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10 Romantic and Fun Stay at Home Date Night Ideas

Scheduling regular date nights for couples is essential to keeping that romantic spark alive. But unfortunately, it’s all too easy for this activity to become a little stale. Kick things up a notch with these fun and inexpensive stay-at-home date night ideas and enjoy a wonderful evening you won’t soon forget.

1. Cook Up Some Romance

Is there anything more romantic than cooking pasta with your boo or beau? Turn up some tunes and sing along as you chop, stir, and simmer with this Pasta Bolognese recipe. Enjoying a Lady and the Tramp moment is highly encouraged.

2. Enjoy a Movie Marathon

Snuggle up on the sofa for a movie night. Choose a theme, like your favorite series or all your beloved childhood films. Pop some popcorn, and pick up those theater-style candy boxes, too. Turn off all the lights and silence your cell phones like you would at the theater.

Kick it up a notch: Set up a sheet and projector on the patio for a movie night beneath the stars.

3. Have a Paint Date

What better way to enjoy a stay-at-home date night than by creating art with your significant other in an intimate setting? Order a twist-at-home paint kit, break out the bubbly, and trigger that oxytocin hormone for the ultimate night in!

Date Night Painting

4. Organize a Candlelight (Takeout) Dinner

Candles can make any dinner-for-two one of the most romantic ideas for a stay-at-home date. Enjoy a cozy night in by ordering takeout from the best steakhouse in town or that little French place you’ve always wanted to try. Lay out a white tablecloth, pull out your fancy dinnerware, and light a few candles to set the mood. Get dressed in your best like you would for a date night out.

Kick it up a notch: Tie in something meaningful, like picking up dessert from the place you had your first date or opening a bottle of the wine you served at your wedding.

5. Game Night

A little competition is healthy for a relationship, right? Challenge your partner and plan a big prize! The winner gets a massage or no dish duty for a week! Here are a few games to get the romantic rivalry brewing:

Rummy

Speed

Checkers

Scrabble

Twister

Jenga

Battleship

6. Tasting for Two

Bring the booze to you! Set up a tasting for wine, whiskey, beer — whatever tickles your fancy. And if you’d prefer an alcohol-free tasting, try chocolates, olive oils, balsamic vinegars, or coffees! Do a little research to learn more about your tasting options in advance. The best part — you can add this to your list of cheap stay-at-home date night ideas since you’ll save some cash by forfeiting pricey wineries, breweries, or distilleries.

Kick it up a notch: Add in pairings, like wine with chocolate, beer & popcorn, or olive oils & bread.

7. Cozy Campout

No need to venture out into the wilderness for this date-night idea! Just pitch a tent in your backyard or build a comfy fort indoors! But before cozying up in your sleeping bags, be sure to pull out all the stops! Go for a “hike” around your neighborhood, cook hotdogs, roast s’mores in the oven (yum!), and tell stories while gazing at the stars.

Kick it up a notch: Ghost stories are always a good idea when camping, but change the genre to romance by re-telling the story of how you met, your first date, your wedding day, etc.

8. The Happiest Hour

Have fun mixing up your own signature cocktails! Create one for each of you — and maybe one as a couple, too. Become an amateur mixologist for the night as you look up how-to videos and stir the night away! And if the weather is nice, sip your signature drinks on the patio for an al fresco date. But don’t forget the appetizers — chips and guac are always a great idea!

Homemade Guacamole:

2 avocados

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp ancho chile powder

1-2 T lime juice

1/2 white or yellow onion, finely chopped

1/4 c cilantro, roughly chopped

Coarse salt, to taste

Cut avocado in half, remove the pit, and chop into quarters. In a bowl, mash the avocado with a fork. Mix in pepper and chile powder, followed by the chopped onion and lime juice. Add salt to taste. Mix in cilantro. Serve with tortilla chips.

9. A Perfect Picnic

If the weather is nice, spread out a blanket in the front yard and sip on iced tea or a glass of rosé. You can dine on anything you like, from Chinese takeout and pasta salad to cheese and crackers. Time it just right so you can watch the sunset together.

Build a Charcuterie Board:

1 cured meats (salami, soppressata, prosciutto, capocollo, summer sausage)

1 soft cheese (brie, camembert, goat cheese)

1 hard cheese (white cheddar, smoked gouda, beemster)

2 fruits (grapes, pears, apples, blackberries, dried apricots)

Mixed nuts

Olives

Crackers

Baguette

10. Dancing the Night Away

Forget about your two left feet and cut loose! Bust a move on your own, or try online dance lessons for couples. Move the furniture to create your dance floor, and have a blast learning to salsa, waltz, or two-step!

Kick it up a notch: Create a playlist of your favorite and most meaningful songs together for your personal dance party.

Whether you cook up a gourmet meal or create fun art together with a Twist at Home Paint Kit, these activities for two are sure to combat date-night fatigue! And when you want to get out of the house, try a couples’ night event at your local Painting with a Twist for a romantic date night out!

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