15 Moms Night Out Ideas (Plus the Cozy At-Home Versions)
Whether you're getting out of the house or staying in pajamas, these ideas create space for real connection.
When you're deep in the trenches of motherhood, it's easy to let friendships slide. You're tired. Coordinating schedules is hard. Getting a babysitter feels like too much effort.
But here's the truth: you need time with other women. Not to escape motherhood —being a mom is part of who you are, and honestly, it's a privilege even when it's hard. But you're also more than that one role.
You need spaces where other parts of you get to show up. Where you try something new and remember you're capable of learning. Where you have the same recurring experience — book club, morning walks, a pottery class — and build community around it. Where you laugh with friends who knew you before kids, or make new friends who are discovering this season alongside you.
In "The Art of Making Happy Memories," Meik Wiking writes about how novel experiences — doing something different, going somewhere new — create stronger memories than routine days. Our brains pay more attention when we're experiencing something for the first time. But he also talks about the power of repeated rituals, the ones that become touchstones in our lives.
Both matter for friendship. The new experiences you share become stories you tell later. The consistent gatherings become the scaffolding that holds the relationship together.
To help you get inspired, I’ve put together a list of girls night activities (and an early morning option too!).
Every idea here has two versions:
🌴 Going out - for when you need a change of scenery and a new experience
🏠 Staying in - for when you want connection without the logistics of leaving
Some of these are one-time experiences — trying a new restaurant, taking a workshop, going to a show, making a vision board. Others are the kind of thing you could make recurring — game night every month, morning walks every Tuesday, book club discussion.
Everything here is sober-friendly because most of my friends don't drink, and the focus is on the experience you share, not what's in your glass.
I live in the South Bay (Los Angeles area), so I've included specific spots I love for the "going out" versions. If you're elsewhere, use these as inspiration for what to look for in your own community.
Let's dive in!
Creative & Crafty Nights
These are my favorite because you're creating something with your hands while having real conversations. There's less pressure to maintain constant eye contact or fill every silence — the activity gives you something to do while you talk about the stuff that actually matters.
Vision Board Night
🌴 Going Out:
Book a vision board workshop at a local creative studio where supplies are provided and you can focus on dreaming instead of cleaning up glitter. Or grab your supplies and take over a corner of a coffee shop with good vibes and big tables.
This gets surprisingly deep, surprisingly fast. You learn what your friends are working toward, what they're hoping for, what they want their lives to look like beyond just keeping everyone fed and alive. It's the kind of conversation that's impossible to have at a playdate.
Where to go: Look for creative studios, makerspaces, or craft cafes in your area that host vision board events. Bookstores sometimes host them too, especially in January.
South Bay: Bring your own supplies to Coffee Cartel (Redondo Beach) or Chromatic Coffee (Hermosa Beach).
Budget: Workshop $30-50 per person, Coffee shop DIY $10-15
🏠 Staying In:
Set out poster boards, scissors, glue sticks, and magazines at someone's house. Put on background music, make coffee or tea, and spend the evening cutting and pasting while actually talking about your goals and dreams.
What you need:
Poster boards or heavy piece of paper/construction paper (1 per person)
Magazines
Scissors, glue sticks, markers
Snacks and drinks
Pro tip: Goodwill, used bookstores, and library sales are goldmines for cheap magazines.
Budget: $5-10 per person
Charm Bracelet Making
🌴 Going Out:
Book a session at a charm bar or jewelry studio where you can create bracelets together with expert guidance and higher-quality materials. Everyone creates a bracelet with meaningful charms, and the beautiful part is sharing why you chose each one — it sparks conversation about what matters to you, what you're celebrating, what you're working through.
Where to go: Look for bead shops, jewelry-making studios, or boutiques that host crafting events.
South Bay/Los Angeles: DRM-LND, Handmade in CA (does permanent jewelry), Charmed LA is mostly focused on journal charms as an alternative idea to the jewelry.
Budget: $40-60 per person
🏠 Staying In:
Order charm bracelet kits online and have everyone create a bracelet at someone's house. We did this last year and everyone left with something tangible to remember the night. I still wear mine.
What you need:
Base bracelets, jump rings, charms
Small pliers for attaching charms
Pro tip: Invest in higher-quality metal. Some of my friends had allergic reactions to cheaper materials and couldn't wear their bracelets after. It's worth spending a little more for hypoallergenic options. Or having everyone bring their own bracelet/necklace. Doing it as a journal or keychain is also another option.
Budget: $25-40 per person
Pottery & Painting
🌴 Going Out:
Go to a pottery or painting studio where everything is set up for you. You paint, they fire it, you pick it up a week later with a finished piece you'll actually use.
Where to go: Paint-your-own pottery studios or painting classes with instruction.
