Wheel of Things to Do With Friends

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Wheel of Things to Do With Friends

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one…Film a two…Play sketch…Play the…Invent a…Throw a…Dress each…Visit a free…Eat a…Volunteer…Camp out in…Go sledding…Hold a car…Fold an…in exactly…Learn 10…Draw your…Map every…Learn to…Watch a…Clear out…Lie back…Make leaf…Read every…

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Write a story one sentence each

Fold the page so only the last sentence shows. Ten passes, then read the whole thing aloud.

My list: 24 of 150 ideas on the wheel

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    The wheel shows 24 of 150 ideas. Every spin picks from all 150.

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        Next step Staying in? Spin a party gamePut your own ideas on a wheel

        All 150 ideas

        With friends, going out 37

        • Build a back yard obstacle course Chairs to crawl under, a rope to balance along, a bucket to throw a ball into. Time every run.
        • Camp out in the back yard A tent, sleeping bags, a flashlight and snacks. Indoor plumbing is the luxury option.
        • Draw a chalk mural on the pavement Give each person one square of a grid so the squares join into one picture. Rain will clean it up.
        • Dress each other from a thrift store Set a small spending limit and 20 minutes. Each person buys an outfit for the friend on their left.
        • Eat a cuisine none of you has tried Spin for the cuisine, find the nearest place that serves it and order different dishes to share.
        • Fly a kite on a breezy day An open field away from trees and power lines. One person holds the kite up while the other walks the line out.
        • Get a pickup game going at the park Vote on the sport if nobody can agree, then spin the teams so the sides are even. First to 5, then swap the teams.
        • Go bowling Book two games. In the second, everyone bowls one frame with the wrong hand.
        Show all 150 ideas (142 more)

        With friends, going out, continued

        • Go fruit picking at a farm Strawberries in early summer, apples in fall. Ring the farm first to check what is ripe.
        • Go ice skating or roller skating Most rinks rent skates. Beginners stay near the barrier for the first ten minutes, and that is fine.
        • Go on a photo scavenger hunt Write 15 things to find, such as a red door, a dog in a coat or a misspelled sign. Two teams, 60 minutes. Uses a screen.
        • Go sledding or build a snowman Snow days only. Waterproof gloves matter more than the sled.
        • Go stargazing away from street lights A blanket and a flashlight covered with red film. Eyes take about 20 minutes to adjust to the dark, so screens stay in pockets. Go as a group and tell someone at home where you will be.
        • Go swimming at a pool or a guarded beach Swim where there is a lifeguard. Bring a ball and something warm for afterwards.
        • Go to an open mic or a free concert Check the listings for libraries, cafes and parks. Sit near the front, since performers notice.
        • Have a water balloon fight Hot days only. Fill a bucket each, agree the boundaries and pick up every scrap of balloon afterwards.
        • Hold a car wash for your families' cars Buckets, sponges and a hose. Work from the roof down, and rinse before the soap dries.
        • Pack a picnic and eat it in the park Each person brings one dish and nobody says what. Bring a blanket and a bag for the rubbish.
        • Play a round of disc golf Many public parks have a free course. One disc each is enough to start; count throws like golf strokes.
        • Play a round of mini golf Lowest total picks where the group eats afterwards.
        • Play capture the flag Two teams, two flags and a field with a middle line. Tagged on the other side means a walk to their jail. 6 or more players.
        • Play table tennis, winner stays on Games to 11. With a crowd, play round the table: hit once, then run to the other end.
        • Rate every flavor at an ice cream shop Everyone orders something different and passes it round. Score each out of 10 on a napkin.
        • Ride a bus to a stop you have never used Check the time of the last bus back before you board, and tell someone at home the route number. Get off, walk for 20 minutes, find something to eat and ride back.
        • Ride bikes to somewhere new Pick a spot 5 miles away with food at the end. Helmets and lights, and the slowest rider sets the pace.
        • Shop a farmers market, then cook it Buy only what looks best that day and work out the meal afterwards.
        • Skim stones across the water Flat, round stones thrown low and hard with a spin off the first finger. Count the skips; best of ten.
        • Swap book picks at the library Each person chooses a book for the friend on their right. Everyone has to read the first chapter.
        • Take over the swings at a playground Go when the little kids have gone home, and check the sign for an age limit. Try to swing in step with each other, which is harder than it looks.
        • Throw a flying disc in the park Start 10 paces apart and step back after every clean catch. With 6 or more, mark two end zones and play a game.
        • Tour your own town like visitors Visit the three places visitors always go and you never have. Take the cheesy photo.
        • Visit a free museum or gallery Split up for half an hour, then each person leads the group to one favorite piece and says why.
        • Volunteer together for an afternoon A park clean-up, a food bank or an animal shelter. Most places need you to book ahead.
        • Walk a trail none of you has done Carry water, wear proper shoes and tell someone at home the route and when you expect to be back.
        • Walk the dogs together Yours or a neighbor's. Choose a loop with water on the way and bring bags.
        • Watch a local sports match School, college and amateur leagues are cheap or free. Choose a team to shout for before you arrive.
        • Watch the sunset from a high point Look up tonight's sunset time and arrive 30 minutes early. The color often peaks after the sun has gone.

