My boyfriend and I have been living together for more than a year now, but we love to spice things up and break the routine by having date nights at home. We’ve honestly become such homebodies, so we always have new and fun ideas for our at home date nights. I hope these ideas help you and your partner spice things up at home!
A quick reminder: These aren’t just date ideas, they’re invitations to lasting memories.
25 Romantic Date Night Ideas at Home
1. Cook a new recipe together: There’s nothing like bonding over cooking together in the kitchen! We love to use Hello Fresh to cook new meals every single week. With Hello Fresh, we never run out of new and interesting meals.
Baking an olive oil cake or trying a new recipe is not only fun but also delicious. Another thing you can do is go to the bookstore, choose a cookbook together, and flip to a random page to cook a new meal every now and then! Cookbooks are seriously the best, and I’m building my collection right now.
2. Host a movie night: This one is a classic and always our go to. Select a movie neither of you has seen or one of your favorites, prepare popcorn and enjoy. From Peacock TV, to Netflix, HBO Go, and so many different streaming services, you really have a plethora of choices to choose from! You can even decorate your living room into a cozy movie theater with popcorn boxes and cozy blankets. If you’re feeling up for it, you can go as far as to decorating your room according to the movie you’re watching!
3. Do a DIY project: Since moving into our new apartment in San Francisco, we’ve been looking into fun DIY projects for home decor. This makes for such a fun date night because it’s interactive and you’re both creating something that you can look back on one day. For the perfect DIY project date night, choose a simple project to create together for your home! It can be a piece of furniture, wall art, or décor.
4. Stargaze on your balcony/yard: Making a beautiful night from stargazing sets you and your partner up for a beautiful night. We recently moved into an apartment with a fire escape, and I am D Y I N G to have my Uptown Girls moment on that thing. One of these days I’ll decorate the fire escape with cozy blankets, pillows, and a basket full of yummy snacks. This is the perfect excuse to buy that telescope you’ve been eyeing on Amazon as well. If you’re into constellations, then you’re in for a memorable night with your significant other!
5. Theme Nights: Pick a theme and base your dinner and activity around it. Perhaps you’re both reminiscing on your trip to Paris last summer. Why not decorate your home with Parisian chic decor, order French food, and watch an old French film? Or if your boyfriend is a football fan, this would be a great idea to make Football Sundays so much more fun at home! Buy a jersey, get some yummy football snacks going, and decorate the living room with his team’s colors and logos. He’ll love you for that.
6. Home/Backyard Picnic: Lay a blanket on the ground/floor, put out some finger food, and enjoy a yummy picnic! If the weather is gorgeous out, it’s a great way to spend time in your backyard and in nature. You can make a whole day out of it by doing yoga together, using the grill, and sun-bathing in your cute bikini! Maybe you have a lemon tree in your backyard, use it as the perfect excuse to make your homemade lemonade!
7. Game Night: Board game nights are always the best nights. Choose several of your cherished board or card games, play some good tunes, open up that wine bottle, and play the night away!
8. Wine Tasting: You may or may not be a wine connoisseur, but there’s nothing more fun than having an at home wine tasting when you know close to nothing about wines. Head to Trader Joe’s and pick up a couple bottles of wine, grab some cheeses and chocolates, and curate a delicious charcuterie board for an in-home wine-tasting experience. Create a sensory journey and exchange thoughts on how a certain wine tastes with a certain cheese. This is such a fun way to enjoy the night and learn a thing or two about wine!
Bonus points: keep the bottles and use it for flower vases or a fun DIY craft so you can always remember this night!
9. Paint Night: Collect an array of art supplies from your local arts supply store and challenge each other to paint each other’s portraits or your pet! Or just paint something beautiful for each other, or get a giant canvas and paint something to hang up in your bedroom.
Bonus: Make it into a paint and sip night!
10. Tea Tasting: There’s a small Chinese-owned tea spot in Chinatown that we love to go to to pick up our teas. We’ve learned so much from the owner about tea tasting and the curation of teas. We’ve become sort of tea enthusiasts and now love to partake in tea tastings as much as we can!
This is a great way to explore a variety of teas from different parts of the world. You can create a tasting chart to document your initial impressions, noticeable flavors, and overall preference. You can even make it into an “afternoon tea” or “high tea” vibe by making cute sandwiches, baking scones, and getting a cute tea set!
11. Candlelit Dinner: This is just like date night idea #1, except a little more elevated. Prepare a home-cooked meal and turn it into a luxurious dining experience with subtle details like candles, a curated playlist, and an elegantly set table.
