It’s scientifically proven that spending quality time with friends and family can boost your mental and physical health. Going out with friends doesn’t have to be to the same bar every weekend. You can find fun things to do that will change the way you think about a night out.
If you need ideas or to spice up your weekly outing with friends, we’ve got you covered. Here are 20 fun things to do on a night out with your friends.
Fun Ideas for a Night Out
There are about 2.8 million small businesses in the state of Florida. Many of these small businesses host local events for you and your friends to attend.
It’s easy to find a new activity to do while out with your friends. Here are some more ideas for you and your friends to enjoy during a night out. You’ll never be bored!
- Go to a Paint Bar
You don’t have to be good at painting to go to a paint bar! Take a group of friends to take a painting class and sip their drink of choice. While attending the class, you’ll be able to learn about painting, while showing off your talents.
This is a fun and different activity to experience with your friends that is bound to make memories. All the while, you’ll have learned about painting and have a souvenir to take home with you.
- Take a Cooking Class
Cooking classes can run on the expensive side, but this can be a worthwhile night out with friends. Take a cooking class and learn how to make some fun recipes with your friends.
This is a perfect way to have fun while learning how to cook like a professional. Then enjoy the food you’ve cooked with your friends. It’s a perfect night of bonding and learning a new skill!
- Escape Room
As escape rooms have opened up across the country, they’ve become more and more popular. When you attend an escape room, you’re locked in a room with your friends and have to solve puzzles in a certain amount of time to escape the room.
The best part about this is that you can choose from different themes, so you can go to multiple escape rooms and have a completely different experience. Work like detectives with your friends to escape the room in time! The Great Escape Room Tampa is the perfect local place to do this activity.
- Go to a Karaoke Bar
Whether you’re a singer or not, a karaoke bar is a fun place to go to on a night out. Spice out your weekly bar-outing with a karaoke bar. Sing your heart out with your friends or sing solo while being cheered on.
There’s no judgment at a karaoke bar and it’s also a great place to step outside of your comfort zone if you’re not used to singing on stage.
- See a Comedy Show
Find your local comedy club and bring your friends to laugh all night. Listening to a comedian’s jokes or watching an improv show can help lighten the mood after a long week.
Whether you spend the money to see a famous comedian that you and your friends love, or to watch some up-and-coming comedians, you’ll be laughing all night.
If you’re having a hard time finding a comedy show, look for open mic nights—you can watch musicians and comedians at these types of events.
- Attend a Local Sports Game
Even if you’re not a huge sports fan or follower, attending a sports game can be a super fun night out. Find a local team, whether it’s baseball, basketball, or hockey, and enjoy good food and drinks in a fun and thrilling atmosphere.
You don’t need to spend money on good seats, either. Unless you want to, of course.
Being with friends at a sports game is a fun way to spend a Friday night. Whether the team you’re rooting for wins or loses, you’ll have a fun night regardless.
- Pottery Painting
Another artsy recommendation is to paint pottery with your friends. Some businesses specifically cater to this fun outing. When you go, you’ll be able to choose a piece of pottery to paint and take home. This will fill your evening with chatting and painting.
When you’re done, you leave your pieces at the store and pick them up in a week or two to be finished in the kiln. Then, you can take it home! With so many options of pottery to paint and endless possibilities, this is an activity you’ll want to do again and again.
- Go to an Arcade
If you and your friends want to feel like kids again, spend a night out at the arcade. Grab your group of friends and spend a few hours at the arcade playing games you played as a kid, or games you never got to play.
This is a fun outing that doesn’t take much effort to plan, so this can be a spontaneous outing and something new for you and your friends to do.
- Have a Progressive Dinner
Put a fun twist on a normal dinner outing and have a progressive dinner. A progressive dinner means you have each course at a different restaurant. Have each friend choose a restaurant for drinks, appetizers, the main course, and dessert.
This can help your outing be spontaneous and lets your friends choose the foods that they’re craving. You’ll be stuffed full of food by the end of the night, but you’ll have had more fun than going to just one restaurant.
- Booze Cruise
Take a booze cruise with your friends and enjoy a night of drinks and being by the water. A booze cruise is a boat that will take you around the shoreline of a body of water and will offer drinks and food.
