Pre-Covid and pre-kids, you probably spent Valentine’s Day out at a fancy restaurant with your special lady. But now that your lifestyle has likely changed, it’s tough to get out of the house for special occasions. Babysitters are expensive and hard to find on Valentine’s Day, and you can’t expect your in-laws to watch the kids. Our solution: the at-home Valentine’s Day date night.
These ideas are simple, romantic, and impressive. Scan through this list and pick out the ideas your Valentine would love best. Then surprise her on the big day. Nothing is more romantic than going out of your way to make your special lady feel loved on Valentine’s Day.
Put the kids to bed a little early and save your appetites! The rest of the evening is yours, and you’ll love spending quality time with your Valentine in the comfort of your home. Happy Valentine’s Day!
Cook a Fancy Dinner
Your Valentine’s Day dinner will be much more special if you take time to cook it together. Get some unique ingredients at the store and plan out what you’d like to cook. Then spend the evening playing around in the kitchen, making a gourmet meal (the kind your kids would typically refuse to eat).
Costco has great crab legs that aren’t too expensive, but you’ll want to make sure they have enough in stock before you make a trip! Hello Fresh also has great meal kits for couples, and you can decide exactly what you want to cook.
Have a Spa Evening
Now that the kids are in bed, it’s time to relax and unwind. One of the most easy and romantic at-home Valentine’s Day dates is to have a spa evening. Light some candles, give each other massages, and take a hot bath. Bonus points if you pair you spa evening with African Butter Cream or a Bamboo Bath Tray for your special lady as a gift.
After your relaxing spa, get comfy and cozy up to watch a movie together ~ maybe your favorite romcom or adult movie you can’t exactly watch with the kids. You’ll have the most relaxed Valentine’s Day, and your wife will be a fan.
Taste Different Wines
Another fun at-home date night idea for Valentine’s Day is to taste different wines you don’t usually purchase. Pick out a handful of blends you’ve never tried and have fun tasting with your sweetheart on Valentine’s Day. Take out notepads if you’re really serious about it and take notes on each wine. Later, you can talk about which one was your favorite.
This Mini Wine Sampler is perfect if you want to sample lots of different wines, but don’t want to buy the whole bottle. Just make sure you order before Valentine’s Day so they arrive on time! Your special lady will love this gift. And she’ll especially love sampling wines in the comfort of your home with you.
Read Letters, Texts, & Journal Entries From When You Were Dating
Sometimes all it takes to reignite a spark is to revisit good memories you’ve had through the years. Flip through the texts you’ve exchanged when you started dating, or the letters you wrote each other throughout the years. If you don’t have any letters saved and you didn’t exactly text while you were dating, just plan intentional time to reminisce about all the fun memories you made before you got married.
As soon as the memories start flooding back, you’ll realize just how much you appreciate your Valentine. It’s a great way to kick off a special at-home Valentine’s Day date night.
Enjoy Fondue For Two
Fondue is romantic and delicious, especially when you don’t have to worry about the kids making a huge mess while they eat. Get a fondue pot you can set up at home. If you’re melting cheese ~ cubes of bread, vegetables, or steak pair perfectly to make a delicious Valentine’s Day dinner. For dessert, melt some chocolate and dip marshmallows, fresh fruit like strawberries, and rice crispy treats.
Making fondue for dinner is fun and delicious, which makes for a great at-home Valentine’s Day date.
Drink Decaf Coffee & Read Your Favorite Book
If you’re the type of couple who loves to read, but rarely finds time because of your family’s crazy schedule, this is a great solution. Pick out your favorite book and make yourselves a decaf cup of coffee. Then sit back and enjoy the quiet evening together.
You might even want to set the mood with relaxing ambient music and a few candles. Turn down the lights and cozy up. For the bookworm, this is the perfect at-home Valentine’s Day date.
Have a Deep Conversation
Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity to sit down and have a deep conversation. Pull out a deck of question cards like this Intimacy Deck and start asking each other questions. You’ll be surprised with how much you have yet to learn about your Valentine, and how deep these questions can go!
Try mixing in funny questions with serious ones. That way, you won’t be weighed down entirely by the tough questions, but you can still have a meaningful conversation. Nothing beats emotional growth and intimacy in a healthy relationship, and this at-home Valentine’s Day date will help you grow closer together while having a good time.
Netflix & Chill ~ Easiest At-Home Valentine’s Day Date
Go simple this year and order a pizza to share with your Valentine. Then cuddle up on the couch and watch whatever Netflix show you’re currently binging. You won’t have to worry about kids picking toppings of their pizza if you wait til after bedtime. And if you’re the couple who appreciates keeping things casual, this is the perfect at-home Valentine’s Day date for you.
