30 Ideas for an Indoor Romantic Date

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When you’ve been in a relationship for some time, you may run out of date ideas. Going out to bars and restaurants each night, for example, may become inconvenient and rote. So why not stay in and have the perfect date night? We’ve compiled a list of some great at home date night ideas for you to choose from.

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Why an Indoor Date?

Going out on a date can be challenging these days. The pandemic has made going out in public a risky endeavour, but there are other reasons why you may want to skip going out. You may be tired and don’t feel like getting all dressed up, or you can’t find a babysitter or can’t afford to splurge on date nights.

Fortunately, there are plenty of date night at home ideas. First, consider the following advantages to staying in on a date.

  • Budget-friendly: You don’t need to spend much money to have a good time.
  • Time saver: You won’t spend time getting dressed up and driving to a location. So you’ll have more one-on-one time with your partner.
  • Private: Going out in public always entails being around people. At home, it’s just the two of you.
  • Comfortable: We naturally feel more comfortable at home. So it’s only logical that you’d be more relaxed during a night in.

Knowing some of the benefits of at-home dates, why not consider one (or more) of our home date night ideas and plan the perfect night in for you and your partner?

DID YOU KNOW? Couples that date each other stay together. Studies have found that couples who go on dates after being in a relationship for some time are more likely to stay together in the long run. And you don’t have to plan too many dates—just one night per month is enough.

Key Takeaways

Staying in for a date night is budget-friendly and more private than going out in public.
Playing board games, video games, or games of truth are all excellent ways to spend a night in.
The most romantic indoor date includes cooking dinner for the person you love. You could also add massages to your list and candlelit baths together. 
Add a twist to your regular movie night with a themed movie marathon or stream a TV show.

30 at Home Date Night Ideas

Our following list presents 30 options and ideas for an ideal date night.

Game Night for Two

Game night is a great way to spend a night with friends, but it’s also an excellent idea for your date. You can get your old board games out and play a game of Risk, Monopoly, or chess. If you’re not into board games, you can organise a trivia contest or play a card game for a casino night in.

A Movie Marathon

One of the most popular date night ideas for at home dates is a movie night. You could add a twist to your regular movie night and include:

  • A themed film marathon
  • A throwback film party
  • Bingeing on a whole season of your favourite show on Netflix

Video Games

What’s more interactive than a movie night? A video game night. Even if you don’t have experience with video games, you can have fun learning together. And if only one of you has played the game before, they can teach the other one. When it comes to such fun at home date ideas, you have two options: 1) play as a team and see how far you can get, 2) be competitive and play against each other.

Cooking a Meal

Cooking is one of the best activities you can do as a couple. You can find a more detailed recipe, try to make it together and enjoy a romantic dinner. You could also have a cook-off and then sample the different meals you’ve cooked.

Wine Tasting

You don’t need to spend much money on date nights at home. Rather than paying a lot of money for a wine tasting at a winery or restaurant, you can have a wine tasting at home. Grab a few bottles from your nearest store and present a tasting. And if alcohol isn’t your bag, you can host a cheese tasting.

Working Out Together

Even if you don’t work out regularly, a couple’s workout can be a lot of fun. You can choose a fun cardio/dance workout or take a virtual yoga class. Working out together is a great way to bond with your partner regardless of the activity.

Spa Night

One of the best, most original date nights in ideas include a spa night. Spa trips can be costly, and you may need to travel some distance to your nearest spa centre. So why not recreate a spa date at home? Put on your robes, prepare your spa bathtub, put on a spa face mask, and sit back and relax.

A Book Club

Choose a book you both want to read and make a date to discuss it. This is one of those terrific indoor date night ideas because there’s not much preparation—you already have a topic of conversation. You could also make it a recurring monthly date.

A Puzzle

Solving a puzzle is a fun and challenging activity and even more fun when you have someone to keep you company. If you choose a more complex puzzle, you’ll probably need more than one date night to put it together—another good excuse to have a few more dates.

Karaoke Night

One of the most popular date night ideas in the UK includes a karaoke night. But you don’t need to leave your house to have a fun karaoke party for two. You can simply look up songs on YouTube for your karaoke night and sing as loud as you want—without fear of being embarrassed for singing too loudly (or poorly).

An Indoor Picnic

An excellent idea for an indoor date is a home picnic. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to leave your house to have a picnic. When it comes to such date ideas at home, you’re free to experiment. You can go out in your yard, on your balcony, or stay in your living room. Just lay down a blanket, get some snacks and drinks, and you’ve got yourself a picnic.

A Remote Escape Room

Virtual escape rooms are exciting online activities conducted via Zoom or other platforms. You can solve timed riddles and puzzles to break out of a room together. The teamwork required to get you out of an escape room is sure to bring you closer together. (A partnership is one of the first things you need to learn about dating and relationships.)

A Virtual Museum

One of the not-so-well-known home date ideas is to visit a virtual museum. Many famous museums have online collections that can be accessed for free. Not only can you see great art, but you can also visit some of the world’s most attractive tourist attractions from the comfort of your home.

A Paint-Off

When you wish to try something new, painting is a good place to start. You can use standard photocopy paper and painting supplies at home or buy some cheap canvas and try your hand at watercolours. You could even make it a paint-off competition that includes a reward.

