You do not need a complicated plan to make a night at home feel different. The best activities give everyone something to do while still leaving room to talk.
If you want an easy formula: choose one shared activity, keep the setup simple and avoid making the evening feel like a scheduled workshop.
1. Have a Paint by Numbers night
Give everyone their own kit, put music on and let people work at their own pace. Paint by Numbers works well for mixed groups because nobody needs drawing experience.
Our Friends & Family Paint Night collection is designed for groups of 3, 6 or more. The 20×20 cm framed kits are especially easy to set up because each includes paints, brushes and a wooden tabletop easel.
2. Do a blind tasting
Tea, chocolate, soft drinks, crisps or coffee all work. Number the options, hide the packaging and score them as a group.
3. Make a playlist together
Ask each person to add two songs around a theme: teenage favourites, songs from a holiday, guilty pleasures or music you would actually play at dinner.
4. Try a no-phone evening
Put phones in another room for an hour and choose something physical to do instead. Puzzles, cards, cooking and painting are all easy options. See our screen-free hobbies for adults for more offline project ideas.
5. Cook one dish together
Choose something that can be divided into jobs rather than one person doing everything. Homemade pizza, tacos or dumplings work because everyone can take part.
6. Create a mini tournament
Use whatever you already own: cards, board games, table tennis, darts or quick party games. Keep rounds short so nobody spends the whole evening waiting.
7. Swap a normal night out for a themed night in
Choose a loose theme — Italian food, old films, 90s music, painting and wine — and let the details follow from there.
How to choose the right activity for your group
- Choose something people can join without prior skill.
- Avoid activities that require one person to teach everyone else for half an hour.
- Keep setup and cleanup realistic.
- For creative activities, give everyone their own materials.
Related guides
- How to host a paint night at home with friends
- How to host a Paint and Wine night at home
- Screen-free hobbies for adults
If your group needs several kits, eligible non-mural clearance designs can be mixed in the Any 3 for £21.99 offer.
