Date Night Ideas at Home Perfect for Parents | 50 Fun & Creative Ideas
Connecting with your spouse is especially important when the kids are little, but it can be challenging. These at-home date night ideas for married couples will make sure you can enjoy the quality time even when you can’t go out.
One day while going about my normal routine, I realized something that made my heart sink a bit.
I couldn’t actually remember the last time hubby, and I had a date night.
Even though connecting with him is important to me…
Even though I know having a quality marriage makes our entire family stronger…
Even though I actually enjoy spending time with him…
Date nights had fallen through the cracks.
Right then, I decided something had to change. I decided to make date nights a priority. Enter fun at-home date ideas.
Making Date Night a Priority
Step one… setting monthly date nights.
What’s the best way to make sure something happens around here? It has to go on the calendar.
Step two… get him involved.
To make this as much fun as possible, we decided to rotate who plans the dates. The rules are that we have to keep in mind what the month looks like.
That means sometimes there isn’t much extra money, sometimes there isn’t much extra time, and sometimes we don’t have a babysitter. (All of those are important factors in date night… which means sometimes we have to get creative.)
Step three… make it easy!
50 Date Night Ideas at Home Perfect for Parents
We rounded up this list of 50 at-home date night ideas for parents. That way, all we have to do is scan the list and find something fun to do. The list includes creative ideas, extra fun dates, cheap date night ideas, and even some romantic dates.
Creative Date Night Ideas at Home
- Paint together on a big canvas.
- Prepare dinner from another culture together. Play music and watch a movie that celebrates that area. (Searching for a new recipe could be one date night, preparing it the next.)
- Chopped Challenge at home. Have a friend fill a bag with ingredients neither of you knows about. Set a timer and race the clock together.
- Learn a new hobby together.
- Make fancy popcorn.
- Plan your next trip.
- Organize digital family pictures together.
Fun at Home Date Ideas
- Beer or wine tasting.
- Play the “Not So Newlywed Game.”
- Play video games together.
- Put an air mattress or comfy blankets on the living room floor and fall asleep watching a movie.
- Play a childhood game.
- Play darts.
- Do a “Skype” double date with a friend couple who has moved cross country.
- Build a fort together. (Or put a tent up in the comfort of your living room).
- Share (or remember together) embarrassing moments from the past.
- Play cards. We like Golf. Someone recommended Casino, we can’t wait to try it!
Cute Date Night Ideas at Home
- Have an indoor picnic.
- Ice cream night. Buy small containers so you can both have your favorite flavor. Talk about ice cream memories from when you were young.
- Make it a candlelight night.
- Work together to make a playlist of songs from when you were first together.
- Read aloud to each other.
- Start a journal together. Write love notes in it and keep it near your bed for extended romance.
- Search online for your dream home.
Cheap Date Night Ideas at Home (or free!)
- YouTube karaoke. Yes, that is actually a thing!!! Search karaoke on YouTube, and you will find tons of karaoke versions of songs.
- Stargaze together and see how many constellations you can find.
- Exchange foot rubs.
- Dream together. Talk about where you’d like to be in the next 5, 10, or 15 years in your relationship, with the kids, with finances, in your career, etc.
- Take YouTube dance lessons. Salsa anyone?
- Unplug from everything and just be together.
- Do a puzzle together.
- Walk around the neighborhood, keeping your house in view.
- Dress up for each other. Wear fancy clothes and set a fancy table.
Romantic Date Night Ideas at Home
- Have an outside picnic under the stars.
- Exchange back rubs.
- Blind taste test. Each of you collects some yummy treats like peanut butter, cool whip, pixie sticks, honey, cream cheese, strawberries, chocolate, etc. Don’t let the other see. Take turns bringing out an ingredient.
- Make your own massage oil.
- Make a list of the top ten reasons you’re happy to have him as your hubby while he makes a list of why he’s happy to have you!
- Take a bath together. (Bonus points if it’s a bubble bath.)
- Spend some time writing out 10-15 memories each. Then read them out loud to each other.
- Look at your wedding album.
- Watch the first movie you ever watched together.
- Exchange a scalp massage.
Related: 10 Fun Activities for Couples (that take ZERO planning).
Dinner Date at Home Ideas
- Enjoy a fondue night.
- Have cheese, sausage & crackers.
- Make a homemade pizza or homemade pasta.
- Have a really special appetizer delivered from a nearby restaurant.
- Roast marshmallows over a fire pit (or barbecue).
- Recreate the first meal you had together.
- Make Sushi together.
Tips for Keeping the Kids Busy During Your Date Night
Of course, all of these at-home date night ideas will work better if you have a little space between you and the kids. Here are some things that work for us. Add your ideas in the comments.
- Set up a movie marathon in another room. (With a cooler full of snacks).
- If you do rest time, as we do, send them on their way.
- Create a “sleepover” feel, letting the kids share a room for the night.
- Include the kids. Let them be waiters/waitresses, serve the meal and clean up after.
**Note: Connecting with each other or having private time is important. It’s okay to tell the kids this is your time. It’s better than okay! It’s teaching them how important it is to put effort into marriage.
Tell us your favorite at-home date night idea in the comment section!
