Some of us are not too keen on “going out” in general, no matter what’s happening in the rest of the world – yup, that’s me, I’m “some of us”. But I’m not going to lie, after a while, it gets a bit repetitive when it comes to planning dates. I love doing things with my husband, and even though we’re not the type to out all the time, we like the occasional night out. So when there is no option but to stay home, you need to start thinking of indoor date ideas.

And that’s exactly what I’m giving you today. A list of 18 indoor date ideas during lockdown (and beyond)! I mean, even when we can go out again, you might not feel like doing so all the time! And of course, because you’re on my blog and you know we are always kind to the planet here, this is going to be a list of eco-friendly date ideas. So whether it is for a Valentine’s date night at home or a regular date night at home. Here is how to do it in a sustainable way.

Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post may contain affiliate links that may earn me a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

1. Plant a tree together

I love the idea of planting a tree together, as you can invest in reforestation, while also naming your tree, and allowing it to grow. It’s basically like your little baby, except you din’t have to raise it, care for to, or anything like that after you first plant it.

I also think it’s quite romantic to do something for the planet together, and know that your tree is somewhere, contributing to wild life, and the ecosystem.

To make it even more of a date night at home, you can set up your evening, get yourself a nice glass of wine or non-alcoholic beverage, and make the whole thing very romantic in a ritual that you can personalise as much as you want! 

2. Donate to a Sustainable Organisation

Similar to the tree planting idea, this one is to dedicate your indoor date night to a specific charity. Here is a list of trusted charities to donate to. And again, to make this night extra special, don’t hesitate to play some music, set the ambiance with the lighting, and make a ritual out of your donation.

Here are a few organisations you can donate to:

• Rainforest Alliance
• Wildlife Trust
• Footprint Network
• Fairtrade Foundation
• Fashion Revolution

3. Movie night (sustainable movie)

Out of all my sustainable date night ideas at home, this one is probably one of the most classic ones: movie night! But wait, there is a twist. We want to make it useful for the environment, and we want to educate ourselves on the climate emergency.

So make sure you’re watching a movie on sustainability. Some of my favourites are:

• Cowspiracy: the sustainability secret (available on Netflix) 
• The True Cost (available on Netflix and Amazon Prime)
• Minimalism (available on Netflix)
• An Inconvenient Truth (available on Netflix)

4. Look at old pictures

To go full on old school and cute, do a “throwback pics” session. I don’t know about you, but I know I sometimes have hundreds of pictures on my phone that I just completely forget about. And it’s nice to be able to go down memory lane from time to time. 

You can even go old-school and choose a few pictures to print (or look at your physical photo album if you have some!) This is probably one of the simplest and easiest, out of my whole list of date ideas at home.

5. Play a board game

If you’re the playing type, then this indoor date idea is for you. I research the internet to find a few sustainability-themes board games, and honestly, there are a few I might get for myself and my household!

• CO2: second chance
• Agricola
• Energetic
• Other games at: Games4Sustainability

6. Cook something new together

If you are the cooking type, then I’d say it’s the perfect opportunity to cook something together! And why not get adventurous by cooking something new as well?

The most sustainable option would be to cook a nice vegan meal, and I think the vegan spice kit is the perfect set for you to help you get inspired and get your chef hat on. 

7. Enjoy an Indoor picnic

Something I do quite a lot at home, is an indoor picnic. I prepare everything as if we were going for a starlit dinner in the park, and then I lay some blankets on the floor, get the drinks out of the fridge, put our wedding video on the screen, and then we’re good to go. A nice indoor picnic, the prefect option for a date night during lockdown.

8. Create art together

Ok so this one can be as fun as you want it to be, especially if you have no artistic talent, and you’re not too self-conscious about it. I feel like the more relaxed you are, the better, if you’re going to create art together. If you want to paint, then go ahead, no one is judging you! Or if you’d rather create the next hit at home, then start recording some music. It’s all fun, and it truly makes for a nice, fun, and emotionally intimate time.

