Rainy day date ideas for couples

Plans ruined because of the rain? Or searching for some rainy day activities for couples? Whether they’re at home or out and about, these rainy day date ideas will have you praying for rain!

Regardless of whether you’re committed to a regular date night, or if you’re just getting started with making this a fun part of your relationship, you’ll know that rain can put a figurative as well as literal dampener on your plans.

Coming up with ideas for dates that both you and your husband will like is challenging when the weather is less than pleasant – no beach dates on the horizon for you.

But stress no more, because whether you’re looking for date ideas for rainy days – be they things to do at home, fun activities, or romantic as all get out – there’s plenty of ideas here.

Simply select which one of these rainy day dates appeals to you the most.

Rainy day date ideas at home

It’s a natural instinct, I think, to nestle in and protect yourself from the elements when it’s wet and stormy outside.

My husband and love to shut the shutters, put the gas fire on (season dependent of course!) and snuggle up together on the couch for a serious Netflix binge or two.

And while that’s a fun way to spend the day or night (or both), for most of us that’s not anything unusual.

To get the most out of date night, you need something with a little bit of novelty to it.

That’s because doing new things together actually brings back these feelings of romantic love you may have lost in the busyness of life (source).

Things to do at home on a rainy day include:

Create your own game

Turn your rainy day date into a challenge to invent your own game.

My son’s girlfriend recently entertained us on a road trip with a game she made up – but it would be equally as fun played as part of a rainy day date. She called it Abtract. 

The rules of Abtract is that you start with a word. The word cannot contain the letter S.

The next player has to say a word that is connected to that word in some way, though they don’t have to explain how.

For example, my first word might be dog.

Ben could say walking.

I could then say exercise – but if I did I would be out because exercise has an S in it.

Instead I might say watch. Ben might challenge me then, but I could explain that my watch tracks my walking.

And if you haven’t guessed, Abtract is ABSTRACT without the S.

Making up fun word games like this is pretty easy especially if you use things like forbidden or must-use letters.

Once you’ve created the game, have fun playing it and then decide who had the best game of the two of you.

Play card or board games

If creating your own game doesn’t appeal as a rainy day activity, there’s heaps of card or board games that two people can play that are guaranteed to give you hours of fun.

After spending many all-nighters as a teen playing gin rummy, I love to recapture those days. Sadly in over ten years, I don’t think I’ve got Ben’s hands on a pack of cards once.

Ben, if you’re reading this, maybe it’s time to change that!

Create a memory box or scrapbook

This rainy day date idea takes a bit of preparation, so it’s best to have the supplies ready to go for the next time it’s wet outside.

If you’re like me, even if all your photos are digital, you’ve got a slew of memorabilia marking your time together. Maybe it’s scrawled notes, birthday cards, or tickets from that U2 concert you went to back in 2019. Now it’s time to put that together into a couple’s keepsake box or scrapbook.

Alternatively, you can have a couple’s journal ready to get started.

If you are going to buy something, make sure you check out the type of questions they ask by reading the reviews (one popular one, for example, asks questions about ex lovers and other things that are more likely to make couples fight than feel close).

Make dessert together

For this rainy day couple’s activity each of you is to choose one of these easy romantic desserts for couples.

Make a road trip to the supermarket and stock up on the necessary ingredients.

 Now head back home and make a competition of it – who can whip up the tastiest dessert treat?

Put a prize on the winner – I’m always a fan of things like winner gets to pick the position. Then it’s a win/win for you both!

Watch a movie

An oldie but a goodie is to sit down and watch a movie together. Make some treats to snack on (or eat that dessert you made earlier).

Here’s date night movies you both will love.

You can also watch your favorite movie from when you were a kid or teen – that will help you both get some insight into each other’s past.

Romantic rainy day ideas

Ah, romance.

It makes you feel all warm and gooey inside. There’s a feeling of connection and contentment, of happiness and bliss.

Romantic memories are lodged into our couple’s memory banks where we take them out and reflect on them over and over again.

If you’d like your rainy day date to have a touch of romance, then here’s ten “going out” rainy day activities you can do that are made better by bad weather.

Relax in some hot pools

Hot pools, particularly if they are natural hot pools, are my favorite relaxing places to be.

Add in the rain and you have another experience altogether.

The parts of your body that are submerged are warm and relaxed.

Then there’s the chill in the air and the feeling of rain on your face that creates a contrast that has to be experienced to be understood.

