Galentine's Day ideas: 50 ways to celebrate your friends

What is Galentine's Day?

Galentine's Day is a celebration of friendship among women, held every year on February 13, the day before Valentine's Day. It comes from the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. In a 2010 episode, Leslie Knope explains that every February 13 she and her lady friends get together for breakfast, “ladies celebrating ladies.” Fans picked it up, and it is now a real occasion for brunches, parties, cards and office breakfasts.

Below are 50 Galentine's Day ideas in five groups, from party ideas to games with rules to ideas for work, then 15 gifts under $25 or handmade, a 2-hour party plan you can copy and 20 card messages. Everything here is work-safe, so it works with coworkers as well as old friends.

KraftyLab isn't affiliated with Parks and Recreation, NBC or the show's producers.

50 Galentine's Day ideas

These Galentine's ideas each get one line plus what you need. Mix one from each group and you have a whole party.

Galentine's party ideas (12)

Twelve ways to host a Galentine's party at home, from an easy brunch to a full evening.

1. Waffle bar brunch. Set out fresh waffles and a topping bar: a nod to the holiday's breakfast roots on the show.You need: a waffle maker, batter, fruit, whipped cream, syrup
2. Pink and red potluck. Everyone brings one dish that's pink or red, like beet hummus, a strawberry salad or red velvet bites.You need: a theme in the invite and a few serving spoons
3. Afternoon tea party. Tiered plates of small sandwiches and scones, with tea poured into mismatched cups.You need: a teapot, three or four teas, scones, cucumber or egg sandwiches
4. Breakfast-for-dinner night. Pancakes and eggs at 7 p.m., for the friends who will never agree to a 10 a.m. brunch.You need: a griddle, pancake mix, eggs, fruit
5. Recipe swap supper. Each guest brings a dish plus printed copies of its recipe, so everyone leaves with a new collection.You need: one dish per guest, index cards or printouts
6. Book swap party. Everyone wraps a book they loved with a note on why; guests draw numbers to choose.You need: one wrapped book per guest, numbered slips
7. Plant swap party. Bring a cutting or a small potted plant, trade, and swap care tips over snacks.You need: small jars or pots, labels, a marker
8. The-year-we-met party. Guests dress in the style of the year they met the host, with music from that year playing.You need: a playlist from the right years, a photo corner
9. Pajama board game night. Comfy clothes, a stack of board games and a big bowl of popcorn.You need: three or four board games, snacks
10. Make-your-own pizza night. Hand out dough rounds and let everyone build a personal pizza from a toppings spread.You need: dough, sauce, cheese, toppings, an oven
11. Galentine's bake-off. Two or three friends bake the same recipe in advance, and the group judges them blind.You need: one shared recipe, numbered plates, voting cards
12. Living room karaoke. Duets only for the first round: pick songs about friendship and sing them badly together.You need: a TV, a karaoke app or lyric videos, a microphone if you have one

Galentine's activities at home or in a small group (10)

Quieter Galentine's Day activities for two to four friends, including friends who live far apart.

13. Time capsule letters. Each friend writes a letter to the group, sealed until next Galentine's Day.You need: paper, envelopes, a box to keep them in
14. Jigsaw puzzle afternoon. Spread a 1,000-piece puzzle across the table and talk while you work on it.You need: a puzzle, a big table, a pot of tea
15. Cook a first-time dish. Pick a recipe none of you has made before and cook it together, mistakes included.You need: a recipe, ingredients split between you
16. Sunrise walk and breakfast. Meet for an early walk somewhere pretty, then warm up over breakfast.You need: comfortable shoes, a café or a thermos
17. Long-distance video brunch. Friends in different cities make the same breakfast and eat it together on a video call.You need: a video link, one shared recipe
18. Two-person book club. Choose a short book a few weeks ahead and meet over breakfast to talk about it.You need: two copies, a date on the calendar
19. Gratitude jar exchange. Write ten things you appreciate about each other on strips of paper and swap jars.You need: small jars, paper strips, pens
20. Neighborhood photo walk. Walk your area with a theme, like hearts you spot in the wild, and share the best shots.You need: phones and a route
21. Plan-the-year breakfast. Over breakfast, pick one trip or day out you'll take together this year and set the date.You need: a notebook, a calendar
22. Care package for an absent friend. Pack a box together for the friend who couldn't make it, and mail it the same day.You need: a box, small treats, a card signed by everyone, postage

Galentine's Day crafts for adults (8)

Eight crafts that work at a party table with no experience needed. Most are done in under an hour.

