40 last minute date ideas

Plans fall through or suddenly want to go on a date with your honey? These last minute date ideas need no prep, fancy equipment, or bookings!

We’ve all been in a situation where we’ve needed a last minute date idea. Maybe our original plans fell through and we needed something else quickly. Or maybe you decided that a weeknight date was just what the day ordered.

These last minute date ideas are divided into two categories: last minute dates you can do at home and last minute dates for out of the house.

The key criteria for inclusion is that they require no prep OR they have prep anyone should be able to do (no hiking boots needed for example and no bookings).

And remember – what makes a date a date is the decision to spend intentional time together.

Part of the bonding comes from experiencing new things, so don’t worry too much about crafting the “perfect” date experience – just try something different.

What’s more – bad dates make the best stories, so you can’t go wrong!

Last minute date ideas at home

Want a stay at home date idea? Try these.

• Make a cooked breakfast and eat it alfresco, like you’re at your favorite café. Or simply head back to bed!

• Try making a fun meal together. Depending on what you have at home, you could try date night dinners for two or easy romantic desserts.

• Play Would you rather.

• Play Never have I ever.

• Find a live concert of your favorite singer or band on You Tube and watch it.

• Whip up some s’mores. You could even try difference recipes (here’s some for you) and have a contest.

• Grab a blanket, lie outside and look at the stars.

• Create playlists for special occasions. These could include road trips, house cleaning, “bed” time…

• Watch your favorite sports game. Make it a little less “collapse on the couch” and a little more fun by placing some prop bets. Consider ones like first team to score, half time score, final score, number of penalties and more. Turn it X rated by the winner making a special request.

• An alternative to the above it to make your own commentary bingo. We watch a LOT of cricket (to say my husband is obsessed is an understatement), and some commentators have stock phrases that get hauled out on the regular. Write these phrases down and have a contest to see who’s the first to hear them all. Loser makes popcorn.

• Give an Indian head massage. This video is a little cheesy but the instructions are easy to follow and my husband absolutely loves this when I do it to him.

• Have a themed movie marathon. You could pick actors, series, Oscar winners, or decades. Right now, we’re about 1/3rd of the way through the James Bond movies.

• Play a board game. These date night games are lots of fun

• Snow season? Make a snowman in your front yard.

• Watch a subtitled movie – without the subtitles – and make up the dialogue.

• Make homemade pizza.

• Plan your dream vacation together. Research the destination, and then search for travel guides for must see attractions and places to eat. You could go to the next level and create a budget to make it happen.

• Go through your photos on your phone together and select some to have printed. In another date, you could create a photo album.

• Work on your goals together.

• Head back to bed with your latest binge-worthy series ready to go and snacks on hand for a stay in bed day.

• Make some fun bets and see who’s the winner

You might also like: 25 super relaxing date ideas.

Last minute date ideas out and about

Going stir crazy? Try these last minute date ideas that will get you out of the house.

• Jump in the car and go on a road trip. Worry less about the destination that the experience. Put on your favorite playlist and belt out those tunes (though if you arrive at a small town, I suggest you check out these small town date ideas).

• Go fruit picking at your nearest pick your own place.

• Visit open homes or show homes in an area you’d love to live… or get nosy about your neighborhood. I always find this a fun and inspirational experience.

• Go to a local cemetery and look for interesting epitaphs. You might even be able to find out more about the person with our good friend Google. My husband and I also like to check out the inscriptions on bench seats. We once spent a whole afternoon in our RV researching the wealthy family whose patriarch had a bench we discovered on our wanderings that was dedicated to him.

• Play bingo – your style. Make a list of things you could see on your trip into town, and then hunt them out together or make it into a competition. Celebrate with a coffee.

• If you don’t have everything you need at home for a picnic, simply select a few snacks and some drinks, grab the books you’re currently reading and a blanket, and head somewhere nice to read together.

• Head to your local café and try a drink you haven’t had before.

You might also like: Quick date ideas that take 30 minutes or less.

• Find a recipes you’d like to make together, then head out to town to purchase the ingredients. Once you get home, have fun making it! Alternatively, head to a specialty grocery store and find an ingredient you’ve never heard of. Quickly Google what you can make with it, and get the rest of what you need.

• Check out your local museum or art gallery.

• Go play a game of pool.

• Do this easy date night at the library activity.

• Have a mini golf challenge.

• Head to the local botanical gardens.

• Find the perfect viewing spot and watch the sun go down together.

• Lazing at the beach is always a fun last minute date idea. If the weather’s not that great, a walk along the shoreline is romance all the way.

• Go to the movies. This used to be the stock standard date night, but now we have so many options at home, it seems we hardly ever go see a new film.

• If it’s Fall, go for a Fall foliage drive.

• Test drive that car you’ve always wanted.

• Bring out your inner photographer. Make a list of pics to take on your date (a building, birds, a couple in love) and so on, then head into town and start snapping. Compare your shots over ice cream.

• Search “events in” your town on Facebook, pick something you like the sound of, and go!

A date doesn’t take months of planning to be a fun filled, novel experience! Try these last minute date ideas the next time you want to have some intentional time with your loved one.

Enjoyed these date ideas and want more? Try these date ideas for couples.