Get together with your besties and celebrate the friendships with awesome Galentine’s Day activities.
Galentine’s Day is a fictional holiday that has grown in popularity since its first mention in the popular sitcom Parks and Recreation.
Leslie Knope invented the holiday as a fun way to celebrate the wonderful female friends in her life. And now you can observe it, too!
I think it’s pretty cool how a fictional character’s creation turned into an actual holiday that women can look forward to each year.
It takes place on February 13th, so mark your calendar for this glorious day with your gal pals.
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Helpful Tips
- Take a few minutes to ponder the vibe of your Galentine’s get-together. What’s the overall feeling you want to have? Fun and adventurous? Peaceful and relaxing? Formal and sophisticated? Perhaps a mix of all of them? Depending on how much time you have to celebrate, you may end up going through various styles. You might begin with a PJ brunch and end with a formal dinner at your favorite restaurant.
- Consider the group of friends you’re inviting over. Are they sporty? Nerdy? Early birds? Night owls? Do they like wearing PJs all day, or do they prefer to dress up, even for mundane occasions? It can be helpful to know the group of friends you wish to celebrate with. That alone can give you a plethora of ideas for your upcoming Galentine’s get-together.
- Another thing to consider is what you and your friends usually do together. Do you normally meet at cafes for coffee? Go for walks on pretty trails? What do you talk about the most? What are some interests or hobbies you have in common?
- Ask your friends what they’d be interested in doing. Maybe you all can look through these ideas together and decide which ones sound most appealing.
- And this is the most important tip of all: have fun! Whether it’s a simple craft night at home or a weekend getaway at an inexpensive hotel, you’re putting together a time of grand celebration for the most wonderful female friends in your life. So enjoy it!
Now, let’s take a look at the Galentine’s Day activities.
Bake/Cook Together
Have that new recipe you’ve been dying to try but never got around to actually making? Well, today’s the day! Invite friends to spend the afternoon baking some nutty butter pecan waffles. This simple, delicious recipe is from The Creekside Cook.
Waffle Decorating Competition
Going hand in hand with baking is a friendly waffle decorating competition. Give each person a waffle and some toppings. Start a timer for 5 minutes and race to create the most gorgeous waffles the world has ever seen. Don’t forget to take photos of your beautiful works of art.
Sing Karaoke
There’s something incredibly freeing about singing your heart out. You don’t have to be the world’s best singer to enjoy a little bit of karaoke.
Compile karaoke versions/instrumentals of your favorite songs on YouTube or Spotify and ask your friends to add their choice songs to the playlist. You can take turns singing solos or sing together as a group.
Have a Photoshoot
This would be a fun way to take photos of you and your friends in matching pajamas, hint, hint.
- Get a cute backdrop for photos, like this rustic glowing hearts backdrop.
- Or take pictures in front of dozens hearts: heart garland set.
Make Some Crafts
Inspired to make some cute braided bracelets and crochet bookmarks? Gather your friends for a night of creative creations. Everyone could bring their own projects, or you can have craft materials prepared in advance.
Watch a Movie (or Two!)
To make choosing a film easier, put together a list of options for the movie night and create a poll for your friends. Or have each friend suggest a movie and add it to the poll.
You could send out the poll in advance and select the movie before your guests show up or take a vote that evening once everyone arrives.
And you could always watch the Parks and Rec Galentine’s Day episode (season 2, episode 16).
Of course, the movies don’t have relate to Galentine’s Day. Whatever genre you and your friends enjoy would be perfect.
Host a Game Night
Have your friends bring their favorite games. Card games, board games, strategy games, team games, two-player games… any game!
And if you’re looking for more game ideas, we has some fun minute-to-win-it games for adults.
Dance Party!
Love to dance like nobody’s watching? Make a playlist of your favorite songs and throw a dance party!
My personal favorite style of dancing is line dancing. No partners are necessary when it comes to line dances (though partner line dances do exist).
Learn beginner-friendly line dances like The Cupid Shuffle, Cotton-Eye Joe, and Power Jam.
If you and your friends are more experienced line dancers, you may want to tackle the challenging Fake ID. Dirt Road Dancing has an excellent tutorial.
My mom and I almost mastered it a few months ago. It’s a lot of fun!
You could also look up dancing events and attend them with your friends. Here in West MI, we have the Social Dance Studio of Grand Rapids, so for all you ladies in the area this is a great place to go dancing.
Check out some fun dance games at My Tuesday Therapy.
Spa Day
Imagine peaceful piano music playing in the background while you and your friends treat yourselves to an at-home spa.
Have everyone bring their fluffiest bath robes and coziest slippers, and get ready for an evening of relaxation.
You could also get personalized slippers for the whole crew!
Make some scented sugar scrubs and soothing facial masks as part of the program.
