An Indoor Date for People Who Have Already Watched Everything

Best for an evening when you want company without much organising.

Choose a simple dinner you already know how to make, or arrange a few things to share. Pick one album each, then decide which one starts the evening.

Eat first if the food wants your attention. Afterwards, sit somewhere comfortable and listen to one choice together. Say why you picked it, or let the music explain itself.

The useful preparation is making the selection before the evening turns into two people searching two different phones.

If you want more structure, follow A Listening Evening at Home. It is a small change from listening while doing something else, and can make familiar music feel surprisingly present.

Best for people whose idea of a good outing has a strong relationship with cake.

Buy something you both want to eat, or use a bake already in the house. Make coffee, decaf or tea. Put the drinks on a proper table and sit facing each other rather than the television.

Bring one thing to the conversation: a place you would like to visit, an old photograph, a question about something the other person likes. There is no need to arrive with a deck of meaningful prompts.

Keep the plan small. One sweet thing, one drink each, half an hour to begin with.

The Weekend Home Café for Two offers ideas for the coffee part. This evening version can use your ordinary cups and your ordinary chairs. The change is having decided to sit there together.

Best for an evening when you still want a screen, just rather less negotiation.

Choose the film before buying food. Agree on two options each and make the final decision while you still have the enthusiasm to be generous about it.

Then choose dinner that suits the viewing: a bowl you can eat comfortably, a shared picky-bits supper, or something simple at the table before the film begins.

The Watching Room can help with the shortlist. Avoid making universal promises about what either partner will like; people are entitled to surprising opinions about a perfectly good film.

Put phones aside if you both want that. Pause for conversation when you need to. You are at home, which comes with a few advantages over the cinema.

No new board game is required, although an existing one can take an album’s place if that sounds more appealing.

The most useful part of a date at home is often agreeing that this particular stretch of time is shared. Afterwards, the evening can wander.

Ideally somewhere other than the trailers.