Paint With Bob Ross
No one is better than Bob Ross, but if you’re the artsy kind, you’ll love this. Painting with Bob Ross is an at-home Valentine’s Day date idea I might have to try myself! Buy two canvases and make sure you have enough paint, brushes, painting knives (if you’re truly going the Bob Ross route), and paper towels. Then turn on a Bob Ross episode (available on Netflix) and follow along.
It’s interesting to see different people’s interpretations of the same instructions. If you’re already artsy, you’ll definitely love this activity. But even if you aren’t the most artistic, this could be a fun (and pretty funny) way of spending time with your special lady this Valentine’s Day.
Fill Out Mad Libs Together
This at-home Valentine’s Day date is a fun challenge that will (no doubt) leave you rolling on the ground laughing with your partner. Remember Mad Libs? The fill in the blank game you used to play with your friends during sleepovers? Maybe your kids play them now. Either way, they become hilarious when you do them with your Valentine.
Take turns filling in each Mad Lib and read them out loud to each other. You’ll feel like a kid again and you’ll have a ton of fun. Maybe this isn’t the most sophisticated at-home Valentine’s Day date idea, but it’s definitely one of the most fun.
Bake Something Together
If cooking isn’t your thing, maybe baking is! Pick out a recipe on Allrecipes or Pinterest. Then spend the evening baking together and and getting flour on each other’s noses. Once you’re done, you’ll have a delicious treat to share after dinner.
If baking a Valentine’s Day themed treat isn’t your style, try baking what you and your Valentine enjoy most. Maybe that’s banana bread or scones. Whatever you bake, pick something you both enjoy. This is a great way to spend quality time with your special lady!
Have a Game Night
Game nights are tough after you have kids. A lot of board games are too hard for littler kids to understand, so if you do play games, you’re probably playing Candy Land or something like that. Well, not this Valentine’s Day.
Take the evening to play your favorite board and card games with your Valentine this Valentine’s Day! Our favorites are Boggle, Farkle, Scrabble, and traditional card games, but you can play whichever board or card game you like best. You’ll have a fun night of competition, and your Valentine will have a blast.
Bonus challenge: if you choose to play Scrabble, limit yourself to romantic words only. You’ll both have a good laugh, and it might be harder than you think!
Turn Your Living Room Into a Ballroom
Dance lessons are expensive and time consuming. The better at-home Valentine’s Day date approach? Turn your living room into a ballroom.
Move aside some furniture so you have extra space. Then turn on your favorite music, whether it be salsa or slow-dancing, and starting dancing. This makes for a romantic Valentine’s Day your wife will love, and you’ll make her feel like the Belle of the ball.
Have a Picnic Dinner
For those of you having nice, balmy weather in February, I’m jealous. It’s currently snowing where I live and I wish I could go outside without freezing my toes off. But if you do have nice weather on Valentine’s Day, an easy, romantic at-home Valentine’s Day date night idea is to have a picnic dinner!
Just roll out your favorite blanket in your backyard, pack your dinner in a basket, and enjoy the sunset together. If the weather isn’t exactly tame on Valentine’s Day for you, you can easily have a picnic dinner in your living room if you really want! You won’t be able to watch the stars come out, but you will be able to watch your favorite movie! Either way, this is a fun, creative way to celebrate your Valentine on Valentine’s Day.
Make Scavenger Hunts for Each Other
This is one of my favorites! Make scavenger hunts and give each other the first clue as your Valentine’s Day gift. You can give gifts along the way and even leave the last clue in the bedroom if you’d like;). Making a scavenger hunt is a fun way to make giving your Valentine’s Day gifts interactive and thoughtful.
This article has a lot of ideas on how to make your love scavenger hunt special, but you can get creative! You know your Valentine best, and you know what she’ll love. She’ll have a blast tracing your clues, and you can bet she’ll be touched with all the effort you put into it.
Have a Nacho Bar
Who doesn’t love nachos? Romantic or not, you simply can’t go wrong with a nacho bar. Set up homemade nachos with different toppings to you can each customize your dinner. Then sit down for a good conversation and enjoy, or watch a movie while you eat.
Learn how to make the best nacho bar here, and you’ll be all set. Just make sure you don’t make your portions too big. After all, you’re only feeding two people. Then dive in and enjoy some messy, delicious nachos for your at-home Valentine’s Day date night.
Make a Charcuterie Board
If you want to bring the fanciness to you, a charcuterie board is the way to go. Get some specialty cheeses, nice crackers (the ones the kids aren’t allowed to eat), and fresh fruit from the grocery store. Then spread it all on a cheese board, and dive in!
