I know they say you need to keep dating your partner, but what do you do when you’re exhausted with small kids at home or on a super tight budget?
That’s why we love a good date night at home when the kids are asleep.
They’re easy, fun, low stress, and we’re both comfortable.
Plus, it saves us money on sitters and overpriced meals! Win win!
Easy At Home Date Night Ideas:
I thought this date night ideas post would be a fun to write in list format.
Feel free to bookmark this post, save it, share it, so you can come back to it whenever you are looking for a creative date night idea you can do at home – in your yoga pants.
Get it, girl.
Oh, and some of these links are affiliate links. I only recommend companies or products that I have used and trust.
1. Date Night in a Box:
This adorable subscription service sends you a date night in a box. It has a theme, activities, music, and more.
Priced at $41.99 a box, that is cheaper than what we would pay for a sitter to even leave the house for three hours – not including the price of our activity.
If you sign up for a 3-month membership, you’ll get one free – with code 1FREEWITH3 bringing the cost of the box even lower.
I’m not an affiliate for Date Night in a Box at time of posting, I just think it’s such a great idea.
2. Home Movie Theater:
After months of not going to the movies when our son was a baby, I started missing the cozy movie environment with the delicious, buttery popcorn.
Sure, movie popcorn isn’t AIP approved – but if your diet has wiggle room, you can recreate the experience at home.
After kids are asleep, cue up a brand new movie from Amazon new releases and have your partner race to the nearest movie theater to buy a big bag of popcorn and your favorite snacks.
Get pillows, blankets, and cozy things to create a big, comfy sitting area in front of the TV. Turn of all the other lights, and settle in for your own movie night. Check out Amazon new releases here.
3. Eat By Candelight:
Cook the kids easy food they like to eat and then make yourselves a fancier meal after they are asleep and eat by candelight.
Bonus points for setting the table like a fancy restaurant.
4. Stargaze:
Is it a nice time of year? Go lay a blanket out in your backyard and stare up the stars.
Who did this when they were a kid or teenager? Me! Me!
Take your favorite drinks or snacks and make it an experience.
5. Play a Game:
One of my favorite games to play for at home date night is this question cube. It’s so small, so it’s easy to store, and it packs a punch – with well over 100 conversation starter questions.
Another great game is this Love Language game.
Affordable. Fun. Easy. Requires almost no movement. Score.
6. Old Goodies List:
Make a list of movies, music, and other favorites from when you were both younger and before you met.
Then, over time, go to the list and share a few things with each other. These oldies, but goodies, bring up so many different memories, too, so you’ll get to learn a lot about each other you may never have heard otherwise.
7. Get a Special Dessert:
Similar to the movie theater idea above, order your favorite dessert to go and eat it at home, just the two of you. There’s no substitute for something like Cheesecake Factory cheesecake or a real Italian tiramisu.
8. Make a Fancy Dinner:
Put the kids to bed, put on some French jazz, and then make a special dinner together. Meal boxes make a really easy way to do this with less effort. One of the meal kits we have tried and love the most for couples night is Blue Apron. Their meals are restaurant quality delicious.
9. Do a Home Spa:
Treat each other to a spa-like experience. Either take a bath with soy-wax candles, bubbles and delicious smelling bath oils. Or, do a fun face mask to purge the pores and get a good laugh.
If you want to take it up a notch, learn to give each other a nice massage. Of course, you can always take the easy way out and buy one of these. I absolutely love mine.
10. Do a Wine Tasting Flight:
Miss those days wandering the vineyards? Put on a wine themed movie like Night of the Tuscan Sun and drink your own wine flight at home.
How cute is that little tray?
11. Make Your Own Paint Night:
Painting is such a soothing, calming activity. The Paint Night has been made such a thing with the various classes offered all over.
But, they’re expensive – and time consuming. Make your own, for a fraction of the price, with some affordable canvases and a paint and brush set. Find a piece online to copy or just make your own and surprise each other with the finished result.
Here’s a ton of ideas on how to host your own paint night.
12. Design Your Bucket List:
Sure, you’re not leaving the house tonight – but you will leave the house, someday.
Why not plan ahead? Grab some travel books with beautiful photos and look up dream vacations online.
