30 Indoor Date Ideas You and Your Partner Will Love

Young couple smiling while making charcuterie board and drinking wine during date night indoors at home. — Pekic / Getty Images

Whether it’s a rainy day or you’re sticking to a budget, going out for a date night isn’t always possible. But rather than scrolling through Netflix for hours trying to find a show to watch, we recommend thinking outside the box and creating an intimate date night experience within the comfort of your home. From cooking a gourmet meal to learning a few dance moves and hosting a wine night, the options are endless when on the hunt for an indoor date idea you and your partner will love. (Did we mention how incredibly affordable at-home dates are, too?) Simply put, just because you’re indoors doesn’t mean you can’t try new things and have new experiences with your other half. Since relationships thrive on quality time, being intentional about the moments you and your love spend together—even if you're just sitting on the couch—will help keep the spark and passion alive in your union.

Stuck on what to do? Don't fret: We put together a list of 30 indoor date ideas you'll absolutely love. Consider scheduling one activity per week, or keep these ideas in your back pocket for when you and your partner simply want to enjoy each other's company at home.

01 of 30

Cook a Restaurant-Quality Meal

A couple laughing and using a laptop to look up a recipe and cook together in their kitchen at home. — 10'000 Hours / Getty Images

Why go out for dinner when you stay in and make a five-course meal for way less than what you would pay in a restaurant? Look up recipes from your favorite chefs or crack open a cookbook for an evening of great food and conversation. Have your partner chop veggies and prepare the main course while you work the stove. The most important thing is that whatever you make, make it together.

02 of 30

Go Indoor Camping

Happy couple in love at home in bed, smiling and embracing, surrounded by books and records. — Maskot / Getty Images

Grab a couple of flat sheets or blankets from the linen closet and turn your living room into your own private campsite. If you’re lucky enough to have an indoor fireplace, light it up and roast some marshmallows over the open flame. You can share ghost stories, reminisce about camping memories from your childhood, or get cozy in your makeshift tent.

03 of 30

Organize a Game Night

Two men on a beige couch playing chess at home for date night. — Stanton j Stephens / Getty Images

What's great about this idea is that there are plenty of two-person games you can play as a couple. Card games like War, Rummy, and Uno are a fun way to get competitive with your significant other. You can also go with a classic, like Truth or Dare, or play Never Have I Ever to get adventurous and learn something new about each other.

04 of 30

Play At-Home Casino

Woman holding playing cards, playing poker as a couple, creating an at-home casino for date night. — FOTOGRAFIA INC. / Getty Images

If you can’t go to Vegas, bring Vegas to you with a game of two-player poker. It’s just like regular poker, except the two people playing take turns being the dealer. To spice things up even further, make it a game of strip poker—the loser takes off an item of clothing for every round.

05 of 30

Read a Book Together

Couple sitting on the couch at home for date night, reading a book together and snuggling. — Morsa Images / Getty Images

Start your own book club by reading a book aloud together. Pick a novel you both want to read, or maybe take turns reading each other’s all-time favorite story. It might feel ridiculous at first to read out loud, but before long you’ll get into the plot and won’t be able to put the book down.

06 of 30

Play "Would You Rather?"

Shot of a smiling young couple talking together while relaxing on a beanbag sofa at home — Getty Images

Even if you and your partner have been together for years, there’s no way you could possibly know everything about them. As silly as it sounds, playing "Would You Rather?"can help bring you closer together by asking questions like "Would you rather ask for help or figure it out on your own?" or "Would you rather be able to fly or read minds?"

07 of 30

Make Your Own Photo Booth

Woman holding photo booth photos of a young happy couple in love. — SolStock / Getty Images

Decorate a wall in your apartment or home, grab some funny props, and set up your phone on a tripod with a ring light. Snap some cute candids and save them on your phone to look back on for years to come. If you're married, you could even put on your wedding attire and re-create your wedding night in photo-booth form.

