Are you in a “dinner and movie” date night rut?
With Valentine’s Day coming up, many of us are thinking about date ideas to connect with our partners.
For Christmas, I gifted my husband with “12 Months of Dates.” I wanted to make sure we had “couple time” without worrying about child care, so I came up with at-home-date ideas. We are also tightening up our budget this year. With dates at home, those impulsive extras aren’t a risk.
8 easy at-home date ideas, perfect for after the kids are in bed!
Dance Lessons
After you put the kids to bed, search YouTube for lessons on that dance you’ve always wanted to learn! You can find lessons for bachata, jitterbug, club, salsa- there has not been a dance or style I’ve been unable to find. Turn the music up as loud as you dare and enjoy learning new moves with your partner.
Record Your Story
I loved the premise of How I Met Your Mother- Ted telling his kids this involved story of his life. How cool would it be to record our story to share with our kids and also watch with our partner! Think about what story you might want to share- it could be how you met and your dating story, your wedding, or your child’s birth. Pour your favorite beverages and sit down in front of a camera to tell your beautiful story.
A Night with No Electricity
This date may have a romantic flair, or be reminiscent of a bygone era. Gather up all of the candles you have and use those as your light. You can have an evening of conversation, read a book aloud together, or listen to a storytelling podcast.
Floor Picnic
Pack a picnic, lay out a blanket, and enjoy the novelty of eating somewhere a little different. My kiddos love doing this too- on a Friday night when their dad is working we’ll make a pizza and eat it on a blanket while we watch a movie.
Make a Meal
If your home is like mine, you may share cooking responsibilities, but one person does the work at a time. For this date, together choose a main dish and dessert. Share the tasks- as one of you washes veggies, the other chops. For those tasks that can’t be shared, hop onto the counter next to your partner and sneak kisses as they sauté mushrooms, or rub your partner’s back as they stir a homemade chocolate sauce.
Massage Night
Who doesn’t enjoy a relaxing massage? Search YouTube or Google “how to give a massage” if you are needing guidance. You will find a plethora of how-to videos and articles. Fortunately building killer massage skills require lots of practice. Choose massage oil or lotion, find a relaxing, quiet space, and give yourself plenty of time to try out those new techniques.
Board Game Battle
You and your partner might just enjoy a nice game of Scrabble. But if you want to battle for a title, create a Board Games Olympics. Use a variety of games that draw on different abilities. While Scrabble is for the wordsmith, Jenga requires balance. Farkle is a game of luck and risk, and Pandemic is cooperative. There are a number of card games like Uno, Phase 10, and SkipBo that you can play too- I truly believe there is a game out there for everybody.
The Most Epic of Blanket Forts
Seriously. Collect all of the blankets and sheets you have and create the greatest fort of your lives. Teamwork makes the dream work, right? Leave your incredible fort up for the kids to see in the morning. Give them a password to enter. Bonus points if it is multi-room.
Those are just a few at-home date ideas- I’d love to hear your other ideas in the comments, or how your dates went!
