5 Adult-ish Activities to Gather New Friends Together

Now that my husband and I are settled back into our hometown and attempting this ‘adulting’ thing we’ve heard so much about, tbh it’s kind of weird.

We know the city like the back of our hands (probably better than the back on our hands, because who really can sketch that out by memory?), but all who’s left friend-wise are our friends’ parents. They’re great and all…but we’ve been left to make new friends, and making friends as an adult is hard!

We’ve each picked up a few from work, and we joined an indoor soccer league and attend all the young professional events in an attempt to meet more. But how do you make that next ‘hey, wanna visit to my house?’ move?

Obviously, you don’t really need a reason to gather new friends. But personally, the A-type personality in me loves having an activity so you’re not crossing your fingers that your neighbor and work pals strike up conversation on their own and keep the party going.

These 5 activities have been great ‘excuses’ to bring new friends together. These can work as either big or small gatherings — totally up to your preferences and available living space and budget!

BotBW (Bot-bee-dub)

Okay, okay — you don’t have to call it that. Technically, the full name when my now-husband and I invented this back in college was “Beer of the Biweekly,” but that can get to be a mouthful when you’re talking it up to all your fun, new acquaintances-about-to-turn-friends.

BotBW is a simple concept — every other week (we usually chose a weeknight, like every other Tuesday), we’d gather a group of us to try new beers (or insert any kind of drink/appetizer/dessert you fancy). We usually rotated who hosted and the host would purchase the craft beers.

The gathering was always an open invite, but if people wanted to participate in drinking, they’d have to let the host know and put in (read: Venmo) $5.

George was our group’s treasurer, since spreadsheets and finance are kind of his things, but as long as your group is pretty on-top of keeping their contributions tallied, that might not be necessary. It just gave our group extra peace of mind.

But in short, BotBW was a fun way to gather friends from all different circles, make easy introductions, and try something new together — which is sure to keep the conversation going!

Game night

It doesn’t have to be charades nor poker. Game night can be anything you find fun!

My husband and I opt for Settlers of Catan or Dominion, but that’s just us 🤓

Ask your prospective friends if they have any favorites, and if it’s a new game, ask if they would teach you. We should never stop learning and getting to better know acquaintances-turned-friends over a game makes the conversation light and playful!

Dinner party — potluck style

No matter the size of your gathering — or even whether the eats are store-bought or homemade — conversation with new friends over food is easy and fun!

If you really want to get fancy, try to coordinate food, dress, and drinks around a theme. Then break out the yard games and kick off your shoes! What better way to get to better know your new friends than with some friendly competition and delicious grub.

If you’re new to this cooking thing, try one of these quick and easy recipes.

Sports!

Have you bonded over your shared love for a sports game or specific team?

Whether that be cheering on the US in the Olympics, nail-biting on the edge of your seat while watching professional bowling, or bottle-clinking when your team puts the ball in the basket/goal/net, sports are another way to gather acquaintances around a shared interest.

More into playing sports in your backyard than watching on a TV? Ask your acquaintances to gather their friends and arrange a backyard tournament! Volleyball, badminton, Kubb — the possibilities are endless! As will be the fun 😉

Bible study

Bible studies aren’t just for our parents’ generation! Faith is different for everyone, but faith in community can make a real difference in your own faith life.

Making friends at church is one way to find this group, but you can form your own faith community with acquaintances from other circles, too! My coworker (despite having a resistance to work friends) asked me to join hers — and I’m so glad she did! It’s not only got me reading the Bible regularly and discussing it with peers, but it’s also connected me to more Catholic women in our community.

Still not gung ho on the idea? Strengthening your faith outside of your comfort zone can help you broaden your horizons and teach you a thing or two about yourself.