        Alone, outdoors 37

        • Borrow from a library shelf you skip Walk to the library and pick a section you have never stood in. Take home whatever looks least like you.
        • Draw your neighborhood from memory Draw the map at home, then walk it to see what you got wrong.
        • Eat your lunch somewhere with a view A hill, a rooftop terrace, a bench by the river. Pack it in a box so it survives the walk.
        • Explore a street you have never walked In daylight. There is usually one within ten minutes of home. Look up above the shop fronts.
        • Find a new route to a place you go often In daylight, on streets, with no map on the way there. Time it against your usual route, and go back the way you came if you lose your bearings.
        • Find one constellation tonight From the yard, a balcony or a window with the room light off. Start with an easy shape such as Orion or the Big Dipper, and use a sky map set to tonight's date.
        • Find the oldest date on a local building Look for date stones over doors and at the top of gables. Churches, banks and schools are good places to start.
        • Get up to watch the sunrise Look up the time the night before and be in place 20 minutes early, facing east with a warm layer on. An east window or the yard counts.
        • Hit a ball against a wall for 20 minutes A tennis ball and a wall with no windows. Alternate forehand and backhand, or left foot and right.
        • Learn one new trick on wheels A bike, a board or skates. Helmet and pads on, smooth empty ground, one trick only.
        • Lie back and name the clouds Three to start with: cumulus are heaps, stratus are flat sheets, cirrus are high, hair-like wisps.
        • List every sound you hear in 10 minutes Sit outside with a pen and paper and your eyes closed between notes. Most people get past 20.
        • Make a pine cone bird feeder Tie string to a pine cone, press lard or peanut butter into the gaps, roll it in bird seed and hang it where you can see it.
        • Make leaf rubbings Put a leaf under thin paper, vein side up, and rub with the side of a crayon.
        • Name five trees on your street by leaf Collect one fallen leaf from each and match the shapes in a tree guide when you get home.
        • Offer to walk a neighbor's dog Ask about the dog's usual route and habits first. Bring bags.
        • Paint a rock and leave it to be found Acrylic paint on a smooth, dry stone. Leave it somewhere public, such as on a wall or by a bench.
        • Photograph ten things of one color Spin for the color or pick one. No two photos of the same kind of object. Uses a screen.
        • Pick up litter on your street Gloves and one bag. Fifteen minutes usually fills it.
        • Plant something in a pot or a bed Seeds, bulbs or a cutting from a neighbor. Label it with the date so you can watch the progress.
        • Practice one sports skill 100 times Free throws, serves against a wall, keepy-uppies. Count the makes as well as the attempts.
        • Press flowers in a heavy book Lay the flowers flat between two sheets of paper and leave them for two weeks under more books.
        • Rake leaves into a pile worth jumping in Rake toward the middle from every side, and check the pile for sticks before anyone jumps.
        • Read a book in the park A bench or a blanket, and a bookmark so the wind does not lose your page.
        • Read every sign and plaque on one street Street names, date stones and memorial plaques usually explain why the place looks the way it does.
        • Ride your bike for 30 minutes Ride out for 15 minutes in any direction, then turn around. Helmet on.
        • Sit by water for 15 minutes, no phone A river, a pond or a fountain, from a bench or a path set back from the edge. Watch one spot and count what changes.
        • Sketch a building or a tree outside Sit down, draw the big shapes first and give yourself 20 minutes.
        • Skip rope to 100 without a miss The rope should reach your armpits when you stand on its middle. Small jumps, wrists only.
        • Stretch on the grass Ten slow stretches, 30 seconds each. A towel works as a mat.
        • Take a left, right, left walk In daylight. Turn left out of the door, right at the next corner, and keep alternating for 20 minutes, then find your way home. Tell someone you are going and take your phone.
        • Time a lap of the block, then beat it Walk it, jog it or ride it. Three attempts.
        • Walk or run a 5K route 5 kilometers is 3.1 miles. Plan a loop so you finish at your own front door.
        • Wash your bike and oil the chain A bucket, a sponge and an old toothbrush for the gears. Dry the chain before you oil it.
        • Watch birds for 15 minutes and list them Stand still near trees or water. Note size, color and what each bird was doing, and look the names up later.
        • Water or weed the garden Water early or late in the day so less evaporates. Pull weeds after rain, when the roots come out whole.
        • Write or draw in a cafe for an hour One drink, one notebook, phone in your bag.

