Regular date nights do wonders for a relationship. For a little while you can shut out everything else and just focus on being a couple. There are countless ways to craft a date night, whether you share the same space or live hundreds of miles away.
Many partners have had to navigate physical separation. Remote work isn’t the sole reason people are apart — one partner might be on military duty, away for a job assignment, or simply in a long-distance relationship. Fortunately, technology gives us ways to recreate a date-like atmosphere even when you’re separated by distance.
Getting inventive with your shared time can often be more meaningful and romantic than a pricey dinner out. Below are our top suggestions for cozy at-home (and long-distance) date nights.
Plenty of Date Night Ideas That Cost Just a Few Dollars
When you’ve been together a while it can be tricky to dream up something fresh to do, and if you’re in a long-distance relationship it’s tougher to keep your bond strong from afar.
Still, there are many free or low-cost ways to preserve your date night ritual.
Though married for more than ten years, Kenny and Celina Beaumont have always prioritized romance — particularly after children entered the picture.
“If we’re not happy and having fun,” Celina said, “our household’s not going to be happy and having fun.”
They kept their weekly date nights going through the pandemic with a series of charming at-home dates — one of which briefly appeared on John Krasinski’s “Some Good News.” (Spot the fine-dining moment near 7:55!)
Dining is only one option. Here are some of our favorite at-home date ideas.
At-Home Date Night Ideas for Couples Who Are Together
- Elegant home dining
- Ballroom (or any style) dancing
- Game night
- Virtual hometown tours
- DIY home spa
- Relationship scavenger hunt
- Jigsaw puzzle challenge
- Saucy Mad Libs
- Stargazing
- Late-night drive
If you already live together, there are tons of ways to carve out meaningful time for each other.
1. Elegant Home Dining
You can absolutely mimic the restaurant vibe at home — dress up, set a nice table, and have one partner “serve.” That’s exactly what the Beaumonts did. Celina says Kenny and the kids had been planning the surprise for days before revealing it to her.
They printed formal menus, dressed to the nines, and ate outdoors a three-course meal at “Jack & Olivia’s,” named for their children. Kenny grilled the steaks while the kids prepared the salad and dessert.
2. Ballroom (or Any Kind of) Dancing
You don’t need to head to a local studio to learn a new dance. Couples’ therapists often recommend dancing — a tango or two can be both playful and beneficial for your bond.
Queue up a YouTube tutorial, clear a patch of living room floor, and give it a try. Really, only your partner — and maybe the pet — is watching. You could even attempt a TikTok dance challenge — who knows, you might go viral.
3. Game Night
Romance doesn’t always mean candlelight. A game of Scrabble or chess can be an intimate way to spend time together while exercising your minds. If you’re truly nerdy, dive into a round (or several) of Magic: The Gathering.
Wear your nice clothes to elevate the mood and make the night feel special.
4. Virtual Hometown Tours
If you and your partner grew up in different places and haven’t toured each other’s hometowns in person, Google Earth is ideal for a virtual tour: show the significant spots and reminisce about memories.
Even if you’re from the same place, you can use Google Earth or Maps to walk through your college campus or explore a city you’d like to visit together someday.
5. DIY Home Spa
Indulge yourselves with homemade spa treatments. Whether it’s manicures, facials, or massages, doing it at home is usually cheaper and more intimate than a salon visit. Try out these easy at-home spa treatments.
6. Relationship Scavenger Hunt
Build a playful date by leaving clues that lead to a prize. Start by choosing the reward, agree on how long the hunt should run, then plan backward from the final clue. This resource has lots of romantic scavenger hunt ideas.
7. Do a Jigsaw Puzzle
Puzzles can be a lighthearted competition (who finishes their section first?) or a cooperative effort. Two sets of eyes speed things along. Assign small rewards for finishing the border or corners. When your hands are busy it’s often easier to talk about meaningful things.
8. Play Sexy Mad Libs
Get silly. Download these Mad Libs — where one person asks for words without context — or make your own risqué version. Focus on being playful and flirty.
9. Find a Starry Sky
Muse under a sky full of stars — it’s about as romantic as it gets. You can create a moment of quiet closeness from your backyard or a nearby safe park. Use a skywatching app like Star Walk 2 or Sky View to pick the best time and area to look at.
If light pollution is an issue, binoculars or a small telescope will bring the heavens into clearer view. Extra points if you can recite a romantic star-themed quote, maybe some E.E. Cummings.
“Yours is the light by which my spirit’s born/you are my sun, my moon, and all my stars.”
10. Go on a Late-Night Drive
This outing starts at home but takes you elsewhere. Even with gas prices, it’s often worth it. Cruise through elegant neighborhoods and dream about living there, roam downtown to see the city in a new light, or head to the coast or across a bridge and stop for a kiss. Driving without a destination, listening to music and talking, can be deeply romantic.
