Before you know it, Valentine’s Day will be here. While it’s great to make sure your significant other or partner knows how much you love them, planning an exciting experience or activity on February 14 is a great way to truly show how you feel beyond the standard chocolates and flowers. Traditional things to do on Valentine’s Day, like planning a romantic fancy dinner where you had your first date or enjoying a movie marathon, are always great ideas. But after a few years you have to keep it fresh — and most importantly fun! That’s where this list comes in handy.
Get creative this February and pull some inspiration from these Valentine’s Day activities that make for creative and unique experiences your loved ones will appreciate. Better yet, many of these Valentine’s Day ideas are great if you’re looking for low-budget options. Whether you want something super romantic or you’d prefer to break a sweat and get outdoors, here are exciting activities that will make this upcoming Valentine’s Day absolutely one-of-a-kind. Even Cupid will be jealous of your plans!
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The perfect date for bookworms. Spend the day exploring new reads together, grabbing a cup of coffee in a local cafe and then enjoying all the new books you bought. In tune with the day dedicated to love, check out our favorite romance picks we think should be at the top of your list!
RELATED: 24 Best Romance Novels of All Time to Get You in the Mood
Sign Up for a Cocktail-Making Class
Why go to a bar to grab drinks when you can take a cocktail class to learn how to make your favorites yourselves? Use it as a chance to show off your skills and at the end, you get to enjoy all your tasty creations — win, win!
RELATED: 30 Classic Cocktails That You Can Easily Make Whenever
Calling all foodies. Have some fun with food by making cheese or chocolate fondue and see what combos pair perfectly with whatever you serve up.
RELATED: 8 Best Fondue Pots for Cooking
If the weather is nice enough, take advantage of the fresh air and gorgeous scenery as you bike alongside your significant other. Perhaps you can grab brunch together after logging some miles on the open road?
Take off from work and spend the day sleeping in, cooking breakfast together and doing pretty much whatever you want together — even if all you want to do is lay in bed all day and enjoy some R&R.
If you and your partner (or friends!) enjoy getting your sweat on, go to the gym or on a run together. You can even sign up for a class together and then go get coffee after.
Sure, Valentine’s Day is a great day to conquer some of the items on your bucket list, but what about the other days of the year? Spend the 14th dedicated to creating a list of things you and your significant other want to do the other 364 days of the year (and perhaps a plan to accomplish at least a few of them).
RELATED: Our 31-Day Get It Done Challenge Will Organize Your Life
Have a favorite song that you both love? Obsessed with the same band? A concert is a perfect place to enjoy some great music and quality time with your Valentine.
Spend the day giving back. Help paint local murals at schools, serve meals in a soup kitchen, pick up trash at the local park or commit to doing some other activity that helps give back to your community in some way.
Bundle up and get those endorphins flowing with a trip to the sledding hill. Break out the old toboggan if you’ve got one or head to a tubing place that pulls you back up if you don’t want to hike to the top each time. Bonus: You can’t share a sled without cuddling.
Have a Valentine’s Bake-off
In true Great British Baking Show fashion, have a friendly competition in the kitchen to see who can make the best (and most festive) Valentine’s Day desserts — extra points for anything heart-shaped, of course. Maybe you’ll even get a Paul Hollywood-style handshake at the end.
The only thing more fun than thrifting or antiquing is doing with it your main squeeze. Challenge each other to find the zaniest, most unique item or create whole new looks for each other. You’ll definitely make some memories, even if you don’t find treasures.
Sing Your Heart Out With Karaoke
Look at your own city or town with fresh eyes by getting out and exploring it like tourists. Wander the main street and check out kitschy shops, check out local landmarks or just take a meandering walk through an area you don’t usually explore to gain a fresh perspective and some quality time.
Order Off the Dollar Menu
Who says you need to spend a ton of money to have a great time? Indulge your fast food cravings and order off the dollar menu. For less than $10 each, you’ll have a night of food and laughs, and you’ll feel great knowing you can put your cash towards something else you both want in the future.
