15 Activities That Will Help You Bond With Your Roommate

By Brittany Hawes

You’ve found a compatible roommate—congratulations! You’ve already completed one of the toughest parts of “roommate life”! Now comes the fun part: finding fun activities to do together that will help you bond with your roommate and strengthen the relationship between you. Although the following list will provide you with bonding activity examples, you should take into consideration the likes and dislikes of you and your roommate when making plans to hang out. If you both share a similar interest, you should find an activity that involves that and do it together!

Are you ready? Here is a list of 15 activities that will help you bond with your roommate:

 

 

 

 

1.       Movie night

Who doesn’t love a movie night? Pull out your favorite Blu-Rays and DVDs or log into your Netflix account and get ready for a night filled with nothing but good (or hilariously bad) movies. Skip out on cooking dinner for tonight and instead have everyone chip in to get a delicious pizza delivered to your door. (Expert tip: If you have different tastes when it comes to your choice of pizza, order from a restaurant that will let you order different toppings on both halves. Or order Korean BBQ instead!) Pop some popcorn, bust out the soda cans and beer, and bond over the beauty that is cinema

 

2.       Sleepover

If you both have your own separate rooms, why not do a night where you both stay in one person’s room? You can swap funny stories, watch YouTube videos together, and take the chance to really get to know one another. Feels like middle-school, but sleepovers at this age can be even more fun!

 

3.       Gardening

My roommate and I started a garden together. We both knew very little about gardening so our plants didn’t last too long, but the process of setting up our garden was fun! We went to a few stores to gather our materials, had all sorts of wacky adventures in the garden center of Home Depot, and laugh/cried at the pitiful state of our poor little garden a few months down the road.

 

4.       Decorating

If your shared living spaces are looking a little drab, why not go on Pinterest with your roommate and find a living room setup that you both like? After that, arrange to go to the store and pick up everything you’ll need to transform your living room into the ultimate hangout space.

 

5.       Shopping

Shopping really is a bonding activity. It doesn’t just have to be for clothes; shopping for furniture, household goods, and other things you might need in your home all make for a fun bonding activity.

 

6.       Grocery shopping

Shopping for groceries is never fun, but having someone along with you in those packed aisles can make the experience a little better. Ask your roommate if he or she wouldn’t mind going with you to the grocery store to pick up a few things. Chances are, they’re also in need of a few things and will appreciate the offer.

 

7.       Date night assistant

Does your roommate have a big date coming up? Offer to play wingman and help them get ready for their romantic evening. That includes being that “emergency phone call” if the date is a loss and your roomie needs you to bail them out.

 

8.       Video games

Nothing builds friendship like a few rounds of Mario Kart or Call of Duty!

 

9.       Homework help

Is your roommate struggling in a subject that you’re an ace at? Offer to help by walking them through the problem and helping them reach the solution.

 

10.   Road trip

Imagine leaving the stress of class behind you and going for a great road trip with your roommate. Pick a spot that you’re both interested in visiting and head there for the weekend. You might consider doing something similar for Spring Break or Winter Break.

 

11.   Attend school functions

Aren’t you a little bit curious about those campus events you keep getting emails about? Why not grab your roommate and check one of them out? Sure, the event might be as boring as the email made it sound, but that gives you and your roommate something to laugh about!

 

12.   Plan a spa day

Take a break from classes and visit the spa together this weekend!

 

13.   Go see a play

You know that play your roommate keeps mentioning? Take him to go see it! If students get in free, that’s even better!

 

14.   Go see a movie

Don’t forget your student ID for your discount!

 

15.   Go skating

You both might not be the greatest skaters in the world, but get out there and have a laugh at yourselves! A good time comes from being able to laugh at yourself!

 

You and your roommate don’t have to be strangers living in the same place. Reach out and make that effort! You never know—you might just find your new best friend.