Tips for Making At-Home Date Nights Work
Even with great plans, a night at home can easily feel like just another evening. Try these tips to keep things feeling special.
- Put away your phone. Celina and Kenny make a conscious effort to set their screens aside during dates.
- Wait until the kids are asleep. Involving children can be fun, but if they go to bed before you, those quiet couple hours are ideal for reconnecting.
- Spot the positives. Staying in has downsides, sure, but it also creates chances for close moments in a world that often feels rushed.
According to Earthweb, 14 million Americans are in long-distance relationships, and roughly 60% of those long-distance pairings succeed. Couples who are apart exchange an average of 343 texts per week!
Below are some ideas for date nights when you and your partner are not in the same place.
At-Home Date Night Ideas for Couples Who Are Apart
- Virtual coffee or cocktail dates
- Reading aloud to one another
- Live-streamed concerts or events
- Virtual movie nights
- Art therapy
- Attend an online art lecture together
- Write handwritten letters
- Take an online course together
- Dream about travel or homes
- Take silly quizzes together
Many relationships must cope with one partner being far away — military deployments, temporary job assignments, regional routes, or a partner who recently relocated to work remotely. Technology makes it possible to recreate date experiences, even when you’re separated by miles.
Per Earthweb, 14 million Americans are in long-distance relationships and 60% of those relationships endure. Of the 40% that don’t make it, 63% cite a lack of future planning as a key reason. Couples apart typically exchange about 343 texts weekly.
11. Virtual Coffee (or Cocktails)
Video platforms like Zoom and FaceTime let you recreate an easygoing first-date vibe: grab a drink, catch up, plan future visits, and restore a sense of normalcy to your connection.
12. Reading to Each Other
This is romantic whether you’re together or not. Over video chat or the phone, read to one another — pick a shared new book or revisit a beloved favorite.
13. Live-Streaming Concerts and Events
Many performers, from big-name acts to local artists, have taken shows online. Lots of streams are free, though tipping artists is a lovely gesture.
Recreate the concert vibe with a drink, a band tee, and the comfort of pausing for bathroom breaks — without the crowds.
14. Virtual Movie Nights
There’s nothing cozier than watching a film with your partner. If you’re apart, you can still share a movie together. A browser tool like Teleparty syncs videos across services such as Netflix, Disney, Hulu and HBO, and adds a chat sidebar.
If your pick is on a different platform, or you both plan to play a DVD simultaneously from different homes, call each other and hit play together. And don’t forget the popcorn.
15. Art Therapy
For adventurous romantics: paint each other over video chat. Or simply create alongside one another — knit, cross-stitch, paint — and consider gifting your finished pieces to each other.
16. Attend a Virtual Art Lecture Together
During the pandemic many museums offered virtual tours and curator talks. Google’s Arts & Culture lets you wander global collections, insert yourself into famous works, and explore artworks in detail. Pick a museum in a city you both love and enjoy new and familiar exhibits together.
17. Write Letters to Each Other
This is a low-tech, heartfelt option that costs only a stamp. Write a romantic letter, then arrange a time to read them aloud together over the phone or a video call. Sometimes writing feelings is easier than saying them — you get to craft your message, and they get to hear it. Swoon-worthy.
18. Take an Online Class Together
Sign up for a course or study a language together. Duolingo is a free app for language practice you can do side-by-side virtually. Or try a subject like mountains, or the popular Yale course The Science of Well-Being, available for free.
Working together on a low-pressure project can be fun, romantic, inexpensive, and only take a few hours a week.
19. Feed Travel or Home Dreams
Keeping a long-distance relationship warm often involves some daydreaming — PG-rated, of course. Pick places you’d like to visit or live and browse listings online. It’s entertaining to window-shop homes you might never see in person.
Check out short-term rental sites like Airbnb or VRBO and choose a fantasy destination — an island getaway or a villa near Rome. It could become an actual trip someday or spark interest in a new region.
20. Take Goofy Quizzes Together
There are lots of quizzes online — from relationship-focused ones like the Love Language Quiz to fun nostalgia quizzes like “which 80s movie character” you were in high school, or trivia on Sporcle. Each pick a quiz, and the winner chooses the next one. Laughing together is always good for the relationship.
Tips for Successful Date Nights When You’re Apart
Here are a few pointers to make long-distance dates feel more like being together:
- Dress up. Pajamas are comfy, but putting on real clothes helps the moment feel like a genuine date.
- Connect regularly. If you can’t be together physically, make digital time a priority. Consider increasing your date nights from once a week to two or three. Send each other a morning photo of breakfast or the sky, and an evening snap of the moon.
Contributor Lila Hart writes on lifestyle and culture topics. She formerly ran a small café in St. Petersburg, Florida, and hosted a community arts radio show for many years.
