Date Night Ideas: Spin the Wheel (120+ Ideas)

At-home date night ideas

• Cook a dish from the country you most want to visit together, then plan that trip over dessert. (Under A$30, at home)
• Build a blanket fort in the lounge room and watch the film you both loved as kids. (Free, at home)
• Have a 'tasting menu' night: each of you makes three tiny courses and the other rates them. (Under A$30, at home)
• Print ten photos from your phone and make a small album together, writing a caption for each. (Under A$30, at home)
• Hold a living room dance class: take turns teaching each other a dance from a video. (Free, at home)
• Play your favourite songs from each year you've known each other and tell the story behind each one. (Free, at home)
• Set up a candlelit dinner at home with a dress code, even if it's just pyjamas with a tie. (Under A$30, at home)
• Do a jigsaw puzzle with a playlist on and a pot of tea, no phones allowed. (Under A$30, at home)
• Write each other a letter, seal them, and agree on a date in a year to open them. (Free, at home)
• Have a homemade pizza competition with secret toppings and a blind taste test. (Under A$30, at home)
• Rearrange one room together and make it feel new, then celebrate with a drink in it. (Free, at home)
• Host a two-person trivia night where every question is about each other. (Free, at home)
• Plant herbs on the balcony or windowsill and name each pot. (Under A$30, at home)
• Recreate your first date at home, down to the food and the outfits. (Under A$30, at home)
• Go through old photos of each other as kids and swap the stories behind them. (Free, at home)
• Book a private chef or a meal kit with a fancy dessert for a restaurant night without leaving home. (Splurge, at home)

Outdoor date ideas

• Pack a picnic and watch the sunset from the highest point near you. (Under A$30, out)
• Take a coastal walk you've never done and stop for a swim halfway. (Free, out)
• Go stargazing away from city lights with a blanket and a stargazing app. (Free, out)
• Ride bikes along a river or bay trail and stop for an ice cream. (Under A$30, out)
• Wake up early for a sunrise walk, then have breakfast somewhere with a view. (Under A$30, out)
• Visit a botanic garden and each pick a favourite plant to look up later. (Free, out)
• Go rock pooling at low tide and see who can spot the most creatures. (Free, out)
• Take a ferry or boat ride somewhere you've never been, just for the trip. (Under A$30, out)
• Hike to a waterfall and bring a thermos of hot chocolate. (Free, out)
• Play a round of mini golf or pitch-and-putt and make a silly bet on it. (Under A$30, out)
• Fly a kite at the beach or in a big park on a windy afternoon. (Under A$30, out)
• Find the nearest lookout and have a takeaway dinner there as the city lights come on. (Under A$30, out)
• Spend an afternoon birdwatching with binoculars and a field guide. (Free, out)
• Paddle a kayak or stand-up paddleboard on calm water. (Splurge, out)
• Walk through a neighbourhood you've never explored and choose a house you'd live in. (Free, out)
• Book a night in a cabin in the bush and leave your phones in the car. (Splurge, out)

Food and drink date ideas

• Do a dumpling crawl: one serve each at three different spots in one evening. (Under A$30, out)
• Visit a farmers' market, buy three things you've never cooked and make dinner with them. (Under A$30, out)
• Bake something from your childhoods: one recipe each, then swap stories while it cools. (Under A$30, at home)
• Have a blind taste test of chocolate, chips or cheese and crown a winner. (Under A$30, at home)
• Book a cooking class together, from pasta to Thai to sushi. (Splurge, out)
• Go out for breakfast somewhere new and order for each other. (Under A$30, out)
• Make your own pasta from scratch, no machine allowed. (Under A$30, at home)
• Try a cuisine neither of you has eaten before. (Under A$30, out)
• Host a dessert-only dinner: three desserts, no mains, no regrets. (Under A$30, at home)
• Do a coffee tour: three cafés in one morning and a scorecard for each. (Under A$30, out)
• Have a homemade cocktail or mocktail night with a menu you design together. (Under A$30, at home)
• Book a degustation dinner for a special occasion and dress up properly. (Splurge, out)
• Make a picnic entirely from one supermarket aisle you'd usually skip. (Under A$30, out)
• Learn to make one dish from each other's family and add it to your rotation. (Free, at home)
• Go to a winery, brewery or cidery for a tasting and a long lunch. (Splurge, out)
• Have a night market dinner and share at least four different dishes. (Under A$30, out)

Creative date ideas

• Paint portraits of each other in twenty minutes, then frame the funniest one. (Under A$30, at home)
• Write a short story together, taking turns to write one sentence at a time. (Free, at home)
• Take a pottery or ceramics class and make something for your home. (Splurge, out)
• Go on a photo walk with one theme, like 'red' or 'circles', then compare your shots. (Free, out)
• Make a playlist for each other with a handwritten note about every song. (Free, at home)
• Try a paint-and-sip class or set up your own at home. (Under A$30, at home)
• Make a scrapbook page about your last trip with tickets, photos and notes. (Under A$30, at home)
• Learn a song together on guitar, ukulele or keyboard, even badly. (Free, at home)
• Write and record a silly radio ad for your relationship. (Free, at home)
• Visit a gallery and each choose the artwork you'd hang at home, then explain why. (Free, out)
• Build something with your hands: a birdhouse, a planter box or a shelf. (Under A$30, at home)
• Make a short film on your phone about a day in your life together. (Free, at home)
• Take a life drawing, calligraphy or flower-arranging class. (Splurge, out)
• Write each other a poem using only words cut out of old magazines. (Free, at home)
• Design your dream home on paper, room by room. (Free, at home)
• Create a love story page with your favourite photos, your song and a letter. (Under A$30, at home)

