate them with your friends?
Heart-shaped chocolate chip cookies Baking cookies, chatting and getting creative with decorations is a great way to spend Valentine’s Day with your friends.
Heart-shaped decorated cookies - Out to dinner
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No one ever said that getting dressed up and going to dinner was only for couples on Valentine’s Day. Get a group of your friends, dress up in your nicest clothes and go out to dinner together.
Dinner with friends It will be a fun excuse to get dolled up, and you will all have a great time.
- Charcuterie board night
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I have also seen a lot of TikTok’s about friends getting together and bringing unique themed charcuterie boards to a party. This is a great idea and a fun way to spend Valentine’s Day with your friends.
Charcuterie board party TikTok You can choose any theme you want and make it your own. If you’re struggling with a theme, here are some great ideas that would be fun to make.
- Karaoke
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I love a good karaoke night, and they’re so easy to put together. My favorite karaoke on YouTube is Sing King, which has tons of playlists that you can search through for different songs.
If you want to make karaoke night even more fun, you could do blind karaoke, where your friends pick the song and you try to sing the lyrics without looking.
Blind karaoke on TikTok No matter which way you choose, karaoke is always a blast and will make a great Valentine’s Day activity.
- Board Games
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Board games are a classic way to hang out with your friends and have a lot of fun, especially if your friends are fiercely competitive.
Board games Some fun games that you might want to check out are “Wavelength” and “Abducktion,” which are fan favorites in my friend group.
No matter if you play the classics or a new game, board game night is always a hit.
- Powerpoints
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Although these hit the internet quite a few years ago, making fun PowerPoints about your friends is still a hilarious idea to bring everyone together.
PowerPoint night If you still need some inspiration, here are 50 other ideas to get you started. You could also make them Valentine’s Day themed if you’re in the holiday spirit.
- Flower Arrangements
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Although this idea could get a little expensive, grabbing flowers, vases and anything else you might need to create your own flower arrangement sounds like a fun Valentine’s Day activity.
Flowers at Trader Joe’s You can use old mugs, mason jars or anything else to make your flower arrangements unique. There are no rules.
- Painting/Crafts
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There are endless amounts of Valentine’s Day crafts all over Pinterest, which could be a great way to hang out with friends while also being creative.
Painting tote bags Just a few examples to get you started could be painting tote bags, ceramics or canvases, making friendship bracelets or doing origami.
- Gift Exchange
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Buying gifts is sometimes difficult, but lately I’ve been seeing themed gift exchanges for groups of all sizes. For example, some people exchange only t-shirts, books, Jellycats, etc.
Jellycat gift exchange among friends If you want more of a Valentine’s Day theme, you could do a candy gift exchange, a homemade cookie exchange or a flower exchange.
These do not have to be expensive gifts, but you can certainly have a good time with this idea.
- Reality TV
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Sitting around in PJs watching reality TV with your friends sounds like a dream come true on Valentine’s Day. Get some snacks and blankets and then turn on a new season of any reality TV show.
Friends watching TV If you’re not sure where to start, here is a list of the best reality shows to get you started.
- Dinner Party
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You could also host a dinner party with your friends for Valentine’s Day, where everyone gets dressed up and brings one dish.
Dinner party table Having a dinner party is a great way to catch up with your friends, have great conversations and eat delicious food.
- Candy and Complaining
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This idea is pretty self-explanatory: gather your close friends, get candy and start complaining. One thing you could do is make a Valentine’s Day candy salad, which I have been seeing frequently on TikTok.
Valentine’s Day candy salad Sometimes sitting around with your friends and getting everything off your chest can be cathartic. And of course, candy makes everything better.
No matter what activity you choose to do this Valentine’s Day, have fun and enjoy!