23. Friendship bracelets. Knot simple striped bracelets and trade them before anyone leaves.You need: embroidery floss, tape, scissors
24. Vision boards. Cut words and images from old magazines into a board of what you want this year.You need: magazines, poster board, glue sticks
25. Painted mugs. Draw patterns or initials on plain mugs, then bake them to set the paint.You need: plain ceramic mugs, porcelain paint markers, an oven
26. Pressed-flower bookmarks. Arrange pressed flowers on card strips and seal them under clear film.You need: pressed flowers, cardstock, clear contact paper
27. Paper heart garland. Cut hearts in five shades of pink and red and string them into a garland for the room.You need: colored paper, scissors or a heart punch, string
28. Fabric-painted totes. Stencil or freehand a design onto canvas bags everyone takes home.You need: canvas totes, fabric paint, stencils, cardboard inserts
29. Embroidered initials. Stitch a friend's initial in a small hoop using two easy stitches.You need: small hoops, cotton fabric, floss, needles
30. Clay trinket dishes. Roll, shape and bake small dishes for rings and keys, then paint the rims.You need: oven-bake polymer clay, a rolling pin, paint

Galentine's Day games (10)

Ten Galentine's Day games for adults, with how to play. All of them work at work too.

31. Who wrote that memory? Everyone writes a favorite memory with the group on a card. The host reads each one aloud and the group guesses who wrote it.You need: cards, pens, a bowl
32. Famous friendships charades Act out well-known pairs of friends from TV, film and books while your team guesses. One minute per turn.You need: slips with a pair on each, a timer
33. Portrait swap Everyone gets 60 seconds to draw the person on their left. Shuffle the drawings, lay them out and match each to its subject.You need: paper, markers, a timer
34. And-then origin story Retell how the group became friends one sentence at a time, going around the circle. Every sentence must start with "And then"; anyone who stalls for five seconds sits out the next round.You need: nothing
35. Chocolate blind taste test Number five different chocolates. Everyone tastes, guesses which is which and ranks them; closest guess wins.You need: five chocolates, numbered plates, score cards
36. Playlist guess Before the party, everyone adds two songs to a shared playlist. Play it on shuffle and guess who picked each song.You need: a shared streaming playlist
37. Heart hunt Hide paper hearts around the room, some with small prizes written on them. Everyone keeps what they find.You need: paper hearts, small prizes
38. Friend group quiz The host writes ten questions about the group's own history, like where two of you met. Play in pairs and score each round.You need: a question list, score sheets
39. Galentine's word scramble Teams have three minutes to make as many words as they can from the letters in GALENTINES DAY. Longest list wins.You need: paper, pens, a timer
40. One-hand wrap relay Pairs wrap a box together, each allowed to use only one hand. The neatest finish in two minutes wins.You need: boxes, wrapping paper, tape, ribbon

Galentine's Day at work (10)

Ten ideas for a team, an employee resource group or an office, open to everyone who wants to celebrate friendship at work.

41. Open-invite Galentine's breakfast. Pastries and fruit in the break room, with an invite that says everyone is welcome.You need: a calendar invite, a pastry order
42. ERG mentoring circle lunch. Your women's ERG hosts an open lunch with small tables that mix newer and longer-tenured people around one career question.You need: a room, lunch, one question card per table
43. Best advice thread. Post one optional prompt in team chat: what's the best work advice someone ever gave you?You need: one message in the right channel
44. Treat cart rounds. Wheel a cart of individually wrapped treats from desk to desk at 3 p.m.You need: a cart, wrapped treats with ingredient labels
45. Bracelet table in the break room. Leave a friendship bracelet station out over lunch, with an instruction card for beginners.You need: embroidery floss, beads, tape, an instruction card
46. Lunchtime walking group. A 20-minute walk at lunch that anyone can join, with an indoor loop for bad weather.You need: a meeting point, a calendar invite, a backup route
47. Career story lunch-and-learn. A leader from inside the company talks for 20 minutes about the people who helped her career.You need: a speaker, a room or video link, 30 minutes
48. Thank-you note station. Blank cards and good pens for writing to a colleague who helped you lately.You need: cards, pens, an internal mail box
49. Remote video breakfast. Thirty minutes on camera with breakfast in hand and one easy question for everyone.You need: a video link, one question
50. Shout-out minute. Open the next team meeting with one minute for anyone to thank a coworker who made their week better.You need: one minute on the agenda

15 Galentine's gift ideas under $25 or handmade

Small, personal and easy to give at a party or a desk. The handmade ones cost little beyond your time.