Adventurous date ideas

• Take a surfing lesson together, even if you spend most of it falling off. (Splurge, out)
• Go indoor rock climbing or bouldering and cheer each other to the top. (Under A$30, out)
• Spin a globe or a map, point, and plan a weekend to the nearest town to your finger. (Free, at home)
• Book a hot air balloon flight at sunrise. (Splurge, out)
• Go snorkelling somewhere with clear, calm water. (Under A$30, out)
• Take a day trip by train to a town you've never visited. (Under A$30, out)
• Do an escape room together and see who keeps calm. (Under A$30, out)
• Try a trampoline park, laser tag or go-karts like you're teenagers. (Under A$30, out)
• Camp under the stars at a campground with no phone signal. (Under A$30, out)
• Take a horse-riding trail ride through the bush. (Splurge, out)
• Say yes to the first three activities you both suggest, one after another. (Free, out)
• Hike a trail that takes at least half a day and celebrate at the top. (Free, out)
• Book a scenic flight, helicopter ride or skydive if you're feeling brave. (Splurge, out)
• Try an abseiling, canyoning or ropes course with a guide. (Splurge, out)
• Go on a mystery drive: one person chooses directions at every turn for an hour. (Free, out)
• Learn to sail on a beginner's course. (Splurge, out)

Cosy and rainy day date ideas

• Have a film marathon of a whole trilogy with homemade popcorn. (Free, at home)
• Read the same book aloud to each other, one chapter each. (Free, at home)
• Make soup from scratch while it rains and eat it with fresh bread. (Under A$30, at home)
• Play board games or cards by candlelight with a scoreboard on the fridge. (Free, at home)
• Have a pamper night with face masks, foot soaks and a calming playlist. (Under A$30, at home)
• Write a bucket list together under a doona. (Free, at home)
• Bake scones or cookies and deliver some to a neighbour. (Under A$30, at home)
• Visit a second-hand bookshop on a rainy afternoon and buy each other a book. (Under A$30, out)
• Listen to an audiobook or podcast series together in one sitting. (Free, at home)
• Do a 'slow morning': no alarms, pancakes and a crossword in bed. (Free, at home)
• Learn to knit or crochet together from online videos. (Under A$30, at home)
• Make hot chocolate from scratch and watch the storm from the window. (Under A$30, at home)
• Go to an old-style cinema for a matinee and share a choc-top. (Under A$30, out)
• Sort through your photos from this year and choose the best twelve. (Free, at home)
• Visit a museum on a rainy day and find the strangest exhibit. (Free, out)
• Book a cosy weekend away with a fireplace and do absolutely nothing. (Splurge, out)

Long distance (virtual) date ideas

• Cook the same recipe at the same time on a video call and eat together. (Under A$30, at home)
• Start a film at exactly the same time and keep the call on for commentary. (Free, at home)
• Order a surprise takeaway dinner to each other's door. (Under A$30, at home)
• Take a virtual museum tour together and pick a favourite piece each. (Free, at home)
• Play an online game together, from word games to co-op video games. (Free, at home)
• Go for a walk at the same time with headphones in, describing what you see. (Free, out)
• Read the same book and hold a two-person book club on your next call. (Under A$30, at home)
• Plan your next visit in detail in a shared document, down to breakfast spots. (Free, at home)
• Send each other a care package with a theme, then open them together on video. (Splurge, at home)
• Do a live quiz about each other and keep score across the month. (Free, at home)
• Stargaze on a call and describe your skies to each other. (Free, out)
• Take the same online class, from a language to a cooking course. (Under A$30, at home)
• Have a 'show and tell' call: each shares three things from their room and the story behind them. (Free, at home)
• Write open-when letters for each other and post them on the same day. (Under A$30, at home)
• Have a virtual dinner date where you both dress up properly. (Free, at home)
• Make a shared playlist and listen to it at the same time while you text. (Free, at home)

