Whew, guys. We’ve survived Week One of social distancing! How are you guys feeling? A little bored? It might be time to mix things up!
If you and your partner are staying home together, you might be getting a bit tired of Netflix marathons by this point. Heck, you might not even be able to agree on what to watch on Netflix right now, either! If you’re feeling a bit restless, here are a few stay at home date ideas that will keep things interesting. The best part? A lot of these date night ideas are either free or very budget-friendly!
(Tom hates being in front of the camera. That’s why I didn’t even dare to show his face in this post!)
Stay At Home Date Ideas:
- Have a backyard picnic. If you have some yard space, or if your apartment complex has some common outdoor areas, set up a little picnic when it’s nice out. Grab a bottle of wine, your trusty picnic basket, make a cheese board, craft your dream menu and enjoy your meal outdoors.
- Organize a board game night. Are you feeling competitive? Dust off some of the board games you have in storage and put them to good use. Don’t have any board games at home? You can order the classics, like Life, Scrabble, and Battleship, and have them shipped to your door in a few days.
- Host a Wine/Chocolate/Cheese Tasting. Tom and I are big wine fans, and we’ve collected quite a bit of vino over the years. One of these quarantine days, we plan on having a “Wine Around the World” night, where we open bottles we’ve collected from all over and place them in different points around the house! If you’re not big into wine, you can also do this with chocolate or cheese and have your own little tasting for two.
- Have a Spa Night. Who doesn’t love the spa? It’s pretty easy (and fun!) to set up a spa night for you and your partner. From manicures and pedicures to facials and massages, you can include as many services as you’d like for your next spa night at home. If you want to go over the top with it, set up a bubble bath with rose petals, serve champagne and fruit-infused water, and light snacks to make you feel like you’re at a five-star resort!
- Tackle a puzzle or a LEGO set. Want to take on a challenge? Try your hand at solving a puzzle or building a LEGO set with your partner. It’s a great way to stimulate your brain, and get offline for a bit!
- Eat Dinner by Candlelight. Miss going out to eat at restaurants? So do I! The next time you grab takeout or make a nice meal, dim the lights, put your phones away and light some candles. The ambiance will make you feel like you’re on a regular date night out on the town!
- Take online dance classes. Why not work on your dance skills while you’re stuck in the house? YouTube surprisingly has a lot of options for fantastic, free dance classes. Try your hand at a basic waltz, a two-step, the Cha-Cha, or maybe even the latest Tik Tok dance challenge!
- Make a pillow fort and have an indoor campout. I think we can all agree that making forts was one of the best parts of growing up. Why not build an adult pillow fort? Set one up in your living room, maybe light a fire, make some s’mores, cozy up and watch a movie!
- Plan a couple’s quiz night. While you both are cooped up together, now is a great time to learn more about your partner with a fun quiz night. The “Would You Rather” game has always been a favorite of ours — there’s also a free app you can download to start playing! You can also make your own version of the Newlywed Game, play a game of truth or dare, or make up your own quiz.
- Step up your movie night. Let’s be real: you probably aren’t going to put a halt to your Netflix binge sessions anytime soon. If you just can’t quit Netflix, there are a few ways you can elevate your next movie night. One cute Idea? Lauren and her fiancé each wrote down movie suggestions they both wanted to watch, and each week they draw a random movie title out of a hat. Whatever title is drawn, is what they watch that week. Pretty fun, huh?
You can also step up your movie snack game and make your home feel like a legit theater: go crazy with the candy, pop your own popcorn on the stove, maybe even grab some nachos or other movie theater meal staples. The possibilities are endless!
What are some of your favorite stay at home date ideas? Let me know in a comment below!
Photos by Tom McGovern
