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Have some fun at home!
By Merethe Najjar — Last updated on Jan 05, 2023
Looking for a fun, romantic date night you can spend with your partner without leaving the comfort of home?
The good news is that there are myriad options for you to choose from that will make you both feel like you’re on an adventure, even if you never leave your home to do it.
Being stuck at home in poor weather can make everything — even the things you normally love doing together — feel stale.
But there are some truly interesting ways you can enjoy your time with your partner and liven things up for you both.
Date night can still be fun and romantic if you know where to look to for some good ideas!
25 fun and romantic at-home date ideas to try
1. Go on a stargazing date.
Set up a blanket — maybe grab some mosquito repellent — light some candles, and set up a nighttime picnic in the yard! Then when you’re done eating, lay back and take in all the beauty the night sky has to offer.
You can even schedule these on nights with meteor showers, so you can make wishes on shooting stars together.
2. Play some games.
Board games and video games alike have come a long way from their origins. You can find just about any kind of board game at a reasonable price for two players.
You can also subscribe to different puzzle games to get delivered to your home. These come in a wide variety, and some even include murder mysteries.
If you’ve got a gaming console, there are some amazing video games you can play that are more about fun and adventure than just button-mashing. Or, if you want something nostalgic, you can break out your old Super Nintendo.
3. Write poetry and love notes to each other.
Your poetry doesn’t even have to be good! Just make it fun and entertaining. You can make your love notes humorous — or maybe even a little risque.
4. Have a movie marathon.
Pick something new, something you’ve seen a million times, or even something cheesy. You can create “theme” nights to get snacks that go well with the movie you’re watching, too.
Do you have a favorite series, like The Lord of the Rings or Star Wars movies? Now’s the time to break those out and have a watch party.
For extra fun, you can even play it on the computer and invite friends to watch with you both over Skype, Zoom, or Google Hangouts. You can text commentary back and forth, too.
5. Pick an extravagant meal or dessert and make it together.
Pick an old favorite or something you’ve always wanted to make. Get the ingredients and spend the night in the kitchen with a bottle of wine and some music.
You can also turn it into a baking competition. Each of you follows the same recipe, then tastes it at the end to see whose is best.
6. Get to know one another even better.
Play an eye-opening game of “Never Have I Ever…” or search for fun “Truth or Dare” ideas online. You might discover something new about each other, no matter how long you’ve been together.
7. Pick random topics to discuss.
Challenge each other to come up with interesting things you can discuss or debate, like, “which Care Bear is the most powerful?” or “which fruit tastes the worst?” The wilder, the better.
8. Have a fancy dinner party.
Even if you’re the only guests. Dress up, do your hair, and deck the table out with candles. Or alternatively, you can put on your best Halloween costumes and make them wacky.
9. Start a new tradition.
Has there ever been something you wished you could do, but just never found the time?
Use this time to make it happen, whether it’s making sure you hug and kiss each other when you walk in the door, or it’s sitting down to a home-cooked family meal at least once a week.
10. Stay in bed all day.
Take the day off and just hang out in bed. Forget the chore list — order a pizza and be lazy together.
11. Have a “tech-free” date.
Turn off all distracting tech — don’t just leave it face-down on the table, turn it off. Phones can go in a drawer, computers can be powered down, and the TV can go off.
Spend time reconnecting with one another and really listening to the answer to, “How was your day?”
12. Pretend you’re on a first date.
Make up names and personas. Have fun!
13. Take a romantic walk together.
Just make sure to practice safe physical distancing. It can be around your neighborhood or in a park. Hold hands and stay connected.
14. Take a spontaneous road trip.
Pick a direction at random, and go on a trip to nowhere in particular. If something draws your eye, you can stop. But otherwise, just enjoy the scenery and the time spent together.
15. Have some entertainment online.
You can visit museums, art galleries, and a ton of other places, including Broadway, via your computer. Watch a play, go check out some gorgeous art, or take a look at aquariums together.
16. Take up kids' activities.
Make your own crystals, smash open a geode, build a model airplane, or even excavate some plastic dinosaur bones together.
It’s fun to act like kids every once in a while and re-discover your sense of wonder.
17. Have a spa night.
Grab some cheap face masks, soak your feet in an Epsom salt bath in the tub, and share a glass of wine or your favorite beer.
Finish by giving each other some shoulder massages, and you’ll feel relaxed in no time.
18. Take a dancing class online.
Love to dance but have two left feet? Spend the evening watching YouTube videos of dancing, or take a class with an instructor.
19. Have a wine-tasting night.
Each of you can buy mini bottles of wine and do a wine tasting. You can even make it a game by blindfolding each other and guessing what kind of wine your partner’s giving you.
20. Read a book to each other.
Even if it’s only a chapter a night. Take turns reading out loud.
21. Play hide-and-seek.
You’ll have to be pretty inventive with your hiding spots if you’re doing it at home!
22. Have a karaoke night.
At home, no one can hear you scream. So, sing away!
23. Clean or fix something.
Not exactly something you want to do, but cleaning together will not only get the job done faster, but it will also be more fun.
Plus, you’ll feel so relieved to knock things off the to-do list!
24. Go on a "dollar menu" date.
Pick a fast food restaurant and get everything off the cheap menu. You can eat it at a park or bring it home.
25. Plan a vacation.
There’s probably somewhere you’ve been meaning to go visit but never could. Get together some travel ideas, budget expenses, and potential dates for when you want to travel.
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Merethe Najjar is a professional writer, editor, and fiction author.