**Another Note – I’ve been asked a few times about the game in the picture. It is Catan, which is normally a 3-4 player game. It’s one of our all-time favorite date night games. We recently found Rivals for Catan, which is intended for two players… we love both. (We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.)
Click on the picture below to save this post to Pinterest (you are definitely going to want to find it again!)
Can I just say I lovvvveeee #37?!? How fun and creative is that? I just wrote an article about getting the house on date night but those are only once/twice a month, now I have 50 ideas for the other twentysome days in the month 🙂
Thank you for including my Fancy Popcorn roundup in your list of fun date night ideas! Pinning!
Such great ideas ! We’ve been struggling to find some activities to do at home since we have a 10 month old and are trying to save up some money, but these are all good ideas that we will definitely start doing. Thanks for sharing !
Love these. We have been struggling with date night. These are great ideas that I would have never thought of. Can’t wait to try them. Thank you
It’s crazy how easily date night can be moved down and then off the priority list isn’t it?!?!
LOVE these. Seriously, some of these I’ve never heard of (and since I’m a little bit pinterest-crazy that is surprising), and I want to do them all right now! Thanks for sharing!
We tried out the Chopped night a few weeks ago. It was so fun!
Love these ideas! My boyfriend and I have been together for just over a year and it seems like we are always doing the same date night ideas. These will get him to open up more and keep the spark in the relatiobahip
I love all these ideas! We just subscribed to a date night box for a xmas gift too!
That’s cool! What’s the company Katrina?
What is it called?
This is the best best BEST list of Date Night Ideas that I have come across. Please keep adding as you get more ideas
YAY!!! Thanks Kim.
It doesn’t count as date night if you only have to walk three feet to do it…. Why bother getting dressed up or anything if all you’re going to do is NOT leave the house?
If getting dressed up is what makes it a date night, then why not? You are first getting dressed up for you and second for him. Who cares if anyone else sees?
At date night at home may not be your first choice, but what if it’s at home or not at all? Making the best of it and making it special makes it actually happen.
Sometimes budgets don’t allow for going out to dinner or to some activity which costs money, especially if there is the need for a babysitter. Putting the time and effort into a relationship is important even if it means not leaving your home. It is all about attitude and if you chose the attitude that your home is can be special and fun too, then it can be. Maybe it isn’t as fabulous as being treated to a fancy dinner out, but again, investing the time into a relationship is vital if it is going to work.
It totally counts, Anytime you and your Husband are making time for just the two of you to do something together fun its a date. Pick a date to do something together and its a date.
That game you have pictured/mentioned is a minimum 3 player game. Was this a double date?
I LOVE these ideas!! Thanks for sharing!!
We just did date night on Sat, Christmas eve. We pulled out a table and 2 chairs and set it all up in the livingroom, with some snacks, moonshine mixed drinks and 2 deck of cards and watching something on netflix. I taught my husband a brand new card game called Progressive Rummy that he had never played and we had so much fun that we were up till 3 am playing. He had beat me at my own game and we are ready to do it again. Next time I am going to plan something a little different and add some candlelight and shut off all the lights in the livingroom and just have the candlelight on the table for us to see and the tv with some soft music playing in the background and make up some kind of dessert over hot tea. He will be quite surprised. Thank you so much for sharing this with us. We love date night. With my husband’s work schedule and me working from home and taking care of everything we both get tired, so on his next day off i am going to surprise him with a pedicure and some game time. We do have date night for the Fiesta bowl, gotta make his favorite food (chicken wings) and he don’t even know that I am making them either. Date nights in marriage or relationship are so important as we get so caught up with our day to day stuff that taking the time for each other is so important and shows how much you care and love one another.
I love this so much! All of your ideas are wonderful. You have one lucky hubby. <3
By pursuing your spouse and scheduling a date, you are revealing that they are worth your time, energy, and emotions. Plus, it is something hopeful to look forward to. The wife changing diapers or shuttling kids around in the minivan can look forward to that weekend date night. The husband who is stressed about work deadlines or a business trip can anticipate a relaxing date with his wife.
Can’t wait to try these out!
We use did use some of these any way but so many more now. We aint done any in nearly a year work and 4 kids is hard work. Tomorrow night going to dress up nice meal. Candles and play cards.
Ballroom dancing
Sing a duet
Explain unforgettable moments with or without each other
Love your ideas. Making Sushi is my favorite at home.
I will definitely try the rest of these ideas.
I am so glad I came across your post. Hubby and I were just talking the other day about how much we loved the card game Golf, but we had forgotten how to play. I pinned your post with the directions and now we can’t wait to dig out our card decks!
Thank you for your ideas. We only have one child at home but are caring for and elderly, Ill parent and unable to afford help or leave to go on a date. It has been so challenging to have quality together time. This gave me some light to a dark time. Thank you!
Between two kids in football and full time work schedules, date night is far and few between for us. Also money is always tight this time of year to get ready for the holidays. I’m so glad I found this list because I was just talking to my better half tonight about dates at home with the boys being our waiters but that was the only idea I came up with. We both love to cook so we will definitely use the cook a different culture meal and some of the others. Thanks for sharing! keeping the spark alive after 10 years takes some effort.