Don’t let the winter blues put a damper on your love life! This season is a great time to take advantage of fun winter date ideas. You can try outdoor wintertime activities you can’t engage in during any other time of the year, or you can use the opportunity to hole up indoors and spend some quality time with your crush or spouse.
Whether you’re surrounded by snow or just feeling a few degrees colder, these indoor and outdoor winter date ideas will keep you warm with that special someone.
Exciting Indoor Winter Date Ideas
Indoor winter dates can be a fun way to get closer. They can be inexpensive if you do them at home or get creative with the places you go. There are also lots of out-of-the-box dates that you can do inside that are perfect for couples at any relationship stage, whether you’re looking for first winter date ideas or want to spice things up with your boyfriend, girlfriend, or life partner.
1. Host a Home Winter Film Festival
If you’ve made it to the affectionate phase, snuggle up on the couch for your own winter-themed film festival in your living room and level up your movie marathon date night. Invite your date to choose five movie award categories, such as Best Actor or Best Fight Sequence, while you do the same.
Then, queue up a selection of winter-themed movies on Netflix or another movie streaming service. Both of you can dress to the nines in your best winter outfits, sip hot drinks, and munch popcorn snowball snacks as you watch all the movies and choose your winners for each award show category.
2. Talk Beneath the Stars at an Observatory
Even if the skies are cloudy and the temperature is chilly, you can still enjoy staring at the stars together when you visit an observatory. If you don’t have an observatory nearby, cuddle up next to one another near a window where you can see the night sky, or try an online observatory.
3. Spend the Night in an Ice Hotel
Couples can embrace winter and spice up their love life with a unique hotel experience. Book a night in an ice hotel, igloo, or similar structure if you can find one close by. If an ice hotel’s not in the budget, the next best thing is a winterized cabin in the woods.
4. Have a Winter Date With a Cold Foods Floor Picnic
Don’t shy away from the cold of winter — embrace it! Prepare a picnic on the floor that includes only cold and frozen foods and drinks. Serve up some sushi and tomato gazpacho while you sip smoothies or milkshakes. Floor picnics are always playful and intimate, so you’ll have the chance to get to know each other in a low-pressure environment.
5. Play Broom Curling Together
If you’ve got an open, hard floor like you’d typically see in the kitchen or dining room, you can play broom curling. You can also rent out a local gym if you’d rather take the date to a public place. To play, simply create the bullseye pattern at one end of your floor rink using painter’s tape.
Then, use a roller skate or other small item on wheels as your stone. Take turns throwing your “stone” while your date uses a broom to help it reach its destination. If you can manage to stop laughing long enough, you’ll realize what a fun memory you’re creating.
6. Create Your Own Escape Room as a Cold-Weather Date
Gather different types of puzzles from standard fit-together puzzles to word puzzles and puzzle boxes. Set a time limit and select a few puzzles to conquer together at a coffee shop. If you solve all the puzzles before time runs out, you get to escape to dinner. If not, you’ll have to keep trying until you solve them, which gives you more time to spend alone.
7. Learn a Winter Craft
Think about what products are crafted in your area in the winter and schedule a private tour or lesson. Whether it’s collecting maple syrup in late winter, gathering frozen grapes to make ice wine, or turning a harvest of winter squash into birdhouses, these unique winter crafts can be fun to explore.
Fast Fact
Research shows that experiences can greatly improve your relationship compared to just giving a gift. In other words, making the ice wine has a much bigger impact than just buying a bottle to share. So doing a project together as a couple can be really impactful.
8. Make Ugly Christmas Sweaters
Whether you’ve just met or you’ve been together for years, making ugly Christmas sweaters is funny and memorable. You’ll both get the chance to bring out your silly sides as you choose sweaters from a thrift store and snag decorative elements from a craft store. Gather your supplies and help each other create the most ridiculous Christmas sweaters possible.
