How to Bring Friends Together: 15 Fun Things To Do in Winter

You can meet friends at your favorite coffee shop and take a stroll around the city, or you can transform these meet-ups into actual bonding sessions. While this might take more preparation, the memories created will be unique and will bring your friends closer.

Is Team-Building Needed for a Group of Friends?

Typically, team-building activities are conducted in companies—various training sessions and events help unite employees and enhance efficiency. Nonetheless, there's every reason to organize fun, unifying activities for a sports team, dance troupe, or just a group of friends. It's an excellent opportunity to get to know each other better and accomplish shared goals. Here are four more reasons why friends should consider team-building:

• It spices up the usual gatherings
• Helps find common goals
• Reduces stress
• Makes friendships stronger.

How to Ease Tension at a First Gathering of Friends

If you haven't seen your friends in a while or are bringing together people who don't know each other, the gathering might feel awkward. Consider this in advance and plan how to create a comfortable atmosphere for everyone. These straightforward tips can help:

• Create a group chat beforehand— bring all your friends together in a group chat on WhatsApp or another messenger. This way, they can get to know each other a bit and reduce any anxiety about meeting up.
• Plan the seating— to prevent the group from splitting into small clusters, try to seat everyone so that less familiar people are next to each other. This way, friends get to know each other faster, and no one feels left out.
• Assign shared tasks— don't hesitate to give your friends small tasks, like preparing snacks, setting up furniture, or anything else. A joint activity provides topics for dialogue and boosts team spirit.
• Create a cozy environment— whether you're hosting at home or heading out, ensure a warm ambiance is set up in advance. Conversations become much easier when the surroundings are comfortable. 

Focus on Atmospheric Winter Entertainment

There are plenty of winter activities that create a magical atmosphere and help build relationships with loved ones. They will lose their charm in spring or summer, so don't miss the opportunity.

Secret Santa Gift Exchange

Gift exchanges are a fantastic way to unite any group, be it colleagues, family, or friends. The game adds intrigue and helps save time and money. Plus, it's quite easy to organize, even if you're playing for the first time. Simply draw names, secretly choose a gift for your recipient, and agree on a day when everyone receives their surprise.

For the draw, you can go for traditional slips or do it online through the MySanta service. This service not only simplifies preparation but also offers some fantastic features:

• Chat with your recipient— to ensure you're choosing the perfect gift, you can anonymously ask your recipient questions.
• Wishlist— create and share a wishlist effortlessly with your Secret Santa.
• Transparent game progress— you can track to make sure that gifts are received on time.
• Play online— if any friends cannot join the holidays in person, they can still participate in Secret Santa and receive their surprise.

Also read:

Virtual Secret Santa with Friends: Tips & How To Organize

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Sauna Visit

During the holiday season, visiting the sauna is especially pleasant. It's a wonderful ritual to share with friends—you can have a proper detox and enjoy conversations in a relaxed setting. Prepare some herbal teas, essential oils, and don't forget the birch twigs—a sauna visit isn't complete without them.

Winter Photoshoot

There's a meme that true friends never have beautiful photos together. If that resonates with you, consider organizing a winter photoshoot. It doesn't matter whether you hire a photographer and studio or take cozy pictures at home yourself—the important part is having fun with loved ones and capturing the moments.

Visit a Holiday Market

Almost every city hosts a market for the holiday season. You can buy anything from adorable gingerbread and unique candies to handmade ornaments and funny socks, and even participate in raffles and other activities. Even if you don't need the items, strolling through such places immerses you in the festive atmosphere and offers a good time with friends.

Holiday Quest

Quests are perfect for groups—they encourage problem-solving and achieving a common goal together. You can find themed options with spooky or favorite movie themes, but as the holiday season comes around, winter-themed quests are available too. It's a delightful idea to spice up your leisure and pass off the responsibility of organizing something. 

If you're feeling creative, you can try setting up your own quest. Plan out riddles and a specific route for your friends to reach the finale. This scenario can also be used for gifting—for example, organizing a real hunt for gifts.

Fun Ideas for Spending Time at Home

We've gathered 5 exciting activities to turn a home get-together with friends into a lively event.

Karaoke Party

You don't have to go to a bar or find a karaoke booth to sing your heart out. You can organize a karaoke party at home with friends. All that's needed is a good mood, a playlist of favorite tracks, and a microphone if available. Create the right atmosphere with fairy lights or LED strips, project the lyrics on a screen, and enjoy.

Fortune-Telling Evening

The holiday season is the perfect time for making wishes and indulging in all things magical. Invite friends for a fortune-telling evening with fascinating rituals and delicious treats. To create the right mood, set a dress code, make an appropriate playlist, and prepare snacks. Even skeptics will find this entertainment a great way to enjoy themselves and get to know friends better.

Board Games Night

Though it might seem plain, it's a timeless classic. Gather friends over your favorite board games to reminisce and have a great time. If you have only a few games, ask friends to bring those they play at home. Together, you'll amass an impressive collection of board games, ensuring boredom is never an issue.

Presentation Party

Presentation parties became a social media hit during the pandemic, and they remain a fun activity. The unpredictability of these events ensures a good time. The concept is simple: everyone prepares a presentation on an intriguing topic, whether absurd, touching, or charming. While strict rules typically don't apply, you can set time limits or themes to streamline preparations. The key is to be creative and humorous.

Cooking Masterclass

If you're unsure what to do and don't want to spend too much time preparing, organize a cooking masterclass for friends. You can cook a complex dish together or have each person make their own by following one lead. Cooking allows for idea exchanges and bonds even those who don’t know each other well. A delicious dinner shared at a communal table will be a fitting and pleasant conclusion to the masterclass.

Outdoor Activities

If you're lucky to have snow outside during the winter holidays, take advantage! Grab your skis for a trek with friends, or venture onto a frozen lake for fishing. Regardless of the activity you choose, cherish the time—you never know if next winter will be snowless.

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Snowball Fight

A simple and fun game from childhood can be a great way to pass the time with friends. You can seize the moment and start the game unexpectedly by throwing a snowball or split into teams for a true snowball battle. The main thing is everyone gets involved, ensuring a fun and engaging snowball fight.

Go Skiing

When snow falls over several days and the chill holds, it's a sign to go skiing. Choose any trail that suits your taste, whether it's an urban park, a snowy forest, or a specially-prepared slope with thrilling descents. Bring hot beverages in thermoses and light snacks to end the trek with a picnic and pleasant conversations.

Snow Tubing

Another winter classic. If active pursuits tire you out but you still want to enjoy being outdoors, snow tubing is a great option. Find a nearby hill or head to a dedicated tubing slope. To make it more exciting, push each other or ride together on the tube.                    

Ice-Skating Rink

Invite friends to the ice-skating rink. Few activities create a magical atmosphere as this does, making gatherings even more heartwarming. Even if someone in the group can't ice skate, it's a wonderful chance to learn and try something new together.

Winter Fishing

If you're tired of the usual entertainment, suggest an adventurous outing with friends—winter fishing. It's best when your group includes those experienced with the necessary gear or you know where to rent it. If it's your first time, look online for specially equipped winter fishing locations with cozy lodges for a safe, comfortable experience.

Conclusion

Whether you decide to go fishing, play Secret Santa, or unwind in a sauna, the most important thing is for friends to support your idea and share in the joy of meeting up.

Try our MySanta app

You can create wishlists, add exclusions, and communicate with your gifree secretly. Moreover, there is an option to track gifts and ensure that everyone buys a present on time.

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