20 Thoughtful Gifts for Couples to Do Together (No Travel Necessary)
A luxe watch, a new tablet or a much-needed kitchen upgrade are always solid gifts for a partner or a couple, but in many cases, nothing beats gifts couples can do together. Yes—a vacation, cruise or even concert tickets are all great couples experience gifts, but they require transportation, additional travel accommodations like renting a car and budgeting for meals, requesting a babysitter or pet sitter and a slew of other potentially stress-inducing factors to make the gift they received actually happen. That said, celebrating a significant life event or milestone together as a couple is still the ultimate gift and there are plenty of gift ideas for couples to do together without even leaving their home. These interactive, hands-on gifts are perfect anniversary gifts for a partner, gifts for married couples celebrating a major anniversary or newlywed gifts.
1. Scratch-Off Date Cards
This Adventure Challenge set is full of unique date night ideas that can be completed at or around a couple's home. Each card includes a scratch-off challenge from one of four adventure categories (food, games, intentional conversation and playful moments) that can be completed in just 30 minutes, but you'll want to extend it—trust us! This is the perfect gift for busy couples with little free time, new parents who need a little extra inspiration for date nights or anyone who needs a reminder to carve out time to spend together.
2. Color-Changing Love Potion Cocktail Kit
This love-themed craft cocktail kit will delight mixologists and amateurs alike, allowing you to create (and enjoy!) your own love potion at home. This whimsical color-changing cocktail kit comes with everything you and your partner will need to create your very own love spell—minus the liquor—including a lavender blend, tea leaves, cocktail tools and glasses. Whether you decide to spike your concoction with spirits or keep it virgin, inhibitions will be lowered, making way for open communication, reflection and the ultimate romantic evening for two.
3. Deep Talk Card Game
This sweet-to-sultry card game is designed to be played with a romantic partner to help facilitate meaningful conversation, enhance intimacy and help a couple feel closer through engaging in a thoughtful question-and-answer dialog. The deck of cards is brimming with questions and prompts ranging from casual and playful to sentimental and spicy, including "Fall or spring?" and "What first attracted you to me?" Best of all, you can play as much or as little as time allows for—finish the deck in one sitting or save some cards for another date night at home.
4. Cask-Aged Chocolate Tasting Kit for Two
For those twosomes with a sweet tooth and a taste for exotic delicacies, look no further than this chocolate tasting kit for two. The tasting set includes rare and exotic single-origin, cask-aged chocolates, along with tasting spoons and guides with information about the chocolates as well as wine-, cocktail- and food-pairing recommendations. This is a great gift for foodies of all levels and it makes an excellent non-registry wedding gift.
5. Abstract Canvas Painting Kit
Move over Picasso! Designed for amateurs and art connoisseurs alike, this abstract canvas painting kit is the perfect way to express your creativity with your partner and (hopefully) create a new art piece to display. Whether you take turns doing different strokes or collaborate on a game plan before putting brush to canvas, it'll be an experience to remember.
6. Storytelling Card Game
Renowned psychotherapist and relationship expert Esther Perel's card game helps partners create an intimate learning experience that helps them learn about each other, establish communication styles and plan the future through the art of storytelling. Each prompt encourages players to answer and reflect as though they're telling a story, promoting inflection and allowing players to recall memories. The story cards are color-coded based on the prompt's NSFW-rating, making it easy to decide how deep or spicy you want to take story time.
7. Pottery Date Set for Two
There's something quasi-sexy about a pottery date—or maybe we're just thinking of the infamous scene between Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze in "Ghost." Either way, you can recreate the quintessential romantic movie scene or make your own hot memory while creating art together with this pottery set. Along with the clay, tools, paint and instructions, the curated date-night box also includes conversation cards designed to get the dialog flowing and the intimacy amplified.
8. Wine Experience Box
Who says you need to travel to a vineyard for a unique wine-tasting experience? With this at-home experience box, you can sample a variety of fine French wines from six makers—no passport or airfare required. This is perfect for wine lovers, wanderlusts and homebodies who'd rather have the tasting room come to them.
9. Movie Scratch-Off Bucket-List Book
Help them bring out their inner cinephile together with this scratch-off bucket list movie book. It's much more thoughtful, creative and fun than a shared list on your notes app, trust us. The bucket list book is filled with beautiful imagery from iconic films in all genres as well as movie quotes and interviews, making it a fun coffee book to have on display when not in use as a couple gift to do together.