9. Compete in a Two-Player Video Game
You can set this date up at home on any video gaming system. Since it’s lighthearted, it’s great for singles who have already been on a couple of dates together. Look for games that appeal to your date’s interests and have two-player options. For most of these games, you’ll need to communicate and work as a team, so it’s a great way to bond.
10. Host Your Own Private Mug Paint and Sip
Grab some Sharpie markers and plain white mugs to create your own custom mug designs as you sip on hot adult beverages like Hot Toddies. As you talk and craft, you’ll each create a mug for the other person.
To set the designs, you’ll need to bake them in an oven for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Once the mugs have cooled, transfer your drinks to them and keep the conversation flowing.
11. Do Karaoke With Only Holiday Songs
Use a home karaoke system or look for a karaoke app so you can sing at home. Challenge your date to small competitions like singing the funniest Christmas song or sounding the most like Mariah Carey as you belt out her Christmas tune. The only rules here are to sing only Christmas or winter songs and to have fun.
12. Buy Gifts Online for a Child in Need
Before the date, grab the name and information of a child in need from an angel tree. Sit with your date anywhere there’s WiFi and shop online together for their Christmas presents. Whether you know each other well or not, this kind of giving date brings you together for a greater cause.
13. Celebrate New Year’s With Every Continent
If you’re looking for a marathon date, try celebrating New Year’s with every continent in real time. Look up the time difference between you and one city on every continent, then map out what time you’ll celebrate each in your time zone.
Make sure you’ve got drinks on hand to toast each time, along with plenty of New Year’s activities to keep you busy from one continent to the next. If you can’t spend the whole time together, agree to video chat for each New Year’s celebration and share a virtual toast.
14. Make a Seasonal Meal for Date Night
Find out what produce is in season in your area and make a meal using those ingredients. It can be interesting to learn about winter fruits and vegetables, challenging to create a meal with limited ingredients, and fun to cook with your date. Add to the experience by completing all steps together, from grocery shopping to clean up.
15. Take a Holiday Dance Lesson
Work up a sweat to stay warm by having a dance date night. Find an online instructional dance video to a holiday song or choose your favorite TikTok dance trend. Be sure to pick something for your experience level — most videos indicate if they’re for beginners or advanced dancers.
Once you’ve enjoyed some laughs and mastered the moves, record yourselves dancing while wearing your ugliest Christmas sweaters or in front of a beautiful light display. Posting the final video to social media is totally optional!
Adventurous Outdoor Winter Date Ideas
Outdoor winter dates are often unique and fun because they embrace those things you can only do from December to February. From creative date ideas to romantic evening dates, getting together outside in the colder months can be just as great as dates during any other season.
1. Wear Outrageous Winter Outfits
It seems like in movies and TV shows, people are always wearing crazy outfits in the winter, like giant parkas and fur hats, as they hit the slopes. Expose your quirky side and agree to dress in cliche winter attire as you head out for drinks at a ski chalet at a nearby ski resort.
2. Try Ice Fishing
If you both enjoy the great outdoors, give ice fishing a try. See if you can find a professional to show you the ropes and let you borrow their gear. Keeping warm and entertained presents a challenge for you to conquer together. Whether or not you catch anything, you can still cook dinner together afterward.
3. Build a Snow Castle in a Public Park
Snowmen might be for children, but snow castles are definitely an adult activity. Grab some snow brick molds and head to a public park where you can work together to create a beautiful snow castle.
Quick Tip
Add a cute flag with both of your initials on it to snow creation to make it more personal.
4. Relax in an Outdoor Hot Tub for a Romantic Winter Date
Stay warm and enjoy the outdoors on an intimate winter date in an outdoor hot tub. Whether it’s your own private hot tub or one at a ski resort or club, you’ll still get that romantic feeling.
5. Take a Polar Plunge
Polar plunges are popular activities where people jump into frigid waters for a good cause. Team up with your date and wear matching costumes as you jump into cold water. These events typically raise money for a charitable cause and require pre-registration. Doing the plunge together helps you see how well you can work together as a team.
