Winter Date Ideas

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Looking for great Winter Date Ideas, but you want to stay indoors? We’ve got you covered! Need some Winter Date Night inspiration? We have some fun Date Night Ideas all ready to go. Don’t let the cold keep you locked up inside and bored out of your mind. Here are some fun winter dates you can enjoy with your sweetie!

Updated December 3, 2019

OUTDOOR FUN WINTER DATES

Wintertime outdoors is a super romantic time. If there is snow on the ground, there are so many different Winter Date Ideas you can do in the snow. If it’s rainy, you can do some of these Rainy Day Date Ideas. No matter the weather, you should be able to find some version of these winter date ideas somewhere around you.

Ice Skating

Grab a thermos of hot chocolate, bundle up in your warm winter clothes and search out a great ice skating rink in your area. A lot of local hockey rinks will host ice skating days throughout the year. Sometimes there are pop up outdoor ice rinks that will open as well during the season. You don’t even have to own ice skates, you can rent them there.

Snowboarding/Skiing

Winter calls for time on the slopes! Whether you’re a snowboarder, or a skier…or even if you aren’t either…a day on the slopes can be such a fun date idea. Grab some hot cocoa in the lodge, ski down the mountain, and spend some time riding the gondolas up the mountain. It’s sure to be a day full of fun, even if you spend all day on the bunny slopes!

Football Game

Winter time is the perfect time to go see a local football game. Check out your local college or high school schedule and enjoy a night out at the park cheering on your local team. You can grab some food or treats from the snack bar, and be sure to bring a blanket to cozy up in.

Snowmobiling

This has got to be one of our favorite winter activities. B introduced me to snowmobiling, and now I want to go every winter! This one is a bit expensive, as you have to rent a snowmobile, but you can rent them per day or even for the whole weekend. You’ll have loads of fun chasing the trails and enjoying the snow.

Train Ride

What a better time to take a train ride than in the winter? Especially if that train ride can drop you off in the snow. You don’t even have to go very far, but if you can find an old train to take you somewhere even for lunch or dinner, it would be a great winter date idea.

Sledding/Snow Tubing

Have you even been on a snow tube?! It almost sounded kind of boring, but we went to an awesome snow tube park and had an absolute blast! It was fairly cheap as well. Dress warm, cause you’ll be laying almost right in the snow. Take turns racing down the lane or jump in the same tube and see how fast you go!

Winter Fishing

Have you ever been fishing in the winter? Bundle up and hike to a river, enjoying the peace and beautiful scenery. Throw out a line and catch your dinner, or you can catch and release like B! We love any excuse to get outdoors, and if it ever involves fishing, I know I never have to convince B to go!

Winter Hike

If you live anywhere near a beautiful hike, try doing it in the winter. Especially with snow! Of course make sure it’s a safe hike to do while there is snow on the ground. Some of our favorite hikes were with snow covered ground and the views were unforgettable!

Snowshoeing

Heading out on a hike in the snow? Try doing it with snowshoes. These will allow you to climb up mountains a bit easier, and the views at the top are sure to be stunning. We did a hike with snowshoes at night and it was pretty awesome.

Explore Your City

Play tourist in your own town! There’s got to be somewhere around your town where you actually have never been. Or at least somewhere you haven’t been in a while. Check out the sites that tourists come to see, and look for new places you didn’t even know existed in your town.

Winter Walk

Some of the most romantic walks can be in the freezing cold. If you have snow on the ground, you’ll notice how calm and peaceful it seems as you walk around outside. Even if you don’t live in a place where it snows, it’s fun to get bundled up and walk through a park hand-in-hand with your love.

Grab a beanie, some mittens, and your warmest jacket to bundle up, and don’t forget to bring a thermos of Hot Cocoa to keep you warm and cozy.

INDOOR DATE IDEAS (OUTSIDE OF THE HOME)

Sometimes the thought of going outside in the winter doesn’t sound like a fun idea. So here are some fun indoor ideas to do during the winter, when you don’t really want to stay home. A lot of these are also Fun First Date Ideas!

Bar Hopping night – darts, pool

When is the last time you went to hang out at a bar to play darts or pool? What about karaoke night? Checking out your local pub or bar can be a great way to spend a winter night out. Make it a competition for whatever game you play…loser buys the next round!

Escape Room

This is a great date no matter what the weather, but it’s nice to find a warm place to have a date night in the winter. Escape rooms are one of our favorite date ideas, and you can actually find them for really cheap. Check out your local escape rooms on Groupon and get an awesome deal. Pair it with your Ebates account, and you can even get money back! Or check out the Alexa Date Night Ideas for Free Escape Rooms at home.