        With friends, staying in 38

        • Bake a recipe none of you has made Read the whole method before you start and split the jobs: one weighs, one mixes, one washes up as you go.
        • Build a blanket fort that fits everyone Chairs, sheets, clothes pegs and every cushion in the house. The test is whether all of you can lie down inside.
        • Build a playlist with two songs each Pick a rule, such as songs from the year you turned 12. Play it in shuffle and guess who chose what. Uses a screen.
        • Build sundaes with odd toppings Everyone brings one topping the others have to try: crushed pretzels, olive oil and salt, breakfast cereal.
        • Cook a three course meal, a course each Agree a budget, shop together and give each cook a time slot in the kitchen.
        • Draw each other's portraits in 5 minutes Sit in pairs, pen and paper, no erasing. Sign them and swap.
        • Film a two minute movie on a phone Pick a director, a camera operator and actors. Shoot the scenes in order so no editing is needed. Uses a screen.
        • Hold a homemade pizza contest One batch of dough, a quarter each to top. Someone who did not watch judges the slices blind.
        • Hold a karaoke round in the living room Search for lyric videos and use a hairbrush as the microphone. Duets count double. Uses a screen.
        • Hold a quiz with a round from everyone Each friend writes 5 questions on their own specialist subject. You sit out your own round and read it aloud.
        • Hold a slideshow night Each friend presents 3 minutes of slides on a subject they care about far too much. Vote for the funniest. Uses a screen.
        • Hold a themed dress-up dinner Choose a theme, give everyone 20 minutes and only what is in the house, then eat in costume.
        • Hold a three game tournament Choose three short board or card games. Score 3, 2 and 1 points for the top three in each and add them up.
        • Invent a secret group handshake At least 8 moves. Practice until all of you can do it without looking.
        • Learn a card game one friend teaches A standard 52 card deck is enough for Hearts, Rummy or Crazy Eights. Play one open hand to learn the rules, then play for real.
        • Learn a dance routine from a video Pick one 30 second routine and learn it in 8 counts at a time. Film it for yourselves only. Uses a screen.
        • Make a time capsule to open in 5 years A letter each to your future selves, a photo and today's prices for five things you buy. Tape it shut and write the date on it.
        • Make friendship bracelets Embroidery thread in three colors, taped to the table. The forward knot is the only one you need for a striped band.
        • Play charades in two teams 4 or more players, 60 seconds a turn, no sounds. Agree the signs for film, book and song first.
        • Play hide and seek in the dark Clear the floor first. The seeker gets one flashlight and counts to 50.
        • Play sardines Hide and seek in reverse: one person hides and each finder squeezes in beside them. The last to find the spot hides next. 4 or more players.
        • Play sketch and guess on a big pad Two teams, one drawer, 60 seconds, no letters or numbers. Take the words from a book opened at random.
        • Play the floor is lava Cushions and rugs are safe ground. Cross the room and back without touching the floor.
        • Play the folded paper monster game Draw a head, fold it over, pass it on. The next person adds a body, the next the legs. Unfold. 3 or more players.
        • Play the name in the hat game Everyone writes 5 well known names on slips. In teams, describe as many as you can in 60 seconds without saying the name.
        • Play two truths and a lie Each person says three things about themselves. The group votes on the lie. Small, dull lies are the hardest to spot.
        • Play wink murder Deal cards to choose a secret winker and a detective. Anyone winked at counts to 5 and keels over. 6 or more players.
        • Play would you rather round the circle Everyone answers and nobody may say neither. The person with the least popular answer asks the next one.
        • Read a play aloud, one part each Borrow a script from the library or find one in the public domain. Accents are encouraged.
        • Redesign one friend's bedroom layout With the owner's say-so. Measure first, draw the plan on paper, then move the bed last.
        • Run a blind snack taste test Buy three versions of one snack, from store brand to fancy. Taste with eyes shut, rank them, then reveal the prices.
        • Run a paper airplane distance contest One sheet each, three throws, longest flight counts. Measure in floor tiles or paces.
        • Set up a home spa night Face masks, a bowl of warm water for hands and whatever nail polish the group owns.
        • Start a 1000 piece jigsaw together Turn every piece face up and build the edge first. One friend per color patch. Expect it to take more than one visit.
        • Swap the clothes you no longer wear Everyone brings a bag. Lay it all out, take turns choosing, and donate whatever is left.
        • Take the spaghetti tower challenge Teams get 20 sticks of dry spaghetti, a yard of tape, a yard of string and one marshmallow, which must sit on top. Set a timer for 18 minutes.
        • Tie-dye old white T-shirts Rubber bands, a dye kit and gloves. Work outside or in the bath, and leave the shirts bagged overnight before rinsing.
        • Write a story one sentence each Fold the page so only the last sentence shows. Ten passes, then read the whole thing aloud.

