20 Brilliant Ideas to Celebrate an Anniversary at Home

If there's ever an occasion not to cook, it's on an anniversary! Go ahead, order takeout from a favorite restaurant — maybe the one that would be included in the plans if leaving the house was an option on the table. Go for pizza, or something even fancier than that. The food will make the night even more special.

To make the night feel even more special, dress up — even though nobody else will see the nice outfit, it feels good to put effort in for each other, especially after years and years together. Plus, it could end up making for some cute self-timer pics of the evening.

With more and more movies streaming that would have premiered in theaters, there are a lot of great options for an at-home movie night — and watching an old favorite can definitely be one of them. Cuddle up on the couch and make popcorn, or even rent a projector and screen for the backyard. This can be as simple or as exciting as the situation allows!

Cooking together before enjoying a meal can make for a really fun date night, especially for couples who happen to be foodies. Pick out a fun recipe together online and order the ingredients, or cook a recipe from a meal kit like HelloFresh. Then, enjoy the results of all that hard work!

Of course, staying at home makes this challenge all the more difficult, but having to get creative is part of the fun! It's also a great opportunity to look back on memories from when the relationship was still new. A lot may have changed since then!

An anniversary is a great time to look back at the day it all started! Watch videos and look at photos from the big day, talk about the memories that have lasted all this time, even throw those wedding outfits back on (more power to everyone involved if they still fit!). It can be a great reminder of all the love that has stood the test of time.

This can involve pitching an actual tent in the living room or building a fort out of blankets and couch cushions — go ahead, get creative! Camp out indoors for the night. Watch movies, drink some wine, and see where the night goes. It's a change of pace, and it can definitely be fun!

Grab a blanket, prepare a meal (or order some takeout), and eat outside for fun! This can be done at night or during the day — bonus points for setting the mood with some fun twinkly lights or a bonfire, which can be especially romantic during the winter months.

Since everybody's staying home more these days, learning new skills online is easier than ever before, and it can definitely make for a fun anniversary activity! Sign up for an online class and learn a new skill together — cooking, bartending, or even just chill out and do some yoga.

Take the anniversary as the occasion to rise to a special challenge: No phones or computers for the entire evening. Instead, focus on each other and the conversation. That kind of dedicated, undivided attention on each other can really make the night feel special, and with how stressful life gets, sometimes it's exactly what we need.

Or the kitchen … or the bedroom … or anywhere. Play some favorite music, or even that special wedding day playlist (including the first dance song!). This might not be something that happens often at home, but it can be fun, special, and even a little silly for any date night that doesn't involve going out somewhere with actual dancing.

Now that more people are staying at home, virtual wine tastings have actually become a thing — who knew! Of course, this takes a little bit of planning ahead, but there are a lot of wineries supplying everything needed for a virtual wine tasting. Don't forget to make a fancy charcuterie board to snack on!

We all have plenty of projects around the house that need to get done — or fun ideas pinned to our Pinterest boards — so why not use the night to tackle one of them? Working together for a common goal like this can be a fun way to spend time together, and in the end, celebrate the accomplishment and admire the result … preferably with chocolate.

Before the anniversary hits, take time to write letters to each other about what the time spent together has meant to each other. Share favorite memories, make new promises to each other — anything goes. Then, on the anniversary itself, exchange them. It's a sweet gesture and makes for an unforgettable gift.

Of course, it's important to be on the same page about this ahead of time … but if adopting a pet has been something that's discussed already, an anniversary can be a perfect time to welcome a furry friend into the household. Dog, cat, or fish, there's plenty of love to go around.

This could be anything, from organizing the linen closet (hey, some people are into that) to building a complicated set of Lego to even queueing up a Bob Ross video and learning how to paint happy little trees like a pro. Anything that breaks with the norm will be a lot of fun.

Play a board game that's been collecting dust on the shelf, or compete against each other in a video game like Mario Kart — whatever it is, it'll allow a little fun … something we don't always get in our everyday lives, especially over the past year.

Time to get outside! Taking a walk together — even just around the neighborhood — can be a fun activity to do on an anniversary, especially if the weather is nice. Leave the phones at home and have an hour or two of fresh air and undisturbed conversation.

Another plan that takes a little prepwork, but it will almost definitely be worth it! There are many services out there that offer up a date night in a box, like the (appropriately titled) Date Night In A Box subscription. Everything needed for a fun night in is included in the box, which takes the work out of it.

What could be better to celebrate with than a night of relaxation? Grab some face masks, some nice smelling bubble bath, light some candles, and spend the night with a little luxury. Give each other massages, and don't forget the cozy bath robes!