Volunteer

Find a great charity in your town that you can volunteer together to help out for the day. It could be helping at the animal shelter, passing out food at a food drive, or feeding the homeless. There’s bound to be some place in your town who could use some extra help this winter.

Museum Date

A good way to stay out of the cold, but still get out of the house would be to head to a museum. Do you have a museum in your town that you’ve never been to before? There’s probably one around you that you’ve never even heard of. Find an interesting museum around you and hang out with your guy in the warmth and enjoy what the museum has to offer.

Winter Getaway Cozy Cabin

One of the most romantic date ideas is a winter weekend getaway. Find a great place on Airbnb and book it for the weekend. This place can be in your city or a bit further away for a quick road trip. Check out if there are any wooden cabins around, light a fire, and enjoy each other for a romantic weekend.

You don’t even have to leave, but it might be fun to explore a new town or neighborhood while you’re there. Turn on some music, light the fireplace, and cozy up for some romantic couple time.

Indoor Gun Range

A shooting date is a fun and unique date idea. You can find an indoor shooting range, where you can rent the gun and shoot at targets inside. Place a bet for who can get the best score, and loser buys hot chocolate!

Comedy Show

Staying indoors doesn’t have to be dull. Find an awesome comedy show going on near you. There are lots of different open mic nights at bars or restaurants that you can check out, or find a comedian who is touring in a town near you. Get your laugh on together.

Concert

Concerts are a great way to enjoy some time indoors but still have lots of fun. Head to a bar where a local band is playing, or find out when your favorite bands will be around you.

Indoor Skydiving

These indoor skydiving places have been popping up everywhere lately. And they are so fun! Don’t let the cold winter weather stop you from your fun, adventurous dates.  Head to an indoor skydiving place near you and jump into the wind tunnel for a fun experience.

Rock Climbing

Did you know they have actual rock climbing gyms?! We had to drive about an hour away from home to our closest one, but we had a blast. These rock climbing facilities typically have a few different courses you can try…both on rope and off.

We had to take a break, cause it’s a workout, so we grabbed lunch and then headed back for a little more rock climbing fun.

Paint & Sip

Feeling a little antsy and want to use your creative side? Check out Paint & Sips. It’s an evening of teacher led painting, where you all paint the same painting and the teacher shows you how, step by step…while you get to drink the wine you brought! What a great evening for the two of you to share together.

Movie Marathon

Sure you can watch movies at home, but what about having a movie marathon at the theater? If you have a local dollar theater near you, this would be more budget friendly. Or, make sure you go on the discount days or the earlier shows to get a discount. Decide how many movies you want to see that day, and break them up with lunch and a snack in between each.

Bowling

Bowling will keep you active and having fun on a winter night. Better yet, try Cosmic Bowling at night. They turn down all the lights and use black lights with neon balls and lights everywhere. Grab some snacks, maybe a pitcher, and play a few friendly competitive games.

Trivia Night

Check out your local restaurants and bars and see who is hosting Trivia Nights. You can do this as a team, or find some new friends when you get there. Teams get together and answer trivia questions while everyone gets to enjoy the game, eat and drink at the same time.

Dessert Date Night

Rather than going out for another dinner, make it a dessert date night. Find your favorite dessert places and order your favorites off the menu. Or try new desserts or restaurants you’ve never tried before. There is likely a restaurant you frequent but always skip dessert…go order just dessert instead!

Hockey Game

Another great winter sport is hockey. You can go see a professional NHL game, or look up your local leagues and catch a game there. It’s fun being right on the ice and watching each team try to score a goal…and maybe even get into a fight…it’s hockey!

Cooking Class

Stay nice and warm indoors with a cooking class. Want to learn how to make your own sushi? Or find out how to make the perfect cake? Check out what recipes you can learn at a cooking class and sign the both of you up.

AT-HOME DATE IDEAS

Start a Hobby for Couples

Trying to come up with things to do together can be hard, especially in winter. How about trying to start some fun hobbies for couples? You can find a great hobby you can do together on our list and start doing fun things with the two of you. You can continue it all year long and enjoy more time together.

Campfire

A night bonfire outside during the winter is always a good time. Pair that with roasting marshmallows and making s’mores, and you have a great date night planned. Cozy up by the fire and enjoy each other’s company. Come up with some fun topics and chat the night away. If it’s too cold outside, or you live somewhere you can’t make a bonfire in the backyard, you can always use your fireplace instead. Lay out lots of blankets and pillows and enjoy.

Pajama Party with Blanket Forts

Make it a pajama party night! Each of you hop into your most cozy pjs and grab all the pillows and blankets you can find in the house. Make a fun blanket fort and grab your laptop to watch a movie inside.

