Adulting often means having lesser and lesser time to meet friends. And it’s harder still to plan an evening when everyone is free to hang out. And when you and your guys do end up hanging out daytime or night, it’s for a few hours, squeezed into an already packed day. Few hours of reminiscing about how it used to be when you all would spend all day together, talking, roaming about and playing video games.
We’re sorry to break it to you, but the truth is, if you want to spend some quality time with your guys, it’s going to have to be more than just a couple of hours at a cafe or fast-food joint. You’re going to have to host a guys’ night in, and with our guide, you’re going to ace it…
Plan ahead of time
Let’s not be naive and expect to plan a guys night in overnight. That’s not to say that as a host you’ve got tons of fancy details to attend to. But just finding an evening that works for everyone in your circle will take a bit of planning. So, set the date ahead of time. And don’t shy away from sending everyone an e-invite as a reminder!
Get supplies
Very few among us like grocery and household supplies shopping, but we’re sorry to say, on this occasion you’re going to have to go to the market. You’re going to need paper plates, disposable cups, drinks of your choice, drinking water, snacks and chips, tissue paper and cleaning supplies. All of the above will come in handy at some point during the night, so make sure you buy them and stow them in an easily accessible spot.
Plan your menu
Oh, we don’t mean having a three-course meal for your friends, unless you want to cook for them. But getting your menu sorted before the night will take a considerable amount of stress off of you. You could always go the pizza route or grab a chicken bucket; easy-peasy, just make a call and the food will arrive. Or if you want to give your friends a little treat, you could bust out your cooking chops and make some simple bruschetta, or assemble a cheeseboard. Cooking a homemade meal for them is such a special touch. However, make sure this doesn’t keep you in the kitchen while your friends are over; they are there to spend time with you.
Movie night
We all love a good movie night. Rewatching the classics like old times is such a kick. Better yet, you could do an action-packed film marathon or a superhero saga. While picking the genre of movies, make sure you choose something that is entertaining for everyone. Do not, we repeat, do not pick a sob story. For a fun twist on the evening, you could always host a bad movie night. There are several movies on streaming platforms that have movies that make us cringe and laugh at the same time – the ‘so bad, it’s good’ category – and we are sure watching them with the boys’ guarantees a hilarious night.
Game night
This could go two ways. Either you have a board game night and keep all the fun ones on hand such as ‘Cards Against Humanity’, ‘Taboo’, ‘Speak Out’, ‘Sumo Charades’ and ‘Pictionary’. Or you can go the video game route with ‘FIFA 20’ or ‘Call of Duty’…whichever games you guys love playing. Make sure everyone gets a fair chance. Please note: if you have super competitive friends who get grumpy and angry if they lose, we suggest skipping game night altogether.
Keep it fun
You guys are meeting after quite a while and it’s best to keep the tone of the evening fun and fresh. You could host a watch party for a favourite sport final or important game that you all love. Or a new episode of a show you all are hooked to. Remember, it’s their night off from all their responsibilities, so make sure everyone has a good time.
Interfriendtion
While we would love for everything to be all fun and games, every once in a while, there comes a need for an interfriendtion or a serious talk. The foundation of friendship is connecting on a much deeper level. So, communication is key. If a friend wants to open up to the rest of the group or rant, encourage it. If as a group you all feel the need to pull one of the guys out of a rut, use this casual, homey setting to do so. Having a mix of real talk, jokes, games, movies and laughter will mean your time spent together is actual quality time.
Follow these simple rules and ace a perfect guys night in!