As much as we’d hate to admit it, winter is closing in... and fast. It may have been sunny and semi-warm a week ago, but now, it’s cold and gusty, and all too soon you’ll have absolutely no will to go outside. Of course, you will have to continue to brave the great outdoors since you have to live your life. However, you will not like it. Not one bit. This is, of course, a problem when you want to, you know, do fun stuff with your favorite people. Winter can be especially difficult to deal with when you want to plan a fun date night with your favorite person as well. But don't worry too much, because there are some cozy date ideas to be had inside.
Gone are the days where you can take a stroll through the park with your bae in T-shirts, or even hold hands on a beach while having a picnic dinner (California people, I’m gonna need you to sit out for one and not say a word, thank you). But not all hope is lost. There are plenty of things to do in most cities that don’t involve the wintry outdoors. Grab your bae, grab your best friend bae, any bae who means something to you, and have some fun outside your apartment this winter.
01A Movie Theater Date
Why not take your typical night in and turn it inside out? Go to the cinema to see the newest flick. Sure, it's more expensive than staying in, but it will surely cure cabin fever, along with being warm during those cold nights.
02Visit A Museum
I absolutely love museums, and museum dates are honestly the definition of goals. I would love to just stroll down an art gallery or look at some old fossils while holding bae's hand.
If that's not fun for you, you can also go to a fun and quirky museum. There are sex-related ones everywhere, some cool ice cream ones, or you can go see the world's biggest cheese ball or something (if that's more your style).
03Go See A Play Or A Comedy Show
Want something a bit more lively? Go see some live action by getting tickets for a play or a new musical that's out. Improv shows are also always an amazing time. You'll be laughing so hard with your boo, there's no way you'll be thinking about the cold after that.
04Play Laser Tag
If you are the more active types, laser tag is definitely the way to go. It's ridiculously fun, stimulates the competitiveness in you, and also is a great workout. You'll be so sweaty afterward, you'll probably scarf down a pizza and be warm for awhile longer.
05Window Shop At An Inside Shopping Center
As stated before, walking down the street in a shopping district may not be super appealing during these cold, cold times. However, there are plenty of stores to look at inside. Chicago has a ton, and you can spend a whole day at Water Tower Place or if you're in New York City, you can check out Manhattan Mall. Both of these will also not hurt your wallet, because you're also not signing up for a day of shopping. You're just looking.
06Say Hello To Some Adorable Puppies
A very popular thing to do, at least among my friends, is to head to the nearest pet store and just cuddle some lovable lumps of fur. You can check online beforehand to see what's available, but some will let you not only play with the pups and cats through the windows, but will let you hold them as well.
Want to really make an animal's day? Take your boyfriend or girlfriend on over to an animal shelter and play with some fur balls who need the loving.
07Have A Nice Long Dinner
If you really want to have a quiet night with your love, but don't want to stay home for the sake of just doing something different than the norm, head out to a nice restaurant. Even if it's not a five-star venue or a super fancy one, this is a great time to just sit back and bask in the beauty that is your partner (and nice conversation).
08Take An Art Or Cooking Class
These are so fun! Take an art class that's super instructive so you can hang up matching portraits, or go learn how to cook a soufflé. These are great skills to have, but also just elicit so much laughter when your dog looks like a rock or you get paint on your face. Plus, if you go with a cooking class, you can always use that knowledge for when you do stay in (aka, the more common option).
09Stay Home And Snuggle Up
There is, of course, nothing wrong with just staying home with your love and watching some Netflix or Hulu. Pop in an old movie, grab some caramel corn, and just snuggle up by the fire. Netflix and chill can be as laid-back as you want it to be.
