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Creative Date Ideas for Busy Parents

date ideas outdoors

Last Updated on February 6, 2023

Date nights can become quite scarce when you’re a busy parent. Trust me, I know. But date nights are honestly a fantastic way for us to step away from the routine and connect with our partners. Here at Major League Mommy, we decided to come up with some creative date ideas that parents can use whether they’re at home, away for work, or unable to find a sitter.

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Fun (and Romantic) Date Night Ideas for Parents With No Sitter

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1 Creative Date Ideas

 

Creative Date Ideas

There are so many unique date ideas available to you, it may be difficult to know where to start. To make things easier, we are going to break these date ideas into 5 different categories:

  1. Date Ideas at Home
  2. Outdoor Date Ideas
  3. Date Ideas Around Town
  4. Date Ideas When You Have No Sitter
  5. Long Distance Date Ideas

 

Date Ideas at Home

-Have a Wine Tasting

You can purchase your own wine-tasting kit, pair it with some chocolates and palate cleansers, and enjoy sharing your opinions on each wine.

 

-Candlelit Dinner

You don’t necessarily have to make the meal yourselves (although that could be part of the date as well). Feel free to grab some carry out, or even hire a professional chef, get dressed up (or not), light the candles, and enjoy your meal right in your own dining room.

 

-Create Your Own Spa

Grab massage lotions and robes and enjoy giving each other a massage. Optionally, you can hire a professional to stop by and do the massaging for you.

 

-Painting

Bring out the wine, your favorite snacks, and all your painting supplies. Then, let your creativity run wild.

 

-Karaoke Night

If you love to sing or visit karaoke bars, why not bring the karaoke fun right into your home? YouTube has a ton of karaoke songs you can use for F R E E.

 

-Have a Themed Movie Night

Perhaps you will choose to have a scary movie night, “Watch the Franchise,” Classic movie night, or some other theme you choose. You could even dress according to the theme, and don’t forget the popcorn.

 

-Try a New Craft

Free your creative side while bonding with your partner. Find a new craft on Pinterest that you can both create together.

 

-Game Night

There are so many directions you can take with a game night. You may decide to pull up some trivia on YouTube, try a game of Twister, play some video games, or try out a series of new board games. The choice is yours!

 

-Take Professional Photos

In the past, my husband and I have used Life365 Portraits for a photo shoot in the comfort of our own home. The photographers came straight to us, and the process was so simple. The photos also came out absolutely fantastic!

Date Ideas Outdoors

 

-Visit an Amusement Park

This is an excellent option for a date during the warm seasons. Not only will you get some fresh air, but you will definitely have a ton of fun and can enjoy some yummy carnival treats.

 

-Go on a Hike

Hiking is a great physical activity and bonding opportunity. You can go hiking locally or make a mini vacation of it. If you are in the midwest, I highly recommend checking out Hocking Hills in Ohio.

 

-Have a Picnic

You can get as creative as you like with your outdoor picnic. You can go for something super romantic, or keep things simple.

 

-Go snowboarding or Skiing

If winter sports are your thing, you should definitely take advantage of them during the cold and snowy season. Don’t forget to finish the date with some hot cocoa or coffee!

 

-Go camping

This idea is for those who really enjoy the great outdoors. Why not go camping for a weekend?

 

-Enjoy a Hot Air Balloon Ride

I took Hubby on a hot air balloon ride for his birthday one year, and it was truly such a beautiful experience. I highly recommend it if you’re not afraid of heights and have no health concerns preventing you from doing so.

 

-Go on a Bike Ride

Get a good workout in while you bond with your partner by taking a bike ride through your neighborhood. You could even choose to try out a new biking trail to add that extra bit of adventure.

 

-Go fishing

Fishing can be another great bonding opportunity, especially if you’re both into that sort of thing. This is a relatively chill activity so that’s an added bonus.

 

-Go Boating

Don’t want to go fishing but still enjoy being out on the water? Perhaps a simple boat ride is a better idea for you.

 

-Try an Outdoor Sport

Whether it be tennis, basketball, or another outdoor sport, trying an outdoor sport can make a really fantastic date idea. Not only do you get to enjoy some fresh air, but you can also get a good workout in.

 

-Visit the Cider Mill or Apple Orchard

If you’re looking for a date idea in autumn, visiting the cider mill or apple orchard is always an option. Apple cider and donuts make the perfect treat for your snack break.

 

-Attend an Outdoor Concert

If you enjoy listening to live music, an outdoor concert is a good choice during the warmer seasons. The best part is, you can often find free or low-cost outdoor concerts near you making this a cost-effective activity.

 

-Have a BBQ in the Backyard

Want to stay home for your date? That doesn’t mean you have to stay cooped up in the house. Take a trip to your backyard, fire up the grill, and enjoy some of your cookout faves.

 

-Stroll Through a Local Farmer’s Market

Visiting a farmer’s market is another chill date idea. This is also the perfect opportunity to buy unique locally-made gifts for one another.

 

-Help Out with an outdoor Volunteer Activity

Turn a volunteer opportunity into your next bonding activity. In the summer, you will likely find many opportunities to serve your community at an outdoor event.

 

 

Date Ideas Around Town

 

-Listen to Live Music

Have dinner and drinks at a local jazz club. This is actually one of my favorite date ideas on this list. However, it is important to note that this probably isn’t the best idea if you really want to chat throughout your date.

 

-Visit a Drive-In Movie Theater

Cozy up to a movie at your local drive-in movie theater. You don’t have to worry about noise from other guests and have significantly more privacy at a drive-in theater.

 

-Visit a Vineyard

If you have an outdoor vineyard nearby, you can stop by to take in some beautiful scenery and try new wines.

