We are deep into the cold winter months, and that chilly weather might be damaging your love life or, at least, making date night options seem limited. It’s hard to muster the will to step outside when the temperatures are low, but we encourage you to make the most of this time of year with these winter date ideas. There are tons of fun things to do at home, but getting out of the house could be fruitful and romantic. We’ve got a mix of the two that should appeal to either camp.
Winter date ideas are about encouraging fun with your significant other, and there are many options for you to explore. We have rounded up dozens of date ideas to share with you so that you can get an idea or two for what to do when it’s freezing outside, and things seem limited. Discover the most romantic winter date night ideas for you to enjoy with your sweetheart below.
Go the Classic Route
It’s one of the most classic winter date ideas, but it’s a go-to for a reason. See a movie, stock up on snacks, and enjoy being warm and cozy. For a cold day, there’s nothing better.
Plant Something Together
The one good thing that 2020 gave us was a renewed love of indoor gardening and houseplants. If you’ve always wanted to create a terrarium or you have been eyeing some new plants at the plant shop, get your hands dirty with your partner. Be sure to ask the experts about the right plants for your winter date because some are better planted in the warm months than others.
Sing Your Heart Out
Rent a karaoke room or go to a karaoke bar to release some steam. Getting silly and letting your hair down a bit is always a blast. Karaoke bars exist expressly for this reason! Make the most of a cold day by slaying some power ballads and dancing your heart out.
Paint a Wall
Okay, we know “home improvement” doesn’t scream “SEXY!” but a good DIY project is a smart way to pass the time. You could retile a backsplash or hang some new shelves. Of course, all of this depends on your situation, but we’re sure you can think of something that needs to get done that will be much more enjoyable with a partner!
Get Thrifty
Have you ever been to one of those huge antique malls? A winter day could be the perfect excuse to go explore one. Find weird knick-knacks and vintage clothes to try on. You will not be disappointed if you go with an open mind and a sense of adventure!
Book It
One of the best winter date ideas is to take a trip to a used bookstore. Unfortunately, they are not as plentiful as they once were, but chances are there is a cool used bookstore near your community. Look through some old books together and take turns reading passages or simply do your own thing. We don’t know why this activity is best done with a warm beverage like coffee or tea in hand, but it’s a must!
Be a Tourist
If an old mansion has been turned into a museum in your community, a winter day could be the perfect time to explore it. Many cities have these museums, and there is nothing better than discovering interesting things in a creaky old house. Any indoor heritage site will be a great idea for a winter date.
Q & A
One of the most fun winter date ideas is to go to a trivia night at your local bar or pub. Most places do them. You just need to find out which establishment will offer trivia games that day. You can compete as a team or against one another to see who knows the most random facts.
Have a Delicious Competition
This winter date is for those with a competitive streak. You could have a bake-off at home in your kitchen. Perhaps you want to see who can make the best chocolate chip cookies or who has the skills to properly frost a cake. A cold winter’s day is just made for some baking projects. You’ll have your love and that oven to keep you warm.
Craft Something Together
When was the last time you embarked on a big crafting project? Grab some supplies and get to work! You and your S.O. could papier-mâché each other’s faces. You could get some modeling clay and recreate a home or famous landmark. The possibilities are endless! You get bonus points for creating something that will immortalize that winter date forever.
Catch a Masterful Performance
When was the last time you saw a play? Have you ever been to the opera? How about seeing a symphony perform? For your winter date ideas, think of some activities that will enrich your life. Beautiful music or a perfectly delivered monologue might be the perfect way to spend that chilly day.
Binge on a TV Show
Most of us are aware of TV shows that are cultural touchstones, but we have not personally seen them. If you and your date have never seen The Sopranos, The Wire, Breaking Bad, or Game of Thrones, a rainy day is a perfect opportunity to cure your FOMO and catch up on some excellent TV. Pop some popcorn, build a fort in front of the TV, and really make a day of it! You won’t regret it.
All Aboard
This is one of the best winter date ideas for the weekend or a time when there are not a ton of commuters. If you live near a train hub, hop on a train and watch the wintry world slip by. Obviously, if you are someone who commutes to work by train every day, it’s not going to be so romantic, but for the right folks, it could be a ton of fun.
Taking Tea to the Next Level
Sure, you could just go to your favorite restaurant and grab some grub, but when is the last time you had high tea? The best winter date ideas are the ones that are the most out of the box! Many nice hotels and restaurants will offer a tea service where you can try a bunch of delicious tea. The best part of high tea is the snacks! Think little sandwiches to nibble on and sweets that pair perfectly with your earl grey.
