Giving the gift of shared experiences for Valentine’s Day
While the classic box of luxury chocolates or bouquet of roses on Valentine’s Day are nice gestures, these gifts are fleeting and lack originality. Your date will eat the chocolates, the flowers will die after a week or so, and then what? Experience gifts, on the other hand, are much more thoughtful. They’ll create shared memories that will bring you closer and keep the fires of romance burning. From an aphrodisiac cooking class to a DIY romantic scavenger hunt, we curated a collection of Valentine’s Day gifts for every couple, selected with a variety of hobbies and interests in mind.
Best online classes
Spicing things up isn’t exclusive to the bedroom. This romantic cooking class teaches you the secrets of preparing arousing dishes. You’ll make amorous co*cktails, dinner and dessert together with aphrodisiac ingredients, such as chocolate and cayenne pepper. The 90-minute virtual cooking class is hosted live by celebrity Chef Mark Kalix on various dates.
The annual MasterClass membership offers over 180 sessions taught by world leaders across nearly all aspects of life, with more classes added continually to the library. You can sharpen your chess skills together with former Grandmaster Garry Kasparov; enhance your sex and communication skills with relationship expert Emily Morse; learn how to navigate life’s ups and downs to become more resilient with Hillary Clinton; learn mindfulness and practice meditation as a couple with professor Jon Kabat-Zinn and more.
Practicing tarot can be both empowering and inspiring, not only to help divine the future, but also as a means of tuning into your inner wisdom and intuition. If you and your significant other are interested in unlocking the mysteries of tarot, this beginner class is a good place to start. The 90-minute virtual session teaches you how to read and interpret the cards, andthe class comes with a beautifully illustrated tarot deck.
Whether you’re planning a couples trip to a foreign country or simply want to explore other languages together, these Rosetta Stone classes are a great gift. The Rosetta Stone curriculum is renowned worldwide, and designed to engage your brain’s innate ability to acquire other languages and apply them to real-life situations. You can access up to 25 languages, depending on the membership.
These are more than just your everyday fitness classes. Alo Moves has thousands of virtual yoga, fitness, mindfulness and self-care classes designed for beginners and experienced users alike. They’ll help strengthen your body, mind and spirit, along with your relationship. With the Alo Moves app, you can take classes wherever and whenever you want. There’s a 30-day free trial offer, so you and your partner can test out the program before you buy.
Best date night inspiration
Thisbucket list for couples uses the age-old concept of drawing sticks to take the guesswork out of date planning and make your relationship more spontaneous. It features a set of birchwood sticks with creative prompts ranging from romantic experiences, such as stargazing somewhere secluded to attending a university lecture or museum for intellectual stimulation. After having the experience, you note the date on the back of the stick with the provided pencil.
This scratch-off game includes 35 unique and adventurous date night challenges to help keep the romance alive. There’s only one rule: Once you scratch off the card, you must complete the date. Whether you just started dating, are newlyweds, or have been married for years, this game is sure to take date nights up a notch.
This colorful watch list poster is perfect for movie buffs, featuring 100 top picks by film fans on IMDB. The vivid, custom illustrations make this print a great wall display. Pop some popcorn, dim the lights and watch a diverse array of Hollywood classics, international favorites and iconic franchises. After watching each film, use a highlighter to give each flick or series a star rating directly on the poster.
Best date night games
With this popular date night subscription box, you get four to fivegames or activities delivered monthly. Ranked as one of the brand's best boxes of 2023, each one revolves around a fun theme, designed to spark romance, promote bonding and bring on the laughs. It gets better: Every box comes with themed recipes, movie lists and Spotify playlists to enhance the mood. This date night box is available as a one-, three- or six-month subscription.
Who doesn’t love a good murder mystery? This immersive game tasks players with solving the death of a local bar owner by a mysterious masked figure amidst a small town filled with suspects. You must channel your inner detective to reveal the motives of each suspect through ciphers, clues and puzzles, with many thrilling twists and turns in the case. The investigation generally takes 45 to 60 minutes to complete, and since the game accommodates up to fiveplayers, it's also great for double dates.