Or, if hosting a spa day at home doesn’t sound quite relaxing enough, you can splurge and visit an actual spa.
Have a Sleepover
Who says sleepovers are only for children? It’s a nice way for you and your friends to relive the nostalgic moments of sleepovers and get a break from your regular night routines.
And if you’re already planning on doing a movie night, why not turn it into a sleepover? That way, you can fall asleep to your favorite movies/shows.
Pajama Day
Have your friends come dressed in their favorite PJs or purchase matching pink PJ pants for everyone so you can all have a fun photoshoot!
Formal Tea Party
Perhaps you’re not a stay-all-day-in-your-PJs kind of gal, and the mere idea of not changing out of them makes you cringe. That’s okay!
If you’re anything like me, you jump at the chance to dress up in formal attire. And unless your daily life consists of evening gowns and fancy shoes, you probably don’t get the opportunity to dress elegantly very often.
So, host a tea party! Have your friends come dressed in their Sunday Best (even if it’s a Monday). Bring out the fancy teacups and silverware that are used once in a blue moon.
And for the tea, Traditional Medicinals has a couple (okay, maybe more than a couple) teas I absolutely love, like Licorice Root and Hawthorn Hibiscus. Otherwise, there are the favorites everyone seems to enjoy, like peppermint, Earl Grey, ginger, and lemon.
If tea parties are your thing, you’ll love these Christmas tea party ideas (fun FREE stuff too.)
Meet Up for Brunch
Go out for brunch at your local cafe or breakfast restaurant to catch up on life. Or perhaps you might want to host a brunch party at home. It would be the perfect follow-up to a sleepover.
Dinner at a Sit-Down Restaurant
Here’s your opportunity to go out to that one fancy restaurant you’ve always wanted to try but never got the chance to.
Go Hiking
Are you and your friends outdoorsy and adventurous? A hiking trip would be the perfect activity to do together. Make sure to bring lots of water.
Find the best trails to explore and marvel at God’s beautiful creation together.
Have a Picnic
Add to the fun of your hiking adventure with a little picnic.
Depending on where you live, it may be too cold, snowy, or rainy for an outdoor picnic. But if you and your gal pals live in a warmer climate and you enjoy eating your meals outside, this would be a fun idea!
A great alternative to a traditional outdoor picnic is an indoor version in your home.
Go Ice Skating
Meet at your local ice rink and enjoy a night of ice skating. Don’t forget to dress warmly!
Attend a Concert
Find out what concerts are being held in February and go out and enjoy some live music.
Theater
Whether it’s a spectacular Broadway show or a humble high school stage play, watching a live performance will surely be entertaining.
Trip to Downtown
Explore the shops, restaurants, and parks in your local downtown. Now’s the perfect time to do a little shopping, try a new dish, or play scavenger hunt-type games.
Shopping Spree
Make a list of the stores you all like and pick a couple to do your shopping spree at. If there’s a new store opening in your area, go check it out.
Gift Exchange
After your downtown shopping excursion, it’s time for a gift exchange. You could make personalized gifts or play a gift exchange game in which the presents are more generalized.
Escape Room
Test your observational capabilities by visiting an escape room! Or if you’re hosting a game night, you and your gal pals could try an escape room in a box, like this, Stargazer’s Manor from Think Fun.
Road Trip
Road trips are great for bonding with friends. You can pass the time by playing games, listening to upbeat music, or chatting the entire way to your destination. Some of the most fun conversations I’ve had happened on car rides!
Decide how far you’d like to leave your hometown and explore the sights in areas you haven’t been to before.
Here are some fun road trip game ideas for the car ride!
Visit the Beach
If you’re in Michigan like me, you probably won’t be doing any swimming in the middle of February. However, it’s still fun to visit the local state parks and admire the frozen waves.
Weekend Retreat
Sometimes, a quiet gathering at home or a night out at a fancy restaurant isn’t quite relaxing or fun enough. Maybe you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of your regular routine and enjoy a lovely long weekend far, far away. (Okay, maybe only a couple hours away, but still.)
As with any and all holidays, Galentine’s Day doesn’t have to be celebrated on the exact day. You may want to go on a two-day retreat with a couple of your best buds, but unfortunately, Galentine’s Day falls on a Tuesday, and you all have to work.
But that’s okay! Because you will get a whole weekend to celebrate with your most wonderful friends. That’s two days filled with fun activities and awesome memories.
There you go, lots of fun Galentine’s Day activities to choose from. Which on will you do this year?
Have Fun with Friends Throughout the Year
Here at Relaxed Hostess, we are all about creating special moments that will turn into beautiful memories. Whether you are looking for luau party games, Friendsgiving games, or refreshing lemonade party ideas, we’ve got you covered.