11 Ideas For a Fun and Perfect Date Night In
When you’re stuck at home, it can seem impossible to make day-to-day life feel exciting or new—and that includes spending time with your significant other. Most of us are sleeping, eating, working, and, yes, spending romantic time with our partners in the same space 24/7. But you can still find ways to make things romantic, fun, and refreshing even when every night is at-home date night.
You don’t have to spend a lot of money or make an entire meal from scratch if that’s not your thing (though now might be the time to try it out if you’ve ever wanted to). There are other ways to get creative with your Friday and Saturday nights in.
Maybe this translates into planning a surprise activity for your significant other, or treating them to a special gift that they’ve always wanted. Maybe this means doing that thing around the house you’ve both been meaning to do for years and making it into an activity you do together, complete with wine or fun snacks. Whatever you choose to do, the point is to set aside specific time to have a date—no movie tickets, fancy restaurant reservation, or bar hopping required.
1. Do a Giant Puzzle Together
If you’re not already puzzle people, I promise this is actually more fun than you might think. Pop some popcorn, open a couple bottles of wine, and put on your favorite music when you two sit down to do a jigsaw puzzle. It’ll kill some serious time, and you’ll work together in a way you probably haven’t before (unless you just happen to be really into puzzles).
2. Have a Book Club Date
If you and your partner find yourselves reading much more than usual, then choose a book you both like and make a goal to read it by the end of the week or month (depending on just how fast you’re reading these days). Make a date of sitting down to discuss the book together—maybe even watch the film version of the book if possible.
3. Sit Down and Create the Ultimate To-Do List
What are those things you’ve always wanted to do around the house but just haven’t? That board game you’ve been meaning to play? Fancy dessert you’ve always wanted to bake? The room you’ve wanted to paint but haven’t had time? Write it all down together and check things off one by one each weekend—it’ll keep things fresh and make you feel like you’re prioritizing doing more than just watching Netflix (though that’s fun too).
4. Create an At-Home Movie Theater
If you love (and miss) going to the movies, then make a point to plan an at-home movie theater style date. Think ahead and order groceries like popcorn, candy, and soda and set up a cozy spot to watch as many new releases as possible. Luckily, most streaming services make renting movies easier than ever.
5. Have a Bake-Off
With only the ingredients you have in the house, challenge each other to a bake off and then judge the results together. Bonus points if you have episodes of the “Great British Bake Off” playing in the background throughout.
6. Take a Dance Lesson
…via YouTube, of course. Get some exercise in and learn a fun new dance from the privacy of your own home. Film the final results and send to your friends and family if you’re feeling really confident.
7. Have an Arts & Crafts Afternoon
When’s the last time you did arts and crafts? Probably not for a while. Pull out the paper, glue, scissors, and markers and create something fun—maybe a banner with an encouraging message to hang in the window or just greeting cards for each other.
8. Create an At-Home Olympics
Create a series of fun (and kind of ridiculous) games and have an at-home Olympics. Think of this like that episode of “The Office”. If all else fails, you’ll laugh a lot.
9. Have a PowerPoint Party
Challenge each other to create a PowerPoint on virtually anything—from conspiracy theories to Nicolas Cage to why you love your dog. Surprise each other with your topic and give a quick, fun presentation. This is also fun to do as a Zoom activity, if you want to invite more people!
10. Throw a Wine Tasting Party for Two
Miss going to wine bars or vineyards? Order a few bottles online and host a tasting in your living room (or on your couch, in bed, whatever!). Maybe even watch a few videos with tips from sommeliers to learn a thing or two.
11. Paint Something Together
… anything! Whether there’s a piece of furniture you’ve been meaning to refinish, a wall that you’ve always wanted to spice up, or you just want to get artsy with a canvas, painting together can be as fun as it is rewarding. And odds are, if your home is anything like mine, you have 200 half-used cans of paint in the basement just waiting to be used.