Enjoying a charcuterie board together with a glass of wine is romantic and simple. You can even spice it up by adding a salami rose, chip dip, or a variety of cheeses from a cheese sampler. Make it a taste-testing for different cheeses and wines, and you’ll be occupied for hours. Plus, you probably won’t have to cook dinner. That stuff can be filling!
Make S’mores
Making s’mores is surprisingly easy in your oven. If the weather isn’t awesome where you’re at and you don’t have access to a fire pit, don’t worry. Just follow a recipe like this one and you’ll be able to enjoy a fireside treat right in the comfort of your living room.
This might be the perfect Valentine’s Day treat for campers, but even if you’re not a fan of camping you’ll love how easy this dessert is. Everybody loves s’mores, and this is a great treat to make for an at-home Valentine’s Day date.
Play Video Games Together
If you haven’t played video games in years, maybe it’s time to fire up your old Wii or the Xbox your kids monopolize, and get your game on. Mario games like Mario Kart and Mario 3D World are super fun to play together, but if you’re looking for a game that isn’t so childish, I’d suggest Halo.
Video games on Valentine’s Day are a great way to laugh together and get a little competitive. Playing together will ignite great memories you forgot you had. And you’ll have a blast, even if your wife isn’t a huge gamer;).
Order In From Your Favorite Fancy Restaurant
If you’re stuck at home but really wanted a fancy dinner, try ordering from your favorite restaurant! Many services like Doordash will pick up food from fancy restaurants and drop it right at your doorstep. You won’t have to cook, but you wont’ have to worry about finding a sitter and getting all dressed up for a night out. Enjoying fancy food at home is the best of both worlds!
If your special lady isn’t sure what she wants for dinner, decide for her and surprise her with a delicious meal. She’ll appreciate you initiating the decision, and she’ll be delighted that you had it all planned and ready for a special night with her.
Mix Your Own Drinks
Maybe you can’t make it to a bar on Valentine’s Day. If not, try mixing your own drinks at home. Get your wife something fancy like this 10 to 1 White Rum. Then offer to mix her a fancy drink she can enjoy for the rest of the night. You might even get creative and look up different drinks you can make ~ there are some fun ones out there!
Here’s a list of several drinks you can mix at home. Have your wife pick out her favorite and mix it up for her in a flash. Just make sure you have everything you need on hand! This is a super fun at-home Valentine’s Day date idea your will wife will adore.
Make a Living Room Fort ~ Most Fun At-Home Valentine’s Day Date
If you love to goof around with your Valentine, making a fort in the living room with her is a super fun activity for Valentine’s Day. Move aside furniture, push chairs together, and make it cozy inside. Then dim down the lights and sleep there for the night. It might seem childish, but you’ll have a ton of fun. And it’s actually pretty romantic.
You can even read a book together before bed, or watch a show from the opening in your “tent.” Enjoy the s’mores from above to create a camping feel to your at-home Valentine’s Day date. You’ll create memories that’ll last a lifetime.
Make a Gratitude List
Valentine’s Day is a great time to sit down and think of all the ways you’re thankful for how you’re loved. Sit down with your partner and write down all the ways they love you selflessly. Then make the effort to thank them. You can do the same for your friends, God, family, or even your kids. Just take time to appreciate all the ways people loved you throughout the year.
Once your list is finished, spend some time in prayer with your Valentine. This is a super sweet way to spend your Valentine’s Day evening together, and you’ll be reminded of why you love celebrating your special lady.
Read a Book Together
A romantic way to spend Valentine’s Day with your loved one is to read out loud with them. If you choose to read a fantasy or adventure book, you can laugh at the funny parts together. Or maybe you choose to read the Bible together and spend some time with God this year. I’ve heard Song of Solomon is a good read for Valentine’s Day;)
Whatever you choose to read, reading it out loud together can make almost anything more intimate, funny, and entertaining. Cozy up on the couch in your pajamas and read a story you both cherish. Nothing beats enjoying great stories together.
Get Dressed Up
Having an at-home Valentine’s Day date night doesn’t mean you can’t dress up! If you love getting fancy for special occasions, this is the perfect opportunity to get glammed up together for your special at-home Valentine’s Day date. Get ready in different bathrooms and surprise each other at dinner.
If you don’t usually get fancy and you want it to last, you might try having an at-home photoshoot after dinner. Use timers on your phone to get goofy pictures together, or hire a photographer for a short session if you’re serious about it. You’ll have a great time together, and you’ll have lasting pictures that will always remind you of your special night.
Cook a Surprise Dish For Each Other
If you both love to cook, this is a really fun at-home Valentine’s Day date night. Use whatever ingredients you have on hand, and agree on a certain amount of time to prepare each meal. Then cook up your Valentine’s favorite dish as they cook yours.