08 of 30

Set Up a Beer or Wine Tasting

Young woman and man smelling a glass of red wine for an at-home wine tasting. — Arno Images / Getty Images

Beer or wine tastings at a brewery or winery can cost a pretty penny, so save some money (and drink responsibly) by hosting your own tasting at home. Pick up a few local cans or bottles, pour up a few glasses, and cheers to a fun and safe tasting tour.

09 of 30

Plan a Vacation

Couple sitting on the couch at home and scrolling through travel images on a tablet. — Oscar Wong / Getty Images

Whether you’re the type of couple to take a trip once every few months or once a year, it’s never too early to start planning your next romantic getaway. Make a list of top excursions and activities you want to experience and start budgeting for how much things like travel, hotel, and food might cost you.

10 of 30

Do a Puzzle Together

Couple wearing sweaters, sitting at a table at home completing a jigsaw puzzle together. — LOUISE BEAUMONT / Getty Images

Completing a puzzle together can be a rewarding and satisfying way for couples to spend an evening. The best part? There are plenty of puzzles out there for the Disney-loving, animal-obsessed, or travel-addicted couple to enjoy. There are even personalized puzzles you can order if you want to frame one and display it prominently in your home once you’re done.

11 of 30

Take Personality Tests

couple smiling while going over their home finances together at a table in their living room at home — Getty Images

Are you an ENTJ or an INFP? Is your partner’s love language acts of service, while yours is words of affirmation? Taking personality tests is a great way to get to know your love on a deeper level and help you understand how to communicate better, what they value the most in a relationship, and generally what makes them tick.

12 of 30

Go Stargazing

Couple stargazing together with a astronomical telescope while being on a romantic date — Getty Images

While this idea technically happens outdoors, it's an inexpensive activity you can do at home. Even if you live in a crowded city, you can still see at least a few stars at night. Apps like Star Tracker and Star View Lite can help you find and identify constellations and planets in space, even if your view of the stars is partially obscured by light pollution.

13 of 30

Play With Adult Coloring Books

Happy young couple having fun drawing at home — Getty Images

Remember how fun coloring books were as a kid? In recent years, adult coloring books have become more popular as a way to relax, relieve stress, and get in touch with your creative side. For couples, coloring together can be a fun hobby to share—plus, it'll help both of you decompress and tap into your inner artist.

14 of 30

Get a Virtual Tarot Card Reading

Woman with tarot cards at grey table, closeup — Getty Images

Take a peek into your past or future and gain new perspectives on work, relationships, love, and life's other great mysteries with a virtual tarot card reading. Since many tarot card readers have taken their talents online, you can easily get a successful reading from the comfort of your home. Whether you believe in the magic and mysticism of tarot cards or not, you’ll definitely leave the session with a story to tell. For an added challenge, you could even buy your own deck, learn about it, and take turns doing readings for each other.

15 of 30

Workout Together

Couples that sweat together, stay together. Pick a workout and get sweaty from the comfort of your home. Working out together not only makes you stronger as an individual, but it can also strengthen your bond as a couple. Plus, you can cool off with a shower together afterward. Very hot.

16 of 30

Create a Couple’s Bucket List

Couple using tablet, searching places to visit — Getty Images

Do you have dreams of moving to a new city? Or scuba diving in Hawaii? Take the time to let your mind wander and dream up all the things you want to do together. Then, start making plans for checking a few items off the list.

17 of 30

Start a Home Improvement Project

couple moving new house for the new change in lives — Getty Images

Plant a garden, hang a gallery wall, or redo your kitchen backsplash. Any little update, whether more permanent like upgrading flooring, or temporary like adding a wall decal to a room, can help turn your house into a home.

18 of 30

Stream a Concert

a couple in their apartment, bonding with each other while dancing — Getty Images

There are so many live concerts available to stream online, both new and old. Stream your favorite and make a night out of it. Get popcorn, beers, and any other concert-themed snacks and cozy up on the couch as you watch an electrifying live performance from your favorite band. Turn the volume up loud to make it feel more real—and, of course, dance!

