DIY Adulation

Have your date nights fallen into a rut, or even worse, are they basically non-existent? Now you can inject your marriage with new life when you enjoy one of these 25 date night ideas for married couples. And don’t worry, because I know how hard it can be to get out of the house with little ones, I’ve included at-home alternatives for many of these super fun date nights!

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It is soooo hard to make time for date night when your have a house full of kids, jobs, extra curricular activities, and 1000 other things that vie for your time and attention. Trust me, I get it. Not only do we have all of the above, we also have to schedule things around drill weekends, business trips, and military education courses. It’s not easy.

The problem is that when you stop making your relationship a priority, it quickly becomes something that struggles. Now that all of our kids are in school during the day, we started having the occasional lunch together during the week. It is a simple way to enjoy each other without having to worry about a sitter or trying to stay up late after the kids go to bed (which we’re not great at).

Unfortunately, even that is going to have to end with the implement of a new work schedule. That’s forced us to realize we have to get proactive in carving out date nights for ourselves. Even one night a month can do wonders for your intimacy and the strength of your relationship. Luckily, I’ve got a ton of awesome ideas to try out below!

1. Have a Coffee Date

Coffee is a staple in our life but there’s something special about chatting with your spouse over a delicious coffee splurge. The best thing about a coffee date is it is super easy to fit in no matter how short your time constraint is.

2. Go to a Drive In

Skip the traditional movie date on your next date night and opt for a drive-in instead. If you can’t get out of the house, grab your tablet and watch a new movie from the comfort of your car and maybe make a move on your spouse while you’re at it.

3. Have a Romantic Picnic

There’s no rule that says a budget-friendly date night can’t be romantic. Plan a romantic picnic at a local park or, if you can’t get a sitter, take it to the backyard. Cook up a delicious meal and spread out a blanket for a romantic meal together. Kick up the romance a notch and enjoy your picnic at sunset or in the early evening by candlelight.

4. Play a Board Game Together

Personally, we love board games! Even if you’re not the fans that we are, there are ton of options out there. You can literally find something no matter what your tastes are. This is a quick and easy date night idea that you can pull out anytime you have some free time together.

5. Head to an Arcade

There’s nothing better than an awesome competitive night at an arcade. Grab your spouse and head to the nearest game stop. If you love classic arcade game, try to find a retro arcade packed full of Pac-Man, DigDug, and Space Invaders!

6. Play a Video Game Together

You don’t have to head to the arcade to get your game on. Instead, spend some time playing your spouse’s favorite video game on the console at home. You can even go retro here with one of these awesome plug and play games.

7. Visit an Escape Room

Try your sleuth skills together at an escape room! Even if you don’t solve the puzzle you’re still sure to have an awesome time together.

8. Go Dancing

When is the last time you enjoyed a dance together? Whether you like line dancing, a waltz, or prefer freestyle you can find somewhere to do it. If you want to really up your skills skip the bar/club and take some dance lessons together.

9. Play Laser Tag

Team up or compete against each other in an epic battle of laser tag. Again, this one can be done at an paid establishment or buy a kit and play at home any time. Play one round or multiple rounds. Either way, loser buys/makes dessert after!

10. Play an RPG Game

Until recently, I never would have thought you could have a fun date night playing an RPG (role playing game) because one of you would have to be the game master. Luckily, we found Pathfinder deck game (we have Wrath of the Righteous) which is an awesome alternative to the traditional RPG because the cards direct the game play instead of a game master. With it you can both work together to defeat the baddies.

11. Watch a Stand-Up Comedy Show

Hit the local comedy club and take in a show full of laughs. Laughing together is a great way to bond and grow closer. If going out isn’t an option, watch a comedy special on Netflix after the kiddos go to bed.

12. Take a Drive to Nowhere

When is the last time you and your spouse got in the car and enjoyed a drive? Grab your favorite tunes and hop in the car to take a drive with no destination in mind. Enjoy the sights and each others company for this super simple date night.

13. Go On a Double Date

Admittedly, we are terrible about this one. We probably haven’t been on a double date in 4 years but it has always been fun when we did it in the past. Even better, sometimes including more people opens up more date night possibilities. Take turns picking the activities with other couples and find new things you love to do.