Spa Night

This one doesn’t have to be girlie either. You can take turns giving each other massages, Jumping in the jacuzzi, or doing foot scrubs. (Trust us, he needs one too!) Light some candles, grab some good smelling lotions, and make it a spa night at home. Face masks and nail polish is always a plus.

Movie Night

Take turns picking out your favorite movies and hosting a movie marathon. Grab your favorite snacks and blankets and cozy up while you watch your favorite movies.

Popsicle Date Idea Night

One date night that has been on our list for a long time is the popsicle date night. For this date night, you’re going to bring out your creativity together and make every other date night so much easier. Grab lots of popsicle sticks from the store, or here, and a jar, and start listing out great date ideas you’d love to do.

Then, next time it’s date night and you have to say “I don’t know, what do you want to do?” You can head straight for the popsicle stick jar and let that decide what to do that day. Come up with great themes for each one, and you can color code it, so you know what to pull on certain date.

Examples:

Budget Dates- Green

Dinner Date Night- Red

Adventure Dates-Blue

and so on.

Game Night

Have a couples game night at home with just the two of you. There are so many great games you can play together and enjoy hours of fun. You can even host your own couple’s game night and invite other couples to join you. There are great games that will work for large groups or even two-player games you’re sure to love.

Binge a Show

You probably have your favorite shows that you watch every week as a couple. But for this date night, pick a new show that you both might like and start binge watching. Order a pizza, make sure you pick up your favorite treats, and turn your phone off. Enjoy the night in with no distractions.

Indoor Picnic

Too cold to head outside? Try an indoor picnic. Grab a blanket and make some delicious food, and sit on the floor enjoying lunch or dinner together. Light some candles, bring a book, and don’t forget the wine!

Bake-Off/Cook-Off

Host your own bake off…just like all the competition baking shows. Pick a theme, or a certain food, and each of you has to make or decorate it and you get to enjoy it afterwards. You could bake lots of cookies and each of you decorate them to see who can come up with the best designs!

Create A Bucket List

You probably already have a “list” of things you want to do together. But do you have a list that is written down? We have a mental list, and anytime we hear of a new place, we say “add it to the list”…but without having it written down, it’s not likely everything will get crossed off.

Sit down together and make your own bucket list. It could be a winter bucket list for the season, a bucket list of all the places you want to travel next year, or a huge 25 year bucket list. No matter what your list, be sure to write down everything you want to do together and start planning on scratching the first one off soon!

Themed Movie Night

Sometimes it’s nice to just sit at home and do nothing. You can do that, with a themed movie night. Binge watch a trilogy, your favorite Disney movies you had as kids, or the top Oscar nominated flicks for the year.

Gather up a few movies and have them ready to go, so you can keep playing one by one. You’ll probably want some popcorn and movie snacks, and even better if you can light a fire.

Make Something

Sometimes being locked indoors can make you go stir crazy. Take all the energy and find something you can make together. You can make something to help decorate the house, make something that could be useful, or make some Christmas presents together. Just use your creativity and have a fun night where you get to build something fun.

New Year’s Resolution/Reflection

Take an evening together where you get to talk about the New Year. Talk about what you each want to accomplish together and separately, and what New Year’s Resolutions Ideas you might have.

Then enjoy reflecting on all that has happened this year. Are there things you want to do again next year, or things you want to change? Make a plan for the New Year, and enjoy what you’ve accomplished, make it through, and enjoyed this year. You can even make a New Year’s Resolution for Couples!

Send Out Holiday Cards

Another fun date night would be to write out Christmas card together to send your friends and family. Write out personal notes to each person and let them know how thankful you both are for them.

You can even take funny Christmas photos together wearing Ugly Christmas Sweaters, or use a nice photo you’ve taken together this year.

Host a Holiday Party

Play host and invite your friends and/or family over for a fun holiday party. You can pick a fun theme and run with it. Have a dessert party, a PJ party, Secret Santa, or have everyone bring Hilarious White Elephant Gifts.

Enjoy the evening with your loved ones, some good food, tasty desserts and favorite drinks, and kick off the holiday season right!

Christmas Traditions

Start some Family Christmas Traditions together. There are so many things you can do for Christmas traditions that it’s hard to just pick a few. We are huge Christmas fans, so we have so many traditions, that sometimes it’s even hard to keep up. But find your favorites from the list we linked and start them this year!

Adult Sleepover

Remember how much fun sleepovers were? Have a fun sleepover together. Put on your favorite PJ’s, make some sleepover snacks, and get to work building your fort. Don’t forget the lights! Have a pillow fight, play truth or dare, and eat junk food while you watch movies late into the night.