19 of 30

Recreate Your Favorite Date at Home

Couple eating takeout at home, recreating their first date. — Oscar Wong / Getty Images

This works best if you switch off and both of you recreate your favorite date nights for one another. Order takeout from the place where you went on your first date, or listen to a band you saw together. If you want to go the extra mile, try to find and wear the outfit that you wore to your favorite date.

20 of 30

Create a Spa at Home

Couple doing a spa night at home, placing cucumbers on each other's eyes, face masks, and laughing. — staticnak1983 / Getty Images

Inhale, exhale, and unwind together with a little self-care. Slice up some cucumbers, put on a robe, and apply your favorite face mask. You can even take turns giving each other massages.

21 of 30

Host a Bake Off

young couple having fun and smiling happily while baking together in a domestic kitchen — Getty Images

Turn the heat up in the kitchen with a bake-off, where each partner prepares a fancy dessert to share with the other. At the end of the night, you both win because two sweet treats are better than one, obviously.

22 of 30

Redecorate Your Home

Couple lying on the floor in a new apartment and using a laptop — Getty Images

If your home could use a little feng shui, try redecorating on your next date night. Move the couch to the other side of the room, rearrange your furniture, or even get rid of things you don’t use anymore or want to replace.

23 of 30

Learn Ballroom Dancing

a woman dancing with her partner in their living room — Getty Images

Now is the perfect time to pull up some ballroom dancing tutorials on YouTube, turn up the smooth music, and practice your dance moves. If you're in the process of planning your own wedding, this is a great time to practice your first dance or work on your moves for whatever wedding you might be attending in the future.

24 of 30

Play Mixologist for a Night

Husband and Wife Mixing Cocktail at Home, Enjoying Together — Getty Images

Recreate your favorite artisanal cocktail at home. All you need is a cocktail shaker, a shot glass, and your favorite spirits and mixers.

25 of 30

Learn a New Language Together

Women, friends talk and conversation in a home with gossip, discussion and happy in a living room — Getty Images

Learning a language on your own is hard, but it’s easier when you have someone else to practice with. Start small with a few short lessons every day, and eventually work up to having an entire conversation over dinner in another language.

26 of 30

Put Together a Photo Album

Newlyweds are looking at wedding photo album together — Getty Images

If you’ve been putting off compiling your wedding photo album, a date night is a perfect excuse to print out all those photos and put them in an album for your family to look back on later. Write down all the crazy stories from your wedding night while they’re still fresh in your memory so you can remember them for years to come, as well.

27 of 30

Clean Out Your Closets

Happy young couple doing the ironing together at home — Getty Images

We get it: Cleaning out your closet doesn’t sound like a fun date night. But you can make it more fun by turning it into a fashion show where you and your partner put on the most ridiculous outfits in your closet for the other’s enjoyment. Make a keep, toss, or giveaway pile, and show your partner your best runway catwalk.

28 of 30

Play a Video Game

Excited funny friends, playing video games at home, sitting on sofa and enjoying themselves — Getty Images

If your partner spends hours on their gaming device, have them teach you their favorite video game so you can play together. It’ll help you understand why they spend all their time playing games online, and you might even find that you enjoy it and start playing with them regularly.

29 of 30

Meditate Together

Young couple at home practicing yoga — Getty Images

Studies show that partner meditation may help us feel closer and more open with our partners. Use an app like Headspace to experiment with visualization meditation, which is the method of picturing positive images or affirmations to help calm the mind while the body is in a relaxed state.

30 of 30

Take a Virtual Class Together

couple taking an online class together while in their living room — Getty Images

Whether you’ve always wanted to learn how to make pasta from scratch or how to play Magic the Gathering, there are thousands of online classes you can take to learn just about anything. Airbnb, Masterclass, and Skillshare have plenty of classes to choose from, featuring world-class instructors and easy-to-follow lessons.

40 Outdoor Date Ideas That Are a Breath of Fresh Air