21 Romantic Ideas for a Date Night at Home
Looking for romantic ideas for a date night at home? You are in the right place! If you’re like us, it’s not always easy to plan a romantic getaway. You know what we mean…the kind where you get dressed up, hire a sitter and head out for a night on the town.
Rather than throwing your hands-up and declaring that your relationship is doomed until the kids are grown and gone, a little bit of at-home creativity can make for date night any night of the week. Here are 21 personally tested romantic stay-at-home date night ideas.
21 Romantic Stay-at-Home Date Night Ideas
1. Eat a Fashionably Late Dinner
Wait until after the kids are in bed and order out or make a candlelight dinner for two. This has been a life-saver in our marriage, particularly when our children were small. Depending on the season and where we are living, we love to eat dinner outside under the stars with dimly lit candles.
We’ve had so many wonderful, life-changing conversations during our fashionably late dinners! It’s the perfect time to dream and be close to one another. And let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a midnight snack? Especially one that involves your beloved!
2. Movie Night
There are some movies that you just don’t watch with the family. Stay up late to watch that thriller or action-packed film. We both love movie popcorn so we splurge a bit and get the good stuff. We sometimes will also have some diet soda and candy, too (if we are feeling really adventurous…haha).
There is nothing like snuggling up to your love and watching a movie together in the comfort of your own home! And if you have no where to be the next day, you can also binge watch some Netflix or Hulu!
3. Picnic in the Backyard
Who knew that your backyard could be perfect for your next date? Pack a picnic and head to the great outdoors. We also love to add music to the mix! We’ve even pitched a tent and stayed up into the wee hours of the night laughing and making the most of our “alone” time in the backyard!
Oh and don’t forget the s’mores and caramel apples! We love to start a fire in our fire pit and just snuggle under the stars. This never gets old and is one of our absolute favorite at home date nights!
4. Break out the Wedding Video
Who doesn’t love to remember that special day? Take the time to enjoy your wedding video together. We don’t know about you, but we find ourselves cracking up at so many of the things captured on film that day.
From jokes we told at the altar to family members acting crazy, this is surely a fun time for date night! For a fun twist, feed each other dessert for old time’s sake.
5. Go Through Memory Books/Boxes
Spend time looking through the story of your family. Look through pictures, laugh at the mementos you come across and see how far you’ve come together. We have some small photo boxes where we store all of our memories…a perfect go-to for date night! We don’t do this all the time but try to do it at least twice a year.
6. Build a Snowman
Remind yourself of this fun winter activity and be a kid again! All you need are materials for your snowman’s face. And let’s face it, this is something that can turn into a snowball fight which is another way to connect with the one you love!
7. Play in the Leaves
This is another way to go back to your childhood. Head outside and enjoy leaping into piles of leaves. It’s when we let go of the “adult” ideas in life that we find we have so much more fun with one another. It’s soothing to the soul to relive some of our childhood fun!
8. Beverages Outside
At the end of the day, there is something so relaxing about listening to the sounds of evening and watching the sun go down. Enjoy these moments together on your patio, deck, or front stoop while enjoying a mug or glass of your favorite beverage!
9. Bake Together
As we’ve found, working together in the kitchen is a lot of fun (though sometimes takes patience). Whip up a special dessert or something for breakfast the next day.
10. Garden Together
This one does sound like work (and kind of is), but we love to work in the garden together! Whether it’s pulling weeds or planting bulbs for next spring, we’re working together…and having a great time!
11. Dance with Each Other
Dancing with your spouse is a great, fast way to reconnect. Simply turn on some music and start to sway. You can set the tone with the kind of music you select.
12. Run through the Sprinkler
As grown-ups, we tend to get away from this childhood favorite. Remember running and screaming with friends as the cool water hit you? Give it a try. You may be surprised at how refreshing it is for your spirit!
13. Look for Constellations
You may remember some constellations to search for, but star charts can also help in your looking. Focusing on a sky full of stars is a romantic and relaxing way to spend time with your spouse. Our children have this great activity pack called “100 Things to Spot in the Night Sky” that we’ve used time and time again and we cherish finding these things in God’s creation – together.
14. Plan a Treasure Hunt
Take turns creating treasure hunts for one another. Write series of clues that lead to one another and leave a treasure at the end of the hunt. This is another great way to go back to your childhood.
15. Concoct Dessert for Each Other
Spend some one-on-one time in the kitchen while you make creative and unique desserts for each other. This is not only fun, but tasty as well! After all sweets can really turn up the spice in your marriage!
16. Write Poems or Letters
Sit across the room from each other and write a poem or love letter for the other. Then either read it to him/her or trade to read what the other wrote.
17. Plan a Vacation
You may be at home now, but planning the excitement of time away is a good way to spend a date night. Talk about your ideas, look online for details and enjoy creating your next adventure.
18. Watch a Thunderstorm
Few things are as powerful as thunderstorms. Open the door or window and sit together in the quiet, dark room while you enjoy the beauty of the storm.
19. Read Together
Find an author that you both enjoy and spend time reading together. You may choose to make reading a date night event or read a chapter an evening until you’ve finished the book. This stay-at-home date night idea is a book lovers DREAM!
20. Create a Dream Board Together
We love to dream…to share our hopes and desires for the future. Cutting out magazine pictures, words, etc. and gluing them on a poster board helps us to visualize our dreams. This is one of our favorite things to do once the kids are asleep.
This is our time to set goals for our marriage and keep the momentum moving forward; and more importantly moving forward together.
21. Cuddle by the Fire
This has become a favorite of ours. There is nothing like cozying up next to the love of your life by a fire. We do this both indoor and outdoor and love it all just the same. There is just something about being in the arms of your beloved, don’t you agree?
Do you have other ideas for romantic stay-at-home date nights? Please share some of your favorites!
