50+ Date Night Ideas for Parents at Home – Keep the Flame Alive!

In the hustle and bustle of parenting, finding quality time for just the two of you can often seem like a challenging task.

This parenting thing is tough! We’re dealing with the demands of work, household chores, and family responsibilities. All of that makes maintaining a relationship with our spouse even harder. However, trying some date night ideas for parents at home can make nurturing the relationship with your spouse easier to prioritize.

Before kids, or even with just one kid, it was easier for my husband and me to keep up with monthly date nights. Now with two it’s hard to find the time, money, and energy to spend on date nights out of the house. My husband and I keep telling each other that we need to schedule a date night but then life gets in the way…someone gets sick, the weekend ends up being full of kids’ activities, or we’re just so exhausted…and then weeks (or months!) go by without a date night.

Planning date nights at home can make it easier to have time with your spouse on a regular basis. My husband and I have weekly date nights at home. Sometimes it’s very low-key, like making some fresh popcorn and watching a movie. Other times it’s a little more involved like getting a few wine or beer options and having a wine or beer tasting. I’d like to be even more adventurous with our at-home date nights but the way I look at it is, something is better than nothing!

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Benefits of At-Home Date Nights for Parents

Regular date nights at home have many benefits. Most importantly, you’re actually having a date night!

1. Saving money

Date nights at home are usually cheaper than going out. You don’t have a huge restaurant bill or ticket prices. If money is an issue, date nights at home can help you save money.

2. Dressing comfortably

Another benefit of date nights at home for parents is that you can dress comfortably. If all you have the energy for is putting on a hoodie, leggings and being makeup-free, then that’s fine! On the other hand, if you do want to get dressed up, that’s great too. You can dress however you’d feel most comfortable.

3. Being creative

Date nights at home allow you to be more creative. You’re not locked into whatever is going on where you’re going. You can come up with your own ideas about what you’d like to do.

4. Easier to get done

Date nights at home are easier to follow through with than date nights out of the house. You don’t have to worry about childcare. They also take up less energy. Monthly date nights are important to maintain your relationship, so aim for some date nights at home if you’re having trouble getting out of the house.

5. Easier to communicate

Communication can be easier during at-home date nights. You’re in private so you don’t have to worry about other people overhearing your conversation, and you don’t have to deal with a noisy atmosphere like you may have at a restaurant.

How do you make date nights at home special for parents?

You may think that date nights at home aren’t as special as going out, but that’s not true. There are many ways to make date nights at home even more special for parents.

1. Plan the date in advance.

Treat your at-home date night like an actual date. Schedule it. Have a plan for what you are going to do.

2. Communicate your expectations.

Discuss your expectations for the date with your partner. Don’t expect your spouse to read your mind and know what you want to do.

3. Take turns planning the date.

Take turns planning your at-home date nights, or plan them together. You don’t want one person to feel like they are doing all the planning or taking on all of the mental load for the date. Dad planning dates are great ways to pamper Mom, and Mom can pamper Dad when she plans the date.

4. Make the date unique.

Make your at-home date nights unique. I have over 50 different ideas for you so try a new one each time!

5. Create a cozy atmosphere.

Make your at-home date night cozy. You should be nice and relaxed since you’re at home. Maybe that’s setting out some candles or putting on some relaxing music. Set up whatever atmosphere would make you feel special at home.

6. Choose a theme.

You can make an at-home date night extra special by choosing a theme. You can dress up and get different accessories for the theme, and even plan different activities related to that theme too.

7. Manage expectations.

Try to manage your expectations for the date night at home. Don’t put too much pressure on yourselves to have the perfect date. Things don’t always go as planned (ie. that child that won’t stay asleep). You can always try again another night.

8. Put the electronics away.

Try to put away your phone and other electronics for your date. You want to be present and focus on each other since your one-on-one time together is limited.

What do you do with the kids during date nights at home?

So you want to have a nice date night at home, but you have those pesky kids. Here are some suggestions for what to do with them:

• Wait until they are sleeping to have your date.
• Send them to the grandparents or a friend’s house.
• Let the kids have their own sleepover party.
• Encourage independent play such as reading quietly in their room.
• If all else fails, let the kids be involved in your date at home, whether that’s setting it up, coming up with ideas, or participating too.