Summer and Christmas date ideas in Australia

• Have a Christmas picnic at the beach with prawns, salads and a cricket set. (Under A$30, out)
• Drive around to see the best Christmas lights in your area with a car full of snacks. (Free, out)
• Go to an outdoor carols event with a picnic rug and candles. (Free, out)
• Make a summer pavlova together and decorate it with too much fruit. (Under A$30, at home)
• Swap secret Santa gifts with a five-dollar limit and a funny theme. (Under A$30, at home)
• Go for an early-morning swim on Christmas Eve before the heat sets in. (Free, out)
• See a film at an outdoor cinema on a warm summer night. (Under A$30, out)
• Make a mango or Christmas trifle for the family lunch together. (Under A$30, at home)
• Decorate a small native plant as your Christmas tree. (Under A$30, at home)
• Have a backyard or balcony barbecue for two with fairy lights. (Under A$30, at home)
• Go to a summer night market and buy each other a small gift for under twenty dollars. (Under A$30, out)
• Write each other a Christmas card listing your favourite moments of the year. (Free, at home)
• Spend Boxing Day at the beach or a river with no plans at all. (Free, out)
• Watch the New Year's Eve fireworks from somewhere unusual with a picnic. (Free, out)
• Book a summer getaway between Christmas and New Year to recover from the season. (Splurge, out)
• Bake and decorate gingerbread in the air conditioning and give some away. (Under A$30, at home)

Cheap and free date ideas

Every idea on this page that costs nothing at all (52 of them). Set the wheel to Free to spin just these.

• Build a blanket fort in the lounge room and watch the film you both loved as kids. (Free, at home)
• Hold a living room dance class: take turns teaching each other a dance from a video. (Free, at home)
• Play your favourite songs from each year you've known each other and tell the story behind each one. (Free, at home)
• Write each other a letter, seal them, and agree on a date in a year to open them. (Free, at home)
• Rearrange one room together and make it feel new, then celebrate with a drink in it. (Free, at home)
• Host a two-person trivia night where every question is about each other. (Free, at home)
• Go through old photos of each other as kids and swap the stories behind them. (Free, at home)
• Take a coastal walk you've never done and stop for a swim halfway. (Free, out)
• Go stargazing away from city lights with a blanket and a stargazing app. (Free, out)
• Visit a botanic garden and each pick a favourite plant to look up later. (Free, out)
• Go rock pooling at low tide and see who can spot the most creatures. (Free, out)
• Hike to a waterfall and bring a thermos of hot chocolate. (Free, out)
• Spend an afternoon birdwatching with binoculars and a field guide. (Free, out)
• Walk through a neighbourhood you've never explored and choose a house you'd live in. (Free, out)
• Learn to make one dish from each other's family and add it to your rotation. (Free, at home)
• Write a short story together, taking turns to write one sentence at a time. (Free, at home)
• Go on a photo walk with one theme, like 'red' or 'circles', then compare your shots. (Free, out)
• Make a playlist for each other with a handwritten note about every song. (Free, at home)
• Learn a song together on guitar, ukulele or keyboard, even badly. (Free, at home)
• Write and record a silly radio ad for your relationship. (Free, at home)
• Visit a gallery and each choose the artwork you'd hang at home, then explain why. (Free, out)
• Make a short film on your phone about a day in your life together. (Free, at home)
• Write each other a poem using only words cut out of old magazines. (Free, at home)
• Design your dream home on paper, room by room. (Free, at home)
• Spin a globe or a map, point, and plan a weekend to the nearest town to your finger. (Free, at home)
• Say yes to the first three activities you both suggest, one after another. (Free, out)
• Hike a trail that takes at least half a day and celebrate at the top. (Free, out)
• Go on a mystery drive: one person chooses directions at every turn for an hour. (Free, out)
• Have a film marathon of a whole trilogy with homemade popcorn. (Free, at home)
• Read the same book aloud to each other, one chapter each. (Free, at home)
• Play board games or cards by candlelight with a scoreboard on the fridge. (Free, at home)
• Write a bucket list together under a doona. (Free, at home)
• Listen to an audiobook or podcast series together in one sitting. (Free, at home)
• Do a 'slow morning': no alarms, pancakes and a crossword in bed. (Free, at home)
• Sort through your photos from this year and choose the best twelve. (Free, at home)
• Visit a museum on a rainy day and find the strangest exhibit. (Free, out)
• Start a film at exactly the same time and keep the call on for commentary. (Free, at home)
• Take a virtual museum tour together and pick a favourite piece each. (Free, at home)
• Play an online game together, from word games to co-op video games. (Free, at home)
• Go for a walk at the same time with headphones in, describing what you see. (Free, out)
• Plan your next visit in detail in a shared document, down to breakfast spots. (Free, at home)
• Do a live quiz about each other and keep score across the month. (Free, at home)
• Stargaze on a call and describe your skies to each other. (Free, out)
• Have a 'show and tell' call: each shares three things from their room and the story behind them. (Free, at home)
• Have a virtual dinner date where you both dress up properly. (Free, at home)
• Make a shared playlist and listen to it at the same time while you text. (Free, at home)
• Drive around to see the best Christmas lights in your area with a car full of snacks. (Free, out)
• Go to an outdoor carols event with a picnic rug and candles. (Free, out)
• Go for an early-morning swim on Christmas Eve before the heat sets in. (Free, out)
• Write each other a Christmas card listing your favourite moments of the year. (Free, at home)
• Spend Boxing Day at the beach or a river with no plans at all. (Free, out)
• Watch the New Year's Eve fireworks from somewhere unusual with a picnic. (Free, out)