Good Weeknight Date Ideas

Co-authored by Mark Rosenfeld and Glenn Carreau

Last Updated: March 16, 2024 References

Who says you can only have creative, exciting dates on the weekends? It can be tough to schedule dates when you already have a jam-packed working schedule—so weeknights are the perfect opportunity to get a little extra quality time with your date, significant other, or spouse. Plus, many date activities are fun without taking up a whole day or afternoon. Here's a thorough list of weeknight date ideas for you to choose from!

Things You Should Know

Try low-budget at-home activities like cooking, baking, DIY spa treatments, movie nights, and games.
Head out on the town to grab drinks, eat dessert, take a romantic stroll, have a picnic, or enjoy some local entertainment.
Treat yourself to an overnight stay in a luxe hotel, plan a longer trip with your significant other, or be more nostalgic and recreate your first date.

1

Grab drinks together.

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Getting a few drinks is a great way to wind down after work. Skip the long dinner date and meet your date at a favorite bar.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Candice Mostisser
Relationship Coach

Expert Interview} It's a simple and casual idea suitable if you're just beginning a relationship, but it's also a nice way to relax after work with your partner. Dress up a little, have a couple of cocktails, and spend the evening chatting.
- To make things more interesting, you could both resolve to try a new drink each date or pick a mystery drink for each other.
- Alternatively, do a mini-bar crawl. Pick a couple of places you'd like to try and sample a cocktail at each. The goal isn't to go crazy, as it's a weeknight, but you can still get a little adventurous!
- You can also just do a cocktail hour at home. Buy a few spirits and mixers so you and your date can make delicious cocktails together.

2

Cook dinner at home.

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Bring on the romance by working together to craft a delicious meal. Make a date out of cooking their favorite meal together (or yours). You could even take turns planning out the menu for your dinner dates! Cooking together is a great way to bond with your significant other—and learn a little about each other's taste in food.^{[2]
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- If you want to shake things up a little, try differently-themed dinner nights. You could do an Italian night with pasta and wine, a Mexican night with quesadillas and margaritas, and so on.

3

Enjoy a dessert night.

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Dessert dates are a sweet alternative if there's no time for a full dinner. Restaurant meals can take hours, so try meeting up with your date for dessert instead. Pick a bakery, cafe, or sweet shop you enjoy, or head over to your favorite restaurant and just ask for the dessert menu.
- You and your date could order several desserts off the menu and try all of them! Craft your own makeshift dessert bar and swap notes on your favorite treats.
- Do a dessert bake-off at home if you'd rather not go out. You and your date can each bring a dessert or bake them together and enjoy.

4

Take a scenic walk together.

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Walks are simple, picturesque, and facilitate lots of conversation. One of the easiest ways to have a date on a weeknight is to take a long walk along a scenic path.^{[3]
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Expert Source

Mark Rosenfeld
Dating & Relationship Coach

Expert Interview} There's nothing to distract you from one another, and you can focus on good conversation—whether you're still getting to know your date or catching up with your partner after a long day.
- If you have time, find a peaceful spot along the path to sit with your date and watch the sunset for a romantic moment both of you can treasure.
- If you're an avid biker, you could pick a scenic bike route instead! Bike around the area and bring a snack so you can relax together somewhere with a great view.

5

Have a picnic with takeout.

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Picnics are peaceful, fun, and don't require much effort. Quickly grab some takeout and a picnic blanket, then head to a scenic spot where you and your date can have an evening picnic. A park, beach, or public garden are all ideal spots! Spend your evening eating good food and chatting with your date without stressing about cooking or complicated plans.^{[4]
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Expert Source

Mark Rosenfeld
Dating & Relationship Coach

Expert Interview}
- Stay long enough to watch the sunset and do a little stargazing.
- Try picnicking somewhere you haven't been before. Find a park or beach you want to explore and go there for a romantic date.

6

Do a cozy movie night at home.

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Movie nights let you relax and cuddle in the comfort of home. Dates in a movie theater are pretty classic, but you can't really talk to one another—which is the point of a date! Instead, have a cozy movie night at home. Set up a couch with pillows and blankets, pick up some popcorn and your favorite movie theater candy, and snuggle with your date as you enjoy a good flick.^{[5]
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- For some extra excitement, pick a movie neither of you has seen before. Otherwise, you could always watch an old comfort movie; it's still fun, and you can chat with your date without missing anything.
- Reader Poll: We asked 612 wikiHow readers about their favorite date night activities, and 66% agreed that if you’re hanging out at home, the most romantic thing you can do together is cuddle and watch a movie. [Take Poll]

7

Have a couples' game night.

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Game nights are easy, fun, and offer plenty of different activities. What kind of games do you like? Traditional card games, board games, video games—or a mix of all 3? Set up an array of tasty snacks, drinks, and a selection of your favorite games, and enjoy a casual evening of fun and laughter with your date.^{[6]
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- Try incorporating a couples’ game to get to know your date better! There are lots of games that involve asking each other fun, creative questions.
- You could also take your game night outside the house. Visit an arcade or go bowling, for example.
- Check out your local game shops. Plenty of stores host game nights and even let you play board games there for free.
EXPERT TIP

Ashton Wu
Board Game Expert
Ashton Wu is a Board Game expert at Shelfside. After delving into the Yugioh tournament community while growing up, Ashton launched himself into the board gaming community in 2014 and went into reviewing board games as a career full-time in 2019. His YouTube channel Shelfside has over 50K subscribers and over 4 million views, assisted by written reviews on the Shelfside website and BoardGameGeek.com. He also consults with gaming companies to build high-quality gaming products. Ashton is a tournament commentator, board game playthrough director, and host of the Shelfside Podcast, where he talks about board games with his business partner, Daniel. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics at the University of California, Santa Barbara, in addition to the Technology Management Certificate.

