There are many reasons you and your partner may be stuck at home on a Friday or Saturday night. You may not be able to afford a fancy restaurant meal or a night out or be unable to get a babysitter for the kids. It might be the middle of winter, and the thought of leaving the warm house to brave the cold and rain is far from appealing. You may be living somewhere affected by strict lockdown measures.
This is a guest post by Emma Jones from GoDates
Having date nights every now and then is essential to keep things interesting whether you have been with your partner for two months or two decades. It is all too easy to fall into the same old routine every single day, and too much routine can be a real romance-killer.
If you and your partner are in dire need of a date night but are stuck in the house, fear not! We have come up with a list of five of the best date night ideas for when you’re stuck at home.
Wining and dining
So you may not be able to afford to splash out on a candlelit dinner at a restaurant. Big deal! You can pick up a bottle of wine from the supermarket for a fraction of the price you would fork out at a restaurant, and a home-cooked meal or takeout can be just as intimate. For the cozy vibes, do a bit of cleaning and tidying, get out the best crockery, and even dress up as nicely as if you were going out.
If you fancy something a little less formal, why not have an indoor picnic? You’ll save on the cooking, and you can pick up a variety of your favorite snacks and drinks to share in front of a movie or just with great conversation. Whatever your preferences, there are plenty of picnic date ideas to choose from.
Board games
Date night isn’t always limited to a nice meal. If your dates out usually end with a movie or a trip to a cocktail bar, you probably won’t want to call it a night as soon as you’ve finished your food! A fun activity you can do from home is play a board game or card game. There are many games available, from the classics like Monopoly and Cluedo, to less traditional games like Cards Against Humanity or Articulate.
If you want to keep the classy vibes, why not have a game of poker? A fun twist on the classic poker is strip poker—just make sure the door’s locked and the kids are in bed! We’re confident we don’t need to explain how a night of strip poker might end…
Karaoke
If you and your partner can’t resist grabbing the mic and belting out a few cheesy power ballads after you’ve had a few drinks, you don’t have to go out to a karaoke bar! There are plenty of video games and mobile apps that let you sing karaoke to your favorite songs and backing tracks on sites like YouTube. You can even find a mini karaoke machine or mic to keep at home if you’re really into it.
Why not serenade your partner in the lounge with your best Whitney Houston impression? A night in singing with your partner can be a lot of fun. Depending on your vocal skills, this can be either very romantic or absolutely hilarious—just make sure the neighbors don’t complain!
Dancing
Like singing, dancing is another incredibly popular pastime, especially after a couple of glasses of wine. Most people don’t dance much outside of nightclubs, and often when we stop clubbing, we also stop dancing! This is a real shame, as dancing is incredibly good for our physical health and mental well-being.
Thankfully, you don’t need to go to a nightclub or rave to enjoy a dance! Why don’t you and your partner dance with each other in your own home? Whether you want to dance to cheesy pop hits, rave to some heavy techno, or enjoy an intimate slow dance in the kitchen, dancing with your partner can be just as fun at home as it is out on the town. Not to mention, dancing with a partner can really increase attraction and lead to other kinds of physical acts…
Holiday planning
You may not be able to get out of the house right now, but this probably won’t always be the case! One day you will likely have more money and time than you do now and could even go on a vacation, not just a night out!
Why not spend a date night planning a romantic getaway with your partner? Checking out travel websites and holiday resorts in exotic locations can really give the two of you something to look forward to. A great way to spend an evening is to share your bucket lists and plan to fulfil some of those wishes together!
Here are all our favourite resources for travel planning
A date night in the house can be just as fun and romantic as a night out on the town—you just have to be a bit more creative!
About the Blogger – Emma Jones
Emma enjoys observing and exploring the world around her and writing about her discoveries. Human relationships is her favourite topic, and she likes to analyze them from a psychological perspective. She is a contributing author at Thought Catalog, GoDates, and several other media outlets.
Interested in guest posting for Our Globetrotters? Check out our guest posting opportunities here, or drop an email to keri@ourglobetrotters.com with your idea. | Images Canva