South Bay: Color Me Mine (El Segundo, Torrance, or Culver City) for pottery painting, Paint n Pour (Redondo Beach), South Bay Art Department, or Standard Ceramics (El Segundo) for wheel throwing.
Budget: $50+ per person
🏠 Staying In:
Order paint-your-own pottery kits that get delivered to your home. You paint them together, send them back to be fired in a kiln, and they're returned a few weeks later. Or simplify it: grab canvas or polymer clay and acrylic paints from Michael's and have a painting night.
Put on a movie or your favorite playlist in the background. The activity is hands-on but low-pressure — perfect for conversation.
Budget: $10-30 per person
Bath Salts & Candle Making
🌴 Going Out:
Book a group spa experience or wellness workshop where professionals guide you through creating your own products.
Where to go: Look for spa studios or wellness centers that offer DIY workshops.
South Bay: Burke Williams (Torrance) offers group spa packages, Banter & Bliss (Manhattan Beach) for DIY candles, or Lush offers make your own bath bomb classes.
Budget: $60-120 per person
🏠 Staying In:
Order DIY bath salt and candle-making kits online. One of my friends organized a night where we made bath salts and candles while watching the Meghan Markle episode of her Netflix show making the bath salts. She themed the whole thing around edible flowers and elevated everything — it felt fancy and fun!
What you need:
Bath salt kits (Epsom salt, essential oils, dried flowers)
Candle-making kits (wax, wicks, containers, scents)
Something to watch or listen to while you work
Theme ideas: Spa night, botanical/floral, seasonal scents, celebrity-inspired
Budget: $10-40 per person
Food & Themed Nights
Sometimes the best nights are the ones where you gather around food and just talk. Add a theme and suddenly your regular Tuesday feels like an event worth getting a babysitter for/having your partner stay home.
Themed Dinner Party
🌴 Going Out:
Pick a restaurant that feels like it’s transporting you to another place. I personally love a good theme, and you can make it as fun or low-key as you’d like.
Where to go: Look for restaurants that have a varied vibe from your day-to-day, and also events that might be happening in your area such as restaurant hopping.
South Bay: Holey Moley (Santa Monica) is a whole experience and not only has food but games too; Fox & Farrow (Hermosa Beach) if you want to feel like you’re in a luxery speakeasy with an ocean view; Swan Thai (Palos Verdes) for an incredible view; and Tiki Kai (Hermosa Beach). There’s also experiences like a Murder Mystery dinner (Long Beach).
Budget: $30-60 per person
🏠 Staying In:
Pick a theme and run with it. Everyone brings a dish that fits the theme, you set the table to match, and suddenly your night feels like a fun event.
Themes we've loved:
Harry Potter Dessert & Magic Night - Everyone contributed a HP-themed dessert, we had “butterbeer”, listened to music, watched one of the movies, and hung out
Galentine's Dinner - Pink everything, heart-shaped foods, celebrating female friendship
Cozy Gold PJ Night - We did this for a friend's golden birthday! Everyone wore pajamas, we put gold glitter in our drinks, served comfort food, and kept it low-key and intimate. It was perfect.
International Cuisine Night - Everyone picks a different country and brings a dish (haven’t tried this yet, but on my list)
Keep it potluck-style so no one person does all the work.
Budget: $15-30 per person
Dessert Night
🌴 Going Out:
Pick a place to get some sweet treat after dinner. If you really want to go a step further, create your own dessert crawl. Hit 2-3 spots in one neighborhood, walking between them, trying different treats that you can split.
Where to go: Ice cream shops, bakeries, dessert cafes
South Bay route ideas:
Manhattan Beach: Manhattan Beach Creamery → walk the Strand → Salt & Straw
Hermosa Beach: Capri Gelato → Creamy Boys → The Baked Bear (bonus: bike on the strand at night to go from Manhattan to Hermosa Beach)
85°C Bakery Cafe (Torrance) for Asian-style desserts
Ginger’s (El Segundo) — a new favorite
Budget: $10-20 per person
🏠 Staying In:
Everyone brings their favorite dessert to share. Make it fancy — serve on nice plates, set the table, light candles. Or make it interactive and bake together: cookies, brownies, decorating cupcakes. Also, check out World Market — they have unique desserts/snacks!
There's something about dessert-only or snack gatherings that feels indulgent and special.
Budget: $10-20 per person
Games & Entertainment
These are the nights where you laugh so hard your face hurts. Low-pressure, high-reward.
Game Night
🌴 Going Out:
Take game night out by doing trivia at a local restaurant or heading to an arcade/bowling alley.
