30 date night ideas at home that aren't Netflix

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Cozy, playful, fancy, cheap or completely exhausted: 30 at-home date night ideas that don't involve a screen, including a few we'll plan for you.

Hands rolling cavatelli pasta on a wooden board, the Make Nonna Proud experience from Romanticize Collective

The best date nights at home have one thing in common: you make something together. Hand-rolled pasta, a candle pour or a letter-writing night gives you something to do with your hands, something to talk about and something to show for it at the end. Here are 30 at-home date night ideas, sorted by vibe, that don't involve picking a show.

Cozy

  1. Roll pasta from scratch together. Cavatelli is forgiving, and there's no machine required (Make Nonna Proud brings the board).
  2. Build a blanket fort and read to each other.
  3. Do a 1,000-piece puzzle with a bottle of wine.
  4. Write each other letters, then swap and read them out loud (Love You, Mean It has prompts for two).
  5. Make hot chocolate from real chocolate and rate your toppings.
  6. Look through old photos and tell the stories behind them.

Playful

  1. Have a blind taste test: chocolate, chips or cheap vs. fancy wine.
  2. Play a board game you've never played before.
  3. Do a "draw each other" portrait night. Bad is the goal.
  4. Build a playlist for each other, then listen to both in the dark.
  5. Recreate your first date, at home.
  6. Pour candles side by side and name your scents (A Second Light).

Fancy

  1. Dress up for dinner at your own table. Cloth napkins, candles, the works.
  2. Plan a three-course menu and cook one course each.
  3. Host a private wine or tea tasting with written notes.
  4. Make a tiny cocktail menu and take turns bartending.
  5. Arrange flowers for the table together.
  6. Slow dance in the kitchen to "your" song.

Cheap (under $15)

  1. Picnic on the living room floor.
  2. Sidewalk chalk hopscotch and a walk for ice cream.
  3. Press flowers from a walk around the block.
  4. Stargaze from the backyard or the roof with a free sky map.
  5. Write a bucket list together for the next year.
  6. Make homemade pizza from pantry staples.

For when you're exhausted

  1. Take a bath with the lights off and candles on.
  2. Order takeout and eat it on the good plates.
  3. Read side by side in bed for an hour, phones in another room.
  4. Do face masks and rate each other's ten-minute skincare routine.
  5. Play a no-prep card game.
  6. Ask each other ten questions you've never asked.

The shortcut: let us plan it

The hardest part of date night at home is deciding what to do and getting the supplies. Romanticize Collective does both. Each experience comes with an original guide I design and the core items to bring it to life, like Make Nonna Proud (hand-rolled cavatelli) or A Second Light (a candle pour into a thrifted vessel), each $25 on its own.

  • Signature Membership: four wrapped experiences a month, designed like an advent calendar so you open a new one every week (or save one for date night). From $59.99/mo with free U.S. shipping.
  • Best of Box: our members' most loved experiences, $69.99 one time. A lovely anniversary or Valentine's gift.
  • Single Experience Membership: one surprise a month for $19.99/mo.
  • Love You, Mean It: try a member favorite for just $25. Watercolor cards, a gold pen and prompts for two letters.

Most of our experiences are designed so one person can enjoy them, and they work beautifully for two. For more ideas, see 50 things to do at home instead of scrolling.

Ready to try one

Experiences planned for you, shipped right away

New members get $15 off their first month of Signature membership. Order by the 20th for next month's experiences. Best of Box and $25 experiences ship right away (5 to 10 business days).

FAQ

What are good date night ideas at home that aren't Netflix?

Make something together. Hand-rolled pasta, a candle pour or a letter-writing night all work. Romanticize Collective's Signature Membership sends four experiences a month, and plenty of members use one as a date night. From $59.99/mo with free U.S. shipping.

How do I make date night at home feel special?

Change the setting and put the phones away. Candles, real plates and one planned activity with a start and an end make a regular evening feel like an occasion.

What's a cheap date night idea at home?

A living room picnic, homemade pizza, a puzzle, stargazing or writing each other letters all cost under $15.

Written by Aly Aguilar, founder of Romanticize Collective, the experience club designed and curated in Los Angeles.

Aly here, founder of Romanticize Collective: original experiences that make ordinary days worth looking forward to again. If you want something new to look forward to each month, start with the Single membership, $19.99 plus shipping, skip or cancel anytime.

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