A DIY Project

One of the more practical ideas for date night at home is to tackle a DIY project together. For example, you can choose an old piece of furniture and restore it to its former glory. You could also start a similar project from scratch and build the whole piece together. Not only is this a fun way to spend time with your partner, but it’s also a great way to give your space a new look.

Cleaning Out Your Closets

Cleaning may not be on your list of fun date activities, but it can actually be a great way to spend time with your date. This is one of those stay at home date ideas that allows the opportunity to be productive. Cleaning out your closet is also a great reason to try on all the clothes you haven’t worn for a while. So you won’t be just cleaning; you’ll have an impromptu fashion show, too.

A Treasure Hunt

You probably enjoyed treasure hunts as a child. There’s no reason not to enjoy them now that you’re an adult. When organising a treasure hunt, one person hides the treasure and leaves clues for the other person to find. Then you can switch roles and have another hunt.

Producing a Film

Couples who enjoy night in ideas would probably like the thought of making a film together. You can pretend to be filmmakers for a night and produce a short film with your smartphone, or if you’re good at creating animation, try making a short animated film. This is a great way to know your partner’s creative side and see if you have similar creative visions.

Old Photos

According to statistics on relationships, a couple moves in together 10 to15 months after the start of their relationship. So the chances are that you don’t know everything about your partner, even if you’ve been living together for a while. One of the best date night ideas at home for UK residents is to look through old photographs from your partner’s childhood, learning (and laughing) about the stories behind each picture. This is an excellent way to know more about your significant other.

Making a Bucket List

Bucket lists are a smart way to organise your wishes and priorities, but they’re also ideal for learning what your partner wants out of life. Each of you should make a list corresponding to a specific time, e.g. what you want in the next 10 or 20 years. Then exchange and compare your lists and see how and where they overlap.

Planning Your Dream Trip

Romantic night in ideas often include doing something specific, but you could also plan your future dream trip. You probably haven’t visited all the places you want to see, so arranging a future trip is an excellent way to escape reality for a while and look forward to what the future holds for you as a couple.

Learning Each Other’s Love Language

Bad communication is one of the main reasons why relationships fall apart. It’s also one of the most cited causes for cheating, as confirmed by stats on cheating. So you must establish good communication with your significant other. One of the stay at home date night ideas to improve communication is to learn your partner’s love language. You can take an online quiz to determine your love language and try to express yourself in a way that the other understands and appreciates.

A Massage

What’s better than a massage? A massage from someone you love. Men and women love getting massages. You can always surprise your partner with a romantic massage, which will prove to him that you’re a great girlfriend. It certainly will make him happy knowing that you’ve put so much thought and effort into your date.

A Bubble Bath

One of the most romantic date night ideas for at home dates is taking a bath together. Light candles, soft music, and a tub overflowing with bubbles make for a romantic date. If you don’t have a tub, it can also be fun to take a shower together.

Truth Game

When you’re in the mood for conversation but running out of topics to discuss, you can always turn to a truth game, such as Truth or Dare or Never Have I Ever. It’s a fun way to engage in interesting topics you’ve never discussed.

Stargazing

If you’re looking for cute date night ideas at home, stargazing is always a good option. You can watch stars through your window or go outside and observe them in the fresh air. The best part of this idea is that you don’t need to do anything else but look up at the night sky and enjoy the view together.

Dance Night

Dancing with your partner is one of the most romantic activities that’s sure to have a positive impact on your relationship. You can slow dance, learn the waltz, or just let loose and go with the flow of the music.

A Scrapbook

Don’t overlook scrapbooking when you’re looking for cheap date night ideas at home. All you need is a blank notebook or planner, pictures of the two of you and other memorabilia you’ve kept during your relationship—then glue your memories together.

A Cuddle Session

Most of us like to cuddle, but this aspect of the relationship can be easily overlooked when you’ve been with someone for a while. The two of you can lie in bed, cuddle and chill with your favourite music in the background. Pencil in a cuddle session to ensure you get your dose of cuddles.

Recreating Your First Date

When pursuing romantic home date ideas, remember that you can recreate your first date and get those sparks flying again. Knowing the date will be a success, you can rejuvenate at least one aspect of that date at home. For example, if you went out for dinner on your first date, you could cook the meals you ate, put on the same music, and get that same bottle of wine.

DID YOU KNOW? One of the most interesting facts on marriage is that the most successful marriages are between best friends. It’s also proven that happily married people are more productive at work. So make sure your partner is also your best friend before you marry.

Conclusion

Now that you have fun date ideas for your at home date nights, you can choose the ones that best fit your relationship dynamics. Just remember, you don’t need to go out and spend money to have a fun, romantic date—you can have it in the comfort of your home.

FAQ

What can couples do for fun at home?

There are many things couples can do to have fun at home, including playing board games, singing karaoke, doing a DIY project, solving a puzzle, and other things that don’t require much money or planning.

How do you plan a romantic date at home?

Some of the most romantic at home date night ideas include cooking a meal together, stargazing, dancing, and taking a bubble bath together. Choose one that you think will best fit your romantic style.

ABOUT AUTHOR

I've loved writing since I can remember, and back in high school, I started loving psychology as well. So I majored in it while dabbling in spirituality and yoga on the side.

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