Now that the holidays are in the rearview mirror, you probably have a little more freedom to spend some quality one-on-one time with your special someone. But it’s January, and there are many reasons why going out may not work for you and your partner. It’s much colder this time of year, and you may be experiencing a “holiday hangover” from spending and socializing.
If spending a cozy night indoors sounds like an amazing idea to you, we want to help. These date night ideas are fun, inexpensive, and offer a unique experience every time. And if you aren’t currently in a relationship, file these ideas away in your mind and sign up for the dating site and app that matches members based on mutual compatibility. With millions of members, you’re bound to match with someone worthwhile in your area. You can find the app at the App Store for iOS devices or Google Play for Android systems.
Exciting Indoor Gaming Ideas for Couples
People love gaming these days, but unfortunately, many games are single-player and involve staring at a phone or a laptop screen or strapping on a VR headset. There’s nothing wrong with having some personal game time, but these types of activities aren’t conducive to romantic evenings. We recommend face-to-face interactions with your partner.
Hosting a Board Game Night for Two
Board games are usually made for two or more people, and board game nights are always at the top of our list for cheap date night ideas. Here’s why:
- A board game is a one-time purchase. You can find many classic and new games in the $10 to $20 range. Once you buy it, you can use it over and over until the pieces wear out.
- Board games are nostalgic. At some point in your life, you played a board game with your friends. Playing a board game with a new partner gives you something to connect over.
- They can be extremely social. If you’re playing a one-on-one game with your partner, you’ll have plenty of time to talk, flirt, and laugh. If you decide to host a game night with another couple or two, it keeps people from breaking off into separate groups.
- You can get a game last minute. Whether you go to a discount retail chain or order it online, you can usually procure a game at a moment’s notice. If you waited until the last minute, 24-hour drug stores have the things you need for an impromptu date night card game or date night dice game.
Trying Your Hand at Card Games or Strategy Games
There are so many games you can play with a deck of cards; it just makes sense to have one or two on hand. Card games are so popular these days that some bars and restaurants keep a few decks behind the counter for guests who like to play as they drink.
Classic Card Games
Here are a few classic card games that employ both strategy and luck:
- Gin Rummy
- Cribbage
- Speed
- War
- Crazy Eights
- Go Fish (great for passing the time)
You can find many more with a simple internet search. The main point is that it doesn’t take a lot of money to play some fun card games.
Two-Person Strategy Games
If you enjoy a friendly contest of wits, these strategic board games are at the top of our list:
- Battleship – Hunt for each other’s fleet by taking turns guessing coordinates on a grid.
- Stratego – Based on 19th-century military ranks, you pit your ranked players against theirs. The objective is to capture the flag.
- Chess – Sharpen your mind with this 1,500-year-old global phenomenon.
- Backgammon – Luck and strategy win the day.
Interactive Video and Arcade Gaming Options
Video games are a good indoor activity that can help you have fun while escaping the elements.
Exploring Local Arcades for Nostalgic Fun
If you feel like getting out of the house, many bars have video games or pinball machines. Some of them are old classics that you may have played when you were a kid, like Pac-Man or Frogger. Bars can often pick up some of these older games relatively cheaply, so they’re pretty popular. The bar-cade is a relatively recent phenomenon, but these places feature everything from standup versions of the latest video games to pinball machines to skeeball, etc.
Playing Cooperative or Competitive Video Games at Home
Not all electronic games are conducive to a video game date night, but there are many two-player games that can be fun to play as a couple. Gaming consoles are usually a better option than VR headsets since you can share the same TV screen. Racing games, like Mario Kart, can be a fun game for you and your partner to play together. Combat games that pit you against one another are also fun.
If you want to work as a team, you might want to try Overcooked! 2. If you’ve never played this, it’s a hilariously chaotic cooking game where you must work together to prepare food. Games like this can be fun and don’t put you in a head-to-head competition with your partner if you’d rather play on the same side.
Lighthearted Competitive Outdoor Activities
If you happen to get a break in the cold January weather or you just happen to enjoy the outdoors when it’s cold, we have a few fun date night ideas for the outdoors.
Mini-Golfing for a Fun Challenge
If you haven’t played miniature golf in years, it’s time to brush up on your putting skills. Mini-golf is challenging, but it’s almost impossible to stop laughing while you’re playing. If you have a mini-golf course in your area, you definitely need to put it on your list of date night ideas/games.
Setting Up a Friendly Backyard Sports Game
The great thing about this idea is that you can play these yard games in the summer as well as the winter — although your date night outfits may change with the climate. Yard games may not be as popular in January as they are in May, but most of them will work the same, even if you have snow on the ground.
Here are some of our top year-round backyard games:
- Cornhole – Toss beanbags through the air and drop them into the hole on your opponent’s base.
- Darts – If you have an overhang, drive a nail into the wall and hang a dart board.
- Horseshoes – This only requires a few square yards and a hammer to drive the stakes into the ground.
- Bocce Ball – You can use colored balls so they’re easier to track in the dark or in the snow.
If you have drier weather or live in a warmer climate, you don’t really have to worry about snow. Otherwise, just consider how winter weather will affect the way the games are played.
Why Playing is Important in Relationships
Many couples make the mistake of isolating themselves while they play. They might go to the grocery and hardware stores together, but they reserve games and fun activities as part of alone time. We think that couples should schedule game nights, date night movies, little getaways, and date night dinners as part of a recipe for a healthy relationship. Life can get pretty busy. If you don’t make quality time entertaining and a priority, it might be difficult to recapture that part of your life. So, this January, set some boundaries between the outside world and your relationship. Plan some date nights with your partner.
What to Do If You’re Single in January
If you read this article and are thinking, “That’s great. I can’t wait to find someone and start having these fun and exciting times,” you’re not alone. January is a busy time in the online dating world, and Zoosk has peak volumes of activity. That means that your special someone is out there right now looking for you. Start your search today. Join Zoosk!
