Posted on: December 14, 2010

8 Outside-the-Box Date Ideas

 

Couple time is important to your marriage, especially when life is fast and furious (and when is it not?). Making some one-on-one time for you and your spouse can be tricky, given the family schedule and tight budgets. When the traditional dinner and a movie on Saturday night just isn’t going to happen, try one of these fresh date ideas:

1. Break a sweat together.

If you can find a neighbor or friend to hang out with the kids for an hour (or two), go for a quick bike ride, run, or walk. The exercise will be a great stress reliever for both of you, and during the cool down, you’ll have a chance to talk.

2. Try breakfast or lunch, instead.

If your work schedule is flexible enough to allow coming in an hour later once in a while, try going out for breakfast after the kids are off to school. You might find that you’re even more tuned in to each other early in the day before fatigue sets in. Or take your lunch break together—the kids are in school (no sitter required) and everyone has to each lunch, right?

3. Get lost together in a local museum or art gallery.

It’s fun to just wander and take in the exhibits with no particular agenda. What you see will often spark interesting conversation, and reveal more about your spouse and how he sees the world. Plus, many museums and galleries have no or low admission fees.

4. Take on a project together.

Make sure it’s not too stressful or complex, but something that you can toil away on, side-by-side, often allowing a chance to talk and share along the way. Think planting a new flower bed, doing a jigsaw puzzle, or painting a room.

5. Picnic in the park.

If a sitter is nowhere to be found, there’s no better place to keep the kids at bay while you reconnect than at the park. Take a blanket and picnic, pick a spot where you can see the kids on the playground, and let them go. While they play, you can relax and chat.

6. Participate in a couples’ Bible study or small group at your church.

You’ll likely enjoy the time with other couples, and many churches provide childcare for these activities.

7. Take in the late show at the drive-in.

Drive-ins are making a comeback in some areas, and it’s a great option for parents of small children. Put them in their jammies and let them get comfy in the back seat, and they’ll be asleep before the previews are over. Then slide over next to your sweetie and pretend you’re 18 again. If you’re not a night owl—and more of an early bird—you can catch the matinee, which is also a little cheaper!

8. Take a day off together.

Your kids are at school, and you can hire a babysitter for the afternoon hours so you can just enjoy each other’s company for an entire day.

If you are still looking for more ideas that you can incorporate into your daily life that will improve your relationship with the love of your life, you can use these Marriage Coupons any time.

  • http://twitter.com/epicparent epicparent.tv

    you have nailed it! love it….Jodie and I take every friday off together. We call it date day!

  • Momma T

    Great idea and yes very important. Also hard or nearly impossible right now. My hard working hubby works 2 jobs so as that I may be a stay at home Momma, so when he is off he is very tired and misses the kids, any ideas?? God bles and merry Christmas

  • Mark

    We’re in a similar situation. We do puzzle nights, game nights or other things that our girls can be involved in, and we can be with them, but we still get some time together. Another idea we’ve been using is to do something with them for some of the time, and then getting a sitter, friend or family member to watch them. Then we can go out and do something as a couple.

    During the warmer months, we try to get together with some friends and take the kids to a playground. We take the kids in shifts, and allow the parents who are “off duty” to have some time as well. We usually have enough parents involved that we can get an hour or more to do what we’d like, knowing that the kids are being watched and having fun together. Colder months, we try to do something similar like a rotating movie night for the kids. Those are less frequent, but still valuable provide together time for the kids as well as the parents.

  • Inhisgrace1979

    I like the picnic idea, when my hubby and I were dating it was one of our favorite activities. One important note, just being some where with your spouse isn’t the same as being there with them. What I mean is time is great but if you are not 100% present in the activity it’s just time. My husband and I are together a lot of the time. He is disabled and I care for him and the children. So it’s not that we don’t see each other enough, it is that we are not always 100% present in the activity. We need to take time to just be Kim and Paul, not mom, dad, caretaker, whatever.

  • Leah Christensen

    These are great ideas!!! My husband and I attended a cultural conference together today, and then had dinner at our favourite restaurant after. It was great!! 

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