Rainy Day Date Ideas

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Why rainy days make great dates

When it pours, plans fall through and the evening often ends on the sofa, scrolling. But rainy days have something sunny days don't: nobody expects anything from you. It's the perfect excuse to try something new.

Here are 30 ideas for indoors and out. Save your favourites now, so the next time it rains you're ready.

Cosy at home

• 1.Bake something from your childhoodCinnamon rolls, cookies or your grandma's marble cake – the kitchen smells of it all evening.
• 2.Blanket fort cinemaCushions, fairy lights and two films neither of you has seen. In October: Halloween movie nights.
• 3.Cook a random country's foodSpin a globe or draw a country from a hat, find a recipe, shop together and cook.
• 4.Board game tournamentThree games, scores on a notepad, chocolate for the winner.
• 5.Puzzle plus podcastA big puzzle on the table and a gripping mystery podcast in the background.
• 6.Spa afternoonA bath or a foot soak, face masks, tea and a good book.
• 7.Finally make that photo albumPrint the photos from your last trip, stick them in and write the stories next to them.
• 8.Fondue nightSit for ages, eat slowly, talk a lot. More for cold days: Winter for two.

Out, but indoors

• 9.One room in a museumSee just one room, properly. Each of you picks a favourite piece and explains why.
• 10.An afternoon matineeThe 3 pm screening is almost empty. You'll have the cinema to yourselves.
• 11.Thermal baths or a saunaRain drumming outside, warm water inside. A rainy day doesn't get any better.
• 12.Bouldering gymTwo hours of climbing, cheering each other on, then sharing the sore arms.
• 13.Evening cooking classLearn something and take home a recipe you'll actually make again.
• 14.Bowling or indoor mini golfRetro, loud and fun – especially if you're both terrible.
• 15.A long café afternoonNewspapers, cake and a window seat looking out over the wet streets.
• 16.An escape roomSixty minutes of teamwork. You'll learn a lot about how you solve problems together.

Outside anyway

• 17.A walk under one umbrellaOne umbrella for two, empty streets and shining puddles.
• 18.The forest in the rainA good jacket, sturdy shoes. The forest never smells better, and you'll have it to yourselves.
• 19.Rainy photo walkReflections in puddles, drops on windows, neon signs on wet tarmac.
• 20.A run in the drizzleOne short loop, then a hot shower and hot chocolate.
• 21.Puddle jumpingFind the biggest puddles around and jump in like you're eight.
• 22.A market under the awningsFewer crowds, more time to taste – then cook whatever you found.
• 23.Watch a storm roll inA safe spot with a view, a blanket, and counting the seconds between lightning and thunder.

Get creative

• 24.Paint one picture togetherA canvas, cheap paints, and you swap the brush every five minutes.
• 25.A song or poem about the two of youNobody else ever has to hear it.
• 26.Paint-your-own pottery caféDecorate a pair of mugs: your official rainy day mugs from now on.
• 27.A one-hour short filmScript on a napkin, an hour of filming, premiere after dinner.
• 28.Plan next summerA map on the table, ideas on sticky notes, the best ones onto your shared list.
• 29.Write lettersTo friends, to grandparents or to each other. With a stamp.
• 30.Invent a recipeThree things from the fridge, a name for the dish and honest ratings afterwards.

Make the next rainy day a planned one

The hardest part of a rainy day is that nothing comes to mind on the spot. So add two or three indoor ideas to your shared list now – next time it pours, one glance is enough.

Looking for ideas for every season? Try our 100 bucket list ideas for couples or these date ideas.

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