Event Ideas
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Food[edit]
These tried and true events are a great option when members get busy - they still have to eat, so it takes less time out of their normal schedules.
Often, a local group will alternate their schedule between dining and other, more diverse activities. This introduces one constant into an otherwise widely-varied list of events. For instance, a group holding many activities each month may wish to routinely set aside one day monthly as a Second Saturday Supper or Final Friday Feast.
Dinners[edit]
- Afternoon tea
- Brew pub
- Dinner theatre, music or entertainment
- Ethnic foods
- Fondue night
- Picnic or BBQ
- Pizza
Happy Hours[edit]
- A static montly event - same location, same time
- Alternating location to appeal to those who may not want to travel to one side of town or another. They are more likely to attend events hosted in their neck of the woods
Picnics and barbeque[edit]
- Beach party
- Garden party
- Summer picnic
- Campground visit or bonfire
Potlucks[edit]
- Cook-off competition
- Dessert party
- Themed potlucks, such as vegetarian.
These can be a bit tricky when members have to travel far or take public transportation; letting people know they can use the host's oven can help. These gatherings often can be combined with games nights or other activities, if a suitable host can be found.
Specialty[edit]
- A trip to a maple sugar shack
- A trip to a small-town county fair
- A trip, as a group, to another city
- Brewery tour or pub crawl
- Dinner cruise or train with dining car
- Holiday brunch
- Nightclubs and dancing
- Wine and cheese
- Wine tasting or winery tour
Culture[edit]
Film[edit]
- Alternative or repertory cinema
- Bad Movie Parties or "Turkey Shoots". Like MST3K, those watching can say comments aloud and make fun of the movie together - often resulting in funny catch phrases that continue to other events.
- Film festivals
- IMAX/OmniMax™
- Video nights
Movies are less communal, but you can encourage members to 'invite along' the group if they're heading to a last-minute showing. One of the members of the NYC chapter regularly hosts "B"-movie video nights at his home and also invites the local Mensa chapter (several have gone on to join No Kidding!). Combining movies with dinner afterward can help make it more of a group activity.
Theatre[edit]
- Live theatre, community theatre, off-Broadway theatre
- Improvisation
- Comedy club or festival
The logistics of purchasing tickets together can make these tough. Some chapters have members buy their own tickets and just sit on their own, meeting up afterward for food. Dinner theatre packages are another option.
Music[edit]
- A wide range of music, from popular to country to oldies to classical, is performed live in major cities.
- Bluesfest
- Karaoke or jam session
- Fringe festival
- Outings to jazz and other music clubs - in Boston, when someone is going, they post and invite the rest.
Literature[edit]
- An informal book club exists in a few chapters, including Austin, Denver and Raleigh
- Poetry readings
- Shakespeare in the park
Community[edit]
- Animal shelter volunteers
- Charity walks
- Community clean up
- Habitat for Humanity
Festival and seasonal[edit]
- Circus
- Dog show
- Easter egg/scavenger hunt
- Highland Games
- Irish festival
- Ethnic/multicultural festivals
- Renaissance fair
- Tulip festival
- Winter carnival
- Seance or murder mystery night
"One of my members hosted a public scavenger hunt today for our chapter and it was so much fun, something really different, and everyone had a great time. The company does these in different states so I thought I'd pass the website link on to all of you as an idea for your chapter to host. I can't imagine any group not having a great time doing it. It is alot of walking, however. http://www.watsonadventures.com/ Pam Burns South Jersey/Phila. No Kidding! chapter."
Museums[edit]
- Art galleries
- Classic car show
- Historic site tour
- Museum or national/state/provincial capital tour
- Planetarium or stargazing
- University tours
Arts and handicraft[edit]
- Craft lessons
- Plant exchange for amateur gardeners
- "Paint-your-own Pottery" party
When the NYC chapter found a local childfree artist, they arranged to see a show of hers at a gallery in Brooklyn; she gave a talk afterward. Local 'paint your own' pottery and make your own glassworks places can be a fun and unusual location for group events - just make sure to avoid the busy school trip and children's birthday hours.
Sport and recreation[edit]
Sports[edit]
- Beach volleyball
- Billiards
- Bowling
- Climbing
- Cycling
- Dancing or dance lessons
- Flag football
- Golf or miniature golf
- Go-karting
- Hay or corn maze
- Horseback riding or riding lessons
- Laser tag
- Paintball
- Rafting, innertubing, canoeing or kayaking
- Roller blading
- Sailing or parasailing
- Skydiving
- Soccer
- Squash, badminton, raquetball or tennis
- Softball
- Survival course, caving or spelunking
- Walking or hiking
Winter sport[edit]
- Curling
- Ice Skating
- Skiing
- Snowboarding
- Snowshoeing
- Tobogganing
Spectator sports[edit]
- Basketball
- Hockey
- Dance and figure skating
- Belly dance
- Horse race or polo match
- Superbowl party
Fun and games[edit]
Games Nights[edit]
- BINGO
- Darts
- Euchre
- Pool
- Poker tournament
- Board games (a collection supplied by host or members can bring their own):
- Set
- Fluxx
- Songburst
- Trivial Pursuit
- Pictionary
- Catch Phrase (dubbed "The Yelling Game" by Rodi, RNK)
- Bolderdash
- Scene It
Parties and celebrations[edit]
- Cocktail party
- Costume party
- Fireworks
- Hallow'een, Christmas or New Year party
- Pool or hot tub party
- White Elephant gift exchange
- Theme parties: hippie/60's, 70's, 80's, Hawaii'an luau, Rocky Horror, Spies, StarTrek, school prom... the options are limitless.
Tourism[edit]
- Air show
- Arboretum
- Birdwatching or nature walks
- Casino trip
- Carriage ride or historic tour
- Fall foliage
- Hayrides or agriculture tours
- Hot-air balloon or helicopter tour
- Sightseeing cruise or amphibious cruise
- Steam train ride
- Walking tour of the city
- Tour a haunted house or haunted farm
See also [edit]
Event ideas are limitless; what you don't learn from suggestions from members of your own chapter, you're bound to find on the individual sites of No Kidding! chapters worldwide.
