10 Out of the Box Date Night Ideas at Home
We often forget to take time for ourselves and for our relationships, so here are 10 out of the box date night ideas at home that are simple, yet fun.
Cheap and Romantic Date Night Ideas at Home
At-home date nights are a fantastic idea for their functionality within budgeting and being easily accessible in the comfort of your own home.’
Let’s be honest, kids are expensive, so finding cheap date night ideas at home are high priority.
Between busy work schedules, chores and responsibilities, these fun activities for couples at home are just what we need to spend quality time with our spouses.
This list will help you with some new and creative ideas for at home dates including:
- Cooking a new meal together
- Massages
- Movie marathons
- Playing board games, and so many more ideas!
What should an at-home date night look like and include?
The concept of an at-home date night is really to allow for spontaneity, being that the date night can be tailored to your own interests and schedules.
Most at-home date nights are meant to provide a dedicated time for couples to
- Focus on each other
- Strengthen their connection
- Rekindle intimacy without the distractions of going out.
Here are some fresh and unique at-home date night ideas that are sure to bring up great conversations, smiles and laughs between the two of you, and to bring up fun memories for the future!
1. Travel to Another Country (at home)
This is such a good idea to change up ordinary life routines in 3 easy steps.
- Grab some cheap decor to match your country.
- Make a recipe or dessert related to the cuisine.
- Watch a movie or do an activity that is popular there.
2. Savory S’Mores
Wait, what? Yep, I said it. Savory S’Mores is doing exactly what you would with regular s’mores over a fire, but using cuts of salami, capricola or any cured meats that pair with cheese and crackers, instead. Use your skewer to “roast” the cheese wedge over the open flame and then make your “savory s’more, by stacking it to create a little sandwich.
Any date night at home with a fire going brings instant relaxation and sets the mood. And while we’re on the topic of charcuterie…
3. Charcuterie Boards
As we all know and love a good charcuterie board, let’s take it to the next level and have each other make their own favorite/inspired charcuterie themed board! It could be a classic charcuterie board filled with cured meats, cheeses, crackers, fruits, nuts and more, but you can also get creative with it and add your own little twist to it!
Make the charcuterie board of your dreams and find a fun activity to do with your loved one like watch a movie or play a game. Some ideas are of board themes are:
Dessert board
which can include cookies, brownies, chocolate covered strawberries, chocolate covered pretzels, favorite candies, chocolate dip, etc.
Taco night board
loaded with all your favorites from Taco Tuesday dinners, such as tortillas, ground beef, shredded cheese, diced tomatoes, limes, chicken, onions, jalapeños, guacamole, and so much more! Add some spice, make it colorful, and have fun with it!
Chicken wing board
which (obviously) has the best of the best chicken wings that either you or your significant other make at home or from your favorite restaurant and then you can add in your favorite sauces and side items like celery (with ranch or blue cheese if you like either of those), onion rings, coleslaw, or even jalapeño poppers!
4. Have a book date
Just like as if you were going to the local bookstore with a cup of coffee in hand with your loved one, it’s the same concept but at home! Grab a favorite book, a magazine, an audiobook, or a book off your shelf that you just haven’t had time to read and lounge on the couch with your significant other!
Create the vibe
- Homemade hot chocolate or your favorite cup of coffee/ tea
- Cozy blanket for a simplistic, yet fun night diving into some good ol’ fashioned reading
- Ambience music with a relaxing scenery on the TV
- Wear your favorite pajamas or loungewear
- Talk about your favorite parts of your books so far and dive into conversation!
5. Spa/massage date
What better way to spend quality, intimate time together than a spa/massage date?
Whether it’s been a long work week or just want to enjoy each other’s presence, these at home date night ideas will be perfect for that.
Do what makes you feel most comfortable and connected as a couple. I know for some, that can be as simple as a hand massage after typing on their computer all day at work or laying in bed relaxing and sharing funny videos after a long day of thinking and complementing. Do what’s best and healthy for you both!
- Full body massage
- DIY face masks: order or make a spa kit for two
- Make small snacks and a nice, refreshing drink to enjoy the evening!
6. Movie night with themed dinner
This is a fun, new, and exciting date night idea at home that I’ve been seeing all over the place!
Whether it be a Disney movie, your favorite holiday movie, or an action movie that you can’t stop re-watching, find a movie that you both enjoy and either re-create a featured meal from the film or make it a themed meal that goes along with the theme of the movie! Some ideas could be:
- Shrek movie night – Shrek mud pie with love potion
- Jurassic Park – T-Rex ribs, mashed potato mountains, raptor rolls, John Hammond Ice Cream, Dino DNA drink
- Lady and the Tramp – (Valentine’s Theme) with spaghetti and meatballs, breadsticks, and your favorite glass of wine!
- Charcuterie board themed night
7. Board game night
For all your competitive couples, time to break out the old, classic board games or your favorite card game and get to the competition of game night!
- Monopoly: A classic. This was a huge for me as a kid and to this day, I still love to play a round that lasts way too long when I can.
- Love Letter: Read your opponent in this easy card game where you try to deliver your love letter to the princess.
-
The Mind: Card game where you play in ascending order without communicating. Test how in sync you are with your partner.
Set the Vibe
- Add in some fun snacks and drinks
- Put on a good playlist in the background
- Try a reward for some friendly competition (winner gets a home cooked meal the following night)
Board games give a sense of nostalgia for a lot of us, but it also gives us some time to relax, unwind (or if you’re like me, gives you the adrenaline rush after winning it all – hopefully!) and some good quality time with your loved one.
But just to throw it out there, maybe don’t play Uno and make your partner draw four multiple times!
8. Painting together
If you are a creative, artistic couple or individual, I give you all the props and hope you create the most beautiful creation possible!
Now, for those of us that are not as artistically gifted, let’s get into the nitty gritty. We all know painting is known to provide people with a creative outlet that can take your mind off the stresses and worries of daily life, resulting in a stress-free, enjoyable time to express ourselves through art.
Sounds beautiful, right? What makes it even better is that, even if you are not an artistic individual like myself, you can always find joy in creating art.
- Paint on a canvas (freestyle or by watching a painting tutorial on YouTube)
- Paint a sculpture (Pick up some pieces from your local ceramic store, or Michaels)
Fun Idea: Paint each other! Turn over and show each other at the end for a good laugh.
9. Plan your next vacation
Looking ahead toward summer plans with your loved ones, think about what you want to do and all the little details if you’re a planner and ENJOY these things! Grab your favorite planners, pens, sticky notes (for last second ideas to add into the itinerary) and snacks and get ready for travel planning!
10. Pen & Paper games date night
Get a Kraft paper roll and lay it on your table, make some drinks, grab some snacks and maybe a fun dessert of your choice, 2 pens and get to it!
You can have a drawing competition (write down random things to draw, and pick from a hat or jar to see what the challenge will be). Or play some classic games like these, below:
- tic-tac-toe
- hangman
- categories
- dots and boxes
When it comes to spending a night in, sometimes you have to think out of the box. Don’t wonder if your spouse will be into it, because they will love that you made the plan in the first place!
Happy date night, and check out How to Host a Backyard Movie Night