6. Grill Game for a Wild Dinner
Game animals like deer and moose are known for their ability to survive in harsh winter weather. Pull out the grill and cook up a winter mountain meal of fresh game and other foraged foods you might find during the winter months. Bundle up and eat in your winter coats outside for the full experience of living like a mountain man.
7. Go for a Winter Ride
Choose any winter transportation option, such as a dog-sled, snowmobile, or sleigh, and take a ride together. Look for options that allow you to sit side-by-side so you have the chance to experience the thrill as a couple.
8. Bundle Up at a Theme Park
In warmer climates, the slightly cooler winter temperatures can drive the crowds away. Take advantage of these few months and bundle up as you enjoy a day at your local amusement park.
9. Cook Dinner in the Fireplace or Outdoor Fire
Sitting in front of a fireplace is arguably the most romantic thing you can do in cold weather. Capture the romance with a homemade dinner cooked entirely on the fire. Look for campfire recipes that are unique to really wow your date.
10. Visit a Museum During After-Dark Hours
Many museums, aquariums, and even zoos offer special after-dark hours or events just for adults. Explore the wonders of these amazing places without the distraction of wild kids running around. The nighttime hours give you the same relaxed feeling you want on a first date, with a hint of romance since it’s dark.
11. Go on a “Signs of Winter” Scavenger Hunt
Grab some pens, paper, and clipboards as you head out on a walk around town or hike through the woods. Before you head out, work together to create a list of the common signs of winter in your area. Make a friendly wager, like who pays for the next date, and see who finds all the items on the list first.
12. Challenge Your Date to a Winter Olympic Sport
Look for Olympic training centers or specialty sports complexes where you can try out a winter Olympic sport. Anything from ice skating to bobsledding is fair game. The more unique the sport, the more exciting the date will be. Try to choose a sport you can do together, so it’s more of a tandem experience.
13. Snowshoe to a Remote Cabin
Grab some snow shoes or cross-country skis, a backpack full of supplies, and trek out to a remote winter cabin. The physical activity will get your blood pumping, but be slow-going enough that you get the chance to talk as you move. When you finally arrive at the cabin, you’ll get to enjoy some quiet relaxation.
14. Clear Out the Neighborhood for a Feel-Good Date
If there’s snow on the ground, you can work together to dig out the neighborhood. While it may seem like a lot of work for a date, it can be fun when you’re doing good together. Shovel off public sidewalks or look for driveways that obviously haven’t been cleared yet. Take some breaks to have fun throwing snow at each other or sipping a warm drink.
15. Take a Drive to See the Lights
If you’d like to get out of the house, but don’t want to get too chilly outside, why not spend your date on the road? Find out which neighborhoods in your area put up the most extravagant holiday light displays or drive around several neighborhoods and decide for yourselves. Take photos and pick your favorite.
Quick Tip
Because you might be out for a while, bring a thermos of hot cocoa or cider and your favorite holiday playlist.
16. Go on a Coffee Shop Crawl
Skip the pub crawl and opt for hot wintertime beverages instead. Plan a route to visit four to five coffee shops (or as many or as few as you’d like) in search of the best cup of hot cocoa in town.
If you’re not a fan of cocoa, you could do coffee, apple cider, or pledge to order the most bizarre drink on the menu. And if the coffee shops are close to each other, you and your date might feel brave enough to bundle up and walk.
17. Get Into Lumberjack Mode & Go Axe Throwing
It’s hard to not think of winter when you picture a lumberjack. These burly gents are decked out in plaid, knit hats, and have striking beard-covered faces. While this may not initially seem like a romantic date, axe throwing can allow couples to get close as one person shows the other how to fix their form (similar to a golf or batting cage date you see in the movies). Just be extra careful with your axe!
It’s also a great opportunity to get a bit competitive with your date and cheer them on in their bullseye moments.