The added advantage of selecting hot pools as your rainy date date idea is that the pools are likely to be a lot quieter than on a typical sunny day, thus giving you much more privacy and intimacy.

Just don’t break any laws.

Go out for dinner

Now bear in mind, I’m not talking about going out for any old dinner here. 

I’m talking about a nice restaurant, one where you need to dress up a little.

Make a reservation and ask for a seat by the window.

There’s something super romantic about dining together while the rain pelts the glass, and you can watch the passersby scurry past while you are warm and dry.

Night swimming

This rainy day date idea is another version of the hot pools theme, though for this one, unless you have access to a heated pool, is best reserved for a summer activity and a light sprinkling of rain, as opposed to the middle of winter and a torrential downpour.

We’re after romance here, not a trip to the ER with pneumonia.

Slip into your bathing suit – or depending on where you are, take the risk and go naked (again, without breaking any laws here people) – and swim in the rain.

Just remember, if you’re at the beach, or anywhere else where there could be a risk of drowning, be safe and careful and stick together.

Go to a museum or art gallery

This is a fairly common suggestion for rainy day dates, but you can make it more personalized to you by your choice of museum and or art gallery.

For example, you can find restored farmsteads, military museums, floral art museums and more – just a quick Google search will throw up a huge range of options. You’re bound to find something that will pique your interest.

(No surprise that we often end up in cricket museums).

My advice also is to try things that are a little different – that’s how we grow, by exposing ourselves to new things, and it creates that all important novelty factor that I talked about earlier.

Go for a hike

If you have suitable wet weather gear, then a hike can be a romantic experience, even in the rain!

Pick a hiking destination that will be enhanced, not detracted from, by the poor weather. 

So instead of thinking climbing to a mountain top, for example, I’m thinking a small cave or waterfall.

Like the hot pools example I gave above, another benefit to hiking in the rain is that there will be less people to contend with, making for a truly romantic rainy day date.

Go out for hot chocolate

If being warm and cozy inside when it’s wet outside is one of life’s simple pleasures, then adding in a hot chocolate to this experience is the figurative cherry on top.

If you know of a place which happens to have a fireplace as well, then get yourself all over it.

Cuddle up on the couches next to each other, look at the fire and sip that chocolately goodness.

Have your palms read

Another unique and romantic rainy day date idea can be to go and have your palms read, or alternatively a Tarot card reading.

The wet weather can help to add to the atmosphere – just remember not to take anything too seriously. Unless it’s good, and then it’s Gospel.

Try cheese making

A small town not far from here is famous for its local cheeses – and the best thing? You can actually take cheese-making lessons!

The fun thing about this experience is that you can developing your skills in working together, taste the fruits of your labors when you’re done, and you potentially discover a new hobby.

Don’t like cheese?

Taking a cooking lesson can also be another rainy day date idea.

Visit a chocolate factory

You can go from the savory to the sweet by indulging yourself with some chocolate.

Many chocolate factories have tours where you can not only see how the chocolate is made but try out samples.

We did this on a recent vacation and bought a couple of boxes. Now we visit the website and order the same treat as a fun way of remembering the special time we had.

After visiting the chocolate factory you could get a taste of nostalgia and watch Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

If you’re not a fan of chocolate then do a search for other food factory areas in your town for a unique rainy day date idea.

Have a couple’s massage

This is another oldie but goodie. If you or your husband speaks physical touch as your main love language, then this luxury rainy day date idea will be a hit.

Our favorite couple’s massage spa actually has natural hot pools as well. It’s on the pricier side, so more of an annual birthday treat than a regular occurrence, but we love nothing more than relaxing in the pools first and then getting a quality massage.

Kiss in the rain

There is something incredibly romantic about kissing in the rain.

My theory about this is that it demonstrates the power of the kiss.

It’s pouring. Your hair is limp and sending rivulets of water down your face. But you don’t care about that. All you’re thinking about is how his lips are joined with yours.

Channel the power of the kiss on your next rainy date date – with a twist.

Before you leave the comfort of your warm and dry home, watch these Top 10 kissing in the rain scenes.

Once, you’ve watched, make a list of five romantic spots you know of around your local area.

Challenge each other to go to each of these scenes and kiss in the rain.

When you’re done, drive home, get in a hot shower together, and finish what you started.

Fun rainy day dates

In a culture where being stressed and busy are seen as ways of life, fun can get left behind.

Think about it – when was the last time you really lost yourself in the moment? The last time you laughed so hard you almost cried?

