Valentine’s Day is always fun to spend with your significant other, but Galentine’s Day is an equally exciting celebration to appreciate your friends. Galentine’s Day is a great opportunity for gals to commemorate their friendships and spend time together. Here are just a few creative ideas on how you and the girls can spend your Galentine’s Day with one another.
Go on a nature walk
Though the weather in Binghamton isn’t the most favorable, that doesn’t mean you can’t bundle up and venture on a wintery nature walk. The Nature Preserve is picturesque and easily accessible to on-campus students with tons of trails and animals to see. There are many other options such as Otsiningo Park, Recreation Park and the Cutler Botanical Garden that friends can explore for a great outdoors experience.
Cookie swap
A cookie party is a fun night-in activity to indulge in sweet treats and show off your baking skills. Each person assigns themselves a cookie to bake, whether it be chocolate chip, carrot, snickerdoodle or another flavor, and exchange them at the function. This way, everyone gets to be satisfied with a tasty treat baked with love.
Charcuterie board
Who doesn’t love to dish over cheese and wine? Creating a charcuterie board of your favorite cheeses, meats, jams and crackers is another friend-bonding activity to enjoy the company of your friends and a delicious homemade snack.
Go out for brunch
If you want to start Galentine’s Day with an early morning endeavor, brunch is always a viable option to have a good time and get a head start on the day. There are many restaurants around Binghamton such as Lost Dog Cafe & Lounge, Chroma Cafe & Bakery, Skylark Diner and The Village Diner where the girls can gather and chat over coffee and pancakes. If you’re really in the Galentine’s spirit, you may order waffles over brunch in honor of the holiday’s unofficial creator Leslie Knope, who prides herself most on her love for her friends and waffles.
Make heart-shaped pizzas
Getting dinner together is always a top choice, but making a Galentine-themed dinner at home is arguably even better. You can make a night out of rolling the dough, shaping a heart, picking toppings and prettying it up. When it’s all over, you get to bask in your work with a delicious reward to savor the night.
Paint wine glasses
Whether or not you drink wine, a little arts and crafts activity is rarely a miss especially when it’s so simple. All that’s needed are cheap wine glasses, a small paint set and your imagination to let the good times roll. If you’re content with your work, you and your friends could make use of your decorated glasses after they’re done.
Bowling
An easy and reliable choice would be to gather your friends and go bowling. This is especially convenient for on-campus students who can utilize the bowling alley in the Binghamton University Union Undergrounds. If you choose to venture off-campus, there are plenty of options such as Ripics Carousel Lanes or Midway Lanes and Fun Zone Entertainment Center.
Ice Skating
As one of the most popular winter activities, ice skating can make for a lovely day no matter your skill level. SUNY Broome Ice Center offers ice skating lessons as well as public skating for their indoor rink. If you have never skated before, skating lessons could be an amusing way to take the opportunity to learn a new skill. On the contrary, if you already feel you have enough experience, you and the girls may attend the open skating hours and skate as you will.