• A friendship bracelet you made. Pick their favorite colors.Handmade
• A paperback you loved. Write why on the inside cover.Under $25
• Homemade cookies in a tin. Tape the recipe inside the lid.Handmade
• A jar of homemade granola. Add a tag with the recipe.Handmade
• A rooted plant cutting. Pothos or spider plant, in a small jar of water.Handmade
• A mug filled with tea bags. Tuck a handwritten card inside.Under $25
• A printed photo of the two of you. In a simple frame.Under $25
• Open-when letters. Envelopes for a hard day, good news and a rainy Sunday.Handmade
• A coupon book of favors. One coffee on me, one plant-sitting weekend.Handmade
• Cozy socks. Bright, fuzzy, ridiculous.Under $25
• Seed packets and a painted pot. Paint the pot yourself.Handmade
• A notebook and a good pen. For the friend who makes lists.Under $25
• A small jigsaw puzzle. Five hundred pieces or fewer.Under $25
• A playlist card. A hand-lettered card with a QR code to songs you picked.Handmade
• A treat from their favorite bakery. Dropped at their door on the morning of the 13th.Under $25

A 2-hour Galentine's party plan

A brunch from 11:00 to 1:00 that uses ideas from this page: the waffle bar, friendship bracelets, the memory game and the card swap. Copy it as text and change the times to fit.

Hosting it at the office? Cut it to an hour over lunch: food and welcome for 15 minutes, the bracelet table for 25, the memory game for 15 and a group photo to finish. Set the memory cards out on the tables so people can fill them in while they eat.

20 Galentine's Day card messages to copy

Original lines for a card, a sticky note or a message. Add one specific detail about your friend and they'll read as if you wrote them from scratch.

Planning for March too? Our International Women's Day at work guide has ideas for the office, and our motivational quotes for women are real, sourced quotes for the inside of a card.

How to host Galentine's Day at work

Galentine's at work goes well when it stays light and open to everyone. Five rules that keep it that way:

• Open the invite. The show's version was women celebrating women. At work, say plainly that anyone who wants to celebrate friendship is welcome, and mean it.
• Let a group own it. A women's ERG, a culture committee or one keen team can host. Give them a small budget and a date.
• Keep it voluntary and in work hours. A breakfast, a lunch or a 3 p.m. break works. Nobody should feel they have to come, stay late or share anything personal.
• Leave romance out. Skip anything about crushes, dates or relationship status. Friendship and appreciation are the whole theme.
• Include remote people. Run a short video version, or mail a small treat or kit ahead so remote colleagues take part at the same time.

The next Galentine's Day is Saturday, February 13, 2027. Because that's a weekend, plan the office version for Friday, February 12. Want Valentine's Day at work ideas too? See our corporate Valentine's Day ideas, the Valentine's Day team building guide, and Valentine's Day trivia for a quiz round.

Run it with a host: a kit workshop for everyone

For a team spread across offices and homes, a kit workshop is the easiest Galentine's event to run. Every guest gets a craft kit at home, and a live instructor leads the group through it on your video call. See more kit workshops on our virtual craft workshops page, or the seasonal picks in the Valentine's Day collection.

• Card Decorating teaches calligraphy and card making, so everyone can write the cards from this page by hand.
• Cookie Decorating teaches outlining and flooding with icing, with three sugar cookies in every kit.
• Candle Making has everyone pour and scent their own soy candles.
• Terrarium Making leaves each person with a small living terrarium for the desk.

• Each workshop runs about an hour on Zoom by default, or Teams, Google Meet or Webex on request.
• Book about 3 weeks ahead so kits arrive in time. Card Decorating kits ship within the continental US; the other three ship worldwide, and international addresses need 4 weeks of shipping, so book about 5 weeks out.
• Hybrid works: the office group can sit together on one screen while remote colleagues join from home, each with a kit.

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