Good winter date ideas balance cozy and active: ice skating at a rink, a walk to see holiday lights, a hot cocoa crawl, a snowshoe trail or a soup and puzzle night at home. Here are 30 indoor and outdoor ideas for the cold months and the holiday season, plus simple cold-weather safety tips from trusted sources.
Outdoor winter dates
Ice skating at an indoor or outdoor rink.
Sledding at a local hill, then hot drinks.
Snowshoeing or a winter hike on a groomed trail.
A snow sculpture contest in the yard or park.
A walk or drive through a neighborhood holiday lights display.
A winter or holiday market.
A beginner cross-country ski lesson.
A winter bird-watching walk with a thermos.
A photo walk after a fresh snowfall.
Stargazing on a clear, cold night, well bundled up.
Indoor outings
A hot cocoa crawl at two or three cafés.
A museum, aquarium or planetarium afternoon.
A beginner session at a climbing or bouldering gym.
Bowling or roller skating.
A pottery, cooking or painting class.
A library or bookstore afternoon.
Live theater, a concert or a seasonal show.
A botanical garden greenhouse for a dose of green.
Cozy at home
Fondue or soup night.
Bake and decorate cookies.
A movie marathon in a blanket fort.
Learn a new card game.
Plan a summer trip together.
An indoor picnic or "campout" in the living room.
Holiday-season dates, whatever you celebrate
Volunteer at a food bank or gift drive.
Make handmade gifts or cards together.
Go to a choir performance or seasonal concert.
Cook a traditional dish from each of your families.
Write year-end letters to each other, or start a time capsule.
Have a New Year reflection night: share your highs, lows and hopes for the year ahead.
Need more nights in? Our sister site has a list of date ideas at home.
This is general information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.
Check the wind chill, not just the temperature. The National Weather Service explains that wind makes it feel much colder. At 0°F with a 15 mph wind, the wind chill is minus 19°F, and at that wind chill exposed skin can freeze in 30 minutes.
Dress in layers. The CDC recommends several loose layers, a water-resistant coat and boots, a hat, a scarf or knit mask, and mittens or gloves.
Stay dry. The CDC notes that hypothermia can happen even above 40°F if you get chilled by rain, sweat or cold water. Change out of wet clothes quickly.
Go easy on alcohol. The CDC lists drinking alcohol and using drugs among the things that raise the risk of hypothermia.
Know the warning signs. The CDC lists these signs of hypothermia in adults: shivering, exhaustion, confusion, fumbling hands, memory loss, slurred speech and drowsiness. Redness or pain in any skin area may be the first sign of frostbite. Other signs include white or grayish-yellow skin, skin that feels unusually firm or waxy, and numbness.
When to get help. The CDC calls hypothermia a medical emergency. If a person's temperature is below 95°F, get medical attention right away, and seek medical care for suspected frostbite. If someone is unconscious or seems to have no pulse or breathing, call 911.
Skate where the ice is managed. A rink is the simplest choice. For natural ice, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says to stay off new, clear ice that is under 4 inches thick, and gives 4 inches as its guideline for activities on foot. White or snow ice is only about half as strong, so it says to double that. It also notes that ice is seldom the same thickness across a single body of water. When in doubt, stay off.
Driving to your date? Our sister site has a car emergency kit checklist with winter add-ons.
Pair outdoor with indoor. Sled for an hour, then warm up at a café.
Plan around daylight. Winter days are short, so put outdoor time in the middle of the day.
Have a weather backup. If the wind chill is harsh, move the date indoors.
Keep the holidays low pressure. The season gets busy. A simple plan beats an elaborate one, and not everyone celebrates the same holidays, so ask.
Mind the budget. Lights walks, sledding and stargazing are free.
Example winter Saturday date:
12:00 pm: Skate at a local rink for an hour.
1:30 pm: Hot cocoa at a café to warm up.
3:00 pm: Head home for soup and a jigsaw puzzle.
5:30 pm: Walk to see holiday lights once it's dark.
Ice skating, a holiday lights walk, baking cookies together and a blanket fort movie night are easy favorites.
Try a museum, a climbing gym, bowling, a pottery class or a cozy cooking night at home.
Check the wind chill, keep outdoor time short and plan a warm indoor stop. On bitterly cold days, pick an indoor date.
It can be. It's playful, and wobbling around gives you something to laugh about together. Choose a rink, rent skates and plan a warm drink afterward.
SecondYes: Second Date Planner is an iPhone app for adults who have already met and want to plan a date together; it is not a dating app. Its Plan a Date flow builds three different plans from your mood, budget, area and availability, and Calendar Fit suggests free times by reading only event start and end times, on your device. You can share up to three plans in one private link that the other person opens in a web browser without installing the app.
Get SecondYes free on the App Store