Who says you have to go out to have a date night? These fun at home date night ideas can make any night feel special with your significant other. Use them as inspiration or steal them and make date night plans for the next few months.
At Home Date Night Ideas That Actually Feel Special
Wine and Game Night
Quality time together without phones or the TV really makes the night feel special. So, plan to spend the evening playing card or board games while being in the moment.
Set a no phones rule for the night.
Grab a bottle of your favorite wine or whatever you love to drink. Set the mood with candles and soft lighting.
Don’t forget to have snacks, too. Pretzels, nuts, chips and dip – whatever other snacks you love.
You can play any game you want. Here are some ideas:
If you want, you can also watch a movie together after you play games. But the goal is to spend as much time together as possible without electronics.
Pizza Night
One of my favorite at home date night ideas is to make pizza together – from scratch. If you’re really pressed for time, you can use pre-made dough, but try making your own if you can.
In fact, here’s a great tutorial on how to make your own dough:
What’s really fun about a pizza night is that you’re making something together. There are so many opportunities to be silly or sweet along the way.
And you can get as crazy as you want with your pizza and toppings. You can make them heart-shaped or a deep-dish-style pizza.
Toppings can be anything you want, from pepperoni to mushrooms, onions, olives, sausage – whatever you love.
I highly recommend using a pizza stone to cook your pizzas – it makes all the difference.
Once you’ve made your pizzas, you can enjoy your handiwork while watching a movie together.
Pen and Paper Games Date Night
Get ready to have plenty of laughs and fun with this date night idea. The goal is simple: to play pen and paper games while enjoying a snack and something to drink.
Cover your table with kraft paper and grab some sharpies. Then, serve your snacks and drinks, light some candles and start playing. Play some music if you want, too.
A charcuterie board is perfect for this type of gameplay. It’s not too messy, and you can grab as many nibbles as you want in between turns.
There are so many games you can play using pen and paper:
- Tic-tac-toe
- Hangman
- Squares
- Categories
You can play as many rounds of each game as you want. Just keep laying down more paper to keep the fun going.
Make sure you have enough snacks and drinks to keep yourselves fueled.
You can even add some card games to the rotation if you want to mix things up.
Take an Online Cooking Class
It doesn’t get much more romantic than taking a cooking class together, but you don’t have to leave your house to enjoy this fun date night idea.
Why not sign up for an online cooking class and make something delicious together?
There are so many options out there:
- Sur La Table has options like italian steakhouse, dumpling shaping, pan-seared salmon, whoopie pies and more. Classes are affordable (around $39) and are set for a certain date and time.
- Cozymeal has a range of different classes, like seafood paella, gnocchi, Chinese soup dumplings and more. Prices are similar to Sur La Table ($29-$39 per person).
- ClassBento, which has fun courses like cocktail making, authentic pad Thai, handmade ravioli and more. Prices range here, and some are pricey. But you can’t beat the experience.
Before your class, go shopping together to get everything you need. Have some wine or whatever you like to drink on hand. And just enjoy learning and working together.
The best part? You get to enjoy the fruits of your labor when you’re done.
Play a Murder Mystery Game
One of my favorite at home date night ideas on this list. Why? Because you have to work together to solve a mystery. It’s a chance to test your teamwork skills and have some fun without phone interruptions.
One of the best ways to have a murder mystery night is to order a case online from a site like:
- Murders By Mail. You get to choose a mystery and receive a box with the case file and related materials.
- Hunt a Killer. Choose your mystery and receive an evidence box filled with documents, objects and clues. Choose from narrative and premium cases.
Once you have your kit and everything you need, you can plan out the rest of the evening. Make dinner together, eat snacks and solve a murder together.
Sounds so romantic, right?
Have an Indoor Picnic
Picnics are the perfect, romantic date night, but you don’t have to head out to the park to have one. You can enjoy your very own picnic at home indoors.
You’ll need:
- A picnic blanket or two
- Comfy pillows
- A low table or trays to hold your food
- Your favorite snacks or lunches
- Wine or other drinks
- A vase with fresh flowers
- Candles or fairy lights
If you want to get more picnic date ideas, make sure to read this article with some of the best luxurious picnic ideas for couples.
Have a Camping Date Night
Camping at home is so cozy and fun, and it’s all about ambiance. You can create a magical space on your very own bed with just a few items:
- Bed net, kind of like this one
- LED candles
- Fairy lights
Next, add some comfy pillows and flowers to complete the look. If you like, you can tell scary stories or watch a romantic movie together. If you have a small loveseat, you can also create something very similar in your space.
Add in some food and snacks, and you’ve made the perfect “night in.”
Get Creative with a Clay Date
Make clay animals on your clay date. It might sound cheesy to some, but it’s an amazingly fun option for others reading this. Your goal is to make fun animals, which you put together with different clay colors.
Want to make it even simpler?
Buy one of these kits, meant for anyone over the age of 3, but they come with:
- Multiple clay colors
- Tools and tutorials
- Everything you need for your play date
Whether this is your first date with a person or your 50th, this is one of the date ideas that always brings a smile to the couple’s faces.
Stargaze in the Backyard
No phones or screens? At home date night ideas are about connecting with your significant other, or someone you have your eyes on and aren’t a couple just yet. Simple and straightforward, you want to be able to look up at the night’s sky together.
How you do this is 100% up to you.
Some ideas are to:
- Put an outdoor blanket and pillows on the ground
- Outdoor table to put your snacks or food on
- Picnic basket
- LED candles
For the food, finger foods work best. Meats and cheeses, strawberries and even sandwiches are a nice addition. Snacks are also great, especially if you’ve already had dinner and just want to enjoy a romantic outing together.
Have an Outdoor Movie Night
Staying home doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy a movie in your own backyard. One of the best investments I’ve made is in purchasing an outdoor movie projector. While I project it on the side of my house, you can also buy an outdoor screen (like this one).
You can choose how elaborate you would like to be with your food, a few good options are:
- Pizza
- Burgers
- BBQ
- Sandwiches
Here are a few great options for party finger foods you can make.
If you want to have just snacks, make a good dip and bring out your potato chips, pretzels, veggies – anything you wish. For the movie, there is just so much to choose from. You can also pick one that you already know and love, but here’s a list of some of the top movies for a date night:
- We Live in Time
- Pride & Prejudice
- To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before
- The Fall Guy
- Hitch
- When Harry Met Sally
- Dirty Dancing
- How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
- The Holiday
Brides.com has a great list of 55 movies for date nights that are worth reading through to see if there’s one that catches your eye.