Hot Chocolate Date

Have a Hot Chocolate date where you get to make your own recipes. Instead of buying the pre-made packs from the store, learn how to make your own Hot Cocoa and decide what kind of flavors you want to make. Orange hot chocolate, peppermint, triple chocolate…there are so many flavors you can create.

Wii Game Night

Get up and get active by playing the interactive games like the ones on the Wii system. Don’t have a Wii, but some other game system? Get the Just Dance game and dance the night away.

Minute to Win It Dates

Remember the show, “Minute to Win It”? They have so many awesome ideas for silly games you can play together at home. Show off your crazy skills trying to accomplish these games and set the timer to see how fast you can do it.

Breakfast for Dinner Date

Breakfast doesn’t always have to be in the morning! Each winter, we love doing a waffle bar filled with all the toppings you can imagine. Make some eggs, bacon, sausage, whatever your favs, and enjoy breakfast foods for dinner.

S’mores Indoors

If you have a fireplace, this can be quite easy for you. Grab all the fixin’s you need for the perfect s’more…and make your own recipes too! If you don’t have a fireplace, you can buy small cans of canned fire, and make them over that.

Stay In Bed All Day

Seriously…all day! This date is super fun and very relaxing. We like to bring the laptop into bed so we can watch movies, but we also end up talking lots and playing games all without leaving the bed. Quick bathroom trips and a few minutes to grab some food, or order delivery. This is a great date in the winter time!

20 Questions Date

Get to know each other better by playing the 20 Questions game. It’s quite simple, you get to ask each other 20 questions, and you get to hear their answers. These questions can be silly, serious, or fun. Come up with some great questions for each other and enjoy your night getting to know each other more. Even after 30 years of marriage, there’s always something to discover.

Make Your Own Pizza Night

Instead of ordering pizza, make it at home. You decide if that includes the crust or not, cause that can be the hardest part, but you’ll get to make the ultimate pizza with all your favorite ingredients and have fun making them together.

Build A Snowman

Got snow on the ground? It’s time to build a snowman! When’s the last time you actually did it? Be sure to pick out some items from the house to make his face and put on some clothes, and go hunting for a set of arms. Make a whole snowman family if you dare.

CHRISTMAS DATE IDEAS

These Christmas themed date ideas for the winter are specifically related to the holidays, so you’ll probably only get to do these around December, but Christmas dates can be the best dates!

Christmas Lights

Go on the hunt for the best Christmas lights in your town. Fill the thermos with some hot chocolate, blast the Christmas music in the car, and take a drive all around town looking for the best Christmas Light Display.

Decorate Gingerbread Houses

A fun Christmas Date Idea is decorating Gingerbread houses. You can decorate the same one together or decorate your own and have a little competition. This one is so easy now that they have pre-made gingerbread houses so you don’t have to build it from scratch…unless that’s your thing.

Decorate the Tree

What better way to get in the Christmas spirit than to decorate your Christmas Tree and your home? Bring out all the ornaments and tinsel, or whatever tree decorations you may have and get that tree decorated. Be sure to decorate your mantel with stockings and all your favorite decorations around the house.

Christmas Movie Marathon

There are so many awesome Christmas movies to watch each year. Start a list and get some of those knocked off in a day. Bring out all the Christmas cheer with your favorites, and find ones you have never seen before.

Make Ornaments

Make your own Christmas ornaments. You can each decorate your own ornaments to add to the tree. Get some supplies from your local craft store and come up with some of the best ornaments you can make.

Shopping for Presents

Go shopping together for all the Christmas presents you need to buy. You are probably shopping for two families now, so grab your list and head on out to find the best presents you want to give.

Christmas Play

This is the time where lots of local theaters and churches will be putting on Christmas plays. Check out your local newspaper or website to see what’s playing near you, and go support the local Christmas plays and get into the Christmas spirit!

Don’t let winter hold you inside with nothing to do. Put these dates on your list, and start checking them off. Grab some pictures for each one that will be memories to last a lifetime. Enjoy your cozy winters together!

Sara, a seasoned expert in wedding planning and date ideas, brings a wealth of experience to our couples blog. With a background in the television industry and hands-on involvement in a dozen weddings, including working as a wedding assistant on "My Fair Wedding with David Tutera," Sara has an innate understanding of the magic that makes weddings truly special. Growing up with four sisters has given her unique insights into the dating world, making her a go-to source for practical and heartfelt dating advice. Her knowledge and enthusiasm make her the perfect guide for couples seeking to infuse their relationships with creativity and love.

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