10 Sustainable Cold-Weather Date Ideas for Greater Connection
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Our Favorite Eco-Friendly Cold-Weather Date Ideas
When cold weather hits, we naturally retreat indoors to share time with our loved ones in warm, cozy spaces. But this shift can often morph into high-spending nights, whether that’s fancy cocktails or dinner and a movie. And while there’s nothing wrong with an evening out, it can get old (and expensive) quite fast.
The ordinary date might also not be nurturing to your relationship in the way that you need. For example, The Gottman Institute explains that the most successful couples are attentive to one another. Instead of half-heartedly listening or scrolling through your phone while your partner talks, the most successful relationships prioritize responding to each other's “bids” for attention, which happen in little ways throughout the day.
So, whether you’re sharing time with a partner, bestie, or family member, getting creative with time spent together can save money while also deepening your connection in fresh and unexpected ways. Here, we explore some creative cold-weather date ideas for enjoying yourself mindfully and sustainability in the colder months.
Our top sustainable cold-weather date ideas:
1) At-Home Spa Night
Spa night is a classic way to connect with your love at home. Research shows that a massage from your partner can boost physical and mental wellbeing, in addition to reducing perceived stress and boosting coping skills. Learning a few massage therapy techniques (or learning what your partner likes and needs) can go a long way in boosting personal wellness while strengthening your interpersonal connection.You can take these benefits to the next level with Selfmade’s intimacy serum for massages and bodily exploration. Intimacy serum has ingredients specifically designed to soothe stress, promote relaxation, and increase feeling of pleasure.
While it isn’t meant to be a personal lubricant, specifically, it’s great for using as a massage oil to nourish skin while connecting more deeply.
2) Local art or history museum
When’s the last time you went to a local art or history museum? Chances are, there’s a museum (or exhibit) nearby you haven’t visited yet. This is a great cold-weather date idea for a number of reasons, the first being that it can support your and your partner’s well-being. In fact, a study showed that time spent at an art museum can improve positive relationships with others while increasing overall feelings of engagement in your life experiences.
Additionally, museums provide opportunities to expand conversation and discuss new topics with your loved one.
Since museums aren’t the best place for conversation, consider bringing notebooks along to record thoughts and feelings you have while viewing the art, then be sure to reserve time to share and discuss after you’ve left.
3) Buy Seasonal Ingredients for a Sustainable Dinner
Eating seasonal food is an easy and effective way to support the planet.
That’s because you’re not contributing to the fossil fuels spent to transport something out-of-season long distances, and you’re supporting small farmers in your local area who follow regenerative agriculture practices.
While it’s harder to find a farmers market in colder months, you can search for a local farm that might have vegetables for sale, or head to a natural foods store that sells locally-harvested items.
Another idea is to check out the Seasonal Food Guide—a great resource to discover what’s currently in-season in your specific area. Then, you can look up recipes based on what’s currently growing, and head out to find ingredients. Be sure to bring a sustainable bag (we love the size and durability of Baggu for groceries!).
4) Book a Green Getaway
Looking for some travel time with your special someone?
Book a getaway at a green spa or wellness retreat using the Green Spa Network.
Their locator tool makes it easy to discover all the wellness resorts near you that make a commitment to sustainable and eco-friendly practices.
We highly suggest checking out Getaway - their cozy cabins provide restorative stays in nature where your loved ones can take a break from work, wifi, and routines!
Another resource is Ecobnb, which operates just like Airbnb or VRBO but lists only sustainable properties. On this list, you’ll find a place to stay that meets Ecobnb’s top ten sustainability criteria, including energy standards like solar panels, rainwater recovery and reuse, and 100% renewable energy. They also look at lifestyle elements, like local or organic food and ecological cleaning products. If you’re up for splurging on a night away from home, doing so sustainably can reduce the impact of your travel while spicing up the average hotel experience.
