5 Unique Ideas for a Date Night at Home

When was the last time you had a date night with your partner? It has always been important to me and my husband to have that time together, but we had to get really creative when the pandemic hit. Deciding to make date night at home a priority was a game changer for our relationship (and my sanity!) over the last couple of years. Now that I’m a pro at making a night in special, I want to share my favorite tips and ideas with you! And if you’re looking for some fun date nights out, I’ve got you covered there too!

How much is everyone really dating their partner?

When I posted in my Instagram stories recently about a date night at home, I decided to do a couple of polls. In the first poll, I asked “About how often do you and your partner have a date night?” In the second, I asked “Do you do date nights at home?” I was surprised at the results!

I think we’d all like to spend more intentional time with our partners, but there are so many reasons that it’s difficult – especially once kids come along. So, a date night at home is the perfect solution!

How do we get started?

Choose a night that works for your schedule and plan ahead. It doesn’t have to be far in advance, just a couple days is fine! We’ve found that the easiest way to get started on our date night at home is for one of us to put the kids to bed while the other picks up dinner from a favorite local restaurant. We eat a little later than usual, but we get to have something the kids wouldn’t necessarily enjoy. If you’re on a tight budget, make a meal at home that you can heat up once the kids are in bed! 

But what do we do?

Here’s where the fun comes in! Sure you could watch a movie and snuggle on the couch, but why not do something a little more creative? I’ve got some fun ideas for you and most don’t cost a penny!

  • Make dessert together. Find a new recipe that sounds amazing and give it a go!
  • Learn a new dance. YouTube has all sorts of instructional dance videos. Even if you collectively have four left feet, you’ll have fun and laugh about it!
  • Challenge each other to a trivia duel. Download a trivia podcast and keep score to see which one of you is the Trivia Master!
  • Plan a future vacation (even if you don’t know when you can take it). That one that isn’t in the budget now, might be someday! It’s fun to dream about it together. 
  • A few days before your date, visit an international grocery store and pick up a few new snacks for a taste test together. The more unique the better. You might even get inspired to plan that dream vacation on your next date night at home!

How do we make a date night at home special?

A few easy tips will make your date a little more special. Be sure to clean up the kids’ toys before date night begins so you get to feel like adults for a while. Similarly, it would be easy to stay in your regular mom gear since you’re staying home, but it’s fun to get dolled up a little! Dress like you’re going out even though you’re staying in. You might also want to try creating a playlist of fun (maybe even themed!) date night music to listen to during your activity of choice!

One more tip: plan your next date night at home before this one ends. It’s fun to have something on the calendar to look forward to and you’ll make time to do any necessary research before you begin!

Go ahead and text your partner (maybe even send them the link to this post!) so you can start a fun conversation about your next date night! If you have any other unique ideas for what would make a fun activity during a date night at home, leave them in the comments!

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Gina Carlisle
Gina is a born and raised Florida girl! After more than three decades, she traded white sand for red dirt and hurricanes for tornadoes. A former teacher, she's now a SAHM raising three young children. She and her husband, Jon, constantly find new adventures to keep the family busy. You'll see them out most weekends exploring their new state. Gina is passionate about helping families become adventurers with her blog Mom on the Mother Road. You can follow along at @MomOnTheMotherRoad!

2 COMMENTS

  1. Great post. This is a great idea for all ages. Now that we are retired, we are together all the time, but it is good to intentionally plan something fun to do together. Our Valentine’s meals are legendary, and now that restaurants are open again, we make sure to have at least one date night out per week.

  2. Jemilla Jones
    Oklahoma City Mom is the resource for information for Family’s. To Redirect you what family is all about. I’m a creative Mom who enjoys Sharing my Family’s Tradition. Oklahoma City mom let me know how to plan my next vacation with my Family.

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