My roommates and I are all close friends that spend most of our evenings watching TV together; however, we still wanted to dedicate time every few weeks to spend with just each other to do something new and fun.
So whether you’re already friends or hoping to get closer, planning regular “roomie” nights could be a great way to strengthen bonds and create lasting memories with your roommates. Here’s a few of the ideas I have come up with that I hope to try with my roommates this year.
- Fall movie night
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What is fall without a cozy fall-themed movie night? Grab the blankets, pop the popcorn, rip open the candy corn and snuggle up to one of these fall-themed favorites:
- “Hocus Pocus”
- “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”
- “October Kiss”
- “You’ve Got Mail”
- painting wine glasses
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This is a fun idea that leaves everyone with their very own customized wine glass to remember the night. You’ll need:
- Wine glasses—My older sister gave me old ones she doesn’t use anymore, but you could also see if Goodwill has any for sale or get cheap ones from the Dollar Store if you’re on a tight-budget
- Rubbing alcohol—For cleaning the glasses
- Acrylic Enamel Paints—These are meant for glass
- Paint brushes
- Q-tips—For fixing mistakes
You’ll want to wash your glasses out with water before rubbing them clean with rubbing alcohol. Then once they’re dry you can start painting. I personally liked the idea of painting little designs like cherries or flowers on the glasses, but let your imagination loose.
When you’re done, you’ll either want to let the glasses sit for three weeks before using them, or heat them in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes—if they’re plastic don’t do this.
- “Chopped” cooking night
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Put your culinary skills to the test with a cooking night based off the tv show “Chopped.” Either each roommate can be responsible for cooking a dish for the meal or you all can challenge yourself to work together. Choose an ingredient or two that you all must incorporate into every dish, and then when you’re done, you get to enjoy a delicious meal together.
- self-care night
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Self-care can be a great way to relax and connect with your roommates. While some self-care activities are done alone—like taking a bath—you and your roommate could try lighting some candles, putting on face masks, and watching one of these nostalgic comfort movies:
- “Princess Diaries”
- “She’s the Man”
- “Freaky Friday”
- “Legally Blonde”
- “13 Going on 30”
If you don’t have the time for a movie, you could also try putting on some relaxing music to stretch, do yoga, journal, take a walk, or just enjoy a cup of tea and talk about your day with each other.
- craft night
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Unleash your artistic talents with a creative craft night. You can gather supplies and let your imagination run wild, or find a tutorial online to follow. My roommates and I are planning to DIY some decorations for our apartment since buying them can add up really fast, so I researched some ideas that you might want to try with your roommates:
You don’t need to be an artist to enjoy the therapeutic benefits of creating something beautiful. Plus, you’ll have a wonderful keepsake to remind you of the special roomie night.
Roomie nights are an excellent way to build strong bonds with your housemates while having a ton of fun. Whether you prefer a relaxing movie or challenging yourself by trying something new together, there are plenty of ways to make your shared living experience even more memorable. So gather your roomies, choose one of these ideas and get ready for an unforgettable night of laughter.