Galentine's Day Ideas for Teens (Cheap and Cute)
The best Galentine's Day ideas for teens are cheap and easy to pull off: a sleepover with face masks and a rom-com marathon, a picnic or café day out, DIY gifts under $10 or £10, and a few party games. Galentine's is on February 13, the day before Valentine's, and it is all about celebrating your friends. Here is a full list you can actually do on a teen budget, with no parent-blog energy.
If your friends' love lives (or yours) are going to be the main sleepover topic, The Map helps you see where you stand with someone and gives you one small step a night. Find where you stand
What Galentine's Day is (and when)
Galentine's meaning: a day to celebrate your girl friends (or any friends), the day before Valentine's Day. The idea comes from the TV show Parks and Recreation, where Leslie Knope throws a Galentine's brunch for the women in her life.
- When is Galentine's Day? February 13, every year.
- Is it a thing in the UK and Canada? Yes. It is not an official holiday anywhere, but people celebrate it in the US, UK and Canada the same way.
- Who can come? Anyone. Single, taken, talking stage. Guys and non-binary friends too if your group is mixed. It is about friendship.
If Feb 13 is a school night, do it the weekend before or after. Nobody is checking.
Galentine's sleepover ideas
The sleepover is the classic for a reason. It is cheap and it lasts all night.
- Face mask and nail station. Everyone brings one product to share.
- Pillow fort or blanket nest in the living room.
- Matching pajamas (or everyone wears pink and red).
- Rom-com marathon with ratings out of 10.
- Midnight snack run to the kitchen (or the corner shop if allowed).
- Write letters to each other and read them in the morning.
- Make a friendship time capsule. Everyone writes predictions for a year from now.
Cheap Galentine's day-out ideas
Want to get out of the house? These cheap Galentine's Day ideas keep costs low.
| Idea | Rough cost per person | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Picnic in the park | $5 / £4 for snacks | Mild weather |
| Café or bubble tea crawl | $10 / £8 | Groups of 3 to 5 |
| Thrift store challenge (outfit under $10 / £10) | $10 / £10 | Fashion girlies |
| Library or bookstore browse | Free | Quiet groups |
| Pancake or waffle Galentine's brunch at home | $3 / £3 | Morning people |
| Free museum or gallery | Free | City groups |
| Skating or bowling | $10 to $15 / £8 to £12 | Active groups |
Split costs fairly. One friend should not pay for everyone just because she has a job.
DIY Galentine's gifts under $10 / £10
Galentine's day gift ideas do not need to be expensive. Handmade beats store-bought here.
Under $5 / £5
- Friendship bracelets in her favorite colors
- Mini "open when" letters ("open when you fail a test," "open when you're sad")
- Handwritten coupons ("one free rant session," "I'll come to your dentist appointment")
- A playlist with a printed cover
Under $10 / £10
- A mug filled with her favorite candy
- Photo strip or printed photos of you two from this year
- A tiny care package: lip balm, a scrunchie, a face mask, a note
- Painted tote bag with an inside joke on it
Wrap everything in a paper bag with a sticker. It looks cute and costs nothing.
Food and movie night ideas
Galentine's food that is easy
- Heart-shaped pancakes (cut normal ones with a cookie cutter)
- Strawberries dipped in melted chocolate
- DIY pizza bar with store-bought bases
- Pink lemonade or hot chocolate with marshmallows
- A "charcuterie" board made of literally just snacks
Galentine's movie night picks
Pick one comfort movie, one funny one, and one everyone cries at. Let each person veto one choice. Throw in an episode of Parks and Rec for the origin story.
Galentine's party games and activities
These activities for Galentine's Day work for groups of three or ten.
- "Who's most likely to." Everyone points on three.
- Compliment circle. Each person says one real thing they love about the person on their left.
- Friendship trivia. "What's her middle name? Her comfort food? Her celeb crush?"
- Hot takes. Everyone shares one opinion that will start a debate.
- Vision board night. Cut out magazine pictures for the year ahead.
- Recreate an old photo of your friend group.
- Truth or dare (keep it kind).
At some point the conversation always turns to crushes. Somebody's situation is confusing, somebody's crush likes her friend (there is a full guide for that), somebody needs help planning a promposal.
This is where Galentine's turns into a group therapy session where everyone guesses: "Do you think he likes you?" "What does that text mean?" Nobody actually knows. The Map asks a few questions about you and the person you like, shows where you stand, then gives you one small thing to do each night, so you can stop crowdsourcing it at 2am. Find where you stand
Galentine's photo and caption ideas
Every Galentine's needs content.
Photo ideas:
- Group mirror selfie in matching outfits
- Flat lay of your snacks and gifts
- Everyone holding a letter of "G-A-L-S"
- A blurry, chaotic photo where everyone is mid-laugh (best one, always)
Galentine's Day captions:
- "Roses are red, my friends are better than any boyfriend"
- "Galentine's > Valentine's"
- "My favorite love story is this group chat"
- "Booked and busy with my girls"
- "No man, just a plan"
If you have a boyfriend too, you might also want cheap Valentine's Day ideas for boyfriend for the next day.
After the party, know where you stand
Galentine's Day ideas for teens are about your friends, but the crush talk always comes up. The Map shows where you stand with the person you like and gives you one small thing to do a night, so you show up to the next sleepover with answers instead of guesses. No account is needed to try it, and the unlock price is shown before you pay.
FAQ
What do you do on Galentine's Day as a teenager?
Have a sleepover, go for a cheap day out like a picnic or café crawl, swap DIY gifts, and play party games. The point is spending time with your friends, so it does not need a big budget.
When is Galentine's Day?
Galentine's Day is February 13, the day before Valentine's Day. If it lands on a school night, plenty of people celebrate on the nearest weekend instead.
What does Galentine's mean?
Galentine's means a celebration of your friends, especially your girl friends, held the day before Valentine's. It comes from the show Parks and Recreation. Anyone can celebrate it.
What are cheap Galentine's gift ideas?
Friendship bracelets, "open when" letters, a mug filled with candy, printed photos or a handmade coupon book all cost under $10 or £10. Handmade gifts usually mean more than pricey ones.
What are good Galentine's Day ideas at home?
A pillow fort sleepover, a pancake brunch, a rom-com marathon, a face mask night or a vision board session all work at home. Add a couple of party games and you have a whole night.