Sip Smart Stay Safe - Sober Social Ideas
Sober socials!
Whilst drinking can be a large part of university social life, it’s not all there is to it! There are an increasing number of students who are cutting down on their alcohol consumption, or who do not drink at all. It is important the university culture caters to these socials, and Sober Socials are a fantastic way to do so.
Sober Socials are social events where drinking alcohol is not the focus. Consequently, they are without the social pressure of drinking. They can be alcohol-free, or some attendees may wish to drink – but the central theme does not include drinking!
We have come up with a range of events that your friend or activity group can put on together, as a sober social:
Movie night
Pick a night where your flatmates or friends don’t have anything on and organise a movie night together! If you have a TV then choose a few films to watch. If you do not have a communal television, you can purchase a cheap projector online and use your phone or laptop for the movie. Alternatively, streaming services such as Amazon Prime and Disney+ have group watch features, so you could host your movie night online!
All chip in for some snacks or a takeaway and enjoy a great night!
Quiz
Either our Student Union weekly quiz, a pub quiz, or even your own quiz online/at home. You can enjoy some mocktails or soft drinks, and dig into a night of knowledge. Most pub quizzes (and our Student Union quiz) offer a cash prize, so it could be a free night out for your quiz team!
Coffee morning
Grab some friends and organise a group coffee morning! Either at your favourite cafe, in the Terrace Bar on-campus, or just within your flat. This is a great, relaxing way to catch-up with your friends, especially if you haven’t seen them in a while!
Games night
For an evening full of laughs, a game night is guaranteed to be a hit. Everyone can bring a game to choose from, or you could have a gamesmaster friend to supervise events.
Jenga, monopoly, cards against humanity, uno are just a few of the many games you could enjoy. If you want to host your games night online, you can opt to play some digital games such as The Jackbox Party Pack!
Plaving a games night with your friends is guaranteed to be full of laughs. Everyone can bring a game to choose from, or if you have a gamesmaster friend, you can leave it in their capable hands.
Bake off
This can often be fun to do alongside The Great British Bake Off! Get your friends to pick a baked good and plan a night where you all attempt to bake it, either separately or together! As a group you can all judge them and appoint a Star Baker!
Go for a walk/hike
Winchester is a lovely place to live and offers some amazing walks or hikes. Grab some friends and head out, you could even bring a picnic.
For some ideas on where to walk, check out our Student’s Guide to Winchester and head over to the ‘Activities’ section!
Cafe crawl
You may have heard of bar-hopping/pub crawls, but why not try a cafe crawl?
Choose the best cafes in Winchester (or discover some new ones!) and head out on a cafe crawl! Try a bit of coffee and cake in each of the new cafes you find and spend your day finding your new favourite study date location! Bring along your laptop or lecture notes if you want to make the cafe crawl more productive!
Choose the best cafes throughout your new city and avoid the standard chains like Costa, Starbucks, and Pret. Instead, try a bit of coffee and cake in each of the new cafes you find, and spend your day finding your new favourite study date location for the next few years!
It’s fun, relaxing, and alcohol-free. If you spend smartly, it shouldn’t cost too much more than what you’d spend on a night out.
