13 Couples Art Activities That Are Better Than a Dinner Date
There’s nothing wrong with a dinner date. In fact, I really enjoy a nice trip to a restaurant where I eat food that someone else cooked on dishes that someone else will wash. But these couples art activities are great for when you want to try something new.
Full disclosure: My husband and I aren’t fine artists. So if you want a full-on boho art experience complete with hipsters in loft apartments and whatnot, this ain’t it.
But if you like to use art supplies and spend time with the person you love, these couples art activities are way better than those couples painting night events they have at bars. Though, getting a couples painting kit and bringing it home would definitely be fun.
Maybe you’ve searched couples art activities near me and found your options lacking. These couples art activities are a great way to spend some quality time on date night.
Couples Art Activities
Whatever you’re into, there’s an activity to try. So take a look at this list and see what tickles your fancy and fits in your date night budget.
001: Go on a photo walk.
I love the idea of a photo walk. All you need to do is grab your loved one and your phone. Then, hit the streets and take some pictures.
In Oklahoma City, there are tons of fun little districts to explore, and I think this would be a great way to see all the new murals and fun businesses that have opened up recently. Plus, when you’re done taking photos, you can pop into a restaurant and grab some dinner.
Of course, if you’d prefer, you could also take this photo walk through a park, walking trail, or around a lake. It all depends on the photos you want to snap!
And if you want some more ideas, take a look at the outdoor section of these super chill ideas for artist dates. All of these can be adapted for a date night.
002: Try a new recipe together.
Cooking can be a lot of fun when there are two of you and it’s a great way to do something with your hands while you have conversations.
Now, it should be noted that a date night is probably not the best time to try the most complicated recipe that will cause you to argue over how it’s done. But if the culinary arts are your thing, then you should have a good idea of what your kitchen limitations are.
Baking is definitely fun for a couples art activity, especially if after baking the item, you also get to decorate it together.
003: Read a book aloud.
Sure, you probably watch movies all the time together. But what about reading a book together?
Find a genre you both enjoy and brew up a nice pot of tea. Pour yourself a few cups with lemon and honey for your voice, and take turns reading out loud to each other.
This could be something you do right before bed, or it could be something you spend the evening doing. Just make sure you pick a book that you both will enjoy. Heck, shopping for the book could even be part of the date.
004: Go art supply shopping and see what happens.
This is a great activity in that you can take a look at what’s available, and then get an idea of what’s out there and what you’d like to work on.
This is a terrible activity in that my husband and I can’t go into an art supply store without losing our minds and buying all the supplies available to us.
So, choose this activity with caution. Best case scenario, you find something you can both enjoy and bring it home for your date night. You could even create your own couples art journal starter kit.
005: Write a story together.
There are a couple of ways you could do this. If you live together, you could sit down together and write a story. But if you’re dating long distance, it might be fun to get a notebook, write a chapter of the story, and send it off to the other person for them to write a chapter.
Eventually, you’d have a full story, and it could be an activity you do over time together.
Though, I completely understand if non-writers are reading this and think it’s an absolutely terrible plan.
006: Go to the craft store and see what you find to make your own couples art activities.
This idea is similar to art supply shopping, but instead of going for supplies, look for kits.
My local art supply stores have tons of kits from macrame to punch needle to paint by numbers. The possibilities are endless. And some of the craft stores even have kits for making your own photo frame. That way, you could do a photo walk together, and then make a frame to keep your photos.
This could also be a fun seasonal activity if you’d like to make holiday wreaths or gingerbread houses.
007: Take an art class together.
Search for a local art class and see if there’s one that strikes both your fancies.
I know in my neck of the woods, there are options for writing classes, stained glass making, figure drawing, and pottery. And depending on the season, there are even film classes or fiber arts workshops.
You may even find classes for arts you never even thought to try.
008: Go on an art walk or museum tour.
Many communities have art walks where local artists show off their creations and sell them. All the studios are open and there’s tons of food and wine everywhere. This is a great way to find cool stuff to hang up in your home as well as to meet new people.
But if it’s too cold for an outdoor art walk, there’s always your local art museum. And if you haven’t been in a while, there’s a chance that they have something new for you to see.
009: Take some sketchbooks to a park.
I love the idea of packing a picnic basket and taking your sweetheart to the park where you’ll share some cheese and olives while sketching trees and passersby.
Granted, I’m not much for drawing, so my sketchbook wouldn’t look great. But even so, it’s not really about the finished product as it is about spending time with someone you love.
010: Listen to your favorite records together.
Remember when you were a teenager and you listened to records all the way through instead of just putting whatever streaming app you like on shuffle?
Well, it can be a lot of fun to listen to records all the way through with your partner. Pour yourselves something nice to drink and put on an album. Cuddle up on the couch and just listen.
Sure, you can chat about whatever thought strikes your mind, but you don’t have to do anything but just listen.
(Bonus points if this leads to the two of you making each other some sweet, sweet mixtapes.)
011: Make a collage together.
If you have some old magazines lying around, it’s collage time, baby!
Take whatever paper scraps you have or grab some coffee table books and old atlases from your local thrift store. Find a surface you’d like to use to adhere your collage, and get to work.
It might be fun for each of you to start in different corners of the workspace, and slowly work toward each other.
012: Redecorate a room.
If you live together and have a space in your home that feels a little stagnant, it’s time to redecorate.
I recommend adding an extra layer to this couples art activity by creating some rules. Like maybe you can only redecorate by using items you’ve found in your home, or you have to use items from the local thrift store, or items you’ve made.
Whatever you choose, you don’t have to turn it into a very expensive challenge if you don’t want it to be. Plus, simply rearranging a room may be all your space really needs.
013: Watch a critically acclaimed art film.
It’s the age of streaming services, and sometimes all you have the energy for is watching a movie. Instead of scrolling through Netflix for hours, do some research and find a Criterion Collection film you’d like to watch.
If you don’t have access to the Criterion Collection, you can also do some research into what older films have been uploaded onto YouTube. You can usually find some good ones that way.
If you’re really a film buff, you may try getting a subscription to Mubi and enjoying those movies until your subscription runs out.
What’s Your Favorite Couples Art Activity?
What kind of date night makes you feel the most creative? Do you and your partner enjoy going to art museums? What’s your bucket list art class you’d like to take with your sweetheart?
Originally published at https://marisamohi.com on November 14, 2022.
