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Looking for the best Friendsgiving party ideas to make your holidays even more fun? Here are 30+ friendsgiving party ideas that are fun, engaging, and memorable.
Well, if you are wondering, what is Friendsgiving?
Think of it as Thanksgiving’s fun cousin, same feast vibes, but with your favorite people you actually picked as family. It usually happens around Thanksgiving (or a few days before), because honestly, Friendsgiving doesn’t have strict schedules.
Friendsgiving is one of the best ways to celebrate fall. Laughter feels louder, conversations feel deeper, and memories feel more personal.
But rather than just sitting around having a meal like a traditional family, why not make this more fun? Instead of just sharing a meal, you can make it an interactive evening full of stories, games, and connection.
My friends are like a time capsule collection, some from childhood, some from awkward phases, some from glow-up eras. A few are introverts, some get social anxiety, and then there are the extroverts who could talk to a wall.
That’s why I’m hosting an interactive Friendsgiving: so the quiet ones can actually open up, the chatty ones can chill for a sec, and everyone gets to break the ice without breaking into a sweat.
But if you have a dedicated friend group, then even then these activities are fun and enjoyable.
Food & Cooking Inspired Ideas
1. Potluck Storytelling Dinner
Have everyone bring a dish that’s more than food, it’s a memory! Before eating, everyone shares the story behind their dish. You’ll taste delicious food and walk away with heartwarming stories you’ve never heard before.
Print cute recipe cards where people can write their dish + story; collect into a keepsake booklet.
2. Cook Together Night
Forget bringing food rally in the kitchen and cook the entire meal as a crew. Someone chops, someone stirs, someone’s in charge of setting the scene. The result? Delicious mayhem and unforgettable laughs.
Make it cozy by giving everyone a matching apron (even cheap printed ones).
3. Recipe Swap & Make
Have each guest bring their go-to recipe card. Pick a couple to cook together on the spot. You’ll go home full, smiling, and with a tiny ‘Friendsgiving cookbook’ of shared deliciousness.
Create a little recipe basket where everyone drops a card to take home.
4. Wine & Pie Pairing
Select some wines, scoop up some pies, and let the taste-testing games begin. Surprising combos await like pumpkin pie flirting with sweet Riesling and endless laughter and debates follow.
Add a scoring sheet for “Best Pairing,” “Most Unexpected,” etc.
5. Cooking Challenge
Pick random pantry items and split into mini-teams. Each team has to create a dish in 30 minutes. It doesn’t matter if it’s a masterpiece or a disaster, it’s the shared creativity that makes it fun.
Film short TikTok-style clips of the chaos and watch them together after dessert.
6. Fondue Dessert Night
Bring out the chocolate fondue pot, load it with fruits, marshmallows, and cookies, and watch how dipping turns into sharing, and sharing turns into unstoppable giggles.
Dim the lights, play jazz or cozy fall acoustic music for extra vibe.
7. Potluck Secret Ingredient Twist
Turn dinner into a flavor mystery! Pick a secret ingredient, maybe cinnamon, pumpkin, or maple syrup and challenge everyone to hide it in their dish. The fun’s in guessing each creative twist!
Give a small prize (like a fall candle) for the most creative use.
8. Cook-Off Challenge
Pick a dish everyone loves and let each guest create their “best version.” Do a blind taste test, then vote for the champion. A little friendly competition never hurts.
9. Mystery Ingredient Dish Reveal
One cook sneaks a quirky ingredient (like cardamom or chili powder) into their dish. The rest must guess what it is. It’s a fun twist on dinner conversation.
Turn guesses into a mini game with scorecards.
10. Progressive Dinner Style
If your group lives nearby, move from one house to another for different courses (apps, mains, desserts). It turns one evening into a mini adventure.
At the last stop, give everyone a little “Friendsgiving favor” (cookies or hot cocoa packets).
Interactive Games & Activities
11. Board Game & Feast Combo
Dinner done? Time for Codenames, Taboo, or Monopoly Deal—games that turn your friends into a laughing, joke-making machine that keeps on giving all year!
12. Friendsgiving Bingo
Make custom bingo cards filled with inside jokes, quirks, or funny habits. The moment someone blurts their usual catchphrase, mark it off. It’s hilarious how quickly cards fill up.
Add prizes like “winner chooses next song” or “winner skips cleanup.”
13. Gratitude Jar Game
Place slips of paper and pens at the table. Everyone writes anonymous gratitude notes about each other, then they’re read aloud after dessert. It’s a sweet way to end the night.
Use pretty fall stationery so the notes feel more special.
14. Story Dice Game
Use story cubes or random word prompts to create a silly Thanksgiving-themed tale together. The more absurd, the better.
Record the final “story” and read it dramatically at the end.
15. Mini Talent Show
Encourage each person to share a hidden talent from singing to juggling to impressions. It’s silly, fun, and makes the evening unforgettable.
Give silly titles afterward (“Best Opera Voice,” “Most Unexpected Talent”).
16. Team Trivia Night
Prepare a mix of Thanksgiving facts and “inside joke trivia” about your group. Split into two teams and play host. This mixes competition with storytelling.
Mix personal trivia (“Who once burned cookies at 2 am?”) with fun facts.
