In big cities tall buildings break through the clouds. Concerts and festivals light up the city every weekend. Yellow taxis cruise down the street, not making it far due to severe traffic. Texarkana, on the other hand, doesn’t have much of that. It can be difficult to make plans with you friends when there aren’t many places to hangout. If there aren’t any new movies showing or your friends are tired of hanging out at Sonic, here are some creative alternatives to consider the next time you’re coordinating plans. 

Hammocking

Going outdoors with your friends can be a great opportunity to connect. Whether you’re having deep conversations, silently reading a book or watching a peaceful sunset with your best friends, hammocking is a feeling like no other. A popular location to hammock is Old Bringle, there’s lots of trees, and if you set up your hammocks on the edge, you have a beautiful view of the lake. 

Hide-in-seek in Target

I’m sure this idea sounds random, but trust me, it’s so exciting. You need at least four people and you split into two groups. You can either walk through the aisles and try to keep the other group from seeing you, or you can attempt to hide. This game will leave you and your friends in laughter. Hide-in-seek could also work in any other large shopping center like Central Mall, Walmart and more. 

Picnic

Who doesn’t love a cute picnic? New Bringle, a country field and Spring Lake Park are a few of the best places to have one. You can get with your friends to coordinate who brings what food, or if all else fails, you can just Uber Eats a meal. If someone brings a speaker, you can listen to some nice music while snacking with your pals. 

Photoshoot

Taking pictures with your friends is a great way to hype each other up and have a good time. Downtown has beautiful buildings and scenery that make for great photo ops. For instance, over the summer, an artist painted numerous walls that people have been taking pictures in front of. Having a photoshoot allows you to explore your town and discover hidden treasures that you never knew existed.  

Scavenger hunt

This one takes slightly more effort, but it’s a great way to bring your entire friend group together. Someone, whether a friend or a parent, is the designated clue maker and will hide clues around the entire town. You can carpool with your friends and can either work together or compete to try and find the final location on the list.

Stargazing

When night falls, your friends can gather together and venture out to the country where there’s no light pollution. Whether it’s in your friends backyard or a random place in the middle of nowhere, find a nice place to lie down and enjoy the glowing stars with the company of your peers. Stargazing is a nice way to relax and help clear your mind from anything negative. 

It can undoubtedly be difficult to find new things to do in a small town like Texarkana. The next time you and your friends are trying to decide something to do, feel free to reference any of these creative activities.