This is a fun way to spice up a normal night of having dinks with your friends while taking advantage of the beautiful water near you.
- Wine Tasting
If you’ve never gone wine tasting, take a group of your friends with you to a night of tasting wine or whiskey. You can learn a lot about the process of how alcohol is made while enjoying different kinds of alcohol.
This can be a fun spin on a night at the bars and can introduce you to new types of drinks.
- Breweries
If you’re not a big wine person, try going to local breweries, instead. You can taste locally-sourced beers and stouts while spending time with your friends. This outing can also provide a more relaxed environment than a bar or club.
Breweries will tend to have a large variety of beers, stouts, and IPAs, so you and your friends will find something they’ll like. Here’s a list of breweries in Tampa to check out.
Going Out With Friends On a Budget
Sometimes you can’t afford an expensive night out and we understand that. You don’t need to spend a lot of money to make memories and to have fun. Here are some less expensive ideas for a fun night out.
- Bonfire
A bonfire is an easy and inexpensive idea for a group of friends. If one of your friends has a fire pit in their backyard, grab a few blankets and snacks and sit by the fire. You can play music or play movies on a projector while making s’mores or eating your favorite snack food.
This is a great way to bond with your friends without going out. It’s perfect for a cool summer night and gives you the time and attention you and your friends deserve. Instead of not being able to hear each other over pounding music, the crackling fire will provide a warm and cozy ambiance.
- Camping Out Under the Stars
This idea can come after a bonfire or be a separate night with your friends. Grab some blankets, pillows, and some bug spray for this night.
Whether you want to stay out all night or just for a few hours, camping under the stars can be a fun way to chill with your friends on a budget. Break out the snacks, play a move on your laptop, and enjoy the night under the stars with your friends.
- Play Pool or Darts at a Bar
Having a night out with friends doesn’t necessarily mean you have to go out and drink. But you can still have fun at a bar, with or without drinks! Find a local bar that has a pool table or darts and get your friends together for a night of competition.
Even if you don’t have much experience with these classic bar games, it’s a different and new activity to try at a bar.
- Bowling
Bowling will never go out of style. This is a perfect night out with friends to try. Buying a game or two is cheap and can take up most of the evening. Cheap bar food, drinks, and a night of competition will be more fun than you think. This is a great night out with just a couple of friends or with a large group.
Bonus tip: have a theme for the night like 80’s style and come dressed up on theme! This is a great way to get people excited about this outing.
- Listen to a Local Band
Local bars, restaurants, and venues will often host a local band to play for the night. This is a great way to spend the night out supporting local music while discovering a new band or genre of music to enjoy. Attending a small local show has its perks, like inexpensive tickets and less crowded areas in the venue or restaurant.
Whether the local music is a cover band or an up-and-coming band in your city, you’ll be happy you spent the night with your friends and other music lovers.
- Have a Trivia Night
This can be done at home, but you can also attend a trivia night out! Many local businesses will hold trivia or game nights for locals to enjoy. This is perfect if you’re a big fan of jeopardy or just want a fun night with your friends, guessing the answers to trivia questions.
And, if you win, you’ll get to enjoy the prize and the feeling of accomplishment with your friends.
- Go Dancing
If you and your friends love to dance, try going out to a club or bar that is hosting a dance party. This could be a nostalgic dance party with throwback tunes or a dance party with a specific artist’s discography.
Dancing is a great way to blow off some steam after a stressful week and to spend some time with friends who also love to dance.
- Movie Night in the Park
During the summertime, lots of parks and places around the city will host a free movie night. Sometimes, they’ll host a marathon or have two movies on the same night. Grab blankets, pack some food, and head to a local park with your friends for a memorable summer night.
An alternative to a movie night in the park is finding a local drive-in movie theater in your area. If there is one near you, this is a timeless summer night activity. Sometimes just going to see a movie with friends somewhere besides a movie theater can make the night more memorable.
A Reinvented Friends Night Out
No matter what you decide, always drink responsibly if alcohol is involved. Going out with friends will never get boring with these ideas for a fun night out. New experiences will create memories with your friends and create a lasting bond with them. Your next night out on the town will be unforgettable!
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