        Alone, indoors 38

        • Bake a loaf of bread from scratch Flour, yeast, salt and water. About 3 hours, most of it waiting for the dough to rise.
        • Build a house of cards Old, slightly worn cards grip better than new ones. Build on a tablecloth, not a polished table.
        • Build a marble run from cardboard tubes Tape the tubes to a door or a wall at a gentle slope. A tall run with many turns beats a fast one.
        • Clear out your phone Delete the apps you have not opened in three months and switch off the notifications you always swipe away. Uses a screen.
        • Cook dinner for your household Choose a dish, check the cupboards, write the list, shop, cook. Whoever did not cook washes up.
        • Do a 20 minute workout in your room No kit needed. Spin five bodyweight exercises and do three rounds.
        • Do a crossword or a sudoku In many newspapers the crossword gets harder through the week, so Monday's is the gentlest start.
        • Draw a map of an imaginary island Coastline first, then mountains and rivers, which run from high ground to the sea. Name everything.
        • Draw a six panel comic strip Fold a sheet into six boxes. Stick figures are fine, and the joke lands in panel six.
        • Draw your family tree Go back as far as you can from memory, then ring an older relative to fill the gaps. Note where each person was born.
        • Draw your own hand Your non-drawing hand is a free model that holds any pose. Ten minutes, pencil, no erasing.
        • Empty and sort one drawer Tip everything out, wipe the drawer, and put back only what you would buy again.
        • Fingerspell your name in sign language Look up your own country's alphabet: American Sign Language spells with one hand, British Sign Language with two.
        • Fold an origami crane One square of paper. The crane is built on the bird base, so learn that and other models follow.
        • Learn 10 phrases in a new language Hello, please, thank you, sorry, and how to ask where something is. Say them aloud, not in your head.
        • Learn one song on an instrument you own Pick a song with four chords or fewer. Slow and correct beats fast and wrong.
        • Learn three card tricks Start with a key card trick, a simple force and one false shuffle. Perform for a mirror before a person.
        • Learn to juggle three balls Rolled socks will do. Spend a day on one ball, then two, before adding the third. Practice over a bed so drops do not roll away.
        • Learn to moonwalk Socks on a smooth floor. One heel up, slide the flat foot back, swap.
        • Learn to tie five knots Reef knot, bowline, clove hitch, figure eight and sheet bend. A shoelace is enough rope.
        • Letter your name five different ways Block capitals, bubble letters, a serif, a script and one style of your own. A felt pen and plain paper.
        • List 50 things you want to do The first 20 come quickly. The ones after 35 are the interesting ones.
        • Listen to a whole album, start to finish Lights low, no other task. Choose one you only know the singles from.
        • Make a collage from old magazines Scissors, a glue stick and a sheet of card. Choose a theme first or it turns into a pile.
        • Make a stop motion film with toys Move the figure a little, take a photo, repeat. About 10 photos make one second of film. Uses a screen.
        • Map every place you have ever been Print a map or draw one. One color for places you have lived, another for places you have visited.
        • Memorize a poem Choose one of 12 lines or fewer. Learn two lines at a time and say it aloud on a walk.
        • Plant herbs on the windowsill Basil, chives and parsley grow in small pots on a sunny sill. Keep the soil damp, not wet.
        • Read for 30 minutes with your phone away Set a kitchen timer, not a phone timer. Most people keep going after it rings.
        • Rearrange your bedroom Sketch the room to scale first. Moving the bed changes the most for the least work.
        • Sew on a button or mend a seam Needle, matching thread and four passes through each pair of holes. Wind the thread under the button before tying off.
        • Sort your photos into albums Start with the most recent month and delete the blurred ones and the duplicates as you go. Uses a screen.
        • Start a journal with one page Write the date and what happened today, then one thing you noticed that nobody else did.
        • Watch a documentary on a new subject Pick a subject you know nothing about and write down three things you learned. Uses a screen.
        • Write a letter to yourself in a year What you are worried about, what you hope for, what a loaf of bread costs. Seal it and write the opening date on the envelope.
        • Write a story in exactly 100 words A piece of fiction of exactly 100 words is called a drabble. Count twice; 99 does not qualify.
        • Write and mail a postcard to a friend Three sentences and a stamp. Post takes days, which is part of the charm.
        • Write your first lines of code A free beginner lesson in a browser is enough. Make it print your name, then make it count to 10. Uses a screen.

