This is a collaborative post

There is something deeply odd about adult friendships. While most parents (and future parents) instinctively understand the importance of maintaining friendships by planning activities together, this thought process seems to be aimed at children only. In fact, if you have kids yourself or if you know young children, chances are you’ve already been involved in trying to make plans for their play dates together. Should you take them to a theme park? Maybe they should play a scavenger game? Or should everyone ride their bike in the park?

For some unknown reason, the habit of planning play dates just dies out when we reach adulthood. We all know that life can get pretty hectic, and it’s easy to lose touch with the people who mean the most to us. And frankly, that is precisely why you need to make plans. Not just to catch up around food, but to introduce fun and memorable activities with your friends. After all, what’s life without the laughter, support, and love of your friends.

In our busy lives, we often get caught up between the duties at work, in our family, and all our household responsibilities. Therefore friendships can easily slide down the priority list. But remember, these connections are the ones that provide a safety net. So, it’s time to get your planning cap on and rekindle those valuable connections with fantastic play date fun!

Here are some great activity ideas:

Invite them for a fun day at home

Wait, can you have a play date at home? The answer is yes, totally. It’s such a great idea now that the back-to-school and back-to-work season is upon us. With busy days, it’s fair to say that most people would prefer to chill rather than go on an adventure right now – which is ideal for a play night at home.

You can grab your favourite board games and throw a board game party in a small group. This is the ideal opportunity for easy finger food, soft drinks and maybe a glass of wine or two for those that aren’t driving.

Get active together

Ultimately, we’ve all got a packed weekly schedule, between work, hitting the gym, and our chores. But you could certainly invite your friends to train and work out with you. Also as a side note, they are unlikely to want to clean the house or work with you, so this leaves very little options!

Hitting the gym may feel a little dull for a group of friends, unless you are training for a specific event. However, what about choosing a sport you can practise together, such as polo or volleyball. The competitiveness of it can keep you on your toes, turning it into a game rather than a chore.

By the way, did you know you can create your own team outfit with an online sports kit designer? This could be the opportunity to officialise your team with your friends!

Plan a day out together

How about spending a Saturday or Sunday together once in a while? You could plan a day out for you and your friends. It could be the occasion to head to London and bask in the hustle and bustle of the city for a shopping spree day. Or maybe it could be an escape room adventure down in Kent or up in Nottingham, where the escape room scene is buzzing with activities. After all, friends who laugh together stay together!

Final thoughts

It is vital that we nurture those close friendships, even when life gets busy. Hopefully this has given you a few pointers on where to take your friendships next. After all, what is life without our friends. Personally, I have always seen my friends as the family I got to choose and that is why I hold onto them so dearly. I’d love to know what activities you like to do with your friends, so let me know in the comments!