Master list of clubs & events you can host with friends

Need an excuse to invite everyone over? Look no further.

We’re in a loneliness epidemic. We need human connection, it’s the foundation to happiness, and yet, we’re more isolated than we ever have been. It’s a huge reason why breaking our internet habits can feel insurmountable. If our primary connection with others is social media or online forums, then how can we expect to thrive without?

The fact is the connection we’re seeking online is empty. Likes on your Instagram photo will not bring you closer to someone. Sending a friend a TikTok video is not “bonding.” We need in-person relationships. We need conversations and belly laughs and eye-contact and depth.

Fighting loneliness

Yet if you’ve been living so much time of your life online, if you’re isolated and lonely, actually creating these connections can feel insurmountable. And the fact is, if you want to build this type of community, you have to put in the work.

Inviting friends over can feel daunting. Setting up a regular cadence of seeing people might seem scary. You might think — What if people say no? What if it’s a lot of work? I can’t afford to host people every week. My house is a mess. What if it’s not fun?

I get it. But still, I urge you to tell those thoughts to kindly fuck off, and take the plunge. Start a book club. Get a monthly dinner on the books. Plan a weekend hiking trip with your college friends. Just take action. Put in the work so you can build the community that you crave.

To help you get started, I pulled together a list of thought-starters for different clubs or events you can host. This can, and should be, low-key. Don’t put pressure on making it perfect, just begin.

Clubs

Clubs are activities you plan to repeat on some regular basis. You can control how often, when and where, but I put together some suggestions on how to organize these clubs to ensure the least amount of friction.

Suggested club guidelines

• Send out survey to get everyone on the same page. Ask friends:

  • Frequency

  • Best day of the week

  • Best time of the day

• Keep it simple.

• Invite a bunch of people, keep the invite open. Maybe they’ll change their mind and choose to attend down the road. Remind your friends that the door is always open.

• If you’re hosting around a meal time, ask everyone to bring something small and easy. You don’t need to fork up a bunch of money every time you host.

• Consider seeing if friends want to rotate houses or if you prefer having it at your own home.

• Ask that folks stay off their phones. This is a time for connection IRL.

Book club

The OG club. What I love about a book club, outside of the community aspect, is that it’s also going to encourage you to spend your free time reading, not scrolling. It can be good to come to the table with questions prepared, but I’ve often found the conversations just blossom naturally.

Film club

A few years ago, a friend of mine told me about his film club. I had never heard of this idea before, but it’s just like a book club! Time-dependent you can either include a screening of the film prior to a discussion, or if you only have a couple hours, you can ask everyone to watch the film in their free time.

Mahjong

I’ve seen this everywhere in the past couple years, despite it originating in 19th Century China. It seems to be a bit of an investment to get started (both for the boards and to potentially learn from a professional), but everyone that I know who plays it loves it. It’s a great way to exercise your brain power and get together with a small group of friends.

Embroidery/knitting club

I’ve been so eager to pick up embroidery or needlepoint as a hobby, but I’m frankly intimidated. A club is a great way to learn together or if you know some experts, you can learn from the best. Bonus points for this kind of activity: your hands will be too preoccupied to even consider your phone.

Game night

Maybe Mahjong isn’t your thing, but you love a good board game. Host a monthly game night! You can rotate through the classics, like Scrabble, Clue, and Monopoly, or even sprinkle in some new games like Settlers of Catan.

Bunko

My mom had Bunko nights every month growing up, and to be honest, I didn’t even know what it was until researching for this essay. Folks go ham for Bunko, maybe it’s the thrill.

Dungeon and Dragons

Was Dungeons and Dragons your thing growing up? Revive old memories and get the gang back together.

Hiking/walking club

The magic of the hiking club? It’s outside! Hiking can be a loose term, maybe it’s just a nice monthly walk in a different park. Or make it really simple and rotate local neighborhoods and end the walk with a group cup of coffee.

Cookbook club

I first saw the idea for cookbook club from Kate Arends a la Wit and Delight. I’ll share her blog on how to set one up because she is the expert!

Cookbook Club 101: What It Is and How to Start Your Own

Gardening club

Similar to the idea of knitting club, this can be a great way to learn together. Maybe you take turns helping in each other’s gardens and sharing tips. Or maybe there’s a community garden plot that you can work on together!

Documentary club

A twist on the film club, but for the intellectual types.

Fantasy sports

Modern technology (aka our smartphones) has made it so fantasy leagues can run without ever being in person. Break that mold and meet at least once a month during your fantasy season.

Volunteering

Want to get more involved but struggle with actually making it happen? Get yourself some accountability and do it as a group! Club members can take turns choosing the volunteer opportunity or you can do the same one each month, but always together.

Events

Maybe a monthly commitment sounds like a lot, but you want to host more gatherings. Here’s some ideas to get you started.

Tips for hosting events:

• If you want to go big, that’s awesome, but it never has to be big. Meals can be simple. You can ask folks to BYOB. You don’t need to decorate. Your house doesn’t need to be immaculate. Any notions you have in your head about what it should be? Throw those out the window. There are NO rules.

• Think about the childcare factor. Everyone has different desires, so I’d suggest switching it up if you’re going to host multiple events. A child-free night is probably more work and more money, but it can be a nice break for the grown-ups. On the other hand, it’s inherently easier for invitees if kids can come along, even if it makes things slightly more chaotic.

• Don’t take it personally if you get No’s. Timing is everything. If someone can’t come, no worries, invite them to the next get together.

• Be clear about expectations. If you want everyone out at a certain time, be clear about that. It’s normal for a party to end at a certain time.

Coffee get-together

Grab a few different creamers, teas, and pastries then host your friends for some morning coffee. This can be so casual and low-key. Maybe it’s an open invite for neighbors to come over on Sunday mornings between 9-11 AM.

Dinner party

Host a traditional dinner party. This can range from very simple (cook up some salmon fillets, rice, and make a big salad) and casual (soft clothes welcome!) to high-end (sear some steaks or cater if you have the budget) and fancy (let’s dress up tonight!). Maybe it’s a kids-free night or maybe you make a kid-friendly meal to avoid the finding a babysitter headache. There are no rules.

Brunch bar

If mornings are more your thing, invite everyone over for a bagel bar. Pick up a dozen bagels and cream cheese, grab some orange juice, brew some coffee, and you’ve got yourself a morning get-together. It doesn’t have to bagels. If you’re more ambitious you can make pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, cinnamon rolls…the options are endless.

Sports viewing

Invite everyone over for your favorite football rivalry game or the double-header for your local baseball team. Keep it easy by asking everyone to BYOB.

Potluck

Keep it really easy and host everyone over for a potluck. Make a group spreadsheet and ask everyone to fill out what they can bring.

Side holidays

People usually have plans for the major holidays, but it can be fun to celebrate the less popular ones. Think: Summer Solstice (can be an all day, drop-in anytime event), Cinco de Mayo (add in some cultural heritage), or New Year’s Day (Bloody Mary bar, bagels, Black-eyed Peas). Get creative!