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Learn to Cook
Learn some new skills on a cold winter’s day! Take a baking or cooking class to learn how to make something delicious. The more niche, the better, so think about a sushi rolling class or learn how to make French pastry. Anything goes as long as it presents a challenge for both of you!
Get Active
Trying a new fitness class together could be a healthy way to spend your day if both of you are active and into it. Take a new yoga class or go indoor rock climbing. Do whatever you want to get your heart rates up and feel like you’ve accomplished something beneficial and healthy for the day.
Your Home, the Spa
Who doesn’t love taking a bath or getting a massage? You and your significant other can take turns pampering one another, or you can just ask them to pamper you because you probably deserve it! Have a nice, long soak together, light some candles, put on some soothing music, and have yourself a most relaxing winter date.
Piece It Together
One of the very best winter date ideas is to grab a puzzle or a new LEGO set and start putting it together. Goal-oriented activities will keep your date purposeful, but you can always stray and return to it as the day gprogresses. Low-stakes and big returns are what it’s all about!
Watch Classic Movies
Pick some classic movies you’ve always wanted to see or take turns choosing some old ones. Or you can ask for their favorite old movie, see how you feel about it, and then show your beloved classic. Bonus points for classic thrillers or scary movies. They are always the most fun because they encourage cuddling.
Level Up
When was the last time you set foot inside an arcade? A chilly day might be the perfect time to get nostalgic and play some arcade games. Find the best games to play together and have a ball!
Enjoy Some Culture and Discuss Art
Museums and galleries are the perfect getaways on inhospitable days. One of the best winter date ideas is to check out a gallery or museum you’ve always wanted to go to. It’s wise to visit an institution that caters to both of your tastes. You want to ensure that the venue offers things that engage you both.
Boardgames Can Be Romantic
There are plenty of two-player games out there, and all of them will be way more fun than just sitting around cursing the cold. Getting a little competitive will strengthen your bond, and it will be a blast to see how seriously your date takes a game, especially if you two are a relatively new item. Get your favorite snacks ready to go, and you two will have yourselves a proper little game night.
Adventures in the Kitchen
One of the best winter date ideas involves something so deceptively simple that you might pass it up, but we encourage you to lean into it. Planning a romantic dinner at home can be so much fun. Think wine and cheese to start, followed by a light dinner and something sweet to put a cherry on top of the night. You can each choose to tackle one dish, or you can play chef for the day! Whatever floats your boat!
Reading Together Is So Romantic
Are you even living if you have not listened to your partner read a passage from a book or a lovely poem? One of the most romantic things in the world is snuggling up (and staying warm) while taking turns reading a book aloud. It may sound cheesy, but it’s absolutely thrilling. Read one chapter and then let them read the next or pick random poems to share with one another. We can’t promise you’ll actually make it through an entire book, but we bet you’ll have plenty of fun trying!
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Lace Up Those Skates
This is one of the best winter date ideas for active couples! Ice skating is always a blast, and for many, it will take you back to childhood days if you haven’t strapped on a pair of skates in a while.
There you go! What did you think of these winter date ideas? We hope you found some activities to try with your sweetheart. There’s plenty to enjoy indoors when all you want to do is hibernate. Have fun!
For even more winter date night fun, take a look at our favorite two-player board games. They are the perfect way to pass the time on a cold day.
Wordle The Party Game for 2-4 Players (Ages 14+)
$20 at the time of publication.
We are all playing Wordle on the daily, right? If you love the one-person game, you will love this two-player board game version that can accommodate up to 4 players total. Just like the online game, you have to guess the Wordle word puzzle but this time, the words are coming from your friend. You can also choose to play it in “timed” and “fast” modes to make it even more challenging for the two of you. Shortcode
Patchwork Two-Player Board Game (Ages 8+)
$30 at the time of publication.
Patchwork is a relaxing game but that does not mean it is a boring one! Patchwork is a wonderful two-player board game that captures the magic of needlework and sewing fabric together into designs. Each player works to create a beautiful patchwork quilt out of the available 9X9″ patches. Low stakes and big rewards will follow! Shortcode
Cascadia Board Game for 2-4 Players (Ages 10+)
$49 at the time of publication.
