Friendly Futures Social Club
Playing with friends - the next wellness frontier
The Friendly Futures Social Club was a boutique community experiment centered around playing with friends.
Over two years we hosted 50 'playdates for all ages' - testing new games, reviving old ones, mixing fitness and creative gathering - and came away with something invaluable: a deep understanding of how people actually connect through play, and the expertise to design and activate it anywhere.
Playdate 39: Rufus Ball
A radish course born from a dog digging holes in the backyard. Rufus, a terrier who digs holes where he is not supposed to, unknowingly designed the foundation for a super fun radish course - zigzagging and crisscrossing through a backyard gym, fire pit, and outdoor seating area that had strangers laughing and competing across every corner. We kicked things off with yoga and ended with a dinner party, and learned that overlapping a course creates spontaneous collisions between players that no single file line ever could.
A children's book for adults, made by adults acting like children. Over a series of playdates we randomly grouped attendees, had them reflect on their favorite childhood memories of play, and channeled those memories into Dr. Seuss-style poems and illustrations. The 40-year-old men who hadn't picked up a crayon since 2nd grade turned out to be the most enthusiastic artists in the vicinity.
Playdate 10: The Friendly Novel
Playdate 27: Water balloon Olympics
We handed everyone a blank flag and told them to invent a country. Teams named their nations, drew their flags, composed their anthems, and then competed in a series of made-up water balloon games. Creating teams, even silly fictional ones, turned a group of strangers into ride-or-die allies in about twenty minutes.
An afternoon of art and games at Five-28, a gallery in Encinitas. We brought our furniture, set up some games, and watched people wander in off the street who never would have stepped inside otherwise. Play turns out to be one of the most effective window displays a retail space can have.
Playdate 43: Five-28 Art Gallery
Playdate 8: Backgammon Party
We dusted off one of the oldest games in the world and made it the centerpiece of an afternoon that mixed fitness and friendly competition. Pairing experienced players with beginners didn't just grow the game - it created instant friendships between people who had nothing else in common. And of course we had the experts square off too.
A radish course woven through an orchard, a fitness park, and a conversation seating area in Ceramic Canyon. Players navigated holes using unconventional equipment across a landscape already alive with activity. Having structured rules alongside open-ended play created the perfect conditions for new relationships - people compete, then linger, then come back.
Playdate 46: Ceramic Canyon Radish Course
Playdate 18: Beach Balls X Float Party
Everyone arrived with blank beach balls and pool floaties and left with co-created art. We painted together, then took our new toys straight into the ocean - part art session, part pool party. Being reminded of what it felt like to be a kid, even for an afternoon, is its own kind of wellness.
A community basketball tournament where we helped everyone become a hooper. We hosted a co-created mural during the tournament, had mini hoops to shoot and shop, and a giant trophy case for players and fan to celebrate together. We created a bridge for significant others, families, and non players to feel involved beyond spectating and clapping their hands.
Playdate 23: Basketball Social
Playdate 4: Donut Ball
A twist on pickleball designed to activate a parking lot and invite people of all ages to play. Easier on your knees, friendlier to your neighbors, and somehow even more fun than the original. It reminded us that the best new games don't start from scratch - they start by asking what could be better about the ones we already love.
Along with 528 Gallery and Edge Theory Labs we brought our friends to the Sunrise Social to add some play to ice baths, saunas, recovery, breath work, and yoga. While the exercise was a great anchor, the games provided an informal moment to gather, chat, and meet new people!
Playdate 37: Sunrise Social
Curious to bring some more play and social wellness to your community?