14. Paint Pottery Together

This is another great date night that lets you unleash you creative side together. If you can’t get out of the house to do it, you can also enjoy this date at home. Hit up a craft store and purchase unpainted ceramic pieces and your paints. After the kids go to bed, pull out your materials and create something beautiful together.

15. Drive Go Karts

Put the pedal to the metal with a fun and competitive go karts date! It’s a super fun and high energy date that will have you laughing together for hours. Bonus points if you get to gloat your victory after.

16. Join a Sports League Together

Why not take all of the guess work out of date night and join a sports league? There are leagues for bowling, darts, basketball, volleyball, and more. Find a sport you both enjoy (or would like to try) and make a weekly date night out of it. You might even make some new couples friends while you’re at it.

17. Go Swimming

Hit the beach, the pool, or even an indoor water park for some splashy fun. What is great about a swimming date is that it pushes you out of your comfort zone if you hate wearing a swimsuit (like yours truly) and adds a little sexy to your date night. Seeing your spouse dripping wet in a swimsuit is hot. Period.

18. See a Concert

There are so many options for concerts these days. You can purchase tickets to see your favorite groups, of course, but you can also check out free performances as well. Maybe a local band is playing at a bar near you or check out festivals for free concert options. Don’t limit yourself to the “rock concert” idea either. You can also check out orchestral concerts or even choral concerts to change things up.

19. Go Roller Skating

When is the last time you strapped on a pair of skates and took to the rink? If you’re anything like me, probably not since high school. Change that with your next date night and hit up a roller rink. Don’t forget to indulge in a Suicide together when you’re thirsty! (If you’ve never had one, a Suicide is when you miss all of the fountain drinks together into one beverage.)

20. Visit the Book Store

For nerds like me, a trip to the book store is always a fun date night. Personally, I recommend hitting up a store like Half Price Books because in addition to tons of awesome things to read, you can also peruse board games, video games, vinyl albums and CD’s, and even find a new movie for your next movie night. So much awesomeness in one date night.

21. Tackle a DIY Project Together

If you’ve never taken on a do-it-yourself project together, take my advice and start with something small. For some reason, stress and a big messy project can bring out the worst in people. This is especially true if you’ve never worked together in this kind of setting. Your styles for completing the project are going to differ. Better to pick something you can complete in an afternoon and enjoy the fruits of your labor right away.

22. Go For Ice Cream

Date night doesn’t always have to mean hours spent eating a meal or watching a show on the big screen. Instead, take 45 minutes to yourselves and indulge your sweet tooth with some ice cream. Feel free to pick somewhere that you can get some totally crazy creation, but take my advice, gummy bears in ice cream leads to hard-to-chew frozen bears that really don’t taste great.

23. Try a New Restaurant

When you don’t go out to eat very often, it’s easy to fall into a habit of picking the same restaurant whenever you do eat out. Change up your routine and try someplace new for your next date night. How many tiny restaurants do you drive by and never stop at? What family-owned (non-chain) restaurants haven’t had the pleasure of your patronage? You can even make a list of new places you want to try and pick one at random for a dinner date once a month.

24. Get a Professional Photo Shoot

The kids get school pictures every year and you sometimes get family photos on vacations or at Christmas, but when was the last time you and your spouse got professional pictures alone? Get dressed up and make a date of getting professional photos done. These don’t have to be some crazy boudoir thing, it can simply mean hiring a photographer and hitting the park or even hitting a JC Penney. Don’t forget to order prints to hang at home when you’re done.

25. Make Out in the Backseat Like Teenagers

How about a date night that you don’t have to get a sitter for that will make you feel like teenagers again. After the kiddos go to bed, hop into the backseat of the car, turn on some tunes, and make out like teenagers. You might feel awkward at first, but “Hey!” that’s how you felt as a teenager, too, right? Don’t feel the need to jump right into it either. You can bring some snacks and talk for a while before getting to the sexy stuff.

You’ll be ready for your next date night easily with these 25 date night ideas for married couples. Even when you can’t get a sitter or get out of the house, there’s still plenty of fun you can have together. Stop putting off date night and make your marriage a priority again with these ideas to get you started.

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