Ashton Wu
Board Game Expert

Choose an easy-to-learn board game. Board game enthusiasts crave in-depth mechanics, but when playing board games with family or on a date, it's best to stick to simpler ones. Choose an easy game that players can pick up quickly. This will make game night more fun for everyone.

8

Plan a DIY karaoke night.

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Karaoke is the perfect way to introduce your date to your favorite songs. Doing karaoke at home is easy; cue up a playlist of karaoke tunes (without lyrics) on YouTube or your music streaming platform of choice, like Spotify or Apple Music. For fun, pick up a wireless karaoke microphone and belt out tunes with your date to your hearts' content.^{[7]
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- You can always head out to a karaoke bar or a spot with private rooms if you're looking for a professional setup.

9

Enjoy an at-home spa night.

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De-stress and spend quality time together with a DIY spa evening. Have a low-cost spa experience by recreating the spa at home! Buy facial masks (or make your own facial masks), and pick up some aromatherapy lotion and body scrub. Draw a bath for both of you, complete with essential oils or bath bombs. Complete the experience with low lights, mood music, and a bottle of wine.^{[8]
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- You can also go to a real spa for an authentic experience. Book a couples' massage, or get your nails done alongside your partner.

10

Teach one another something new.

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Learning skills together can help you get to know one another. You and your date both have hobbies and special skills, right? Use your expertise to teach each other about a favorite hobby or skill or use an online tutorial or class to learn as you go. This date is a fun, easy way to work together and gain an appreciation for your respective interests.
- For example, say you’re great at drawing, and your date knows guitar. Spend a date night swapping skills; teach your date to draw something simple, and learn basic guitar skills from them.
- There are plenty of video tutorials for just about anything online, or you could check out offerings from platforms like Skillshare and MasterClass.

11

Visit an escape room.

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Escape rooms let you work as a team and have an exciting adventure. If competitive games aren't your speed, try solving riddles with your date in a themed escape room. Find a room and theme that interests you, and make reservations for you and your significant other. Work together to escape the room within the given time frame for a creative and exhilarating date.^{[9]
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- Escape rooms can include different heist, fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and historical-themed settings.
- Double-check the escape room website for difficulty, as some rooms are harder than others. Nonetheless, pick the room you like most—it's okay if you need a few hints in a particularly tricky room.

12

Go to a pub trivia night.

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Team up with your date (and show off your trivia skills) with a pub quiz. Use any online search engine to look up trivia nights hosted by bars and pubs in your area. Pick one and head over there for a fun, easy date that offers plenty of opportunities for laughter and conversation. You might surprise yourselves by discovering a few more mutual interests along the way!
- Many bars do theme quiz nights, like Star Trek or Disney trivia. Try to find a theme both you and your date will enjoy.

13

Find local live entertainment.

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A comedy show, concert, or sports event makes a memorable date. Check out events and venues to see if there's a concert happening during the week, or look up the schedule at a local comedy club. Look up restaurants that sometimes have live music, too. If you're more of a sports fan, pick up tickets to a mid-week game—they're often cheaper than weekend tickets.^{[10]
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- Comedy clubs are a great way to laugh and let off some steam with your date, and they're usually not too expensive.
- Concerts can help you both get to know each other's taste in music and make happy memories simultaneously.

14

Play a round of mini golf.

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Enjoy a little friendly competition by visiting a mini-golf course. Mini golf is fun for all ages and easy to pick up, even if you're not a fan of regular golfing. Head over to a mini golf course and enjoy a game with your date. To complete the date, grab an ice cream or snack together after playing!^{[11]
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- Make things interesting by placing a friendly, low-stakes bet with your date. For example, you could wager that the loser buys the ice cream after mini golf.

15

Book a luxurious hotel room.

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Go on a romantic adventure by living large for a night. Who says you can't go on a mini-vacation on a weeknight? Book a hotel room and drive directly there after work. Spend the rest of the night kicking back with your significant other in a fancy hotel—then wake up in the morning, check out, and commute to work as usual.
- A night in a hotel can be a fun interlude if you don't have any travel plans for a while. It's a way to feel like you're getting away with your partner without leaving the area.

16

Plan a dream trip together.

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Mapping out a couple's vacation lets you take it easy at home. If you and your partner have dreams for a future trip, sit down together and make it a reality. Take a night to make a concrete vacation plan, from transportation and lodging to activities you'll do while there. Get excited about your future adventures as a couple.
- Make a night out of your planning session by getting snacks and drinks for you both to enjoy while you brainstorm.
- Plan for a special occasion, like your next anniversary or a birthday getaway—or just plan a trip for fun. You don't always need an excuse to get out of town together!

17

Recreate your first date.

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If your first date is something you can encapsulate in an evening (like dinner at a special restaurant or a hike along a nearby trail), recreate it on your weeknight date. Mimicking your first date is a fun way to reminisce on the beginning of your relationship—and celebrate how far you've come!