10. Meal Kit Subscription Gift Card
This may not be the sexiest gift on the list, but it's one subscription gift for couples that any pair is sure to use. HelloFresh's creative meal kits take the hassle and planning out of cooking, allowing couples to whip up meals together. It's a great way to pencil in time with one another after work (you have to eat, after all!) and it gives couples the opportunity to share a conversation and cook something together. Team work makes the dream work!
11. Two-Player Pickleball Set
What better way to spend some quality time together than getting in on America's favorite sport of the moment? This is a great gift for athletic couples or anyone interested in testing the waters of pickleball. Practicing a new sport or hobby together is always a solid way to bond and stay active (it's a win-win on all fronts!) and this set will help get them started.
12. Bread-Making Tool Kit
Baking can be a meditative activity to help you practice teamwork, engage in conversation and, of course, enjoy the fruits of your labor together. This comprehensive kit comes with all of the tools you need to bake a tasty loaf of bread (you'll need to grab your own ingredients, though), so even if you're not exactly experts in the kitchen, you'll be able to create a delicious masterpiece together. No loafing around here.
13. Couple's Hand-Casting Kit
Another artistic and perfectly giftable team project: this affordable hand-casting kit. It's not only a great bonding activity, but it's also a gift that keeps giving. The couple gets to create sculptures of their hands intertwined as a romantic keepsake. This casting kit is a great wedding or anniversary gift that's suitable for all levels and artistic abilities.
14. Long-Distance Love Note Messenger
For long-distance lovers who are separated by distance, Love Box's messenger is the perfect gift that helps them stay connected when apart through virtual love notes, drawings and animations. The Wi-Fi-enabled messenger works with its accompanying app to send messages to the other partner's Love Box, which will pop up when the lid is opened. Texts, FaceTime sessions and phone calls are all essential for communication, but this novelty gift couples can use together makes expressing love when separated by miles feel a bit more special.
15. Picnic Kit Backpack
What's more romantic than a picnic? Whether it be at the location of a special moment like a proposal, a park where the pair first met or just in the backyard, there's something about dining alfresco with an S.O. that just makes the heart flutter. This cooler backpack is equipped with all of the supplies a duo would need (aside from food and drinks) for an outdoor meal for two including a blanket, utensils and serveware. This is a great gift for couples at any stage in their relationship, from newlyweds to new parents desperately in need of an adults-only dinner.
16. One Year of Love Game
For couples celebrating one year together—whether it be dating or marriage—this reflective, nostalgia-inducing game is sure to get sparks flying. The card game is filled with easy and prep-free date night ideas, conversation starters to bring to wine night or the dinner table and unexpected ways to spend quality time together—even if there's only 10 minutes to spare. Partners are encouraged to commit to drawing a new card each week for one year, which doubles as a fun reminder to set aside the time to spend with a spouse, regardless of how hectic life gets.
17. Date Idea Scratch-Off Poster
Not only does this interactive date idea poster serve as a piece of wall art, but it also functions as a visual reminder to prioritize together time through a series of creative date ideas. From going skinny dipping, to attending a comedy show, to even donating blood together, this framed poster has 100 universally appealing date ideas that involve limited to no travel. All of the date ideas are G or PG-rated, so it's a great anniversary, engagement or wedding gift for any couple—even if you don't know the pair all that well.
18. Date-Night Cookbook
For couples who prefer to hang out at home, love to cook or have a newborn that prevents them from leaving the house for extended periods of time, consider this interactive cookbook. Designed to help sweethearts spice up their night in, this book includes tons of simple recipes, along with 20 complete, full-coursed menus with built-in conversation starters, cheeky games to play while you're waiting for the food to cook and other spontaneous activities to help make staying home with a spouse even better than any night on the town. Whether you and your sous chef are in the mood for fondue for two, an elevated taco tuesday night or a four-course fish dinner, your heart and bellies will be full.
19. True Crime Interactive Game
For true crime fans, enter Hunt a Killer: Death at the Dive Bar, an immersive game that prompts partners to strategize together to solve a murder mystery while enjoying delightfully discounted wells at happy hour—or any hour. This is the ultimate gift for that couple who can't stop talking about their favorite true crime podcasts or who need an alternative to monthly visits to escape rooms. Can't make it to the bar? Play this investigative game on the couch, backyard patio or on a double date.
20. Inflatable Pool
If you and your boo can't make it on a tropical vacation (or even a weekend getaway), bring the pool party home with this inflatable adult pool that can be set up in a backyard or front lawn in just minutes after unboxing. The inflatable pool features a bench, beverage holders and a drain plug, which makes it comfortable for lounging with golden-hour drinks, sunbathing and enjoying one-on-one time in the sun, easy and accessible.