At-Home Date Night Ideas [ No Babysitter? No Problem!]


In the age of lockdowns, plans can change on a dime.

If you’ve been looking forward to going on a date with your significant other for some time, and the babysitter gets sick, or grandma doesn’t want to risk getting Omicron, or the restaurant has to cancel your reservation, you don’t give up on your date night!

There are still plenty of fun ideas you and your spouse can do even if the kids are home.

Distract the Kiddos

If they’re old enough, go ahead and turn on a movie in another room for them (bonus points for supplying treats as well) and have your date in another room in the house. The downtime for them will be just as good as the alone time for you and your partner.

If they’re too young to be left unsupervised with a movie, wait until they are put to bed before starting your date night.

Choose a Date Idea

1. Cook a romantic dinner with grown-up food and bring out the china, tablecloths, and candles! (You know, all the stuff that has been stored out of reach ever since the kids came along?) You can make the date even more fun by dressing up all fancy.

2. Have a picnic in the backyard or even the front room! Just layout a blanket and eat cross-legged on the floor. Even PB&J’s will taste better when you eat them in a unique new place.

3. Make your own movie night indoors. If you can get your hands on a projector, project the movie onto a wall. Stock up on popcorn and other movie theater treats and cuddle up on the couch. With more comfortable seating and unlimited access to treats and drinks, you may not miss the theater at all!

4.  Break out the board games! Even the cheesy ones that you’ve played over and over again with your little ones can end up being so much fun when you’re just playing one-on-one with your partner.

5. Have a cooking contest. Each person has to make the same food, but with their own twist. For example, both of you can cook pasta, but it’s up to you to decide which type of pasta you create. Whichever dish turns out best, wins!

6. Take online dance lessons! This is such a fun idea. Simply search for a tutorial on a particular dance style, and get dancing!

7. Head to the backyard to roast some marshmallows and stargaze. You could even set up a tent to hang out in for a few hours. Just make sure to bring along a monitor or open enough windows and patio door that’s you’ll hear if any nightmares or other such drama suddenly needs your attention.

8. Have a spa night! Give each other massages and relax to calming music. You can even both try out a new exfoliating face mask!

These are just a few of the many stay-at-home date night ideas there are out there. Honestly, just as long as you’re both together and focusing on each other, it doesn’t matter what you end up doing.

Just making sure that you set aside a few hours each week to do something fun together will work wonders for any relationship.

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