I love and even need a good girls night. The break from my usual routine and the opportunity to connect and grow with like-minded people is so valuable. Problem is, our girls nights can kind of get in a rut. We all know each other's birth stories, we're all frustrated with the endless rants on Facebook--what else is there to talk about? And what else is there to do besides sit around and talk?
I brainstormed some ideas to help add some intentionality into girls night. Plus, a loose plan is a good start for inviting people you don't yet know well. Having something to do or something to talk about can break the tension and help grow deeper connections even with people you already know.
1. I've Never...
It's an oldie, but a good one to keep conversation interesting with your girl friends that you think you know well.2. Dinner Club
Either get together to teamwork on making a meal. Or divide up who brings what--an appetizer, a salad, a main dish, a side dish, a dessert. Each person just focuses on bringing one thing and all together it's a delicious meal. We all know food is the foundation of good conversation and full hearts.3. Collage Night
Gather magazines you're done with, scissors, glue sticks, and some 5x7 cardstock. Let people decide what they're making a collage about, or set a loose guideline of making a collage that's you (your identity or likes or interests), spiritual (a prayer, view of God, or your faith walk), or dreams (goals, hopes, plans). Let everyone flip and cut and paste while you chat about whatever. Then, conclude the evening with each person sharing their card and a little of what's on it. Read more on the benefits and how-to of collage cards >> here.4. Chick Flick Movie Night
Choose an old chick flick, or even a new one, pop some popcorn, and watch together. Even better if it's a movie everyone's already seen, so no one misses something if there's a little talking through the movie.5. Imagine If or Loaded Questions
These are two games we have with fun, sometimes obscure, get-to-know-eachother type questions.6. Intentional Conversations
Sometimes all it takes is 2 or 3 questions to get the conversation going into something meaningful or connecting. I like choosing one silly ease-in question (like If you were a shoe, which show would you be?) followed by one or two deeper questions (like What's a time you felt loved by a friend? What about left out?) We've done this with a group of 20 or so, along with a couple Bible texts and prayer time, and it was a really special time.7. Girl Talk
If you're spent on talking about current events, try some good ol' fashioned girl talk. Talk about hair or nails, past loves, shenanigans when you were a teen.8. Book Club
Even if your group isn't specifically a book club, maybe you would still enjoy going through a book together. Make it low key and easy to keep up with. You could read it separate, or even read parts of it together. Read something impacting that feels like it needs debriefing after reading like Love Warrior by Glennon Melton Doyle. Then share how it impacts you, what you might do, or something you've experienced where you felt similar to the author.9. Bible Study
Again, even if you're group isn't specifically a Bible study group, maybe you could still enjoy a week or two of Bible study. Especially if you need extra group support and prayer. Beth Moore and She Reads Truth are great sources for what to read and discuss and pray over together.10. Favorite Things
This can be a show-and-tell type gathering, or it can even be a gift exchange especially around the holidays. Each person brings something that is their favorite--something they rave about, buy repeatedly, and even suggest to or give to others. Then take turns telling about it or open them one-by-one gift exchange style.11. Beauty Spa Night
Nail-painting, pedicures, face masks, even hair masks. Put on a nice thick face mask, soak your feet in a tub of warm water and bath salts, and paint your nails pretty while you all chat.12. Craft Night
This is a little out of my element, but if you're crafty or someone in your group is, you could craft together. Either let someone take the lead and all work together to make the same thing. Or do a Pinterest craft night where each person brings their own project to work on while you talk.13. Zumba
It's just fun! Get a DVD from the library or on Amazon and spread out in a family room or basement and zumba it out. Laugh and dance together. Other aerobics videos could work, too. Sweatin' to the Oldies with Richard Simmons anyone?14. Viewing Party
Watch a live event together--a game, the Bachelor, or other live TV. Watch, snack, and talk all about it during commercial breaks.15. Paint by Numbers
You could go to one of those wine-and-paint places to work out your inner Picasso together. Or get paint-by-numbers kits from a craft store and meet at someone's home to paint while you chat.16. Color and Talk
Similar to the painting idea, but a little easier and maybe cheaper. Get some of those trending coloring pages and colored pencils, and color away together to give your hands something to do while you talk.17. Brainstorm Sesh
I bet your friend group is a bunch of smart women full of great ideas. Have an evening where each person brings something they're struggling with or need ideas on, then brainstorm together solutions. We do this in our mastermind group as we talk about business and blogging ideas. But it could on topics for home, motherhood, work, marriage, and more. Let's leave our time together with an idea or two to try!18. Dance Party
I'm not much of a dancer, but I have great memories of dancing with close friends in our dorm rooms. Weird to do as an adult? Turn on a Just Dance video game or go through a dance tutorial video together. Salsa or line dancing, anyone?19. Share the Love
Get together to bake cookies and write encouraging notes to neighbors, coworkers, family, or friends. Spend the evening talking while baking and writing. Then, everyone will leave with a small plate of cookies and a note to take and share the love with someone in their life.20. Make and Take
Get together and pool resources to make something in bulk--bath salts, granola, freezer meals, etc. Then each person takes a little with them.21. Volunteer or Service Project
Host a Sole Hope shoe-cutting party or volunteer together at the local homeless or women's shelter. Serving others together can be a great way to give your group a truly lasting impact, on yourselves and others.22. Coffee Shop Takeover
Gather at a local coffee shop for talk and of course coffee. (Skip this idea if most of you aren't actually going to order something to eat or drink.) This might especially be a welcome change of pace for those who spend most of their time working from home or caring for kids.23. Swap
If you and your friends have similar interests or style, consider doing a swap together. It could be nail polish, accessories, home decor, kitchen gadgets, board games, whatever. Each person brings one thing in the category that they're done with but is still in good condition, then swap. While shoes or clothes could be fun, I'd avoid that unless you're all similar sizes.24. Night Out
Sometimes you just need a good ol' fashioned girls night out. Meet at a restaurant for dinner or drinks and dessert, or window shop and catch a movie together.25. PJ and Cereal Night
Everyone shows up in their pajamas and brings a box of their favorite cereal, then cozy up to munch and talk about life.26. Conversation Cards
You can find table topic cards at novelty and book stores, or you can browse my 100 questions or make your own. The intentional conversations (#6 above) are usually a little more planned. Conversation cards can be random or rapid fire or grabbed anytime you need a reset on what to talk about.27. Game Night
Get together to play Apples to Apples or a favorite card game. This might be a fun one to invite the husbands or families to.28. Improv
This is so out of my comfort zone, but could still be fun. Get together and do an improv night. If you need ideas, checkout episodes of Whose Line Is It Anyway. It helps if some of it is planned out ahead or if someone is designated host.29. Bonfire
Meet at someone's house who has a firepit in their yard. Gather around to roast marshmallows and tell stories.30. Weekend Getaway
This may not be able to happen often, but every now and then you need a girls weekend. Go to a women's retreat or conference together, or just visit a nearby town even for the day.What's a fun or memorable girls night you've enjoyed?
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