9. Home-Made Spa Night

In this day and age, I’m not lying when I say at sometimes struggle to find the time to take care of myself. And when I do, my husband is usually pretty busy himself. Booking an evening to just make the best at-home spa can only be a good idea. It doesn’t require much, apart from a some bath salt, a nice face mask, and some soothing music.

10. Have a photoshoot

We are all camera shy to some extent, but I feel like getting goofy and enjoying a fun at-home photoshoot with your partner can make you feel much more confident. Here again, you are completely free to make it a funny, sexy, or artistic as you’d like. As long as you get some nice memories of your indoor date night, then that’s all that matters.

11. Garden together

So this year, Valentine’s Day is on a Sunday; but if you’re not into Valentine’s, you can do that on any other day! And unlike all the other indoor data ideas on this list, you can take more than a few hours, and enjoy aa full day of gardening together (or as little as you’d like, no pressure here). And if you don’t have a garden, or it’s the middle of winter, do not fret: you can plant things inside as well, or start your vegetable garden on your balcony.

12. Write love letters on seeded paper

I love writing. I mean, that’s literally my job, right! But I really feel like there is something about a hand-written note or a love letter. Even though I appreciate an email and a text, I still hold on tight to the idea of opening an envelope and realising how much time and effort went into writing something for me. And I like doing it too!

So why not write a beautiful love letter, while sitting across one another, on seeded paper!

Yup, you read that right: seeded paper is basically made of seeds – duh – and you can plant it after you’ve read your card (or if you’re like me, you’ll plant it never, because you’ll keep the card forever. But that’s another story)

13. Candlelit dinner

In a list of indoor dates ideas, how can we not mention the classic candlelit dinner? This is honesty the grandad of romantic dates. Just get some nice handmade candles, spread them around the table, and enjoy!

14. Lingerie for a sexy night

Well well well..! A sexy night has never hurt any loving couple, and it’s also a great way of ending the evening (or spending the whole evening! Depending on your mood!). There are a few sustainable lingerie brands out there, but to make it simple, I think you can’t go wrong with Ayten Gasson. I featured their work in one of my columns for Red Magazine, and honestly, their products are simply gorgeous!

15. Plan for your sustainable future

Now on to the big plans for the future. There is something special about planning for the future, sharing common goals, and discuss how to make them real. One of the things you can do during your eco-friendly date night at home, is to sit down with your favourite notebook, and start planning your sustainable future. Whether it be planning for your sustainable self-sufficient home, your vegetable garden, organising your next climate strike, or anything that makes you both happy, while being great for the planet; just enjoy and share the moment.

16. Plant your next sustainable holidays

Less serious than the previous point, but just as important: plan your next sustainable holiday. Will you go by cargo boat to Costa-Rica? Will you go around Europe while staying on the ground? Will you volunteer to help for a sustainable organisation? Planning all this might give you amazing holiday ideas that you can then share with me (yes please! Let me know what the plans are, I might get some inspiration from you!)

17. Take a free sustainability course

And for the curious minds like myself, I just love learning everything I can about sustainability. So whenever I can take a free class, I do exactly that! There are tons of free sustainability classes online to watch, and yes, it’s free!

18. Binge watch Ted Talks about sustainability

And if you don’t want to feel like you’re in class but still want the inspiration, then grab some popcorn, sit comfortably, and watch my very own curated list of Ted Talks on the topics of sustainability, sustainable fashion, food waste, and everything in between. To me, of all the indoor date ideas on the list, that’s probably my favourite one, because I just love seeing how inspiring these speakers are. And I always learn so much. And it’s even better hen I can do so with my husband by my side.

So that is it for my list of indoor date ideas do to at home. But as I said, I’m open to more suggestions, because I seldom want to go out. Which one of these will you be trying ? Let me know in the comments below.