 

-Take a Dance Class

Couples dance classes can really be a lot of fun (and a really great workout). I have actually tried bachata lessons with my husband in the past. He normally doesn’t like to dance but we both had a blast with our lessons.

 

-Go on a City Tour

You may be surprised to learn that there are lots of sites that you’ve been totally overlooking in your very own city. For this reason, a city tour in your hometown could be a very eye-opening experience. If you can take advantage of a guided tour, this is an even better option so you can learn about the history of your city.

 

-Get Some Laughs at a Comedy Club

They say laughter is the best medicine, and visiting a comedy club is one of the best ways to get a healthy dose of laughter.

 

-Enjoy Dinner at an Improv Theater

If you have an improv theater near you, I definitely recommend checking it out. It is truly such a unique experience and can be so much fun.

 

-Watch a Broadway Show

If there’s a good broadway show coming to your town, perhaps you and your partner should check it out. That is, of course, if you’re both into that type of thing.

 

-Try Indoor Skydiving

This one is on my personal date night bucket list. Indoor skydiving centers such as iFLY give you the opportunity to experience what it’s like to fly through the air. Indoor skydiving seems like such a cool activity!

 

-Visit a Cat Cafe

I just recently learned about the concept of “catfes” and as a cat-lover, I absolutely love the idea! This concept is not for everyone, however.

 

-Check Out an Immersive Art Display

Experience art in a totally new way by visiting an immersive art display in your town. This is another chill date idea.

 

-Make Your Own Candles at a Candle Bar

My husband actually brought this idea to my attention recently. There are candle bars that actually let you come in and create your own candle. How cool is that!? I highly recommend looking to see if you have one in your town.

 

-Try Ax-Throwing

I personally enjoyed ax-throwing with my husband during one of our date nights. It was different and a lot more of a workout than I expected. But it sure was fun!

 

– Try a Cooking Class

Learning something new together is one of the best bonding activities for couples. You can find a cooking class near you and learn how to make a new recipe for use at home.

 

Date Ideas with Kids for When You Have No Sitter

 

-Visit an Escape Room

Escape rooms are better with more people since you’re trying to complete the room in under 60 minutes. Therefore, this is a good date idea to consider when you have kids with you who can help solve the puzzles. It is also a fantastic team-building activity.

 

-Go Skating

Skating is a fun physical activity that really the whole family can join in on. Kids certainly wouldn’t mind it!

 

-Host a Family Game Night

If you want to stay in for your date night, you can take the game night idea from above, and let the kids join in!

 

-Have a Bake-Off

Let everyone put those baking skills to the test with some friendly competition. You may choose to have a particular theme to follow, or just let it be a free-for-all and see what people come up with.

 

-Camp out in the Living Room

Grab sleeping bags and pillows, maybe even an air mattress, and have a campout in the living room.

 

-Have a Nerf War

Grab your nerf guns and head out to the backyard (or even a local park), and engage in a little battle. Just a heads up, this usually ends up being a massive workout.

 

-Start a New Series on Netflix

Keep things simple and start watching a new family-friendly series on Netflix. Don’t forget the popcorn!

 

-Workout Together

Health is wealth and that’s why engaging in a family workout is such a terrific date idea. You don’t even need to leave the home to pull this one off. You can also make it as fun (or intense) as you so choose.

 

-Have a Build Your Own Pizza Night

Pull out all of your main ingredients for a homemade pizza, and let everyone choose from a selection of toppings to customize their pizza.

 

-Enjoy a S’mores Bar

There are so many different treats you can use to create a s’mores bar. The main idea is that you provide a variety of options so that you can build non-traditional s’mores. Maybe you use fudge stripes cookies instead of graham crackers. Perhaps you want white chocolate instead of milk chocolate. There are so many ways to customize s’mores.

 

-Complete a Puzzle Together

Give your brain a challenge and boost team-building skills by working on a puzzle together. Free online jigsaw puzzles are a simple (and cost-effective) option for couples wanting to try something different for date night.  You can even set a timer for an extra challenge. 

 

Date Ideas Long Distance

 

— Host a Virtual Game Night

You don’t have to be physically in front of one another to pull off game night, there are plenty of fun games that you can play virtually including

  • Charades
  • Ask Alexa (or Siri or Google) – try to get your device to say the word you were given without actually using the word when speaking to it.
  • Never Have I Ever
  • Trivia
  •  

— Have a Virtual Wine Tasting

Yes, you can literally have a virtual wine tasting. You can find a list of virtual wine-tasting opportunities here.

 

— Try a Virtual Cooking Class

Same as the cooking class idea from above, but this time you will have to find one online. It still turns out to be a really great activity!

 

-Test Your Skills in an Online Escape Room

Yes, you can even take part in a Virtual Escape Room!

 

-Create a Digital Vision Board

Building out a vision board is a fantastic way to set your intentions for the future. It can also be a really great bonding activity with your partner. It’s always interesting to see what things people include in their vision boards. You may even learn something new about your partner!

 

-Enjoy Coffee and a Donut

Keep it simple. Grab some coffee and a donut, and log on for a casual chat.

 

-Create a Date Box and Have it Delivered

Challenge one another to create a box of date night items within a certain budget and have it shipped to the other. It’ll be a nice surprise when you both receive it.

 

There are so many creative date ideas out there for couples. And it is my hope that this list kicks off some beautiful adventures for you all.

Please feel free to share more ideas in the comments and I will be more than happy to update this post with fresh ideas.

 

Author

  • Briana Marie

    Briana Marie is a mental health and financial literacy advocate, and founder of Major League Mommy. In her spare time, Briana enjoys yoga, travel, and spending time with her Husband and two daughters.

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