We’re almost there – spring is just around the corner, and we’ll soon be waking up to sunshine-filled mornings and the sweet scent of blooming flowers. But what to do in the meantime?
We’ve put together our top tips for making the most of the indoors and having a bit of fun from the comfort of your own home – after all, the idea that ‘laughter is the best medicine’ isn’t an old wives’ tale. Studies, such as this one reported in the Telegraph, have shown there are enormous benefits to laughing, keeping head and heart happy.
With so many positive effects attributed to a hearty chuckle, a night of mirthful laughter is a sure-fire way to tackle those last weeks of winter. Warm up for spring by hosting a night of giggles with your loved ones.
Enjoy old-school games
You can’t beat the classics. Staple, family games are pretty much a guaranteed way to ensure you’re in for an evening filled with laughter.
Charades has stood the test of time as the go-to game for giggles. Brace yourself for the chorus of ‘film, no! TV show!’ Followed by the inevitable, desperate arm-flapping to act out that pesky third syllable.
Turn the guessing game on its head with a round of ‘who am I’. Write the name of a famous person or character on a card, and stick it on the forehead of the player next to you. Everyone else can see the card except them, so they must use inquisitive questions to figure out who they are. There’s no room for clever clogs, either – questions can only be answered with yes or no, so don’t go thinking you can ask: ‘why are they famous?’
Make sure there’s enough room for everyone to relax as the games unfold. Corner sofas like the Festival are perfect for hosting all your guests in sublime comfort – the only problem might be persuading them to leave at the end of the night.
Multiply laughter with multiplayer games
Multiplayer games are an entertaining way to get everyone involved and fire up those competitive streaks. If you haven’t got a games console, take a look online – sites like Steam are popular.
Play a round or two of Quiplash, a side-splitting, interactive game which caters for three to eight players. When a question appears on your phone, it’s your job to come up with the answer. You could go sarcastic or slapstick, whatever cracks you up. The answers are displayed on the TV screen for all to see. Cast your votes for the funniest one and see who the comedian is in your group.
Go retro
To inspire raucous laughter and fierce rivalries, few games entwine competition and hilarity quite as well as Twister.
Test your guests’ strength and flexibility by spinning the arrow on the board. Right-hand yellow or left-leg blue – wherever it lands, that’s where you’ve got to go. It might be a struggle to stay in position when you’re all arms, legs and laughter and hilarity is sure to ensue when the inevitable mass collapse happens.
Have a go at your own stand-up act
If you want to go all out with your comedy night at home, why not take to the stage and have a go at your own stand-up routine? You and your guests will either be laughing because the jokes are so good – or because they’re awful.
A top tip for laughter-inducing stand up is to make inside jokes the focal point. It makes your ‘gig’ that bit more personal to your friendship group and lets everyone remember the hilarious times you’ve spent together, too.
Gather everyone on the sofa so you can all watch each performer give it their best go. Corner sofas put your audience in one place, giving you a clear performing space. Next stop: the Hammersmith Apollo. The Vittorio corner sofa is sleek and stylish and can seat up to six people. The recline feature means that your guests can kick back and relax while still having enough room for those much-needed belly-laughs.