Enjoy Breakfast in Bed
Put together a road trip-worthy playlist and hit the pavement, even just for a spin around town. There’s something about driving that gets conversation flowing, especially if you’re just tooling around looking out the window.
Get your blood moving to heat things up in a more, shall we say, wholesome way. Take a scenic hike together and enjoy all the beautiful sights and the fresh air. It’ll strengthen your bond while getting some much-needed time away from your devices, too.
For those with a competitive streak (or who just like some good, old-fashioned fun), an exciting night of board games will make Valentine’s Day memorable. Up the ante will a friendly wager or two.
Get creative and enjoy a special Valentine’s Day craft night complete with your favorite beverages, snacks and plenty of fun. You can make each other a DIY Valentine’s Day gift, or even compete to see who can make the most creative craft!
Recreate Your Favorite Date
Take a trip down memory lane by recreating your favorite date, whether that’s the first time you went out together or the one where you really fell for each other. If you can’t go to the same restaurant or location, get creative by cooking up the same meal at home.
They say that the way to a person’s heart is through their stomach, so test that theory by spending quality time preparing a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner together. You can even try out a virtual cooking class — it’s a great way to ditch the traditional dinner date for something more hands-on.
Rent a Cozy Cabin in the Woods
Really lean into sweater weather and escape into the wilderness, where you can relax by the fire and enjoy some hot chocolate. Get outside for some natural wonder while you’re there.
The winter weather doesn’t have to stop you from planning the most romantic date of all — a picnic meal. Break out a checkered tablecloth and your best Valentine’s Day recipes for a sweet indoor picnic date your sweetheart won’t forget.
Take a Dance Lesson Together
Skip the traditional dinner and get on your feet for a dance lesson with your partner. Dancing cheek-t0-cheek will create sweet memories and get you ready for the next time you’re at an event with a lively dance floor.
Share a Romantic Night Under the Stars
You can go camping, or just set up for a few hours at night in a location where the stars are visible. If it’s too cold to brave the actual night sky, get a similar experience at a nearby planetarium.
Get a dose of culture by heading to a nearby art, history or science museum. If you don’t live near any, some offer virtual tours online — a unique way to learn something new with your partner. It’ll definitely spark some fresh and interesting conversation.
If you’d rather be making your own masterpiece, channel your inner Bob Ross and take up a paint brush. Follow along with YouTube videos at home if you’re a beginner, or take a Paint and Sip class for some IRL guided instruction.
Spend the Night in a Fancy Hotel Room
Even if you don’t leave your hometown, a staycation at a fancy hotel can feel like another world. Check into somewhere swank, change into a plush bathrobe and don’t forget to order up some room service. Whether you luxuriate with a partner, your BFF or fly solo, definitely don’t forget breakfast in bed the next morning.
Visit a Conservatory or Botanical Garden
Go beyond the traditional red roses this year and give your loved one around a whole garden of beautiful flowers. It’ll make for a great photo op and you’ll get a romantic nature walk with your sweetheart out of the deal. It’s also a nice dose of nature for those who live in colder climates.
Have a Wine and Cheese Night
Pop open your favorite bottle of wine and pair it with a delectable homemade charcuterie board. Don’t forget the crusty bread, artisanal cheeses, cured meats and puckery olives to round it all out.
Book an at-Home Massage
Take your inner child out to play with a night full of street-racing games and Skee-ball at your local arcade. Win your significant other’s heart the old-fashioned way by earning them a cute and kitschy prize as a Valentine’s keepsake.
Stretch It Out at Yoga
Enjoy some relaxing time together by stretching it out and centering your mind. For those who want to get the good vibes going, couples yoga can help you feel even more connected with each other. Try a yoga video at home if you don’t have a studio you like.
Listen to Music Together
As we all saw in one of the most romantic movies ever — La La Land — there’s nothing that brings two people together quite like music. If you feel like going all out, you can even try recreating a jazz club date at home: Just dress to the nines, grab a drink, put on some tunes and embrace your inner hep cat.
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