"Recently, I was indulging in my 1,000th rewatch of Friends when one of my favorite Thanksgiving episodes came onââThe One With the Rumorâ with a Brad Pitt cameo, of course. It got me thinking about how nice it is that they all get together to celebrate the holiday. Naturally, something always goes awryâturkeys get stuck on heads, someone has to spend the day in a box, or someone kisses their ex-boyfriendâs son. Still, at the heart of each episode is a group of people who cherish their time with one another.
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Thatâs what I believe to be so special about the Friendsgiving tradition thatâs made a name for itself in recent years. While Iâm still a sucker for getting together with extended family this time of year, the thought of spending some intentional time with my chosen family seems like a no brainer.
If the concept of Friendsgiving is new to you, hereâs a little explainer. Essentially, itâs your typical Thanksgiving celebrationâbut with friends instead of family. While some people celebrate Friendsgiving in lieu of their family Thanksgiving celebration, others plan a separate Friendsgiving party in November while still spending their Thanksgiving with family. Whether this is your first time hearing about the tradition, or youâre just looking to up your hosting game this year, look no further. Here are some great ideas for hosting the best Friendsgiving celebration.
Why Host a Friendsgiving?
As busy parents, we already have a lot on our plates. Adding another task on our to-do listâespecially one as extensive as hosting can beâcan seem daunting. But the truth is, time spent with good friends can be some of the most energizing and revitalizing time well spent. Making new memories with people who put a smile on our face has the power to fill up our cups, even if weâve been running on empty lately.
Once you get into planning the event, itâll quickly become easy to differentiate the must-haveâs and the must-doâs with the things we can forgo. Hopefully this makes the planning process easier and the ultimate gathering more enjoyable. Letâs get into the ins and outs of planning a Friendsgiving celebration.
Friendsgiving Theme Ideas
Traditional
Right off the bat weâll start with the most straightforward option. Thanksgiving practically is a theme in and of itself. Go the traditional route by opting for a classic Thanksgiving menu, gathering around the table, and simply dressing up for the holiday.
Cultural Celebration
Think outside of the stuffing box and do things a little differently in a way that honors all of the unique qualities of your friend group. For this theme, go potluck style and have all of the guests bring a dish that highlights their cultural heritage or a family dish they enjoyed in their childhood. The best part about this theme is that you get the opportunity to learn something about your friends that you may have not known before.
Game Night
Whether you go all out with a game of football in the park Friends-style, or opt for some fun card and board games, youâre in for a fun night of friendly competition. This theme is the best of both worlds because it can be a fun adult game night or a great opportunity to get everyoneâs kids involved as well. Pick teams and one game and have a tournament, or spend the night playing your way through each personâs favorite.
Pajama Party
While family Thanksgiving celebrations may be more formal, thereâs no opinionated aunt at Friendsgiving saying you canât lounge around in your PJs all day. In fact, a pajama party might just be what our nostalgic hearts are needing this time of year. Instead of a fancy dinner, have all of the guests arrive in their favorite festive pajamas (and yes, they do sell Thanksgiving pajamas) and serve comfort foods galoreâthink mac and cheese, pizza, and plenty of snack foods.
Dress Like Your Spouse Party
For a theme that will conjure up tons of belly laughs, look no further than a dress like a person youâre also thankful forâyour significant other. Perfect for a friend group with lots of couples, everyone will arrive in an outfit their significant other would typically wear. Be sure to have your phone on record as everyone arrives, as this is something youâre going to want to capture.
Friendsgiving Streaming Party
If you and your friends have bonded over a shared obsession with a certain TV show or two, this themeâs for you. With this one, everyoneâs going to arrive ready for a night cozied up on the couch with comfort food. Before the gathering, either create or hunt down a list of every Thanksgiving episode of your favorite TV shows. Think the several episodes from Friends, as well as shows like Gilmore Girls, New Girl, Gossip Girl, and all the other -Girls. Have them ready to stream together with some beverages of choice to feel all of the festive feels.
Giving Back
While weâre all feeling grateful for the things we have in life, weâre also given an opportunity to give to those in need. For this celebration, we can pick a cause and have all of the attendees bring something to the donate to that charity. Some ideas could be to bring pet supplies for an animal shelter, canned goods for a food pantry, diapers for a diaper bank, or household items and toiletries for a local family shelter. As the host, you can collect the donations and drop them off at the chosen charity. We know everyone will feel even more festive knowing theyâre positively impacting the lives of others.
Decorating for the Occasion
One of the most exciting parts about hosting an event is setting up your space for guests. This often includes fun, seasonal decor to set the mood and get everyone in the spirit. Whether you go with a theme and pick decor that fits, or go a more âtraditional Thanksgivingâ route, Thanksgiving tablescapes and decorations will have everyone ready for a great night the second they walk in the door.
Friendsgiving Games and Activities
The types of games or activities you include will be based largely on the guest list. Youâll have different options if kids are involved than if itâs just the adults. Likewise, you may play more get-to-know-you games with new friends than those who youâve known for years. And donât forget the seasonal classic of going around the room and sharing one thing everyone is thankful for. Itâs what weâre gathered together for, after all!
Friendsgiving Games for Everybody
Time to get creative! In this team game, players will race against the clock to come up with the most creative answers in the given category. Be sure to not repeat any answers anyone else has already used!