        How this list was compiled: Original list written for this site on 2026-09-18 and corrected on 2026-09-19 after review, with no outside list copied. Each idea is filed under who it suits (friends or one person) and where it happens (in or out). Reference facts in the details: the 100 word story was checked against en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drabble, the one-handed and two-handed manual alphabets against en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fingerspelling and the cloud names against en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cloud_types, all on 2026-09-18; the roughly 20 minutes that eyes need in the dark, and the red light, against en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_adaptation (checked again 2026-09-19). The spaghetti tower: the summary of Tom Wujec's talk at ted.com/talks/tom_wujec_build_a_tower_build_a_team confirms only the materials a marshmallow, dry spaghetti and one yard of tape. The transcript could not be read on 2026-09-19, so the 20 sticks, the yard of string and the 18 minute timer are this site's own set-up for the game and are not presented as his. The After dark, at home group holds only ideas done in the house or the yard. Ideas that send one person out alone say to go in daylight or to tell someone; those notes, and all times, distances and player counts, are this site's own suggestions. Ideas that need a phone, a computer or a television end with the words Uses a screen. No brand, game title or product is named. Licence: own work

        How it works

        This wheel of things to do with friends holds 150 ideas: 75 for a group and 75 for one person, each split into staying in and going out. Every result says what you need and how many it takes. 138 need no screen, and the 12 that do say so.

        Read the full guide

        Settle the group chat in three spins

        Choose With friends, staying in or With friends, going out so the wheel holds fewer than 40 ideas. Switch to Elimination and spin three times. The results list is now a shortlist, and a vote between three ends sooner than an open question. Press Share and paste the link in the chat so nobody thinks you invented the result.

        Things to do when bored: spin the wheel, then keep one rule

        Boredom is rarely a shortage of options. It is not wanting to pick one. So agree a rule before you spin: one respin is allowed and the second result stands. On your own, the No screen, 15 minutes group holds 40 ideas that need no shopping and no setup, such as Draw your own hand. They are short on purpose, because starting is the hard part.

        • After dark, at home holds 40 ideas for a sleepover or a late night in, all done in the house or the yard. In Elimination the results list becomes the running order.
        • Alone, outdoors is written for daylight. Its walking ideas say to tell someone where you are going; do that even for twenty minutes.
        • My list takes up to 100 lines of your own. Add the local things no general list can know: the lake, the good climbing tree, the cafe with the board games.

        Questions and answers

        Which activities work without a phone or a TV?

        138 of the 150. The 12 that need one, such as Hold a slideshow night, end with the words Uses a screen in the list below. The No screen, 15 minutes group is the quick subset of 40, not the full 138.

        What can 3 people do indoors with no supplies?

        Four need nothing: Play two truths and a lie, Play would you rather round the circle, Invent a secret group handshake and Play the floor is lava, which uses the room's cushions. With pen and paper, add Play the folded paper monster game and Write a story one sentence each. Skip Play sardines and Play charades in two teams, which need 4, and Play wink murder, which needs 6.

        Does it work for just two people?

        Partly. Most of the friends ideas assume three or more players. For two, the date night wheel on this site has its own list written for pairs, including couples in different cities.

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