12. Pajama Party: Dedicate a night to relaxation with your favorite pajamas, ordered takeout, and a lineup of must-watch Netflix shows. Include elements like pillow forts or themed takeout food.
13. Indoor Camping: Build a cozy fort with blankets and fairy lights. Add to the ambiance with indoor picnic food and a selected movie showcase mimicking a drive-in theater under your homemade tent.
14. Photography Session: Organize a fun mini-photoshoot in your house, and experiment with various photography styles, from vintage to portrait to abstract. Pretend like you’re getting your photos taken for Architectural Digest or for a local magazine. It makes for such a fun memory, and decades from now you’ll look back at photos of your first home together and how it was decorated!
15. Book Club: While book clubs may seem like a “girl thing,” this is such a great way to get to know your partner more and enhance your growth together as individuals. My boyfriend and I love to read together and exchange thoughts with one another. Sometimes we’ll choose a short story or a self help book to read and discuss. It’s one of my favorite bonding things to do with him.
16. Scrapbooking: Compile a scrapbook of your shared experiences and happiest moments. Include handwritten notes, ticket stubs, and drawings to accompany photos. This is a great excuse to keep all of the little things from your days together and glue it into a book about you two. You can create a scrapbook for every single year that you’re together or for every trip you take together. One day you’ll look back at this book and be so happy that you did it.
17. Gardening Day: Dedicate a day to curating your green space, from potting different flowers to planting your preferred herbs. Document your progress and note any growth over time. While we only have a fire escape to work with, this is a great way for us to build a small herb garden that we can use for our cooking. It’s such a great way to bond as well, especially if you’re both new to gardening.
18. DIY Pizza Night: Indulge in a do-it-yourself pizza-making night! Homemade pizza dough and a plentiful selection of toppings lend to an evening of culinary creativity and tasty results. You can create classic pizza recipes or experiment with your own recipes. You can even create a contest to see who makes the best pizza!
19. Cocktail/Mocktail Making: Experiment with new drink recipes or concoct your original creations. With so many different recipes, syrups, bitters, non-alcoholic drinks, etc. to choose from, your opportunity to make the best cocktail/mocktail is endless. This is also the perfect excuse to order Preston’s Ginger Beer to show up at your doorstep!
20. At-home Spa: Self care with your significant other is so fun! Replicate a luxurious and calming spa experience at home with DIY facial masks, manicures, pedicures, paired with ambient music. You can even consider aromatherapy with essential oils for a full sensory experience.
21. Yoga Session: Create a tranquil yoga or meditation space at home for you and your significant other to indulge in. This is the perfect at home date night idea after a stressful week or after a week’s worth of traveling. Follow along with an online class or craft a unique yoga flow according to your needs. This takes self care to a whole ‘nother level.
22. Fitness Night: If yoga isn’t your jam, or you want to continue working on physical activity with your partner, try a fitness challenge together! Cooperatively engage in a fitness challenge designed to embrace a healthier lifestyle. You can do weight lifting together, dueling each other to see who does the most sit ups and push ups, or swimming countless laps at your pool. This at home date idea is perfect for both spending time with your partner and making time for physical activity.
23. Homemade Ice-cream/Sundae Bar: Build your ice-cream or sundae bar at home, providing a myriad of flavors, toppings, and sauces allowing for custom, tasty creations. You can try to recreate your favorite ice cream flavors or create your own unique flavors! Experiment with different milks and flavors and edible flowers. This is one of my favorite at home date ideas because ice cream is always a hell yes in my book!
24. A Walk Down Memory Lane: Dedicate a day to nostalgia! Re-watch your shared favorite shows, reflect on memorable photos, or even recreate your first date.
25. Karaoke Night: Set up a home-based karaoke stage and perform your favorite hits. Bring extra excitement and laughter with playful challenges like duets or impersonating famous singers. This is so fun, especially if you’re Filipino like we are! Even if you’re terrible at singing or shy, it’s so genuine and funny because it’s with your partner.
I hope these at-home date night ideas gave you a lot of inspiration and options for spending quality time with your partner. Whether you’re looking for some cozy activities or seeking an adrenaline-fueled challenge, it’s about creating shared experiences that will create memories with the person you love.
From stirring up a homemade pizza to indulging in a DIY spa day – each of these activities offers an opportunity to communicate, collaborate, and experience something new. However, the most important aspect to remember is enjoying each other’s company and maintaining the spark in your relationship.
I would love to hear about your experiences – don’t hesitate to comment and share your favorite at-home date night story with By Nica Lina. Happy dating!