Free Date Night Ideas for Parents at Home

If you want to save money, try some of these free date night ideas for parents at home!

Plan your next trip.

Your next trip will cost money, but planning it doesn’t! It can be fun to research different locations, places to stay, activities, and figure out what the budget should be.

Organize digital photos.

Chances are you have loads of digital photos of your kids. Take a look at them, organize them into different albums, and print some out. It’s nice to relive memories and laugh at the silly things your kids have done.

Read together.

Get comfortable and read together. You can read the same book so you have something to discuss, or choose your own books and just enjoy some peace and quiet while you read.

Make a playlist of favorite songs.

Set up some playlists of your favorite songs. You can make a playlist of songs that are special to your relationship, a playlist to enjoy in the backyard on a nice summer day, or a playlist to enjoy during an upcoming road trip.

Journal together.

Journaling together can be one of the more calming date night ideas for parents at home. Grab a notebook or some paper and answer some therapeutic journaling prompts. You can discuss your answers to learn more about each other.

Sit outside and stargaze.

Grab a blanket or two and cuddle up under the stars!

Exchange foot rubs.

Foot rubs help me relax so much. You can take turns massaging each others feet.

Dream together.

Have conversations about the future. Talk about your dreams and goals. What do you want life to be like next month or next year?

Look at your wedding album.

Cuddle up and look at your wedding album. I’m due for this one! It’s always so nice to look back at your wedding day, and see how far you’ve come.

Watch a sunrise or sunset.

Find a nice scenic location where you can enjoy a beautiful sunrise or sunset.

Do an at-home workout.

Workout together! My husband and I workout together just about every day. It’s not one of the more relaxing date night ideas, but it’s fun to motivate each other. Sometimes we do the same workout and other times we do our own thing near each other.

Rewrite your marriage vows.

What would you say to each other if you were getting married today? My husband and I went the more traditional vows route for our wedding so I would like to write our own vows one of these days.

Make a bucket list.

Make a bucket list of things you’d like to do together or as a whole family. Even if it sounds like something crazy that you’d never get to do put it down on your list. It will give you something to work towards.

Write a poem or love letter to each other.

Get sentimental and write a poem or love letter to each other. Exchange it during your date or wait for a future date to read what each other wrote.

Sit and talk about your day.

My husband and I struggle to just have a normal conversation about our day when the kids are around. Someone is always interrupting or needing something. It can be nice to be super low-key and just talk together about our day.

Edible Date Night Ideas for Parents at Home

Chances are you’re hungry so here are some date night ideas for parents at home that involve some eating or drinking!

Cook a new recipe.

Cooking together can be a fun date night idea for parents at home. Date Night In has more than 120 recipes to cook together to rekindle some romance.

Set up a beer or wine tasting.

Stock up on an assortment of beers or wines and enjoy a beer tasting or wine tasting. My husband and I enjoy going to breweries and wineries, and a tasting is an easy enough date night idea to create at home.

Make fancy popcorn.

Pop some popcorn and add some popcorn seasoning to make a fancier snack.

Make ice cream sundaes.

If you have a sweet tooth, set up an ice cream sundae bar. See who can make the biggest sundae. Grab an assortment of toppings to make a fun and tasty treat!

Set up an indoor picnic.

Pack up a picnic basket and enjoy a picnic in the comfort of your own home.

Have a blind taste test.

Grab a blindfold and have a blind tasting. This could be fun for food or drinks!

Make s’mores.

Roast some marshmallows indoors with a S’mores maker, or outside if you have a fire pit. Get some graham crackers and chocolate too so you can make some delicious s’mores.

Have a fondue night.

Stock up on your favorite snacks or desserts and have a fondue night.

Make a charcuterie board.

Set up a charcuterie board together and relax and enjoy! Pair it with your favorite wine too.

Make sushi together.

If you’re both sushi lovers and feeling adventurous, make some sushi together.

Create a signature drink together.

It can be fun to play bartender and create a signature drink together. You can start with a mixology book to get some ideas or if you’re really feeling adventurous just start mixing things together!

Make homemade pizzas.

Make some homemade pizzas for a yummy at-home date night. You can each add toppings to half the pie and see which half you like better!

Have a bake-off competition.

Compete and see who makes the best dessert! You can try some of The Great British Baking Show recipes if you need ideas.