Thiskit includes everything you need to create a personalized and entertaining scavenger hunt for your significant other, complete with setup instructions. You get eight customizable clue cards; disappearing ink, pen, paper and pencil; a jigsaw puzzle; a decoder message with glasses; a treasure box with a heart lock and other fun accessories. To set the scene for romance, the kit also includes faux rose petals, LED candles, a heart-shaped balloon, pinklettertiles and a red envelope with an old-fashioned wax seal.
Best spa gifts
You can bring the spa to your home with this cost-effective gift set. It contains two extra-large bath bombs, bubble bath, shower gel, body scrub, bath salt and body oil. Each product features enticing scents of vanilla and coconut, infused with moisturizing shea butter and vitamin E. You also get a luxurious bath towel, and the pretty handmade basket is great for bathroom storage.
Scandinavian baths,couples massages, aromatherapy facials, meditation retreats and more — this gift card gives you access to extensive spa treatments and getaways throughout the U.S. Choose between $50 and $100 gift cards and browse through participating locations to plan your romantic spa trip.
Best wine and beer gifts
This popular wine club subscription is a top choice for vino lovers. There are a variety of flexible plans, allowing you to choose the type of wine, number of bottles and frequency of delivery. Cellars also offers a host of educational content on their site, so you and your partner can become wine connoisseurs from the comfort of your home.
Learning the art of wine and cheese pairing will make your date nights and dinner parties even better. Each month, you get a wine from California-based Harry and David vineyards and the perfect cheese to go with it. The preselected pairings are listed on itssite, so you always know what’s coming next. You can choose either a three-, six- or 12-month subscription.
If you and your partner want to learn the craft of beer making, this kit is ideal for beginner brewers, featuring straightforward instructions, simple ingredients and easy-to-use equipment. The kit includes a 2-gallon barrel with a serving spigot, reusable brewing bottles, carbonation drops and hopped malt extracts. That’s everything you need to brew your first batch, which ferments in 10 to 14 days and will be ready to drink in another seven to 14 days.
Best gifts for crafters
Crafting as a hobby is creative, practical and fun — something that you and your special person can enjoy together. This kit contains three balls of wool yarn and bamboo knitting needles, as well as a QR code with instructional videos on how to knit a scarf. There are 22 yarn colors available, and you can choose up to three if you want to make a multicolored scarf. Get two sets so you can make scarves for each other.
With this digital crafting subscription, you can either choose from a variety of starter workshops, such as those for weaving and candle making, or receive a featured project every month. You’ll receive a box of artisan-quality tools and materials with access to an artist-led instruction video to complete the project. There are monthly pay-as-you-go, three-, six- and 12-month subscription options.
More of the best experience gifts
Savoring a nice steaming cup of coffee or tea together is an easy way to spend quality time. With this Chamberlain Coffee subscription, you can choose from four teas and seven coffee varieties, all rated highly by thousands of customers. They’re certified vegan, gluten-free, paleo and U.S. Department of Agriculture(USDA) organic. The coffee is available as whole bean, freshly ground or single-serve. You can customize the frequency and quantity of any coffee or tea selected.
If you and your partner are planning on redesigning your home, this top-rated design service can help create your dream interior. You’ll work with a designer online or in person to hone in on your style, with three-dimensionalrendering for your space and over 100,000 interior designs to inspire you.
The Sill can help you and your significant other grow your green thumbs and liven up your space with greenery. There are three subscription options, all of which include a new plant and ceramic pot delivered every three months; the easy-care box containing low-maintenance plants for beginners, the pet-friendly box containing nontoxic plants and the orchids box containing multicolored or all-white orchids. You can opt for a three-, six- or 12-month subscription.
This America the Beautiful pass is a must-have for hiking and camping enthusiasts. You gain access to every national park in the U.S., as well as select federal recreation sites around the country. It covers entrance for a driver and all passengers in a personal vehicle at per-vehicle fee locations or up to four adults at sites that charge per person. That means you can bring a few friends or family members along, too. The pass is valid for oneyear from the month of purchase.
Want to shop the best products at the best prices? Check out Daily Deals from BestReviews.
Sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter for useful advice on new products and noteworthy deals.
Amy Evanswrites for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