There are plenty of places to go on a rainy day for adults that make for some fun rainy day date ideas where you can let that side of you live.

Go bowling or play mini golf

A little bit of competition can be healthy in a relationship. 

Most towns will have an indoor mini golf course or bowling alley. 

If you are hopelessly mismatched in terms of physical ability then consider negotiating a handicap before you begin in order to make the game more competitive (a requirement in our relationship) OR keep your scores from one game to the next so you can try beat your previous top score.

This is the kind of rainy day date which is perfect for the two of you AND can be heaps of fun with the addition of couple friends, so if you’re in the mood for a double date, then invite them along.

You might also like: 75 double date ideas.

Have a great escape

I think escape rooms are one of the best fun rainy day date ideas out. They are perfect for couples because successfully escaping the room requires communication and team work (and the ability to not lose your rag when they don’t listen to your suggestions).

If you’ve never done an escape room before, basically you enter a room (well, typically a series of rooms) which has a theme. I’ve done ones before, for example, which had a ranching theme, an old abandoned house theme and so on. 

Your goal is to escape the room within the time period set (usually one hour).

Often you begin by finding the first clue which is deceptively easy. Lulled by this false sense of security, you search for the clue that hints to and so on and so on until you escape.

If you’re super stuck you can ask for help through an intercom system and they will give you some hints. Much to my shame I have never completed an escape room without needing several. There is always a next time.

Splash in puddles

Do you remember when you were a child and you’d put on your raincoat and rubber boots and splash in every puddle you could find?

Do you remember how much fun it was as your feet hit the water, the splash rose around you in hundreds of tiny drops and the shriek left your lips?

Channel that inner child, get dressed appropriately and go out there and jump in every puddle you can find!

Try geocaching

If you ever dreamed of finding a hidden treasure when you were a child, or were fascinated by scavenger hunts, then you will love geocaching.

With geocaching you download the Geocaching app, and navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates. You then attempt to find the geocache located there.

Geocaches can be found in buildings or in nature… and they are everywhere! It’s estimated there are over three million geocaches in the world so you can be fairly confident there will be one near you.

To increase your chances of successfully locating a geocache, here’s a list of essential equipment.

Go on a library scavenger hunt

If you like the sound of geocaching, but it sounds a little scary or complex and you don’t have time to get the equipment, then you can do a scavenger hunt in your local library!

Check out Date night at the library for instructions on the tasks to complete that have been specifically designed to help you learn more about each other.

If you prefer, you can adapt this rainy day date idea to the bookstore.

Go on a road trip

Get in the car with your honey and go for a drive with no specific destination in mind. 

There’s something soothing and hypnotic about being in the car when it’s pouring with rain. It’s like it’s just you and your man and no one else in the world!

Up your road trip entertainment by asking these fun questions for couples.

Shopping trip

Shopping can be a fun source of entertainment, especially when you make a game of it.

Give each other a set amount of money and set a challenge to buy a specific gift.

Maybe it’s something that’s related to the first time you met, or to your wedding, or to an experience or dream you have.

Give yourself a time limit as well and see what you can come up with.

Check out a casino

I am not a big fan of gambling – I know it can cause huge problems in individuals and families.

However if you have no problem with addiction, then going to a casino can be a lot of fun.

Ben and I stayed at the Crown Towers in Melbourne, Australia on our honeymoon. The casino is attached to the hotel, so one night we went down with a strict budget of $20 each. About two hours later we left, me with $30 and Ben with his $20, so it ended up being a fun night’s entertainment that cost us nothing.

Attend a house auction

Have you ever watched those home makeover shows where they have a live auction at the end?

Get yourself some free entertainment by finding your own home auction to attend.

Just don’t end up buying a new home by mistake.

Go local

Do you get a local newspaper or belong to a local Facebook group?

If so, have you ever taken the time to look and see exactly what is on offer in your community? I love to read the “What’s happening” section of our weekly paper, and it amazes me how many fun and diverse things are happening even in our small corner of the world.

Have a look at what’s on offer and challenge each other to attend something that interests you. Even going to a farmer’s market can be a fun thing to do in the rain.

Summing up these rainy day date ideas

When it’s raining, it can be tempting to hole up inside and do nothing – but believe me, you’d be missing out if you did.

There’s so many fun things you can do when it’s raining – romantic things too – and you don’t even have to leave your home to do them if you don’t want to.

The next time it’s raining, check out this list of rainy day date ideas and have yourself a great time.

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