63 at Home Date Night Ideas Perfect for Parents to Connect

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!

63 At Home Date Night Ideas Perfect for Parents

We rounded up this list of 63 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… all that can be enjoyed in the comfort of your own home.

Creative Date Night Ideas at Home

• Paint together on a big canvas. Or make a paint night with individual canvases and a big reveal at the end.
• 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, and then 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 for a movie night.
• Plan your next trip.
• Organize digital family pictures together.
• Learn each other’s love languages and brainstorm ideas to add them to your everyday connection. You can find the love languages in Gary Chapman’s book.
• Create a five senses night. Each of you brings five different things from one scene. Take turns putting on a blindfold and guessing each item.
• Take advantage of an upcoming holiday and work together to prepare a surprise for the kids. (Fill stockings or eggs; search online for small tokens of Valentine’s love.)

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 Netflix.
• Play a childhood board game.
• Play darts.
• Do a “Skype” double date with a friend couple who has moved cross country.
• Build a fort together with pillows and blankets. (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!
• Solve a murder mystery.
• Workout together. Bonus if you pick something that gets you laughing while you sweat.

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.
• Light candles throughout the house for 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.
• Create a scavenger hunt through the house. Rule number one… don’t wake the kids. That will add to the fun.

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.
• 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.

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.

Backyard Date Nights Ideas

• Stargaze together and see how many constellations you can find.
• Roast marshmallows over a fire pit (or barbecue).
• Take the whole family to buy new patio furniture or accessories during the day. Enjoy them together after the kids are settled for the night.
• Set up a hammock or bring a loveseat from inside to the patio and snuggle while you enjoy the night air.
• Grill dessert together. Try something you never knew could be grilled!
• Go for a late-night swim.
• Watch the sunset together. Or watch the sunrise. There’s no reason a date has to be after the kids are in bed. Before wake up time can be a great quiet space for alone time.
• Plant a tree together.

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.
• Dress up for each other. Wear fancy clothes and set a fancy table.
• Recreate the first meal you had together. 
• Make Sushi together.
• Eat in a different space than usual. Move the table to a different spot in the house, maybe something with a cozy feel or a more private position.

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.)

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