Where to go: Restaurants with trivia nights, bowling alleys, arcade bars
South Bay: Trivia nights at Baja Sharkeez on Tuesdays. Dave & Buster's (Torrance) for arcade games. Lucky Strike (Torrance) for bowling. Topgolf (El Segundo) for a good way to talk, eat, and play.
Budget: $15-30 per person
🏠 Staying In:
Pull out board games, card games, or set up video games. Bring snacks, make a sparkling water bar with fun mix-ins (fruit, herbs, flavored syrups), and just play.
Games that always work:
Wavelength - such a great game for all ages honestly
Think n Sync - short warm up game
Herd Mentality - good for large groups, have to guess what everyone else is thinking
Codenames - team-based word game, challenging and hilarious
Jackbox Games - if you have Apple TV or a gaming console, these party games are perfect for groups
Budget: $0-30 (depending on if you already own games)
Karaoke Night
🌴 Going Out:
Rent a private karaoke room where you can be as loud and off-key as you want without an audience.
Where to go: Karaoke bars with private rooms
South Bay: Lucky Strike (El Segundo) has private karaoke rooms. Korean BBQ restaurants in Torrance/Gardena often have karaoke rooms you can book. Koreatown also has a lot of karaoke options like The Venue, and Cafe Brass Monkey.
Budget: $20-40 per person
🏠 Staying In:
Pull up YouTube karaoke videos, grab a cheap microphone from Amazon, and sing your hearts out in your pajamas. Create a no-judgment zone (or a high-judgment zone if that's funnier for your group — you know your people).
There's something about singing badly together that creates instant bonding.
Budget: $0-20 (one-time microphone purchase)
Movie Night
🌴 Going Out:
Go to an actual movie theater like adults who don't have to worry about bedtime.
Where to go: Movie theaters with reserved seating or special experiences
South Bay: AMC Galleria (reserved recliners), AMC Del Amo (Torrance) for IMAX, CinemaWest (El Segundo), or Rooftop Cinema Club (LA) for special showings under the stars. My favorite place is Old Town Music Hall for a truly unique experience. I also just learned about The Cosm — another unique movie experience.
Budget: $12-30 per person
🏠 Staying In:
Pick a movie everyone actually wants to see (this is harder than it sounds). Set up in your living room or backyard with a projector. Or literally just watch on your couch with cozy blankets. Make a popcorn bar with different toppings: butter, parmesan, cinnamon sugar, whatever sounds good.
Everyone wears their comfiest clothes. No one judges if you fall asleep.
Budget: $0-15 (rental if needed)
Active & Outdoors
Sometimes you need to move your body and get outside. These are the nights that leave you feeling energized instead of just full of cheese and dessert (though those nights have their place too).
Morning Walk (Before Kids Wake Up)
🌴 Going Out:
Take your morning walk somewhere beautiful and watch the sunrise.
Meet at 6:00 or 6:30am. Walk your neighborhood together for 45 minutes to an hour. Grab coffee to-go if you want. Be home by 7:30am before your kids even wake up.
You get movement, fresh air, real conversation, AND you're back before your day officially starts. It's the ultimate mom win.
No planning required. No hosts. No cleanup. Just show up and walk.
Where to go: Beach paths, nature trails, scenic walking routes
South Bay: The Strand (walk from Manhattan Beach to Hermosa to Redondo), Torrance Beach for sand walking, or Palos Verdes cliffs trails near Terranea.
Budget: Free (maybe $5 if you like coffee)
🏠 Staying In (Sort of):
Find a group exercise class that you can all meet up at that’s early! I love Classpass for this, but just find out what memberships you might all have or look for free community classes in your area.
Exploring Your Area
🌴 Going Out:
Pick a neighborhood you don't usually spend time in and just explore. Walk around, pop into shops, get ice cream, grab a drink somewhere new.
Where to go: Different neighborhoods in your city
South Bay recommendations: Being so close to downtown Los Angeles, there are so many fun pockets to explore at night including Little Tokyo, Olvera Street, and Pershing Square area.
It feels like a mini adventure and after traffic has died down, it actually doesn’t take that long.
Budget: $10-20 per person
Pool or Jacuzzi Night
🌴 Going Out:
Book a day pass at a hotel with a pool or spa access.
Where to go: Hotels with day passes or spa experiences
South Bay: Shade Hotel (Manhattan Beach) has a rooftop pool and jacuzzi. The Portofino Hotel & Marina (Redondo Beach) offers pool access with day pass, along with Terranea (Palos Verdes). Burke Williams (Torrance) for full spa day.
Budget: $30-75 for day pass, $100+ for spa experience
🏠 Staying In:
If someone in your group has a jacuzzi or access to a community pool, use it. Bring waterproof card games or just float and talk. There's something about warm water that makes conversation flow easier.