Cascadia is a beautiful, award-winning game that is very quick to pick up and play, but it still has substance. The goal of the game is to create a Pacific Northwest ecosystem by collecting animals and tiles but the values for each tile is dynamic as it scores differently based on depending on the cards drawn at the start of the game. Players can employ multiple strategies to win this game and it changes each time to keep it engaging and a bit challenging. Shortcode
The Fox in the Forest Two-Player Card Game (Ages 10+)
$16 at the time of publication.
For starters, this game is gorgeous with beautiful, fantasy-rich illustrations. For anyone who has played a trick-taking card game such as Spades or Hearts, you will pick up The Fox in the Forest Quickly as it is essentially like those games but with a twist. We should note that even if you don’t know how to play Spades or Hearts, this game is really easy to pick up. The Fox in the Forest sits at the perfect crossroads of luck and strategy for quick, low-stakes fun. Shortcode
Hive (Ages 9+)
$40 at the time of publication.
Hive is a game that is similar to chess but is much more fun for those of us who do not actually enjoy playing chess. So, if you love strategic games that take some skill to win, you will likely enjoy Hive. It’s played with tiles that you use to try and surround your opponent’s queen. Each tile moves differently and thus, can be used in unique ways to get to the queen. In general, a single game will take 30 minutes to play but the more you do the more complex you realize you can play it. Shortcode
Codenames: Duet – The Two-Player Word Deduction Game (Ages 10+)
$20 at the time of publication.
Codenames: Duet finds players making associations between words as they cooperate to identify targets with a limited number of guesses. Follow the clues to discover agents in this very fun two-player board game that can also be played with additional folks. We find it most fun with just one other player. Shortcode
7 Wonders Duel: Two-Player World-Building Board Game (Ages 10+)
$28 at the time of publication.
This two-player adaption of the popular 7 Wonders board game asks players to navigate three rounds, gaining buildings to get resources, gold, technologies, and military power. Somehow this board game packs a traditionally long and complicated gaming experience into just thirty minutes. This game has a lot of moving parts without feeling like a burden which makes playing again and again more enjoyable each time. Shortcode
Carcassonne Board Game (Ages 7+)
$34 at the time of publication.
This two-player board game is celebrating its 20th anniversary and there is even a special anniversary edition of it available. However, we chose the classic option as we imagine many readers have not played it yet. In this board game, players fill in the countryside around the medieval fortified city, choosing from tiles that depict cities, roads, monasteries, and fields. Each new tile creates an ever-expanding board on which players can then add their followers. Players score points by having followers on tiles as features are completed. The player who makes the most strategic placements of tiles and followers will score the most points and win the game.
This is a really, really fun one that has many expansion packs available to make it a game that grows with you as you play it. It never gets old! Shortcode
Paris Cite de la Lumiere: Tile Placement Game (Ages 8+)
$26 at the time of publication.
In the first half of this two-player board game, players take turns building streets in Paris to secure a variety of peculiarly shaped buildings. Then, in the second phase, the objective becomes placing your buildings as close to the streetlights that illuminate the city as possible. It is as beautiful as the city it is based on with beautiful artwork throughout. Shortcode
Raptor Two-Player Game (Ages 9+)
$33 at the time of publication.
Lovers of Jurassic Park will appreciate the premise of Raptor: “On a Pacific Island, a female velociraptor and her young were spotted. Your mission is to capture the young alive or neutralize the swift and powerful mother,” the maker states. It is a card-driven board game that is easy to pick up and really fun to play as well as a number of different outcomes that can make a player win or lose. A typical game lasts 25 minutes so it’s a fast-paced and fun dino game. Shortcode
Summoner Wars (Ages 14+)
$44 at the time of publication.
Summoner Wars is an exciting card game of fantasy battlefield combat where you take on the role of a powerful summoner, according to the maker. Display your tactical prowess by summoning units to your gates, outmaneuvering your opponent, and cutting down the enemy summoner. It’s a card game that meets a tricky puzzle that is very exciting and fun once you get fully up to speed. Up to four players can play but we prefer it as a two-player game. Shortcode
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Caper: Two-Player Board Game (Ages 10+)
$35 at the time of publication.
Caper is a blast of a game that combines a drafting card game with the mystery-solving qualities of Clue. The game allows players to employ and supply a crew of thieves, who then attempt to raid famous sites across Europe. The artwork is just so dynamic and by far our favorite of all of the board games we shared with you. You’re going to have a blast with this one! Shortcode
There you have them, our favorite 2-player board games that are perfect for a quiet night in with someone you care about. Whether you are bonding with one of your kids while playing or sipping wine with your partner, there is just so much fun to be had with any of these amazing options.
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