18. Visit a Christmas Tree Farm
This can be an extremely romantic date, especially for couples who live together! Go pick out a tree for your home, enjoy some hot cocoa, take photos while out on the farm, and then head home to decorate it while enjoying your favorite holiday tunes! Finally, pour yourself and your significant other an adult beverage and take a moment to enjoy your masterpiece.
Cheap & Simple Winter Date Ideas for Any Night of the Week
Spending time with your person doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. Think of ways to make everyday activities a little more special, and they might just turn into an unforgettable winter date night experience! The air might be chilly, but your love is going to keep you warm.
1. Start a Cozy Book Club for Two
Start reading the same book together on a winter evening to get even more connected to your partner. Cozy blankets, a fire in the fireplace, and hot cocoa will make this indoor winter date idea even better.
2. Take Up an Old-Fashioned Hobby
Do you feel nostalgic when you think of Grandpa’s fondness for woodburning crafts or Grandma’s knitting? Get on YouTube and try a new (old) hobby that’ll bring fun memories all winter.
3. Go on a Winter Dessert Date
Braving winter means you’ll need some extra calories to make it through, so why not indulge with your sweetheart? Skip the high-priced dinner out and splurge on some winter-worthy desserts like your favorite pies, cakes, or holiday-themed donut flavors.
4. Bake Something Beautiful Together
If you don’t want to get out of the house, grab a baked goods recipe and your sweetheart for a fun and cozy way to spend a winter evening. Turn up the tunes, put on an apron, and make a loaf of fresh bread, hot cinnamon rolls, or some other goody that will make a cozy winter night even better.
5. Favorite Flicks + Winter Soup or Snack Boards
For a twist on at-home movie nights, rewatch your favorite childhood movies or top date night movies with hot soup or a hearty winter snack board. You and your partner can share the memories of the films and stay warm without spending a lot of cash.
6. Heat Things Up With Board Games and Mocktails
Dust off your favorite board games and sip a hot winter mocktail for a simple (and inexpensive) indoor winter date idea. Skip the cost and calories of the booze and sip on a hot winter-themed mocktail with your sweetheart while you challenge each other to one of your favorite board games.
Fast Fact
Lots of classic games have two-player options or you can pull out a deck of cards and learn a new adult card game for some cost-free indoor fun.
7. Cuddle Up With Some Quiz Fun for Date Night
Couples’ question games and lists, from funny Would You Rather questions to questions for couples and fun relationship questions designed to get to know your partner better, are a great (and cheap) way to spend a winter evening. Cuddles are optional, but recommended!
8. Take In a Scenic Spot in Your City
No matter where you live, there’s a spot that will give you a great view of the place you call home. This can be a rooftop bar, the top of a hill at a park, or at a historic landmark. Pack a thermos filled with a warm drink and explore a spot that you have likely never seen in this light. This winter date idea can be a perfect way to soak in those snowy scenes for free!
9. Go to a Drive-In Movie
This is a traditional date night idea that can be extra cozy on a cool winter night! Grab your biggest and softest blanket, throw soup and hot cocoa into thermoses, and head out to watch a new flick or an old classic. You’re sure to get snuggled up during this winter couple’s activity.
10. Share a Winter Workout for a Healthy Date
If you and your sweetheart usually have separate workout routines, heat things up by going on a winter jog together or challenging each other to try a new workout routine. Whether it’s doing yoga together in your living room or going for a brisk hike, you’ll be spending some fun time together and improving your health with a winter workout.
Fast Fact
It has been proven that couples who work out together are happier and healthier. Here are some tips on how to make this experience great for both of your skill levels!
Warm Your Winter With Fun Date Ideas
You don’t have to love winter weather to love winter dates. During this colder time of year, you can take the opportunity to get closer to your partner with warm, intimate dates and cool adventurous ones. Whether it’s your first date or your scheduled weekly date night with your spouse, winter dates are a fun way to memories that last a lifetime!
