Get Cozy With Our Top 12 Winter Date Ideas

As the temperatures drop and the snow starts to fall, planning a date and venturing outside may be the last thing you feel like doing. But just because you’re all bundled up and avoiding the weather doesn’t mean you have to put your love life on hold until the spring!

In fact, you can continue to enjoy a thriving dating life because there are actually plenty of fun and exciting things you and your date can do during the winter months—and we’re here to prove it.

We created a list of winter date ideas that include both indoor and outdoor activities to try out this cuffing season, from game nights to ski sessions. Whether you’re willing to brave the outdoors or prefer to hunker down until springtime, our fun winter date ideas for couples offer inspiration for everyone! 

1. Go Ice Skating

Looking for an excuse to spend the entire evening holding hands with your date? Then lace up your ice skate and take a spin around the rink! Ice skating makes the perfect winter date idea for couples, as you can glide around the ice together while showing off your figure eights and backward wiggles. Head to an indoor rink, check out an outdoor setup for the holidays, or skate over a frozen pond (if it’s considered safe to do so). After all that skating, be sure to make your way to the warming hut and enjoy some hot cocoa.  

2. Attend Holiday Events

If you’re interested in winter date ideas during November and December, check your local community calendar for holiday events. For example, your town might be hosting a 5K on Thanksgiving morning, a holiday parade, a Christmas market with local vendors, a caroling performance, or even a light show with twinkly lights galore. You and your date will love doing something out of the ordinary together while getting into the holiday spirit!

3. Get Tickets to “The Nutcracker”

Rather do something a little more high-brow? Then, purchase tickets to see “The Nutcracker” at a local theater. This ever-popular classical ballet and opera performance graces stages all around the country come Christmas, promising a dazzling evening filled with enchanting sugar plum fairies and battling mice. Get dressed up, attend the performance, and then discuss your favorite parts over a round of drinks. 

4. Carve up the Slopes

If you’re an adventurous and athletic duo, then a day at the slopes belongs on your list! For this fun winter date idea outside, head over to your local ski resort and hit the trails together. If you’re both new to skiing or snowboarding, sign up for lessons and spend the day mastering the bunny slopes, but if you’re both already pros, then challenge yourselves to the more challenging trails and terrain park. Once you’ve tired yourselves out, thaw out at the lodge with some warm beverages and delicious grub. 

5. Go Sledding

Did you get some snowfall overnight? If so, suit up in your snow gear and grab your sleds for a day of sledding! You and your date will feel like kids again as you fly down the hills in toboggans and saucers, flirting and laughing all the way. While you’re at it, be sure to make some snow angels, build a snowman, and maybe even start a snowball fight to ensure you make the most of this snow day with your partner. 

6. Host a Game Night

Not every date idea has to involve facing the frosty air, so why not host a game night for a winter date idea at home? Divide into teams and get ready for some friendly competition. If you’re both self-proclaimed brainiacs, stock up on strategic games and those geared around trivia. But if you’d rather have a night of hilarity, pull out the silly board games and fill-in-the-blank party games. Whether you play some tried-and-true favorites like Monopoly or go for a rousing round of Cards Against Humanity, you and your date are sure to have a blast.

7. Get Competitive

For those couples that prefer more hands-on games, plan a date at one of the indoor game spots in town. You can find all sorts of indoor entertainment, from ax-throwing to bowling. Some bars are even transforming into game rooms, with throwback arcade games, bocce ball courts, Skee ball lanes, and mini golf courses. Order some drinks and snacks and challenge each other’s high score—may the best man (or woman) win!

8. Tackle a New Recipe

Another winter date idea at home involves experimenting in the kitchen. Don some aprons and challenge yourselves to a new recipe. For instance, you could try your hand at making a veggie stew, chicken pot pie, or even a decadent dessert. You and your date could collaborate on your delicious masterpiece or create a bake-off where the best dish wins! No matter how you decide to take over your kitchen, once everything is cooked, you and your date will get to sit down and enjoy (and judge) your tasty culinary concoctions together.  

9. Cozy up at a Bookstore

There’s something so cozy about bookstores come winter time, as they offer a respite from the frigid temperatures outside. So, when you want to avoid the harsh winter weather, invite your date to join you at your local bookstore. To master this winter date idea for couples, commandeer a little nook in the corner, order some coffee for two, and browse through the collection of books together. If you’re both bookworms, you’ll have a ball exchanging your favorite stories and tracking down certain books while sharing your mutual love of the written word. 

10. Build a Campfire

It doesn’t have to be summertime to gather around a fire! If you have an outdoor space, build a contained bonfire, and then set up camping chairs with blankets so you and your date can create a little nest and keep warm around the fire with cups of hot chocolate or cider in hand. This great winter date idea outside lets you enjoy nature without compromising warmth or comfort. And while you’re at it, you could even roast marshmallows or chestnuts over the flames.

11. Volunteer Together

The winter months can be especially difficult for those in need, making it an ideal time to donate your time or money. If you and your partner want to help make a difference in your community, look for winter date ideas that provide opportunities for you to give back. For example, the two of you could volunteer at a soup kitchen, organize a toy drive, or even knit scarves and mittens to donate to homeless shelters. Other volunteer-centric date ideas include visiting nursing homes, creating care packages for soldiers overseas, walking the dogs at the animal shelter, and cleaning your local beaches and parks. 

12. Plan a Movie Night

An at-home movie night is right up your alley for those who like to stay inside during the winter. But instead of just picking a random movie to watch, decide on a theme like campy horror flicks, slap-stick comedies, or film noir classics. Once you select your movies, you and your date can get into your coziest PJs, create a pile of blankets on the couch, order some takeout, and sit back and enjoy the show!