Game ideas:
Waterproof UNO
Honestly, just talking works
Budget: $0-15 (snacks and drinks)
Special Experiences
These are the nights you plan when you want to do something a little different, a little more memorable.
Live Music or Comedy
🌴 Going Out:
Support local venues and laugh or listen to live music together.
Where to go: Comedy clubs, jazz venues, live music bars, outdoor concerts
South Bay: Hermosa Beach Comedy & Magic Club for big-name comedians, The Lighthouse Cafe (Hermosa Beach) for live jazz, or check your city's calendar for free summer concerts in the park.
Budget: $20-40 per person
🏠 Staying In:
Host a virtual concert watch party (YouTube has full concerts), create a collaborative Spotify playlist and have a dance party, or screen a comedy special together.
Low-effort, high-fun.
Budget: $0
Disneyland Night (If You Have Connections)
🌴 Going Out:
If someone in your group has annual passes, go to Disneyland for just a few hours at night. Skip the kiddie rides. Hit Space Mountain, Guardians, Incredicoaster. Get a Dole Whip. Walk around and remember what it feels like to be an adult having fun.
We did this last year and it was pure magic. Three hours, one newborn, just us laughing on rides and eating churros.
Budget: Free with passes, otherwise $100+ per person for tickets
🏠 Staying In:
Disney movie marathon, make Dole Whip at home (recipes are all over Pinterest), Disney trivia, optional costume contest.
Nostalgia without the crowds.
Budget: $0-10
Take a Class or Workshop Together
🌴 Going Out:
Sign up for a hands-on class together and learn something new.
Where to go: Cooking schools, home improvement stores, outdoor retailers
South Bay: Sur La Table (Manhattan Beach) for cooking classes, Williams Sonoma for seasonal workshops, Whole Foods for cooking demos, Home Depot for DIY workshops, or REI for outdoor skills classes.
Budget: $40-80 per person
🏠 Staying In:
Take an online class together — cooking, flower arranging, photography, calligraphy. Or find a YouTube tutorial and follow along: watercolor painting, bread baking, home organization.
You could also do a book club — and if you’re not part of one, then create it!
Budget: $0-30
How to Actually Make it Happen
The hardest part of moms night out isn't picking an activity. It's getting everyone's schedules to align. Here's what's worked for me:
Just put it out there. Feeling like you’re missing some friend time? Put out a few days for the following week. Usually schedules change so fast, kids get sick etc., that planning things months in advance is not necessary. Alternatively, pick a recurring time slot, especially for things like book club or walks.
Rotate who plans it. One person takes the lead each month. It takes the pressure off any single person and ensures it actually happens even when life gets chaotic.
Keep the group small. Four to six people is the sweet spot. Small enough that you can actually have conversation, large enough that it still happens even if one or two people can't make it.
Create a group chat. Use it for planning, sharing photos after, and staying connected between gatherings. WhatsApp, Marco Polo, or a regular text thread all work.
Say yes even when you're tired. I promise you'll never regret going. The nights you almost cancel are often the ones you remember most. And with morning walks especially — you're home before your day even officially starts. I will say that if you’re like overwhelmed tired, maybe just take a breather night in. It’s ok to say no if you need it!
Default to sober-friendly. I don't drink, and most of my friends don't either. Focusing on the connection instead of the cocktails means everyone feels included. Sparkling water bars, mocktails, good coffee, or just regular water all work beautifully.
What Makes These Nights Actually Meaningful
I've been reading "The Art of Gathering" by Priya Parker, and one of her main points is this: it's not about the activity. It's about the intention.
The best nights I've had weren't the most elaborate. They were the ones where someone was vulnerable. Where we laughed until we cried. Where we learned something new about each other. Where we felt seen.
You can create that anywhere — at home in your pajamas or out at a restaurant. Here's how:
Ask better questions. Instead of "How are you?" try "What's been hard lately?" or "What are you proud of right now?" or "What are you hoping for?"
Create space for real conversation. Turn off the TV during dinner. Put your phones in a pile. Let silence be okay — you don't have to fill every moment.
Celebrate each other. Notice the wins. Acknowledge the hard seasons. Mark the milestones. We don't do this enough as women, especially as mothers.
Be present. The activity matters less than showing up fully. Your friends can tell the difference.
I believe women in particular have an innate ability to create community. And that community can truly feel life-sustaining especially when you have little kids, and life changes fast.
Please take these ideas as inspiration for what makes sense for you, where you are in your life.
The point isn't the activity. It's showing up. For yourself and for the women who make this season of life bearable, beautiful, and even joyful.
So text your people. Make the plan. Tell your partner that you’re getting out after 8pm. Just create the space for real connection.
Because the friendships that carry you through motherhood? They're worth protecting.
