If you’ve decided on a stay-in date, it’s tempting to pull up Netflix and put on your favorite show (or the show you force your significant other to watch whether they want to or not). But that routine gets repetitive fast; especially if you live a ways from anything interesting and “staying in” becomes your go-to. Here are some home date ideas you can try the next time you’re chilling indoors with your date:
If you’re not already stocked up on board and card games, most are fairly cheap to buy at your local supermarket (and you’d be surprised how many different games you can play with a deck of cards). Break out your collection of two-player games and challenge your date to a tournament. Maybe there’s a prize, maybe there isn’t. The point is to have fun interacting with your date instead of keeping your attention on the television.
If you’re not sure what to start with, check out these games to play with a deck of cards.
Alternatively, you can play a video game tournament, which gives you an excuse to go through your collection of two-player video games (even if some of them are a little outdated—you still have your PS2, right?).
Depending on which system(s) you have, you can try Wii games, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo . . . Atari. You could potentially spend an entire afternoon going through yours and your date’s combined collection of games.
If you don’t have many two-player games, a lot of older ones can be found at GameStop fairly cheap. Used games sometimes sell for as little as five to ten dollars and are usually not in bad shape.
You don’t have to be a master chef to try a cooking date. There are so many easy-to-follow recipes online that you can find something within your range of expertise (or challenge yourself to try something outside of it). You can always make the grocery shopping portion a part of your date or you can follow a recipe that uses ingredients you already have at home.
Even if you royally screw the recipe up, the important thing was you had fun trying something new with your date. And it gives you an excuse to order takeout.
Let’s get something straight: blanket forts never stop being fun. You can tell yourself you’re above it all you want, but the second you see that blanket tent, your inner child lets out a tiny squeal. Embrace it with your date: set up a blanket tent, string some fairy lights or light candles to simulate a campfire (please don’t start a fire inside), and make microwave s’mores to snack on while you swap ghost stories or reminisce.
If you’re not that great at blanket forts (shame on you) and want something more substantial than s’mores, you can always lay a blanket on the floor, set out a meal, light some candles, and turn it into an indoor picnic.
Nothing’s more fun than trying a hobby you love with the one you love. Do you like reading? Writing? Drawing? Photography? Knitting? Painting?
Whether your date shares your hobby or not, now is a good time to teach them something new; and, in turn, allow them to share their hobby with you. You can draw together, do a photo shoot, write a short story or poetry, shoot a short film—whatever it is, sharing what you do in your free time is bound to draw the two of you closer together.
If you’ve been dating for a while, print out some pictures ahead of time, purchase a scrapbook, and make a date out of creating a couple’s scrapbook together. It can be a travel scrapbook or a collage of all your memories together.
If one of you is good at sketching, you can add custom drawings throughout. You can also add quotes or lyrics that make you think of one another, inside jokes, and maybe glue or tape items that mean something to your relationship into the book.
If you’ve already had dinner or you just want to skip straight to dessert (who doesn’t?), you can make or buy a ton of desserts and have a dessert tasting at home. You can bust out the fancy platters and cutlery if you want to make it aesthetic. Rate your favorites and keep a chart to make it interesting (and handy if your date wants to buy it for you one holiday).
Who says you have to go somewhere fancy to have a wine tasting? Stock up on all kinds of wine and cheeses from your local grocery store (or a specialty store if you want to kick it up a notch) and host a tasting at home with your date. You can still get dressed up for it and everything; that cocktail dress and hot red lipstick was only for your date anyway.
If you’re comfortable enough with your date to try this one, you can have an at-home spa night where you take turns massaging each other. If you’re not sure how to go about it, there are plenty of technique videos online to help you brush up.
You can set the mood with relaxing music and candles (again, please don’t burn the house down) and find some scented lotions to use. Just make sure your date’s not allergic before you try it!
Just as you don’t have to go out to have a picnic or enjoy a wine tasting, you don’t have to go anywhere to have a coffee date. There are tons of fancy coffee recipes online that you can make with a few ingredients or stuff you have lying around the house.
So be your own barista for a day and make you and your date some coffees to enjoy with something sweet (or breakfast for dinner—everybody loves breakfast for dinner).
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