8 Unique Valentine's Day (Stay-At-Home) Date Ideas

February is just around the corner, and if you’re starting to brainstorm Valentine’s Day activities but are still weary about traveling out into the world due to ol’ Omicron, I’m here to help! I’ve put together a list of date night ideas that you can (mostly) do in the comfort of your own home. So grab your partner, roommate, or whoever you are going to be spending the holiday with, and try out some of these activities below!

1. S’mores over a City Bonfire

Nothing screams cozy night in like a roaring fire. I love this little portable City Bonfire that my mom got Daniel and I for Christmas this year! It’s the perfect balcony or patio bonfire if you don’t have easy access to a fire pit setup. City Bonfires even sell a cute kit to make your own s’mores complete with marshmallows, graham crackers, chocolate, and roasting sticks!

2. Take a Cookie Decorating Class

This is something that I have been wanting to learn for a long time now. I am so intrigued by the process of decorating with royal icing, it’s definitely on my bucket list of skills I want to learn! Arlos Cookies is a fantastic shop that offers virtual cookie decorating workshops that are prerecorded videos that allow you to go at your own pace and include a workbook with a list of necessary supplies for your to gather ahead of your date night. They even have Valentine’s specific workshops available now. And if nothing else, you’ll definitely at least want to check out their instagram page (@arloscookies) because who doesn’t love looking at beautifully decorated cookies!

3. Solve a Murder Mystery

If a murder mystery doesn’t scream a romantic night in, then you’ve come to the wrong place. Because this is one of my favorite date night ideas (and it is actually what Daniel and I did last Valentine’s Day)! Hunt-A-Killer is a murder mystery subscription service that you can sign up for to send you new clues every month to get you closer and closer to solving a mystery. If you want a more sped up version though, they have released stand alone games, like this one — Death at the Dive Bar — which includes all the clues and evidence necessary to solve the crime in just a few hours! This activity takes teamwork, problem solving, and critical thinking, it’s like an escape room in the comfort of your own home.

4. Paint-by-Number & Wine Night At Home

I love the idea of a craft night at home, but if that’s not on your normal itinerary or you don’t consider yourself very “artsy,” hear me out. These newly popular paint by number kits make painting so easy! It’s the same concept you remember as a kid but with artwork that truly can be displayed on your wall by the time you’re done. This craft-date pairs perfectly with wine, so grab a bottle from Trader Joes and get to painting! I love the artwork that they have available here, but Amazon has a huge assortment as well (like this one) for a more budget friendly option.

5. Take a Self Guided Driving Architecture Tour

This particular date idea is an LA-specific activity (and sorry it does involve leaving the house…but in a covid-safe manner!), but there may be something similar available in your own city. FORT: LA (Friends of Residential Treasurers: LA) is an organization that celebrates historically and architecturally significant homes in Los Angeles. Their website offers a series of trails that you can download and set off on your own self-guided architecture tour. The concept is that you are given a trail to follow, which is a series of addresses that you can drive to, and at each destination there is a synopsis in the downloadable guide with information like the year the house was built, the architectural style, a biography of the architect, about the original owners, etc. I love that some of their trails are themed for the time of year as well, like they had a “Witch Houses: Fairytales, Castles, and Cottages” trail back in October. If you or your partner are a history buff or an architecture/design enthusiast, this would be the perfect date night idea for you.

6. Bake or Cook Something & Deliver to Friends

If you love gift giving (like I do!), one fun option is to spend the evening making something special, packaging it up really cute, and hand delivering it to friend’s doorsteps. A few ideas include:
- Baking scones and delivering them with jams or spreads — World Market has some great mini jars of spreads that would be perfect for including in your edible gift
- Anyone still have their sourdough starter from early pandemic? A loaf of sourdough or focaccia bread would be divine!
- Make your own marmalade and jar it up to share (while watching Paddington 2 of course)
- You can never go wrong with classic chocolate chip cookies!

7. Create Your Own Bar Trivia Night at Home

Break out that old Trivial Pursuit board game you didn’t even remember you had. Or use an online website like Trivia.fyi to go back and forth asking your partner trivia questions. You can keep track of points or just play for fun. Raid your own bar cart at home and mix up some cocktails or try out some new local craft beers. I think it would also be fun to make your own “bar food.” My personal favorite is and forever will be soft pretzels with dip. I’ve found countless recipes on Pinterest to make homemade soft pretzels, pub cheese, and honey mustard. You could also get yourself a smorgasbord of Trader Joe mustards or drips. They have a new product called Incredisauce that I hear tastes a lot like Chick-fil-A sauce. Yum!

8. Nostalgia Themed Night

Treat yourselves to a night of sweet nostalgia. Challenge your partner to a game of Mario Kart on the Nintendo Switch. Carb out on the party-foods of your youth (popcorn chicken, mozzarella sticks, etc). Watch your favorite movies from your early teens. Go out or get takeout from a chain restaurant that you used to frequent (I’m talking Applebees or TGIFridays). Challenge yourselves to make a cocktail out of kool-aid powder! Or simply spend time reminiscing on the old toys you collected (do they still make Crazy Bones?) or stores you shopped at (some personal favorites were Zany Brainy and Noodle Kidoodle). And if you and your partner had vastly different experiences growing up (age or location differences for example) you could make this a two part date and each share your favorites!

What are your favorite ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day? I hope these ideas have inspired you to think outside the box!

xo Rachael