We all know, love, and canât get enough of the memes that circulate social media. This game lets us come up with the hilarious captions that accompany our favorite memesâin a family friendly way! Whoeverâs turn it is gets to pick their favorite answers. The player with the most captions selected at the end of the game is the winner.
Players will break up into teams and play three rounds to guess the name on the card their team member has drawn. In the first round, the player who drew can say anything but the name itself to explain who it is. In the second round, they can only use one word. Lastly, they have to act it out. The team with the most correct guesses wins. And trust us, seeing your friend act out Miss Piggy is as hilarious as it sounds.
Like Cards Against Humanity, but kid-friendly. This game includes 600 questions and fill-in-the-blank answer cards for a whole night of fun.
With 25 printable games to choose from, youâll find the perfect Thanksgiving-themed options for your gathering.
Friend trivia, Who is Most Likely, and more printable games are sure to get the memoriesâand the laughsâ going with this set of 11 printable Friendsgiving games.
Friendsgiving Games for Adults
After youâve played the original game several times, treat yourself to some fresh new cards to play with with this expansion pack. The rules are simple: each round, one player picks a black card and reads the question on it. The other players put down their funniest white card and the drawer of the black card picks their favorite to determine the winner of that round.
While everyone is invited to game night, this game was invented specifically with the girlies in mind. With simple rules but juicy cards, this game is made for a game night to remember. Simply roll the dice, pick a card from the pile of that color and do what it says!
Get ready to laugh about all of the bad decisions your friends have made over the years and get to know each other a lot better. Each player will have six cards. When itâs your turn, youâll pick one of your six cards and hand it to the player you think is most likely to answer âyes.â If itâs an affirmative answer, you get to discard, otherwise you keep it to use again later.
Play detective and solve the case with clues that get sent to you in the mail regularly. This is a perfect option for groups who like to get together frequently. This is the classic, but the series has come out with tons of other creative murder mystery games you wonât want to miss.
Putting Together the Perfect Friendsgiving Menu
What you serve at your Friendsgiving celebration will depend on a few things. Will you incorporate a theme, or keep things traditional? As the host, do you want to take care of a majority of the menu, or would potluck style work better for your friend group? Do you have the space to cook, or would takeout be worth considering? Should you consider putting together a specialty cocktail? All these questions and more will likely come up in the planning process, but they donât need to be stressful decisions. Here are a few things to consider.
Friendsgiving Food Ideas
If incorporating a theme into the evening sounds fun, we say serving food that goes with the theme is the way to go. Not only is it unique, but it will get everyone in the spirit of the gathering. Sometimes it can be really nice to treat the people you care about by putting together a special evening for them. On the other hand, hosting can get expensive. Hosting a Friendsgiving potluck is a great option to split up the cost and make everyone feel included in the preparation.
Taking into consideration the amount of prepping, cooking, and serving space you have may factor into what youâre capable of when it comes to hosting Friendsgiving. Thereâs nothing wrong with admitting that baking a 19 pound turkey isnât the most logical option, and certainly nothing wrong with grabbing some takeout instead. Whether that be everyoneâs favorite carryout spot, or something fancier like a charcuterie board from local company, thereâs no wrong answer.
Itâs always good to put together a budget for yourself in the planning process, get a head count of how many people youâll be serving, and take into consideration any dietary restrictions guests may have. An efficient way to do the latter is to include a space on the invitation for guests to write in any allergies, preferences, etc.
Creative Drink Ideas for a Friendsgiving Celebration
Have an assortment of wine, beer, seltzers, and non-alcoholic options is a great start to hosting your Friendsgiving. From there, you can determine if you want to provide a specialty cocktail for the evening. These can be especially fun if a theme is involved for a gathering. Consider a blood orange margarita for a murder mystery party. Or something indulgent like a spiked hot chocolate for a streaming party. Going with a drink that can easily be converted into a mocktail is a thoughtful touch for anyone not drinking alcohol. Once youâve got your bases covered, get creative and have fun with the rest!
Kid-Friendly Friendsgiving
Now that weâre the parents, gathering with friends might look a little different than it used to. What better way to celebrate how far everyone has come than by including everyone in the festivities? There are lots of great ways to include the kiddos in on the fun. Including them in the games, watching family-friendly movies, or teaching them about other cultures and traditions are great options.
You also canât go wrong with a good old fashioned kids table during the meal. While the adults catch up, the kids can enjoy spending time together as well. Of course, weâll want to have a few ways of keeping them entertained during the event. Some options include encouraging pretend play, having crafts for them to do, or having a showing of their favorite holiday movie. You can also never go wrong with crayons and Thanksgiving coloring pages that will keep them occupied for hours. Step it up a notch by purchasing a specific tablecloth or placemats they can color on to really feel like theyâre a part of the event.
Enjoying the Time Spent Together
All the planning in the world canât replace even a moment of quality time with loved ones. Remember that itâs not about hosting the perfect event. Itâs all about gathering with important people and being grateful for your time together. For more tips on perfecting your hosting game this season, be sure to check out The Everymomâs Ultimate Guide to Everyday Gatherings.
Brett Nicole Hayden, Editorial Assistant
As the Editorial Assistant, Brett works with the editors of The Everymom on the content creation process by updating stories, sourcing images and graphics, and pitching and contributing her own articles. Her favorite topics to write about are culture, relationships, and living. Sheâs also The Everymomâs resident baby names and family movies expert!