If your Valentine is a good cook, you’re in for a treat. But if cooking isn’t your forte, you can always order food in if your efforts aren’t quite successful. You’ll both have a good laugh, and it’ll be a fun way to show your Valentine how much you care for them.
Write Love Letters to Each Other ~ Most Romantic At-Home Valentine’s Day Date
If you haven’t written your Valentine a love letter in a while, it might be time to pick up that pen and start writing. Your special lady will undoubtedly love this thoughtful gift. And if you spend time on Valentine’s evening writing each other letters, you can make a whole at-home Valentine’s Day date out of it.
This is perfect if your sweetheart’s main love language is words of affirmation. Plus, it’s super romantic ~ perfect for Valentine’s Day. Just make sure you have a box of kleenexes near by!
Watch Valentine’s Day Episodes of Your Favorite Shows Together
A super fun way to spend your at-home Valentine’s Day date is to watch all your favorite V-day episodes together. Look up the Valentine’s Day episode in your favorite show, or scan this list and pick an episode. If you’r an Office fan, watch Jim and Pam’s special moments and cozy up together for the best Valentine’s Day yet.
If you aren’t big show people, try watching The Notebook or any one of your favorite rom coms. You’ll have the coziest, cutest at-home Valentine’s Day date night.
Make a Bucket List Together
Valentine’s Day is a great time to sit down together and think big picture! Take out a notepad and pen, then start jotting down the things you’ve always wanted to do together. Maybe you’ve wanted to go skydiving with your Valentine, or travel to New Zealand and explore with your wife.
If you’re struggling to come up with ideas, check out these bucket list ideas for couples and start checking them off. You can even do a few smaller ones at home right away!
Go Stargazing On Your Back Porch
Again, this romantic at-home Valentine’s Day date night depends on the weather. But if it’s still warm and sunny where you live, this is a great way to spend Valentine’s Day. Make up your own constellations and give them names, or point out all the real constellations you can see.
Stargazing is a great time for deep conversation, too! Just lay back and talk about life with your Valentine. You’ll remember this special date for years to come.
Have a Nerf Gun War
For the ones who are still kids at heart, this is the perfect at-home Valentine’s Day date. All those nerf guns your kids have scattered across your basement floor? Load ’em up and start firing! Turn off the lights and sneak around in the dark for added fun (so you don’t wake the kids up, obviously).
Keep track of how many times you shoot each other. Whoever does the most, wins (loser has to give a foot rub). Husbands, if you have a hard time convincing your wife to do this with you, just bribe her with a back massage! You’ll both have fun, we promise.
Look Through Old Yearbooks & Baby Albums
This is a great at-home Valentine’s Day date night if you want to laugh for hours! Pull out your old, dusty yearbooks and baby albums and make fun of each other. Maybe you were an ugly baby. Maybe you had braces all through high school. We can almost guarantee you have an embarrassing picture somewhere, and Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to laugh about it together.
Once you start flipping through your pictures, you can share different embarrassing stories from childhood or high school. You’ll both have a good laugh. And you’ll be reminded of all the reasons you love your Valentine.
Watch Your Wedding Video
For those couples who hired a videographer for their weddings, go watch your wedding video again this Valentine’s Day! You can reminisce on the best day of your lives together. This at-home Valentine’s Day date is sweet and romantic, and your wife would love to snuggle up with you.
Once you’re finished, flip through your wedding pictures together. Reignite the spark you’ve always had this Valentine’s Day by going back to the days your relationship was new! You won’t regret it.
Have Dinner On the Roof
After you cook dinner, you’d better pick a romantic place to enjoy it together. If your roof isn’t covered in ice like mine, you should definitely climb and ladder and watch the stars together while you enjoy your meal. You can bring your baby monitor up with you to make sure the kids are fine while you have a romantic at-home Valentine’s Day date night under the stars.
Once you’re finished, lay back and watch the sunset. As the stars start to poke out, tell your Valentine all the reasons you love her. She’ll absolutely love this romantic date, and you won’t even have to leave your home.
Make Breakfast for Dinner ~ Most Delicious At-Home Valentine’s Day Date
Nothing beats breakfast for dinner. And it’s super easy to make! Scramble some eggs, bake some french toast, cook up some bacon, and rinse some fresh fruit. Then cozy up in front of the fire place in your pajamas for a cute and cozy at-home Valentine’s Day date.
You won’t have to worry about cooking up something extravagant, but your dinner will taste just as delicious as any fancy food from a restaurant. And nothing says “I love you” better than a stack of heart-shaped pancakes;).
Hopefully you found an at-home Valentine’s Day date night idea that your Valentine will love! You won’t regret staying in this year for Valentine’s Day. You’ll be more comfortable, and your date will be much more romantic in the comfort of your home.
Happy Valentines Day!