17. Movie Marathon & Feast
Pair your feast with cozy movies like A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving or Planes, Trains & Automobiles. Commentating and laughing together makes it feel like a sleepover.
Provide cozy blankets + popcorn toppings bar for comfort.
18. Campfire-Style Storytelling
Dim the lights, light candles, or sit by a firepit. Take turns sharing funny or heartfelt stories from past years. It adds a magical, nostalgic vibe to the night.
Add hot chocolate or mulled cider to set the scene.
19. Themed Dress-Up Friendsgiving
Choose a fun theme like “Vintage Thanksgiving” or “Pajama Dinner.” Dressing up instantly puts everyone in a playful mood and guarantees fun photos.
Make it more fun with a quick “best dressed” vote.
20. Dance Break Playlist
Ask everyone to add 2 songs to a shared playlist. After dessert, push back the chairs and have a mini dance party. Everyone feels included because the music reflects the whole group.
End the playlist with a classic singalong anthem to close the night strong.
Gratitude & Meaningful Connection
21. Gratitude Circle
Go around the table and share one thing you’re grateful for about each person. It may feel cheesy at first, but by the end, hearts feel very full.
Use a mini talking stick (a small pumpkin or candle) so everyone knows when it’s their turn.
22. “Pass the Compliment” Game
Everyone gives a compliment to the person on their left. Keep it going until everyone has shared and received. It’s simple, but it makes people glow.
Make a rule that compliments must be specific (not just “you’re nice”).
23. Gratitude Gift Exchange
Instead of traditional gifts, ask everyone to bring a small, thoughtful item (like a candle, favorite snack, or cute mug). Do an exchange and explain why you picked it.
Wrap gifts in fall leaves or kraft paper for an extra personal touch.
24. Vision Board Friendsgiving
Pull out magazines, scissors, and glue. After dinner, everyone creates a small vision board for the coming year. It’s inspiring to dream together.
Use washi tape and stickers to make boards feel more joyful.
25. Friendsgiving Cookbook Chat
Each guest brings their favorite cookbook or recipe printout and shares why it matters. Food stories often reveal personal stories.
Snap a group photo with everyone holding up their recipe book for memory.
26. Gratitude Poster Wall
Hang a big sheet of paper and let everyone write notes of thanks throughout the evening. By the end, you’ll have a visual memory of the night.
Leave it up until the end of the night so people can keep adding throughout.
Creative & Memory-Making Ideas
27. DIY Polaroid Wall
Keep a Polaroid or instant camera handy. Snap pictures throughout the evening and pin them to the wall. It becomes an evolving art piece during dinner.
At the end, let everyone take one Polaroid home as a memory.
28. DIY Cocktail Night
Stock up on mixers, garnishes, and let each guest invent a “signature Friendsgiving cocktail.” Taste test and vote for the favorite.
Give each drink a funny Friendsgiving-themed name and vote for the best.
29. Craft & Chat
Set out paints or craft kits and create before dinner. Hands stay busy while conversations flow easily.
Play an autumn playlist while crafting; give a prize for the “coziest” design.
30. Candle-Making Before Dinner
Buy a simple DIY candle kit and make fall-scented candles together. Guests leave with both memories and a handmade keepsake.
Blend scents unique to each person (vanilla + cinnamon for one, cedar + orange for another).
31. Personalized Playlist Collage
Have each guest add 2–3 songs that remind them of the group or past memories. Play it throughout the evening.
Before dessert, let everyone explain why they chose their songs—it sparks stories and laughter.
32 Time Capsule Creation
Each friend writes a note to their future selves or the group, predicting funny or meaningful things for the next year.
Seal it in a decorative box or envelope to open at next Friendsgiving, creating a recurring tradition.
33 DIY Friendsgiving Scrapbook
Set up a mini crafting station with photos, washi tape, stickers, and pens. Guests can create a page or decorate photos from the night.
Encourage everyone to write little captions or doodles for extra personality. At the end, compile pages into a shared scrapbook.
34 Autograph or Signature Pumpkin
Provide small pumpkins and paint pens. Everyone signs or decorates each other’s pumpkin with doodles and messages.
Keep them on display in the home after the party — a cute memory marker for the season.
35 Photo & Memory Bingo
Create a bingo card filled with moments you want to capture: “Someone laughing loudly,” “Close-up of a dessert,” “Group selfie,” “Funny hat,” etc.
Give a small prize to whoever checks off the most items. It encourages moving, mingling, and capturing memories on camera.
36 DIY Friendsgiving Ornament
Craft ornaments that symbolize your friendship or this year together.
Each friend explains their ornament choice. Later, hang them on a small “Friendsgiving tree” every year.
Final Thoughts
The beauty of a small group Friendsgiving is intimacy. You don’t need extravagant décor or a massive turkey to make it special just laughter, cozy traditions, and interactive ideas that bring everyone closer.
Whether you want to keep it heartfelt with gratitude rituals, silly with games, or cozy with movies and crafts, these 30 ideas will make your Friendsgiving night unforgettable.
✨ Tip: Mix one food activity, one game, and one gratitude ritual to create the perfect balance of fun and connection.