Entertaining Date Night Ideas for Parents at Home

If you’re looking to have some laughs, try some of these fun date night ideas for parents at home.

Set up an indoor scavenger hunt.

Have an indoor scavenger hunt! You can try Family Scavenger Hunt (there are cards for adults!) if you don’t want to set up the hunt on your own.

Play Escape Room – The Game.

If you’ve been dying to try an Escape Room, play Escape Room – The Game. It combines a board game with jigsaw puzzles.

Take an online cooking class.

Sur La Table has so many different options of online cooking classes you can take from the comfort of your own home.

Create with a Pott’d kit.

If you enjoy being creative, try a Pott’d kit. It comes with everything you need to make a clay creation at home.

Try drawing blindfolded.

Grab a blindfold and do some drawing. You can even play some blindfolded Pictionary. I’m sure your drawings will give you plenty of laughs!

Take an online dance class.

Try an online dance class and show off your skills at the next wedding you go to. This could even be a free at-home date night if you find a class on youTube.

Play video games.

Playing video games together can be a competitive date night idea for parents at home. Borrow your child’s gaming console and have some fun.

Build an adult LEGO set.

If you enjoyed playing LEGOs as a kid, build an adult LEGO set together. There are so many different options to choose from.

Learn a new hobby.

Is there a hobby that either one of you have been dying to try? Get whatever supplies and instructions you need and try it out together.

Bonding Date Night Ideas for Parents at Home

If you’re feeling more sentimental and want to try some activities that will make you feel closer, try these bonding date night ideas for parents at home.

Camp indoors.

You can get really romantic and do some camping indoors. All you need is a tent and twinkle lights for a cozy atmosphere.

Work on a home project together.

Is there something you need to get done around this house? Work on it together and the chore will be more enjoyable.

Have a spa night.

Get some nice spa products and have a relaxing spa night at home for your date.

Create a family scrapbook.

Print out photos and design a scrapbook of family memories. A scrapbook set comes with an album, markers, stickers, and other accessories to personalize your book.

Do a puzzle together.

Spend time putting a puzzle together. It can be a cathartic date night activity.

Recreate your first date.

Even though you’d be at home, try to recreate your first date. Was there a particular cocktail you drank? Make it! Did you eat a certain cuisine? Order it!

Answer A Year of Us.

Spend some time on A Year of Us. It contains 365 prompts designed to spark fun and meaningful conversations with your partner.

Start a gratitude jar.

Start a gratitude jar. This is basically free since you just need some paper to write down what you are grateful for. You may just need a mason jar to get started. On future dates you can open the jar and revisit what you wrote.

Comprehensive Date Night Ideas for Parents at Home – Date Night Boxes!

If you’d like all the work done for you, try one or more of these date night boxes. They come with all you need for a fun date night at home.

Datebox by Happily

Datebox by Happily comes with fun activities, conversation starters, snacks, and a custom playlist. When you start your subscription, you take a short quiz and Happily puts together a box based on your interests.

Hunt a Killer

Try Hunt a Killer box if you enjoy solving crimes. Every box comes with realistic evidence and you use the clues to construct a timeline and identify the suspect.

Crated with Love

My husband and I really enjoyed Crated with Love. Each box comes with a themed game as well as additional content like recipes, movie lists, and a themed Spotify playlist.

Date Night in a Box

Date Night in a Box has different themes to choose from, such as “adventure together”, “to have and to hold”, “under the stars”, and “power outage”. Each box includes several interactive activities, accessories for ambiance, high-quality snacks, and a chef-curated dinner menu with recipes.

Escape the Crate

If you love mysteries, try Escape the Crate. Each box contains a story to solve. You use the included props to solve the puzzles and crack the codes.

Adults & Crafts

Adults & Crafts boxes contain all the supplies you need to make an engaging craft. Easy to follow instructions are included too.

As parents, the demands of daily life can often leave little room for romance.

However, investing time in your relationship is a gift to both yourselves and your family. It’s not about the grand gestures, but shared experiences. These date night ideas for parents at home don’t have to be extravagant. Many are low-key dates for parents, just what you need when you are tired after a long day.

I hope that many of these at-home date night ideas excite you. As you embark on these date night adventures, may you find renewed closeness, laugher, and a deeper appreciation for the love that formed the foundation for where you are today.

Cheers to love, laughter, and many more memorable at-home date nights to come!