Spend time making a bucket list of all the places you want to go, all the places you want to see, all the things you want to do – with this one beautiful life we are given.
Here are 1000+ bucket list ideas to get you started!
13. Visit a Museum…Virtually:
You don’t have to get out of your yoga pants to spend the evening at the Louvre.
Seriously.
Thanks to technology, you can see entire collections at the top museums in the world online!
Here are 5 museums you can visit online!
14. Do a Puzzle:
I worked with a woman years ago who had a Christmas tradition with her kids where she would dump a new puzzle on the table at the beginning of Christmas break. They would spend time on it here and there, and usually all together in the evenings, while talking, laughing, eating. It was one of their favorite things. The puzzle brought them together.
Pick a puzzle of something beautiful and put it together. See what the activity inspires in your conversation.
15. Make S’Mores… Indoors:
Who doesn’t love s’mores?
If you have a backyard fire pit, more power to you. But, for the rest of us, making s’mores indoors is totally feasible.
You can easily roast them over the stove or use a little s’mores tray like this. I actually bought this for my husband last Christmas because he loves s’mores so much.
There is something so nostalgic and comforting about s’mores.
16. Make Your Own Book Club:
Take turns picking a book and grab two copies at your local library. Work through it and then discuss what you think. You can usually find questions and other book club outlines online that can help you plan your discussion, if you want.
17. Write Love Letters:
The art of the love letter should not be forgotten. Long before telephones, text messages, and the ongoing social media conversation, people had to make more effort to sit down and put their thoughts on paper.
These love letters are special. I have every card my husband has given me, but I’ve never once printed out a text message.
Spend some time writing and then giving each other love letters to light the spark or keep it aflame.
18. Learn Your Love Language:
If you haven’t jumped aboard the love language train, spend a night taking the love language quiz and discussing the results!
19. Break a Record:
Have fun reading and watching the Guiness World Records. You can even scroll to the bottom to apply to break a world record!
20. Read Their Mind:
Play this fun – How Well Do You Know Your Spouse – game by the brilliant Dating Divas!
21. Watch a Comedy Show:
Going to watch a comedian is such a fun date night – but guess what, thanks to Netflix, you don’t need to pay the steep ticket prices and a sitter’s fees to go.
There are some absolutely hilarious comedian shows you can watch. Here are a few to get you started:
Sebastian Maniscalco is our absolute favorite, but here is a great article with the other top comedian shows you can watch for free.
Laughter really is the best medicine!
22. Play a Card Game:
Do you love card games? Then, you will love this list of 50 card games you can play as a duo!
Talk about the ultimate card game resource. This is 50 date night ideas in one!
23. Take a Yoga Class:
Yes, at home, in your living room. Choose a yoga routine on YouTube that fits what you need. Want stress relief? Check this one out. Looking to just relax? How about sleeping better? Or, what about these quick routines designed for people in chronic pain?
Stretch. Breathe. Feel better.
24. Take a Masterclass:
I am so in love with this Masterclass idea. I’m going to give my husband an annual subscription for his birthday gift soon.
I suspect we’ll spend quite a few date nights this next year picking a class and learning something new.
From a comedy class with Steve Martin to how to cook with Gordon Ramsey, Masterclass is an investment in education and time together.
25. Sleep:
I know it seems counterintuitive to go to bed early on your date night, but how many of us are actually getting enough sleep?
If I’m being honest, I spend too many nights staying up late watching TV, because the longer I watch TV, the less tired I feel and the less likely I’ll be able to sleep.
Is it just me?
So, go to bed. Spend some time cuddling and talking in a quiet, comfortable place. Put on your favorite pj’s, light a candle for a little bit (but don’t forget to blow it out), and then catch some zzz’s.
Chances are it’ll help you both feel better, which will help your relationship.
****
Wow, we did it. 25 easy at home date night ideas you can actually do, even if you are in chronic pain!
I hope you found a few new ideas here that will encourage you to make time for each other, even when you don’t want to leave the house.
Too many relationships suffer because of life’s daily stressors, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to prioritize and protect your relationship.
What’s your favorite at home date night idea?
Tell us all in the comments below.
To our health,
E