5) Wind Down with a Themed Movie & Mocktails
Tired of the same old Netflix and chill, but still want a cozy night at home? Switch it up with a sustainable cocktail from Parch, which is made with a curated mix of desert botanicals, adaptogens, and other ingredients.
Pair this desert-themed cocktail with a modern western like The Power of The Dog, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, or Django Unchained.
If westerns aren’t your vibe, create your own pairing with any other drink (or food!) that might suit something you’d like to watch.
6) Make a Mini Fire Inside
Don’t have a firepit but want authentic smores? We’re in love with the mini fire pits from Colsen Fire Pits. Unlike propane-based stoves, which obviously rely on fossil fuels, these fire pits actually use rubbing alcohol to stay lit. They’re also made with heavy duty materials meant to last a lifetime, so they’re a great investment.
We recommend pairing your Colsen fire pit with a s’mores bar, where you can DIY different s’mores flavors. You can also use the little fire pit to simply spice up the ambiance during dinner at home.
No matter what you choose to do with it, we guarantee you’ll love the way this cozy addition brings warmth to special time spent with your loved one.
7) Hit the Library for Activity Ideas
If you’re searching for a low-impact date idea that doesn’t cost money, consider spending an afternoon at your local library. And while time spent at the library could feel like a date in itself for bibliophiles, we recommend searching for books that detail new crafts, hobbies, or recipes you and your partner can do together. There are tons of books and resources on sustainable crafts that leverage repurposed materials you might already have lying around (or could find at the thrift store). For example, DIY Sustainable Projects by Audrey Love features 15 objects that are not only made from sustainable materials, recycled materials, but that support a more sustainable lifestyle.
Another idea is to get a sustainable craft kit from Pottery With a Purpose, which has a range of craft options like a plant and pottery kit, a ceramic candle and clay kit, and more.
8) Try Indoor Rock Climbing
If there’s a rock climbing gym near you and you’re up for an adventure, this is a great couples activity. Experts say that working out with your partner can strengthen your bond, because it helps you find one another more attractive.
Moreover, trying something new together adds excitement so that you can share in the learning and growing together. If you wind up loving it and want to go again, you might consider stocking up on some climbing essentials that can help you better prepare for the experience. If climbing isn’t in the cards for you, we also love roller skating and pickleball as great couples activities that help you reap the benefits of being active together.
9) Get Deep with Conversation Cards
Did you know that deep conversations can foster a greater sense of connection? Research shows that, when compared to smalltalk, deep conversations fostered more meaningful conversations that people preferred having (even when they expected the deeper conversations to be more awkward). Whether or not you and your partner struggle to get deep, one of our favorite ways to connect with loved ones is through conversation story cards.
We’re a big fan of these cards because they foster mindfulness and promote connection in a more meaningful way than the average night out. Ester Perel’s cards are specifically designed to help you tell stories about your past, your present, and your future.
It uses prompts like, “A rule I secretly love to break is…” to foster emotional intimacy. Multiple games can be played from this single deck of cards, making them a great investment—and they’re great to use when deepening connections with friends, family members, coworkers, and other people in your life.
10) Volunteer Together
Volunteering is a great way to help your community while connecting with your partner over a shared mission. Volunteer Match is the go-to resource for finding local organizations that need your help. You can also filter opportunities based on your skills and interested cause areas, such as crisis support, literacy, and more. In addition to making a difference in other people’s lives, volunteering has been proven to support your own health. In particular, research on the benefits of volunteering have shown it to improve life satisfaction, lower depression, and decrease feelings of isolation.
Whether you’re seeking to connect with a longtime partner or you want to spice up your winter dates, these 10 cold weather ideas are scientifically proven to help you connect on a deeper level while fostering happiness during the chilly season.
About the Author
Michelle Polizzi is an independent writer and storyteller with 7 years of experience creating content online. Her writing has appeared in leading publications like Bitch, WELL+GOOD, Insider, and Healthline, and she covers topics like sustainable living, mental health, and intersectional feminism. Currently, she's pursuing an MFA in creative writing.
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